S04.E03: Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Paige copes with new burdens that come with her family's secret as Philip and Elizabeth struggle to contain their cover without destroying their daughter.

 

Promo:

[RedHawk]

So from the episode title I'm guessing that Philip says to Elizabeth, "This family really needs a vacation. We've got a lethal bio-weapon in the basement, Stan hates me, I've murdered more innocents than usual this week, you just lost your mother, and Paige would rather go live with Pastor Groovyhair. Half the time we don't even know where Henry is.

We ARE travel agents. Screw Gabriel and the Centre. Let's take the kids to Disney World!"

Perhaps they could invite Kimmie along as a friend for Paige.

[Umbelina]

"Do people get hurt, because of what you're involved with?"  "Of course not, no."

 

Paige is supposed to be smart.  There were TONS of spy novels out there, and the country was in the final, news making death throws, and Reagan was calling them the "Evil Empire" any chance he got.  The cold war had been going on for 40 years, sorry, but I have a hard time believing that she was completely unaware, and didn't bother doing any research once she found out about her parents.

[sistermagpie]

Paige is supposed to be smart.  There were TONS of spy novels out there, and the country was in the final, news making death throws, and Reagan was calling them the "Evil Empire" any chance he got.  The cold war had been going on for 40 years, sorry, but I have a hard time believing that she was completely unaware, and didn't bother doing any research once she found out about her parents.

 

 

I honestly can't tell where Paige is supposed to stand on this. In season 1 she did have moments of casually mentioning this sort of thing to show that she had the standard US view--she wrote a paper on how the Soviets cheated on arms control and said Poland was "part of Russia." 

 

She's since become a lot more politically active, but in a very different way from her parents. She seems focused on stuff like the US having nukes, the US divesting in SA, but she doesn't seem interested in the chess game of the Cold War. But still, at that time you didn't need to have an interest in that to have an idea about what was going on. You didn't have to think of Russia as evil to think of them as the bad guys.

 

When it comes to her parents Paige seems to be only focused on personal failings. Like when she's talking to Elizabeth about Elizabeth's activist past int he 60s and she says "but you can't just go around robbing banks" or how she's so focused on Gregory being "the drug dealer." So it's almost like when she's asking about people getting hurt she's not even thinking something like "If you give defense plans to the Soviets America will not be as protected" or "I want you to lose the war in Afghanistan" but "Did you STEAL these plans?" or "Did you lie to someone to get these plans and did they get in trouble?" "Would you hit somebody if they tried to stop you from getting this?" or whatever.

 

Of course Pastor Tim talks about it this way too, but it's possible that in his case he's just moving her in the "evil Empire" direction. Do people get hurt? How many ways could people get hurt? Her parents are obviously involved in war in the traditional sense. Their actions can have consequences on the battle field.

 

Btw, someone somewhere else mentioned that in Pastor Tim he had a pamphlet on his desk re: El Salvador, I believe, which makes one wonder if he's interested in Liberation Theology. They wondered if that might be foreshadowing that he could find common ground. In that case one wonders if he himself might want to get involved if people didn't get hurt doing it?

[PinkRibbons]

I wouldn't trust a trailer on this, it's entirely possible that the answer given is not to the question shown, and just a clever recutting of scenes.

[babyPhat279]

Perhaps she thinks their spy work is more of the Juila-child type, mostly office work. Of course, that wouldn't explain the odd hours.

 

I could understand lying about hurting people. When I was her age I saw things as a lot more black and white. I'm not much like that anymore and I still think most of what Phillip and Elizabeth are about is bad news, even if they did start out thinking they were working towards some grand socialist utopia.

[sistermagpie]

I could understand lying about hurting people. When I was her age I saw things as a lot more black and white. I'm not much like that anymore and I still think most of what Phillip and Elizabeth are about is bad news, even if they did start out thinking they were working towards some grand socialist utopia.

 

 

Really, this whole idea has been central since Elizabeth started to try to bring her in. She talked about her and Philip and Gregory being activists and led right off with the fact that they broke the law. And Paige disagreed with that, saying you can't just go around robbing banks and rejecting Gregory as any kind of hero when she saw he was a drug dealer. But Elizabeth's probably not down for the count on this, imo. She doesn't want her daughter to see her as a monster but I think if pushed she wouldn't be able to stop herself from expressing her true opinion--and Philip's too--that somebody like Pastor Tim is a poser. When it comes down to it, P&E are soldiers and he's not.

