The Americans in the Media

[BW Manilowe]

Keri's on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live TONIGHT! At 11:35PM Eastern/10:35PM Central, after your late local ABC news. But check your local listings to be certain of the time & channel in your area.

https://twitter.com/jimmykimmellive/status/869700967574286336

[ElectricBoogaloo]

If The Americans was a sitcom:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Keri talks about The Americans and Scott Speedman:

Keri Russell and Scott Speedman talk about Felicity:

[MisterBluxom]

On 2017-05-30 at 0:50 AM, IrishPirate said:

Info about Keri Russell in a movie can go in "The Cast in Other Roles." Posting something new in that thread will bump it up toward the top of the list.

Thanks very much.

[Inquisitionist]

Joel and Joe talk about Season 5.  I think they live in a parallel universe or a bubble...
 

Quote

 

 I think that the Mischa story is a very good example. We found that to be immensely satisfying, and that doesn’t mean anybody else should — everybody gets to have their own reaction to the story. But to answer your question about a different approach to the season, I think we felt very free to tell the story exactly how we wanted to and not have to adhere to any traditional storytelling structure. This isn’t how climaxes usually work, and it allowed us to go more in the direction that we veered more toward in every season, which is trying to go one direction of truth and reality and what we think would actually unfold, and worry less about what the more conventional idea of what is going to feel climactic or satisfying. And if one of the results of that is people feel it’s less satisfying, then I think we just have to accept that.

But for us, we found it a very moving story to tell and to watch and to see. The fact that Mischa came here and was frustrated in that way and Philip never knew about it, was very much a true story about the tragedy of espionage, and of course the story we’re telling is a big story about the tragedy of espionage. And then to see him go home and that’s the end of it, instead with him being reunited with this second family he never knew he had, personally it made me cry. I was as moved by that as I’ve been by almost anything on the show.

 

If that was their point, they didn't need to spend what felt like endless hours on the mechanics of his getting to the US...

[SunnyBeBe]

I saw Keri getting her STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday.  She looked lovely.  Her husband was also there. She said the kids were camping. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-kerirussell-star-idUSKBN18R1OE

[Erin9]

1 hour ago, Inquisitionist said:

Joel and Joe talk about Season 5.  I think they live in a parallel universe or a bubble...
 

If that was their point, they didn't need to spend what felt like endless hours on the mechanics of his getting to the US...

It made the whole thing more tragic. He worked so hard to get here, only to not meet his father or other family at all. 

I really wanted Philip to meet Misha. It bugs me that it didn't happen. MR would have been amazing.  But I do understand the choice they made story-wise. I'm guessing there will be more where that came from. 

[Inquisitionist]

28 minutes ago, Erin9 said:

It made the whole thing more tragic. He worked so hard to get here, only to not meet his father or other family at all. 

That may be what they were going for, but it didn't have much emotional impact for me.  Misha felt like a pawn being moved around a chessboard rather than a fleshed-out character.  YMMV.

[benteen]

42 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

That may be what they were going for, but it didn't have much emotional impact for me.  Misha felt like a pawn being moved around a chessboard rather than a fleshed-out character.  YMMV.

Yes, this is one of the problems I think.  I thought the actor sold his disappointment well at the end when he couldn't see Philip but Mischa is not a character that viewers were invested in.

[SlovakPrincess]

The deliberately anticlimactic Mischa story might've worked better if there weren't so many other sad and anticlimactic moments this season!   I mean, the whole season was about disappointment and disillusionment and things not working out as planned.   I can respect the commitment to that theme, but it became a chore to sit through week after week.  

[BW Manilowe]

4 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I saw Keri getting her STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday.  She looked lovely.  Her husband was also there. She said the kids were camping. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-kerirussell-star-idUSKBN18R1OE

If by "husband" you mean Matthew, who's also her co-star, as far as anyone knows they aren't married to each other except in the show. They have children together in the show (Paige & Henry) & in real life (a year-old son named Sam) though.

[Erin9]

2 hours ago, SlovakPrincess said:

The deliberately anticlimactic Mischa story might've worked better if there weren't so many other sad and anticlimactic moments this season!   I mean, the whole season was about disappointment and disillusionment and things not working out as planned.   I can respect the commitment to that theme, but it became a chore to sit through week after week.  

