S04.E05: Clark's Place

[preeya]

IMO in real life Pastor Tim and his wife would already be history as would be Marsha. Too many loose ends to deal with, and one slipup  will expose both Philip and Elizabeth. And now with Stan and his partner surveilling Marsha the risks heighten.

[Inquisitionist]

When Stan was telling his co-worker what he found in Martha's apt,, he mentioned finding the gun and then said that he already knew abut that.  I can't recall how he knows.

 

Having rewatched some earlier episode recently, I can answer this one!  Stan was at the shooting range with Martha when she was learning how to use her handgun.  He gave her a tip about lining up the sights that greatly improved her performance.

 

I was thinking about the double-meaning of the episode title.  Yes, a lot happened at Clark's apartment, his physical "place," but Philip also seems to be struggling with Clark's "place" in Martha's life as well as his own.  Is it Clark or Philip who loves and wants to protect Martha?  'Cause I'm pretty sure one of them actually does (as is Elizabeth, who could lip read Philip's statement through the phone booth). 

[Dowel Jones]

Talk about playing the long con!

 

Someday he will be reincarnated as the engineer Wally from Dilbert.

[Bannon]

Sure they would be hesitant to kill her. They'd be more hesittant to spend life in prison, which really is the most plausible outcome if Martha is surveilled.

 

But wouldn't they be reluctant to kill their woman on the inside? Who else can plant a bug in the office and get surveillance reports and tell Philip what's going on? Besides, narratively, it's boring when every obstacle gets murdered. 

 

I don't think they're done with Pastor Tim. That was just the first step in turning him; not the whole operation. 

 

I think it's to show how completely American their kids are, but in different ways. Paige is an idealist, who believes in optimism and that good wins out, and Henry is obsessed with the latest toys and luxuries and American pop culture. That in a way he's more comfortable with Stan and Stan's lifestyle than he is at home, just like Paige is with dumb Pastor Tim. 

Sure, they would be hesitant to kill her. They would be more hesitant to spend life in prison, which really is the most likely outcome of Martha being closely looked at. Frankly, I though it was unbelievable that Phillip would take the chance that he could train Martha to fool the polygraph in such a short period. Martha isn't a sociopath, and you don't become a professional liar in a one night crash course. 

[preeya]

Did I miss something? What's the deal with the Korean "friend?"

[Bannon]

Did I miss something? What's the deal with the Korean "friend?"

Don't think it's been revealed yet.  I think there is a chance that they are building towards  Elizabeth, for the first time, having a real, well developed, affection for one of her victims. 

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Martha Learns Anew How Hard It Is To Have Any Relationship To The Americans
Philip and Elizabeth have to scramble to shore up all their relationships this week, and even Paige has to pitch in.

[sistermagpie]

Frankly, I though it was unbelievable that Phillip would take the chance that he could train Martha to fool the polygraph in such a short period.

 

 

He didn't train her to fool a polygraph, did he? I thought he just gave her some tips on talking to Taffett.

 

Don't think it's been revealed yet.  I think there is a chance that they are building towards  Elizabeth, for the first time, having a real, well developed, affection for one of her victims.

 

 

I agree. Currently she's in a honeymoon phase where she's thrilled with the fun of having a friend.

[Penman61]

No one has mentioned this, but that last scene with Phillip and Elizabeth may have been a breaking point for him. But was clear to me -- and I think to him -- she was working him, using sex to bring him back to where she wants him to be. The aggressive stance, the cowgirl ride, the overly loud orgasm, all seemed intended to bring someone whose resolve is wavering back into the fold. There wasn't any tenderness or affection in that scene, it was fantasy sex without context of mutuality -- it's not the way sex between couples plays usually plays out.

And Phillip knows it. Big problem, because if Phillip starts doubting his actual connection to Elizabeth, then he could be gone in more ways than one.

 

This is so insightful, and I think spot on (with one exception, to come).  Elizabeth's bonding attempts this season have been...well, let's be generous and say, a tad forced.  Your comment that she's "working" Phillip made it click into place for me.  And while I don't think Elizabeth has in her mind put Phillip 100% in the "mark" category, she is definitely using her honed skills of pulchritudinous persuasion to try to bring Phillip around to where she wants him.  Well said. 

 

(My minor point of disagreement is with "it's not the way that sex between couples plays out."  I don't think you can know that, and neither can I.  But if there's one area of human behavior that is probably NOTHING like what we think it is, it's couples' sex: the sum total of freaky weird + quotidian going-thru-the motions + I'm just using sex to get what I want out of you + et al. = stuff I can't even imagine.  There should be a corollary to Rule 34 about couples that says "They use sex for everything you can imagine and at least three things you can't.")