[shura]

I wonder what Paige thinks about the American Revolutionary War and the fact that the colonists kinda broke the law when they rebelled.

[babyPhat279]

If she thinks about it all, she probably thinks these were akin to soldiers who knew what they were getting into. Not engineering students who accidentally forgot their wallet, or busboys, or any of the other random deaths that we've seen from people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[sistermagpie]

If she thinks about it all, she probably thinks these were akin to soldiers who knew what they were getting into. Not engineering students who accidentally forgot their wallet, or busboys, or any of the other random deaths that we've seen from people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

 

I think shura means that the Revolutionary War soldiers also broke the law beyond what Paige thinks is okay. She's not even at the point where she doesn't want innocent bystanders killed, she also doesn't believe throwing tea in the harbor or declaring war on your sovereign government. Pastor Tim is a pacifist so she might not approve of soldiers in general and consider them killers too. 

[PinkRibbons]

Scene from this episode:

 

[Chaos Theory]

I wonder what Paige thinks about the American Revolutionary War and the fact that the colonists kinda broke the law when they rebelled.

It's Reagan Era America. That is the exact opposite of what she is being taught in class.

Paige believes her parents are good people because she has to. The alternative is just too much for her to bear and understand right now. People believe what they need to. It is as simple and uncomplicated as that. It is why Martha believed Clarke for so long and it is why Paige will believe her parents.

[Umbelina]

Wow, I never considered that "run" to Philip meant back to the USSR. 

[AimingforYoko]

Ok, William running away may have been the hardest I've laughed at this show. Closely followed by Phillip spitting in his face. Dylan Baker is the perfect actor for this role. Looks like the pilot knew what he was doing.

I'm enjoying Elizabeth as a Mary Kay rep way too much.

[Primetimer]

And you know what happens when you win the Super Bowl: you're going to Disney World! Specifically, the brand-new just-opened Epcot Center! Yep, that's the plan!

Read the story

[maczero]

I laughed for a good five minutes when William ran the moment he thought P & E were exposed to the virus.  Then the kicker was when Phil straddled him and then spit on him! lol! 

 

Oh and the other stuff that happened in the episode was pretty good.

[sistermagpie]

William's run was the hardest I've laughed all week. Thanks Americans!

 

Love the return of Aderholdt (I assume the Mail Robot picked up that convo?) and and YoungHee and her family are fantastic. I feel almost bad for Philip not getting to go as a fake husband. In some ways this is more like the family they should have, the immigrants and first generation kids together.

 

Pastor Tim is amazingly weird, talking about their spying like it's a drug problem and bringing his wife into it too. Love that Paige, Elizabeth's daughter to the end, is completely offended by him just deciding to tell her secret that she told him in confidence just because he felt like it!

 

Speaking of which, I sometimes don't get why P&E don't just tell Paige "None of your business" about what they do. She doesn't have security clearance, the KGB isn't going to run their classified operations through her or her pastor, and she's already proven herself to be untrustworthy. How many times does she expect to go through the same cycle of I'm an adult and deserve to know/It's too hard so I told/I'm guilty I told/Oops I can't believe he told? I know her questions about where Philip goes two nights a week were threatening but she could really learn from Martha. Don't ask what you don't want to know, Paige.

 

Pastor Tim really is nuts!!! Let's just sleep on this and talk again when I've decided what I'm going to do about your spying. Maybe if you promise to quit or bring all your assets in to speak with me I'll allow it. Also my wife already hates you and now she knows your spies.

 

Great parallel of Paige and Philip wanting to deal with Pastor Tim and Stan as real relationships (They both just want to be angry and/or not deal with the other person) but both wind up having to keep the other person happy. So Paige has to talk to him and not be too angry and Philip has to work Sandra to get her to fix things with Stan. Also note that Paige did not seem to notice that he was handling her the same way he was telling her she had to handle Pastor Tim--don't get her angry. They can't express feelings like that.

 

Loved Paige's correct description of Pastor Tim's reaction, that he was not angry but just "annoyed, like who are you to tell me my wife can't keep a secret?" First time she's seeing Pastor Tim acting like a grown up--because now she's challenging him and his decisions. Not so perfect when he's not handing out easy platitudes for her problems or her parents' problems.