I didn't mind the depression, disappointment, and disillusionment. My only issue with it will be if the show ends on a tragic note anyway after having sat through that. Which could easily happen. 

As it stands, with the possible exception of Philip, everyone is going to still be depressed going into next season. And it's likely to get worse, not better. And, with Philip, much as he wants to be done, he may not be okay with Elizabeth shouldering everything. I don't expect that to work out, but whether that is any kind of fix for his mental state will be interesting to see. If he actually gets any kind of break. 

[SunnyBeBe]

27 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

If by "husband" you mean Matthew, who's also her co-star, as far as anyone knows they aren't married to each other except in the show. They have children together in the show (Paige & Henry) & in real life (a year-old son named Sam) though.

That's right. I forgot.  He sure did look good.  They both did really.  They  must be getting enough sleep and a healthy diet.  

[Umbelina]

We could have completely understood how sad and bleak and awful their lives are, while still having a good season here.

Frankly, I got it the first 200 times.

Endless boring "missions" and all tragedy and unhappiness all the time wasn't needed.  If they were going to do that, at least have the damn missions make sense.

So many holes in every plot this season.  Shameful, indulgent, and incredibly boring writing from a team we KNOW can be outstanding.

I'm so glad this wasn't the first season, because I wouldn't have watched all the goodness of the first 4 we did have. 

[sistermagpie]

10 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

We could have completely understood how sad and bleak and awful their lives are, while still having a good season here.

Honestly, this is the reason that at this point it almost seems unfair to end on a tragedy.  Death would be a relief.

[Erin9]

37 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Honestly, this is the reason that at this point it almost seems unfair to end on a tragedy.  Death would be a relief.

Both  seem unfair to me, but l see your point about death being almost a relief given that there seems to be no real way out for anyone. Everyone is miserable. 

[Umbelina]

Quote

Mischa was going to meet his father… only he didn’t, because Gabriel intercepted him. Philip and Elizabeth were going to go back to Russia… only they can’t, because Kimmy’s dad is now too valuable a source of intelligence for them to abandon. The PGU is closing in on Oleg’s role in the capture and death of William… but nothing’s happened yet. Stan might be dating a spy… or Renee might just be a very supportive girlfriend. Henry was going off to boarding school… only then he wasn’t… and now maybe he is again? Narratively, it was a season of anti-climaxes and “To Be Continued”s, which can work for some series (The Sopranos at times was almost entirely anti-climaxes), but seems an odd fit for a show that’s traditionally been so straightforward with its storytelling. Plot and character arcs continue from season to season, but Fields and Weisberg have generally seeded each season with a handful of missions and arcs that could be paid off within that year, and that could create a sense of tension and forward momentum on a show where the primary character arc — Will Philip and/or Elizabeth realize they have to quit this business before it destroys them and their family? — is such a slow burn. And we never really got that this year.

Sepinwall.  http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/the-americans-the-soviet-division-season-finale-recap-review/

 

I agree, although I called it coitus interruptus and/or all foreplay, no orgasm.  Plot points plot points everywhere...

https://www.vox.com/2017/5/31/15714714/the-americans-season-5-review-interview-podcast
 

Quote

 

The Americans’ showrunners explain their intimate, sometimes polarizing season 5

"Spying's not pointless, but it can be drudgery," says creator Joe Weisberg on our podcast.

 

https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/30/15678302/the-americans-finale-recap-the-soviet-division
 

Quote

 

The Americans season 5 finale: “The Soviet Division” leaves us arguing over the point of this next-to-last season

Was building an entire season of TV around the main characters’ exhaustion a good idea? Ask us in 2018.

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Umbelina

[Christina]

That interview reads like they just flipped me off while yelling, "Suck it!" They didn't want to write in a way that felt climatic or satisfying? WTF? They didn't care if I enjoyed the season? And I was willing to overlook William being buried instead of cremated because I was putting my faith in showrunners who know how to tell a story, only to find out they didn't care if I enjoyed the story or not. The wheat, though, was just one stupid behavior after another, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief for it, since to do that would require me to overlook the stupidity of the Jennings, which compounded each episode.

When Mischa went through a process to get to America, only to be turned around by Gabriel, it was a complete letdown and waste of time for me, but to them, him meeting his paternal uncle was tear-jerking, and I was supposed to realize that it was the impetus for Gabriel returning to Russia because he didn't like lying to them? Yeah, no. 