[sistermagpie]

Elizabeth's bonding attempts this season have been...well, let's be generous and say, a tad forced.  Your comment that she's "working" Phillip made it click into place for me.  And while I don't think Elizabeth has in her mind put Phillip 100% in the "mark" category, she is definitely using her honed skills of pulchritudinous persuasion to try to bring Phillip around to where she wants him.  Well said.

 

 

I can't believe Elizabeth would actually believe that having sex with Philip would...well, what is it supposed to do here? Make him decide he doesn't care about Martha? Make him feel more connected to the Motherland? They were in exactly the same place when they finished as they were when they started (but probably a little more relaxed). 

[benteen]

IMO in real life Pastor Tim and his wife would already be history as would be Marsha. Too many loose ends to deal with, and one slipup  will expose both Philip and Elizabeth. And now with Stan and his partner surveilling Marsha the risks heighten.

 

I agree.  They'd let Philip and Elizabeth get away with too much already.

[whiporee]

 

(My minor point of disagreement is with "it's not the way that sex between couples plays out."  I don't think you can know that, and neither can I.  But if there's one area of human behavior that is probably NOTHING like what we think it is, it's couples' sex: the sum total of freaky weird + quotidian going-thru-the motions + I'm just using sex to get what I want out of you + et al. = stuff I can't even imagine.  There should be a corollary to Rule 34 about couples that says "They use sex for everything you can imagine and at least three things you can't.")

 

I agree with you, but there's usually more ... empathy, I guess. Hot and frantic together works, tender together works. Lonely, playful, whatever together works. In that scene, Phillip was despondent, and the natural reaction would have been more tender, understanding, it'll-be-okay sex. Instead she went after him, clearly showing herself in control (not that there's anything wrong with that) and guiding him to where she wanted him to be. Her orgasm seemed forced, faked, to convenient to the moment, and I think that's what his eyes showed, that he knew what was going on. I could be wrong -- I often am -- but it showed Elizabeth using her spy techniques on her partner, and I don't think that will end up well. 

[Umbelina]

How should Martha's situation have been resolved? Seems to me they have two options with her: killing her or turning her. I know Gabriel was pushing for the first but she's SO valuable to them. She's getting them things no one else can, and even if they're onto the photocopies there are other ways around that. And it would take a very long time to get a new mole as good or as useful as Martha is to them. And honestly, they can;t just go killing EVERYONE who gets even slightly in their way. People get suspicious. This would be third mysterious FBI death in the run of the show. 

 

As for Pastor Tim, I'm increasingly thinking they don't have to bother about killing him or turning him, because he's so stupid that he can't possibly be a threat. I mean, it's probably realistic that that's how a normal person would react if they were told by a normal middle-class teenager of their acquaintance that her parents were Soviet spies. It wouldn't be realistic if he suddenly became a badass like everyone else. But still, he seems pretty easy to manipulate. 

I think the KGB would run her as long as possible then kill her if needed, or mitigate any damage she might do to P&E.  the rest of your points are also good, but I pretty much answered them below, so won't repeat. 

No one has mentioned this, but that last scene with Phillip and Elizabeth may have been a breaking point for him. But was clear to me -- and I think to him -- she was working him, using sex to bring him back to where she wants him to be. The aggressive stance, the cowgirl ride, the overly loud orgasm, all seemed intended to bring someone whose resolve is wavering back into the fold. There wasn't any tenderness or affection in that scene, it was fantasy sex without context of mutuality -- it's not the way sex between couples plays usually plays out.

And Phillip knows it. Big problem, because if Phillip starts doubting his actual connection to Elizabeth, then he could be gone in more ways than one.

Interesting take. 

 

I didn't, and don't see it that way, but I can certainly understand that take.

 

For me, it was sex when both of them are, indeed, "under pressure!"  Pressure greater than any they've had before really, because the stakes aren't just their lives this time.  It's Martha's life, and Paige's life/relationship with them on the line now.  Guilt for both of them over Paige, and tremendous worry now about how their actions are impacting their obviously upset and vulnerable daughter.  Tremendous guilt for Philip over how much danger he KNOWS Martha is in right now (and from the previews, he goes against the KGB once more!  He can't keep doing that, they WILL smack him down sooner or later.)  Some jealousy from Elizabeth over Martha, sure, and we've seen that before.  For me it felt more like sex as pressure relief, for both of them, and also a need for something to wipe out the worries, if only for a few minutes.  Of course, once it was over, the worries were still right there, thus the looks at the end.  They are indeed "in trouble" and no amount of sex will solve that.