 

So much going on in that travel agency scene. Philip's rueful smile at Elizabeth saying running isn't "what he wants" (like when has that ever mattered?), Elizabeth's taking a long moment to enjoy the idea, Philip using EST really well to explain he just has an alarm bell going off (but Elizabeth doesn't, just like at the meet in Glanders), the revelation that they talk about stuff like how Elizabeth would like to retire to Odessa--woo hoo! Also I loved the "they could send us down south...to Odessa." Like you know some people thought he was going to say South Carolina or something. Also a parallel to the pilot when Philip said he "cared about all of it" and here he says "all of it matters."

 

William, of course, actual did run away in this ep (and it was delightful) but Philip isn't William. Yet. Maybe.

 

Hope there's a good bottle ep next week, though it looks like we'll be seeing everyone else too. Maybe Stan's dropping by because he talked to Sandra. Or because Philip isn't there.

 

In summary: Young Hee and Aderholdt and William are awesome, Pastor Tim is even more weird than previously thought. Still, his bringing up "unless they're religious" opens the door to that Sanctuary movement...

[Knuckles]

Looking forward to next week...so 36 hours in Gabriel's apt. with William...how cozy for all four. Waiting to see if he dies or lives, and whether they face some horrible death themselves. What will they have to eat? I expect they will not be calling for delivery.

Since they have all been trafficking in these toxins, seems only fair that they face the reality of what they are doing. Glad the show went there.

[Umbelina]

Thank God for the recap, I got interrupted through both of the showings!  Luckily there is one more later.

 

Holy shit, so 36 hours of missing time, while their kids do WHAT, and will Claudia kill the minister and his wife herself why they are laid up? 

 

This show!  Things can always get worse.  Stan wanting Martha trailed...that should be interesting real fast.

[sistermagpie]

I would guess that the quarantine means the hit's called off, since they're supposed to be out of town for it. If they're missing they have no alibi.

 

Lucky for Martha, though, if Clark's hidden for a while. Thanks Glanders!

[rhys]

Did I miss something? What's the purpose of Young Hee?

When do P&E ever sleep?

[Umbelina]

How can they call it off though, when they know his wife has a big mouth?

 

Claudia is not the chance taking type...

Did I miss something? What's the purpose of Young Hee?
When do P&E ever sleep?

I don't know.  Obviously Elizabeth is working her for a reason though.  (developing an asset)

[sistermagpie]

Did I miss something? What's the purpose of Young Hee?

 

 

We don't know yet. It's kind of great! Maybe her husband is somebody.

 

How can they call it off though, when they know his wife has a big mouth?

 

 

She's had a big mouth all this time and still hasn't told, so I assume they'll wait until they can run their plan the way they want. But it's such a stupid plan I assume something else has got to happen to put it off.

[Umbelina]

That we know of...

 

This show is so TENSE!  Love it.

[mjc570]

Maybe I'm a psychopath, or maybe because I really dislike her whiny, self-absorbed teenager self, but it seems obvious to me that the Centre should "take care of" Paige, Pastor Tim and Alice, either by killing them or sending them to the USSR for rendition. Problem solved! Of course, the Centre would have to be prepared for the Philip/Elizabeth fallout (and possible defection), but that's what Margo M. is for. I lost tract of how many episodes are left, but perhaps possible defection could be next season's arc.

William is THE BEST.

Eta: sorry, self-absorbed was the wrong word. I was trying to refer to her very narrow, black and white world view, which I see as a result of her youth and naïveté

Edited March 31, 2016 by mjc570

[shura]

Did I miss something? What's the purpose of Young Hee?

 

I'm going to guess Elizabeth is after Young Hee's husband or brother or whoever the wine guy was. They haven't mentioned the reason yet, I believe.

 

Looking forward to next week...so 36 hours in Gabriel's apt. with William...how cozy for all four.

 

Good thing Gabriel got Scrabble in there.

 

I am getting bored with Nina's story. We haven't seen her think of Stan for what, two seasons? And she is dreaming about him releasing her to Anton now. And Oleg somewhere goes "Hey! Where am I in this?" No thanks.

[jjj]

I was glad to see Nina's face brighten as she read the letter from her scientist; and I loved that in her dream, she still had the hair of captivity, but her face had makeup on.  And it was amazing how terrifying it was to see her wake up to the footsteps...which proceeded past her. 

 

Also chilling:  seeing Stan's eyes in the rearview mirror as he kept tabs on Martha. 

 

William turning at the speed of light and doing his best to run -- just gold! 

 

I'm kind of hoping that it is Young Hee who is the target -- Korean spy whose cover is selling Mary Kay cosmetics. 

Edited March 31, 2016 by jjj

[Umbelina]

I don't know why but I thought Nina was seeing her death, all the lilies probably, and the white.