I completely get that they wanted to tell a story, they thought that story was compelling, it didn't sit with the audience the way they expected, and they aren't going to apologize for that, nor should they. But damn, for people who have written conversations between two people that are more dramatic than the killings, that interview should have been worded better if they want me to stick around as a viewer. 

[SunnyBeBe]

9 hours ago, Christina said:

That interview reads like they just flipped me off while yelling, "Suck it!" They didn't want to write in a way that felt climatic or satisfying? WTF? They didn't care if I enjoyed the season? And I was willing to overlook William being buried instead of cremated because I was putting my faith in showrunners who know how to tell a story, only to find out they didn't care if I enjoyed the story or not. The wheat, though, was just one stupid behavior after another, and I couldn't suspend my disbelief for it, since to do that would require me to overlook the stupidity of the Jennings, which compounded each episode.

When Mischa went through a process to get to America, only to be turned around by Gabriel, it was a complete letdown and waste of time for me, but to them, him meeting his paternal uncle was tear-jerking, and I was supposed to realize that it was the impetus for Gabriel returning to Russia because he didn't like lying to them? Yeah, no. 

I completely get that they wanted to tell a story, they thought that story was compelling, it didn't sit with the audience the way they expected, and they aren't going to apologize for that, nor should they. But damn, for people who have written conversations between two people that are more dramatic than the killings, that interview should have been worded better if they want me to stick around as a viewer. 

I read the article in the VOX link above.  It's too kind, imo.

From what I gather, the creator and writer of The Americans are primarily Joseph Weisburg and Joel Fields, from season one.  So, there is really no excuse for this past season.   They should know these characters and what works.  The illogical events, uncharacteristic behavior, inconsistencies, and implausible stories, was unnecessary.  I don't buy an argument that it was done intentionally.  Without more evidence, I'm going to chalk it up to LAZY work product OR one of both of these people have some personal problems that took away their focus. Or they are delegating  the work to others and not supervising.    That's the only options that I see.  I'm not sure if they are embarrassed, but, they should be.  I've seen something similar with shows like Rescue Me, Dexter and Nip Tuck as they prepared for exit. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2149175/fullcredits/

Edited June 1, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[sistermagpie]

9 hours ago, Christina said:

When Mischa went through a process to get to America, only to be turned around by Gabriel, it was a complete letdown and waste of time for me, but to them, him meeting his paternal uncle was tear-jerking, and I was supposed to realize that it was the impetus for Gabriel returning to Russia because he didn't like lying to them? Yeah, no. 

I actually did get all of that, I just didn't see why it would be that satisfying to me. I spent seasons 1-4 hoping that Mischa was a lie created to manipulate Philip, so I was totally disappointed when he turned up. The only time I cared about him was in the scene with Gabriel when he turned him away. I was sympathetic. But not in such a way that I was still worried about him after he was back in Russia, and certainly not in such a way that a cared if he met his paternal uncle. First, it's not like that solves his particular problem: Oh, you went all the way to the USA because you had this burning desire to meet your biological father? Well, here's a guy who shares some of his DNA. He's so weakly connected to your father that the audience had no idea of his existence. He hasn't seen him in years and doesn't talk about him but he has his own family. Will that do?

I think another thing I found so frustrating is the things that did perk my interest always seemed to them unimportant or ended up leading to a dead end. Philip is the character I care about, his is the struggle I'm interested in. Yet they continue to refuse to give me any backstory to the guy that might make for some interesting context so I can think about his struggle a little differently. I understand where Elizabeth's coming from because they gave me this whole psychological profile that I can hang onto with her mother and her father and all these formative experiences in her life. They make the whole thing more complex. And we've got this stuff all the way from practically her birth through the time the show started. (Philip's pre-1981 life in the US is almost a complete blank.)