[jjj]

It baffles me (and I know this is fiction!) that anyone would think giving life-and-death secrets to a moody 16-year-old would be productive.  They did not have to say they were SPIES, but so many other half-truths that would not have made Pastor Tim start invoking "the greater good".  For example, saying they were in the CIA!  Then the "greater good" would make it incumbent on Pastor Tim to keep quiet.  He does seem to be getting more skeevy. 

[Tetraneutron]

Pastor Tim is amazingly weird, talking about their spying like it's a drug problem and bringing his wife into it too. Love that Paige, Elizabeth's daughter to the end, is completely offended by him just deciding to tell her secret that she told him in confidence just because he felt like it!

 

Speaking of which, I sometimes don't get why P&E don't just tell Paige "None of your business" about what they do. She doesn't have security clearance, the KGB isn't going to run their classified operations through her or her pastor, and she's already proven herself to be untrustworthy. 

 

Because saying "none of your business" to Paige would make her even more curious, more scared and assume the worst. The show covered this in Gabriel's house: Paige was already suspicious, maybe they should have worked out a really good cover story in advance, but they didn't, they had to tell her. And because Paige is an American child, who won't be cool with her mother casually dropping a car on a completely innocent person, just to place a spy in the right job. 

 

The point is Pastor Tim is a normal, completely ineffectual idiot. He convinces himself P and E can't be actual spies, just enthusiastic activists. What they do is so outside his experience he treats it no differently than normal teenage girl problems. 

Maybe I'm a psychopath, or maybe because I really dislike her whiny, self-absorbed teenager self, but it seems obvious to me that the Centre should "take care of" Paige, Pastor Tim and Alice, either by killing them or sending them to the USSR for rendition.  Problem solved!  Of course, the Centre would have to be prepared for the Philip/Elizabeth fallout (and possible defection), but that's what Margo M. is for.  I lost tract of how many episodes are left, but perhaps possible defection could be next season's arc.

 

William is THE BEST. 

Paige is the complete opposite of self-absorbed. She's concerned about the world, cares about her parents and is trying to deal with something completely beyond her understanding. If she were self-absorbed she wouldn't have noticed or cared there was anything wrong with her parents in the first place. 

 

And if the Center "took care" of Paige, they'd lose Philip and Elizabeth. They don't want to lose to incredibly valuable assets, maybe even piss them off enough they'd defect and tel the USA everything. And Pastor Tim and Alice, the show covered that: Paige will know, Paige might tell. It solves nothing. 

 

What I thought was interesting about this episode was Elizabeth's revelation that she doesn't want to leave the US. In the beginning, she was concerned that Philip had gotten too comfortable with being an American, to the point where she even reported him. Now she's worried about how the kids will adjust in Russia? 

[PinkRibbons]

 What will they have to eat? I expect they will not be calling for delivery.

 

I wouldn't worry about that. A cleaning lady who used to come in for us every few weeks once observed to my mother that every single Soviet-born client she had had a preposterously full refrigerator and pantry. We hoard food like you wouldn't believe. I remember as a child being briefly concerned that we didn't have an earthquake emergency kit until I realized that between our pantry and fridge you could feed a family of four for a month. Gabriel's probably a war vet like Claudia, he would know hunger and I'll be shocked if he isn't stocked up. Apparently some war survivors (although to be fair, most of them were specifically Siege survivors) slept for years with a slice of bread under their pillows.

 

 

I don't know why but I thought Nina was seeing her death, all the lilies probably, and the white.

 

I thought exactly the same thing. And honestly I was hoping for it because she just seems SO tired, but her death would be too contrived. What's betting the flowers in the room have a significant meaning in flower language? I wouldn't put it past these showrunners!

 

I too laughed like a loon at the chase. It's just so funny how quickly he switches gears.

 

So interesting that Elizabeth dreams of Odessa. That is (or was) kind of the New York City of the Soviet Union; the beach is supposed to be nice (especially when it's warm), but it's the people that made the town  such a draw. (I'm fully half Odessa Jewish so I'm a bit of a braggart.) A lot of culture, a lot of comedy and music. She wouldn't be working on something covert; she could go out and enjoy the nightlife if that's what she wanted. It makes an interesting point about Elizabeth's character: she's so serious as a spy, but what would she like if she didn't devote her life to The Cause? Apparently she craves bustling city life...come to think of it she did really seem to enjoy going out dancing with Sandra way back in season one. Maybe underneath all of it Elizabeth is really a bit of a partygirl? Not that that's a bad thing, she could use some enjoyment!

[VCRTracking]

I do like not knowing what their plans are but I did wonder why Elizabeth got the job selling Mary Kay cosmetics and befriending the nice Korean lady and hanging out with her family. I'm guessing the husband works at the bioweapons lab.

 

Every girl in my second grade class had a Cabbage Patch Doll. Young Hee's right, they were ugly.

 

Like the rest of the board Dylan Baker running and Phillip tackling him and spitting on him made me laugh.

 

Poor guy though, ending up allergic to practically everything. Maybe the anti-Vaxxers could run with that.

 

I don't know what the solution is to the Pastor Tim mess other than killing him and his wife. I don't expect Phillip and Elizabeth to move to Odessa.

 

Nina looked pretty in her dream.

 

Henry has gotten tall now!

Edited March 31, 2016 by VCRTracking

[Tetraneutron]

You have to wonder what Philip and Elizabeth think of Henry. Obsessed with consumer goods and flashy entertainment, hanging out with an FBI agent - you think that would bother Soviet True Believer Elizabeth more than her earnest, serious, politically-aware daughter. 

 

Wouldn't the best way to "deal with" Pastor Tim be to convince him that Paige is crazy and making everything up for attention? Honestly, Tim is so clueless it sounds like he wants that to be the case. Then nobody dies, and Paige might even lose the emotional connection to someone who might keep her from adopting her parents' worldview or finding a place outside the home where she feels safe and happy - causing her to run right back to her parents. I thought that might be where it was going  when P and E were in Pastor Tim's office. 

[Anela]

To the poster above me: I wonder if Paige will end up saying that she lied, if Pastor Tim goes to the authorities - in order to protect her parents. I was with her in her anger towards him, over his betrayal. 

 

I missed the running! I heard it, because I had headphones on, but was making toast in the kitchen. I walked into the living room just as he was getting up after Philip spit in his face (which was funny).

 

I like the little personal bits of information, that those of you with knowledge of certain things, post here. :) I'm clueless when it comes to politics, and Russia/Russian immigrants. I was trying to picture Elizabeth in Texas. 

Edited March 31, 2016 by Anela

[SlackerInc]

What a great episode.  I was half wishing I had it all to watch, Netflix style, because I'm so dying to see what happens next...but then I remembered that the problem with that is not getting to come and chew it over with all you good people.  :)

 

Sistermagpie, I agree that YoungHee and her family are awesome.  YoungHee might be the nicest person ever.  And not in a sickening way, or a boring way.  She became a fully drawn, three-dimensional character incredibly quickly (fantastic writing, directing, and acting there), someone you'd be a fool not to want to know.  I hope there's no plan afoot to screw her over!  I will be mad.

 

"Do people get hurt, because of what you're involved with?"  "Of course not, no."

 

Paige is supposed to be smart.  There were TONS of spy novels out there, and the country was in the final, news making death throws, and Reagan was calling them the "Evil Empire" any chance he got.  The cold war had been going on for 40 years, sorry, but I have a hard time believing that she was completely unaware, and didn't bother doing any research once she found out about her parents.

 

But to be fair, from what I've read at least, IRL the illegals did not kill people or even get involved in violence at all.

 

So interesting that Elizabeth dreams of Odessa. That is (or was) kind of the New York City of the Soviet Union; the beach is supposed to be nice (especially when it's warm), but it's the people that made the town  such a draw. (I'm fully half Odessa Jewish so I'm a bit of a braggart.) A lot of culture, a lot of comedy and music. 

 

I liked Odessa when I was there in the waning days of the USSR, but my French girlfriend and I went out swimming and almost got run down by a big ship!  I guess maybe if you live there you know where the shipping lanes are, to stay out of.

 

I like the little personal bits of information, that those of you with knowledge of certain things, post here. :) I'm clueless when it comes to politics, and Russia/Russian immigrants. I was trying to picture Elizabeth in Texas. 

 

LOL!  Odessa, Texas, I get it...but it took me a few seconds.  That's funny.  :)

[Ina123]

I'm having trouble with how they are portraying Pastor Tim's naivete. Everyone knows enough about spies to know that it is dangerous business.  I don't see anyone sitting across from those two and so calmly discussing things like the conversation is about the weather. Of course, for the sake of the story they need that portrayal. But no. Someone comes to me and even hints that they know a spy, I'm at an FBI office making a deal to spill my guts for witsec (Witness Protection, for those of you who didn't watch "In Plain Sight". LOL)

 

Have to agree with everyone who loved the running scene. Whomp! he was off to the races.