With Philip they give me this smattering of different facts but no way to put them together. They bring up his father who he barely remembers and I still have no idea what shaped this guy. They tell me he has a brother, but I have literally no clue about their relationship or history. The guy could just as easily be a distant cousin Gabriel picked out of the phone book. No explanation for why Mr. "I was taught life was about protecting your family" and "my girlfriend lied and broke up with me because everybody knows I'd never leave family behind" has in fact cut himself off from what seems to be his only remaining family. Or maybe not. Maybe mom's alive too and they'll spend five episodes next season teasing out the revelation that she and Philip's father met not at a movie, but at a dance. (This will pitch Philip into a fit of self-loathing because what if his father was a bad dancer? Does that make him a bad dancer?) Then we'll see that Mama's regularly babysitting Little Olya for Martha. 

Basically, I feel like all the time I might have gotten giving something interesting to chew on about the character I care about was instead given to a Irina and the fallout from all her dumb life decisions. And as a consequence all I know about Philip and his struggles is that apparently he doesn't like hurting innocent people so it's unfortunate that seems to be his entire career. Who would have guessed that the road from poverty in Siberia to elite espionage officer in Washington DC by way of forced marriage and fatherhood, academic brilliance and pre-adolescent violent murder could be considered not relevant enough to deal with on screen? 

[Ellaria]

Nice post, @sistermagpie. I agree with your comments about the story line for Misha. I, too, was disappointed when he first showed up. As we were shown his arduous journey to the US, I start rooting for him. Then he ends up on a park bench with Gabriel and poof...he is back home and eventually meeting family that neither he nor I have a vested interest in. I'm still not sure what Misha's ultimate purpose was: a bit of redemption for Gabriel, another depiction of the harshness of life in Russia or a plot device that will get revisited next season. Frustrating, indeed.

Yes, lots of dead ends this season, particularly in relation to Phillip's backstory. Why all of those scenes if was ultimately about his internal struggles?

Over the years I've learned to stay away from interviews/podcasts with show runners, regardless of the particular show. I always end up feeling annoyed and having my viewing experience invalidated.

[Bannon]

17 hours ago, Umbelina said:

We could have completely understood how sad and bleak and awful their lives are, while still having a good season here.

Frankly, I got it the first 200 times.

Endless boring "missions" and all tragedy and unhappiness all the time wasn't needed.  If they were going to do that, at least have the damn missions make sense.

So many holes in every plot this season.  Shameful, indulgent, and incredibly boring writing from a team we KNOW can be outstanding.

I'm so glad this wasn't the first season, because I wouldn't have watched all the goodness of the first 4 we did have. 

I almost dropped the show after the first season, because, in the season finale, the blown stakeout/chase scene through D.C., car eventually ditched in a parking garage, was so poorly written and directed that my reaction was, "If the people who are getting paid to put this together don't care any more about the finished product than this, why should I care enough to watch?" Now, I'm glad I stuck with it, even through this mess of a season,  on the basis of the brilliant acting in the Martha arc alone. Allison Wright was as good as anything I've even seen on t.v.. For some reason however, the writing in this show has always been prone to some really inexplicable failures, from people who should know better, which really came to the forefront this season. As I've stated a few times, it's been really frustrating for me, because I think this may be the best premise for a heavily serialized drama ever. 

[Umbelina]

I think the reviewers are pretty blatantly saying to the showrunners "you fucked up."  They, like many, put all their hopes on a finale that didn't merit that.  I've never see VOX so critical of this show, and I read them every week.  Ditto Sepinwall, whom I actually tweeted once about a a rave review for another piss-poor episode.  I like Sepinwall, and we've communicated back and forth at times, but damn, quit licking their privates when you know as well as I do they've covered them in shit this season.

Those interviews are very telling.  Pretending not to be defensive about this season, and the double talk about "it's a stand alone season" and "well, I can't tell you why because of spoilers for next year."  Which is it dudes?  Oh, I know, you rested on your rave reviews, got too big for your britches, and decided you could fuck with fans for an entire season.

Never.  Fuck.  With.  Fans.  (or those reviewers)

Next season is already written for the most part.  If they continue in these footsteps, we are all going to be bummed next year as well.  I was really sorry to read that they were mostly finished with the ending.

The only thing I can think of for the entire Misha arc is that they will use Misha's situation to blackmail Philip to tow the line.  The Soviet Union was very fond of that tactic.

OH!  So they will use Pasha to blackmail his mom, and Misha to blackmail his dad!  See the tie-in?  groan

Edited June 1, 2017 by Umbelina
o

[SunnyBeBe]

Man, there are some excellent posts above that I wish more posters over on the main episode thread could see.  I suppose they can't be moved over there.  I hope more will come over and view them.  I just think those posts are so thoughtful and offer so much insight.  Thanks a lot! 