 

A cool scene would be Stan on a stake-out at Martha's. Sees a guy leave. Follows him to driveway right across the street from his own home. What?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

YoungHee was a delight! I really hope she doesn't end up getting screwed over or killed. I also liked that Elizabeth realized she had a good time with her afterward. That might be the first real friend she's made in a very long time.

 

Loved William running, but I also really loved seeing his apartment. You really can't blame the guy for being as OCD/germaphobic as he is considering his job. I didn't think it was very smart of him to tell Philip and Elizabeth some of the things he's allergic to. It made me think that he is going to end up dead from one of those things in the near future. Dylan Baker was hilariously creepy as Colin Sweeney on The Good Wife, so it's nice to see him play a different character who is still so amusing.

 

Heh, and I loved the memo about how the FBI doesn't feel.

Edited March 31, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Umbelina]

Spies did kill people though, it's true that our embedded spies (that we know of, but they didn't know then) didn't, but there is no way Paige would know that they are too valuable for that.  The show's conceit actually has them doing the kind of work Arkady's embassy people would really be doing, stealing missile plans, but maybe a tiny chance that they'd use them to hand of poisons, but I really even doubt that.  Embedded spies jobs were to identify and recruit or get themselves into jobs where there was some kind of way to get information.  For example, yeah, Philip and Martha, real thing, could  have easily happened, ditto Kimmie, and the suitcase girl, some of Elizabeth's people (probably the one she's working on now, or someone related to her.)  THEN, once they have them secure enough to begin actual work, they might continue to handle them, BUT, the actual intel they get or things like B&E and planting bugs in offices, or taking someone dangerous out?  Probably handed off to Arkady's spies.  Not because they couldn't do those things, but because it just wasn't worth the risk, they were much too valuable, or rather their cover was.

 

But it's fun to have them go off the reservation so I don't care.  Ha.

 

"Do you ever hurt people?"  "NO, Of COURSE NOT!" as they hand off a poison that could destroy countless lives...or missile defense plans that could wipe out the USA. 

[Ellaria]

I'm having trouble with how they are portraying Pastor Tim's naivete. Everyone knows enough about spies to know that it is dangerous business.  I don't see anyone sitting across from those two and so calmly discussing things like the conversation is about the weather. Of course, for the sake of the story they need that portrayal. But no. Someone comes to me and even hints that they know a spy, I'm at an FBI office making a deal to spill my guts for witsec (Witness Protection, for those of you who didn't watch "In Plain Sight". LOL)

 

Agree. With his comment about "let's revisit this issue in a few days," Pastor Tim truly doesn't realize the depth of his problem. 

 

With the 36-hour quarantine, Paige and Henry will be left home along for an extended period of time. Have they been left alone for this long previously? I wonder if Henry will contact his pal, Stan during their absence. At some point - and now may be too soon - Stan's instincts have to kick in (again) and cause him to wonder what Ma and Pa Jennings are doing at night. Particularly if Paige is nervous and unsettled.

 

Also, is Martha headed to Phillip/Clarke's apartment during the same 36-hour period?  

 

I'm a little weary of the Nina in the Gulag story line. I wish that it would push forward and re-engage with the other characters. And I don't trust Taitiana (? - the female spy at the Rezidentura) at all.

[Umbelina]

I'm having trouble with how they are portraying Pastor Tim's naivete. Everyone knows enough about spies to know that it is dangerous business.  I don't see anyone sitting across from those two and so calmly discussing things like the conversation is about the weather. Of course, for the sake of the story they need that portrayal. But no. Someone comes to me and even hints that they know a spy, I'm at an FBI office making a deal to spill my guts for witsec (Witness Protection, for those of you who didn't watch "In Plain Sight". LOL)

 

Have to agree with everyone who loved the running scene. Whomp! he was off to the races.

 

A cool scene would be Stan on a stake-out at Martha's. Sees a guy leave. Follows him to driveway right across the street from his own home. What?

If I was in the pastor's position I would have lied lied lied to them.  Actually, before they even got a chance to question me I would have said something like, "Yes, I've been meaning to talk to your about poor Paige, I'm worried that she's begun to make up some pretty tall tales here, having you considered psychiatric help, I've been trying the spiritual approach, but in this case, I think I'm out of my depth.  I'm not sure I can be of use to her, she's got some crazy fantasies going on." 

 

Then?  Yeah, I'd probably CAREFULLY show up at the FBI, and get out of Dodge until they rounded them up.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Love that Paige, Elizabeth's daughter to the end, is completely offended by him just deciding to tell her secret that she told him in confidence just because he felt like it!

I was totally laughing at Paige being so indignant about that. "How dare Pastor Tim tell a secret? Only I'm allowed to tell other people's secrets!"

 

Ah, bureaucracy. When Gaad lectured everyone about how six unlogged copies on the Xerox machine jeopardized their entire division, it made me so glad that I don't work somewhere like that. He probably has someone count all the paper clips every night.

Edited March 31, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Blakeston]

The point is Pastor Tim is a normal, completely ineffectual idiot. He convinces himself P and E can't be actual spies, just enthusiastic activists.

Philip and Elizabeth told him that they're just enthusiastic activists, but I don't think he's convinced. His position seems to be that he'll keep Paige's secret only if it turns out her parents are what they say they are - and he's not sure yet if that's the case.

He's still an idiot, of course.

[benteen]

Really good episode.  The show has been great so far this season.

 

Dylan Baker has been a really awesome addition so far and a good source of comedy on a show that is always very serious.  Philip spitting in his face was great.  I agree that he made a mistake telling Philip and Elizabeth was his allergies were.

 

Young Hee was very likeable and I enjoyed her interaction with Elizabeth.

 

Pastor Tim is a weird dude.  I don't know what his agenda is.

 

I agree that the Nina gulag plot has been dragging now for over a season. 

Edited March 31, 2016 by benteen

[molshoop]

 

I don't know what the solution is to the Pastor Tim mess other than killing him and his wife

 

     They should threaten to blackmail him and his wife.  They could easily produce fake documents

showing that the pastor and his wife are the real spies.  Or they could go a different route and hide child porn

photos in his house. 

 

    

[crashdown]

Words can't express how sad I am for these characters and their growing tragedy.  They're just screwed no matter how you look at it. Philip is right--no matter what they do (run or kill Pastor Tim), they're going to lose both kids sooner or later.  And of course, we know what they don't know: the Soviet Union is going to fall in another seven years, and everything they've worked toward and sacrificed so much for will be dust in the wind.

 

I loved how many subtle moments were packed into this episode.  Elizabeth's "It was different from usual--it was fun" about selling the Mary Kay cosmetics with Young Hee just about broke me.  Poor Elizabeth; I don't think she's had any real "fun" in a long, long time.  Young Hee herself is so sharp and funny, and she's actually someone that Elizabeth *could* be friends with.  I don't know where they're going with this, but I don't think it'll be a happy place.  And man, Holly Taylor can *act*!  That look that she gave Henry while he was playing his video game--Henry, the last innocent member of the Philips clan.  *Sob*!

 

Elizabeth's talking about Russia the way she did, realizing that she couldn't just run and plunk down her American kids there, was really huge.  Like it or not, Elizabeth *is* an American now, not a Russian anymore, and what her kids need has become more important than what she herself might want.  

 

This season literally might kill me with its angst!

[Moose135]

Ah, bureaucracy. When Gaad lectured everyone about how six unlogged copies on the Xerox machine jeopardized their entire division, it made me so glad that I don't work somewhere like that. He probably has someone count all the paper clips every night.

I don't think it's just a "bureaucracy" thing - it has more to do with keeping track of what potentially secure or sensitive items are copied.  If you copy something, you have to record it to ensure some (Martha...) isn't making copies and passing them along to others.

[sistermagpie]

Because saying "none of your business" to Paige would make her even more curious, more scared and assume the worst.

 

 

I can see that about things like "do people get hurt?" but questions like "Where does dad go two nights a week" are unreasonable imo. If her parents were in the CIA it would be totally normal to say look, this is government work and it's not something we can share with everyone. On the one hand I totally get why they're just trying to not make her angry and upset by telling her stuff (just like Pastor Tim--she's like Little Anthony in that Twilight Zone ep!) but otoh I don't think it's necessarily wrong to start hinting to her that she's not the center of the universe. I mean, in this case it's not them saying "We won't tell you" it's them saying "There are certain things we are not allowed to tell." Just like Pastor Tim wouldn't be able to tell his kid anything they wanted to know about what he was doing in his job. She can know the basics (he's with a source) but not details of his relationship with the source (even if it wasn't a secret wife). Especially since she's already not only blown their cover but claimed it was unfair of them to expect her to keep it.