[BW Manilowe]

From People: Keri Russell loves bike riding in high heels

[BW Manilowe]

From Entertainment Weekly (& People): Why Keri Russell is "Very Grateful" for The Americans Changing Her Life

Edited July 13, 2017 by BW Manilowe
To fix the link wording.

[BW Manilowe]

From The Hollywood Reporter: Matthew was on Late Night with Seth Meyers last night. Since most/all of us missed it, there's a Tweet with what they say is the entire interview embedded in it linked below (but I don't think it's the entire video).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/americans-star-matthew-rhys-jokes-he-knew-trump-russia-scandal-would-happen-1025865

[BW Manilowe]

Matthew Interviewed on the Today show--I think August 3rd, 2017 

[Razzberry]

I saw Matthew Rhys on Late Night with Seth Meyers and he was SO funny and charming.  

[jjj]

Don't know if this is the best place to post, but I got  a notice from Amazon this morning that the most recent season is now available on Prime for free viewing.  Not that I plan to watch any episodes of that season again...

[SusanSunflower]

thanks for the heads-up.  My internet speed has inexplicably tanked (again) to below 0.15 mbps ... but I'll keep trying. 

[White Sheep]

Intersting background story on Russian spies and the Americans:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5004165/The-Americans-inspired-Russian-spy-ring.html

Edited October 27, 2017 by White Sheep

[VCRTracking]

Richard Thomas on The Americans:

 

I love that he says he wants Frank to haunt them all!

[Roseanna]

On ‎31‎.‎5‎.‎2017 at 7:15 PM, Inquisitionist said:

Joel and Joe talk about Season 5.  I think they live in a parallel universe or a bubble...
 

If that was their point, they didn't need to spend what felt like endless hours on the mechanics of his getting to the US...

I can't understand their POV, either. It's not that I am against telling a story without conventional methods (climaxes etc) but then every scene must be so powerful that it srtands by itself.  But this season has a very few such scenes wheres earlier seasons with more conventional storytelling had many. It's because of those scnenes one rewatches the good shows after one already knows what happens.

Mischa arc existed in order to show that Gabriel wanted no more to be a liar - huh?

As for arcs that happened in Russia, I had doubts already when Nina was in prison but more so now with Oleg. It doesn't matter that the writers say that the food story is true - it's something in the the whole athmospere that simply doesn't feel right, i.e. genuinely Russian but instead how the foreign writers fancy it.   

[Umbelina]

http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/the-americans-where-is-henry-jennings.html

I loved this one, I don't think it was posted here before, but sorry if it's a dupe.

Quote

 

“Where’s Henry?” While Philip and Elizabeth are busy with nefarious spy craft and Paige is moping about Pastor Tim or her boyfriend Matthew, the youngest member of the Jennings family is frequently missing in one way or another.

Think about that: These Soviet spies are tasked with smuggling biological weapons out of the country, decoding secret communications, and bugging the homes of American diplomats, but they can’t keep track of a single teenage boy.  And during the rare moments when Henry isn’t missing, Philip and Elizabeth have to make sure he’s not able to hear their conversations. That’s why, whenever they’re divulging their deepest and darkest secrets to Paige, The Americans needs to toss out a plausible excuse about where Henry might be so he doesn’t overhear any sensitive information.

During the show’s five seasons, characters have enquired about Henry’s whereabouts no less than 22 times. That means in nearly half of the 54 episodes that have aired, a writer had to concoct a reason why Henry wasn’t around. Here are all of the excuses we’ve heard so far.

 

 

Seriously!

I would have liked to see more of Henry, and much, much, much less of Paige.  Obviously, at this point anyway, Paige is integral to their end game and Henry is not.  
 

Edited November 13, 2017 by Umbelina

[sistermagpie]

This article was just posted with huge spoilers for season 6. I'm honestly considering not watching the show next season. It's just so not for me. I'm putting the link under the cut because the url contains some of the spoiler.

 

 

Spoiler

http://ew.com/tv/2017/12/08/the-americans-season-6-first-look-paige-spy/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Edited December 8, 2017 by sistermagpie

[jjj]

I want to thank anyone taking care to hide the spoilers in the media links.  This show has had pretty tightly held plots-- too bad if they are relaxing for this final season.  

[FormerMod-a1]

If you're post is 100% spoilers, please post it in the Spoiler thread (where it doesn't need spoiler tags) rather than here.

[All That Jazz]

Final season will begin Wednesday, March 28 according to TV Line. Minor spoilers.

http://tvline.com/2018/01/05/the-americans-final-season-6-premiere-date-fx/

Edited January 5, 2018 by All That Jazz
alert to minor spoilers

[Christina]

On 12/8/2017 at 2:00 PM, sistermagpie said:

This article was just posted with huge spoilers for season 6. I'm honestly considering not watching the show next season. It's just so not for me. I'm putting the link under the cut because the url contains some of the spoiler.

 

  Hide contents

http://ew.com/tv/2017/12/08/the-americans-season-6-first-look-paige-spy/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Uggggg. I wonder if we'll get more than two facial expressions or vocal inflections from Holly this season. It's really not sounding that interesting to me, but I'll have to watch since it's the end. I'm considering rewatching last season before this one, and now I fear that the combination of last season and this article will kill what little anticipation I've had for Season 6. 

I'm not sure how I want the storylines to end or how I want all the characters to end, but getting through that storyline sounds like a chore, and my trust in the showrunners to do something spectacular has been diminished by their responses to the fan comments on Season 5. We are no longer on the same page and they've used up the large amount of leeway they had earned previously. 

[crgirl412]

On 1/5/2018 at 3:31 PM, All That Jazz said:

Final season will begin Wednesday, March 28 according to TV Line. Minor spoilers.

http://tvline.com/2018/01/05/the-americans-final-season-6-premiere-date-fx/

Thank you!!  I need to put in my next schedule choices for work soon and I was fretting about the day it will be shown! 

[PinkRibbons]

First promo of the last year!!!

[crgirl412]

8 minutes ago, PinkRibbons said:

First promo of the last year!!!

Thank you for posting!  I can't wait but I am NOT ready for The Americans to end!!

[PinkRibbons]

"Stop Her"

[crgirl412]

So many questions!! 

Who was that man?   He can't be from the Center since she wouldn't do anything without them, right? 

What is she doing?  Maybe we are seeing the cracks in the government (it's 1984 now, I think) and she think the Center is getting soft or disorganized so she's starting to do things on her own that are like "the old days" to stay true to the original cause.     

[sistermagpie]

16 minutes ago, crgirl412 said:

Who was that man?   He can't be from the Center since she wouldn't do anything without them, right? 

 

It sounded like Oleg to me. Which would need explaining, since he's in Russia (or was last we saw) and doesn't know Philip or work with Illegals. But of course, it could be misdirect. Oleg might be talking to some person in Russia saying that and they just put it in this clip. Maybe Claudia's going rogue again.

Second comment I put in the spoiler thread.

[Umbelina]

It did sound like Oleg.  It's been three years, he may be in charge of the Residentura by now for all we know, it which case, just like Arkady, he would work with illegals.

[crgirl412]

3 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

It sounded like Oleg to me. Which would need explaining, since he's in Russia (or was last we saw) and doesn't know Philip or work with Illegals. But of course, it could be misdirect. Oleg might be talking to some person in Russia saying that and they just put it in this clip. Maybe Claudia's going rogue again.

Second comment I put in the spoiler thread.

 

37 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

It did sound like Oleg.  It's been three years, he may be in charge of the Residentura by now for all we know, it which case, just like Arkady, he would work with illegals.

I thought the man's voice was different than Oleg's in that it sounded older more authoritative.   In listening to it again, it may possibly be Oleg especially if has risen  in the ranks of the Party.

[sistermagpie]

2 hours ago, Umbelina said:

It did sound like Oleg.  It's been three years, he may be in charge of the Residentura by now for all we know, it which case, just like Arkady, he would work with illegals.

Certainly if it is him and he was actually talking to Philip it would really show how guys like Oleg would have that kind of power. And it would also mean something and be wildly ironic--if the powers that be now saw Philip as the one to trust. Who is making that decision and based on what? But again, it might be a misdirect, even if it seems like Philip will definitely be donning some disguises.

[Umbelina]

It would actually be great, complicating Oleg's relationship with Stan as well.