 

 

 

Paige is the complete opposite of self-absorbed.

 

 

I disagree. She can be concerned about the world and self-absorbed. It's practically a natural state for a teenager. I think she's related to the experience with her parents in a basically self-absorbed way. Which is understandable since it's had a great effect on her. But even her focus on her parents was also about herself. She doesn't have an objective view of her place in the universe--which isn't surprising given her age and upbringing. She's not some shallow teenager only interested in fashion who thinks her parents are beneath her notice, but I wouldn't call her activism completely selfless. In some youth groups being better than everyone else is a big part of the appeal. Elizabeth, too, can be completely self-absorbed and dismissive of other peoples' feelings while also sacrificing herself for the state of the world. It's the push and pull between those things that makes her so volatile.

 

 

The point is Pastor Tim is a normal, completely ineffectual idiot. He convinces himself P and E can't be actual spies, just enthusiastic activists. What they do is so outside his experience he treats it no differently than normal teenage girl problems.

 

 

I love that he's dealt with this throughout like a normal teenage girl problem. His telling P&E that of course he's handled plenty of secrets before was hilarious, especially with his "but nothing like this." Because he said it in a way that was almost like he was speaking to a couple of teenagers who had really tried his patience. He likes to brag about knowing peoples' secrets and it's no surprise he also tells his wife these secrets and his wife is a blabbermouth.

 

Someone elsewhere described Pastor Tim as being too smart to fall for P&E's claims of being just like him but too dumb to see the danger he's in. He existed in the dumbass sweetspot called "Too stupid to live."

 

 

And if the Center "took care" of Paige, they'd lose Philip and Elizabeth.

 

 

And also they don't see Paige as a threat like Pastor Tim. She does care about her parents and have reason to stay quiet. Paige is never going to be treated like some random bystander for many reasons. Pastor Tim simply doesn't care about them as much. Nor does he care about Paige the way her parents do. He can insist that he and his wife "love her" as much as he wants, they are in no way as devoted to her as her parents.

 

To the poster above me: I wonder if Paige will end up saying that she lied, if Pastor Tim goes to the authorities - in order to protect her parents. I was with her in her anger towards him, over his betrayal.

 

I don't think it would matter. Their names would already be on the FBI's radar. They don't need Paige to confess it.

 

Like it or not, Elizabeth *is* an American now, not a Russian anymore, and what her kids need has become more important than what she herself might want.

 

 

 

I don't think it's true to say that Elizabeth is American now. She's definitely more changed by her environment than she'd like to admit, but Russian parents care about what's best for their kids and what their kids want. It's more like she's a MOM now--something she greatly feared when she had to get pregnant. She is no longer 100% devoted to the cause because of her family. I loved that Philip was the one making escape plans to Russia. His loyalty is first and foremost to his family, like he's always said. He can adapt to anything else. 

 

Who would have called off the hit?  I have no reason to believe that the hit isn't still on.

 

 

The hit is planned for P&E being out of the country. And Philip, Elizabeth, or William can make a phone call saying that they're stuck in quarantine. They have every reason to make sure the Jennings are safely in Florida before making any move at all, since if they're actually in DC mysteriously absent from their kids the whole point of the plan is destroyed.

Edited March 31, 2016 by sistermagpie

[shura]

I thought exactly the same thing. And honestly I was hoping for it because she just seems SO tired, but her death would be too contrived.

 

Contrived? Why? Hasn't Nina been all but sentenced to be executed? I was almost waiting for the guards to come for her at the end of her dream. The writers could very easily write her out this way. Sure, we would probably be saying "They've had her storyline drag for so long and now that's it?", but it would be like life, tragic and senseless, rather than a story arc and a payoff. I think I'd accept that kind of resolution for Nina's plot.

 

Henry has gotten tall now!

 

And he keeps sitting or standing behind pieces of furniture. Hmm...

[izabella]

I really enjoyed Young He and the Mary Kay hijinks!

 

When William met Philip and Elizabeth in the park and urged them not to give him the Level 4 security code if they had it, that clicked for me...they must be going after Young He's husband's security code.  I hope they don't have to hurt him or Young He and her family in any way - love them. 

[Inquisitionist]

 The hit is planned for P&E being out of the country.

 

Did Florida secede?  :-)

 

 I don't think it enhances the storytelling to give the audience no reason for Elizabeth's infiltration of Young He's Mary Kay empire.