 

So this is the first episode of The Americans I've watched live (literally binged the series on Amazon Prime and then caught up with the last four episodes ASAP) and I can't believe how unbelievably tense and pulse pounding it is to watch week to week! There's something to be said about a weekly episode schedule that helps build those feelings of dread that become lost in binge watching.

I mean, especially coming off Nina's death and how it just casts a really long shadow on Martha. I just feel such dread for what the resolution will look like for her and how this will affect Philip. We've been building up to him snapping since at least season 2 and the tension of that thread has been just getting tighter and tighter and it makes me really nervous to see how it will happen and the outcome.

Also Allison Wright is truly this season's MVP, no? I love how the show has really crafted such a very strong cast and that even if the characters are unlikable/irritating/infuriating, very rarely can I say it's at the fault of casting. And they allow everyone the chance to shine.

That being said, I still don't know what to make of Henry's latchkey kid presence and how it affects the overall narrative arc, other than to strain tension between the family. Some part of me is wondering if I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. This show has made me read it as inherently deceitful, even when it may not be.

Henry kind of fascinates me. He was the child that I think the KGB should have gone after, although with his relationship to Stan, complicated! 

 

Allison Wright has been an underrated MVP to me too, last season as well.  Her little things, eyes darting, just everything is so perfect. 

 

Watching this live IS so completely tense!  "Under Pressure" indeed!  http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/americans-under-pressure-235162 I love this recap because it shows how throughout the episode, they earned that closing song.  I like watching again because I can relax and enjoy it a bit more, instead of gripping the arms of the chair.

 

Well, I agree that the episodes sure are more tense this season.  I find myself watching the show twice, back to back.  Still, I wonder if I am catching everything. 

 

I am a tad disappointed in the way they approached Pastor Tim and Alice.  I mean....really? That's the best they could do?  I just thought it was a mediocre attempt to  solve a gigantic problem.  I mean, that's all it takes to keep your cover?  

 

And then there is the Martha situation.  I just have trouble swallowing that one as well.  I realize there are other people who are working to help the soviet Union, however, I would think that Martha is in a VERY unique and valuable place.  WHYI in the world there was not more security and surveillance to help protect her is beyond belief.  She isn't being treated the way I would think they would treat her if she were that valuable.  I bummed by that.  And I also had envisioned that Martha had a lot of abilities that were left to be tapped, if trained properly and given the right incentives.  Instead, they've pushed her against the wall with no support and little guidance.  I'm ot too thrilled about the mess she's in right now.  

 

Yes, the tension and moments of stress are palpable in this show.  I watch every rerun the same night too, more because I really love the show than to catch things though.

 

I really doubt we are done with the Pastor and his wife, it's skating a fine line with me too, but I trust these writers to have a real pay off.

 

I think Martha's story is VERY realistic though.  Philip is her handler, the KGB wouldn't mess with that, especially in a honey trap.  Now if she was just being blackmailed, taking bribes, or doing this because of ideology, he might hand her off, but not in the honey trap method.  They can't really protect her at the FBI office, at all, they have no control there.  At home?  I think it would be very tricky, and I don't think they could do more for her than Philip is already doing, real KGB would freak her out more.  As for protecting her for her value?  Again, Philip's job, and also his "sister" Elizabeth's job at times.  The KGB though?  They would probably know that sooner or later she'd be burned and I doubt they'd give a single fuck about that, other than regret that they'll lose the information.  She dies?  So what?  They don't care, and they know it's likely that she'd be burned eventually.  Most non-career agents were.  On both sides.  (more below)

 

IMO in real life Pastor Tim and his wife would already be history as would be Marsha. Too many loose ends to deal with, and one slipup  will expose both Philip and Elizabeth. And now with Stan and his partner surveilling Marsha the risks heighten.

The Pastor and his wife?  I think so too, mostly because of the wife's reported "big mouth."  That could still happen though, behind P&E's back, or not.  Martha though?  The KGB wouldn't give a shit about her life, not even a fart.  They would use her for as long as possible, any way they could.  Philip knows it, and obviously doesn't agree with that option.  Could she identify P & E?  Maybe, if the FBI had any idea who they were, and if Martha fully cooperated.  The Stan connection is genius. 

 

Did I miss something? What's the deal with the Korean "friend?"

We don't know yet, but I'm enjoying the scenes.  It probably has something to do with the bio-weapons stuff, but honestly, I would be thrilled if someone in that family was also an agent, of Korea and the KGB didn't know.  (doubt that though)

 

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Martha Learns Anew How Hard It Is To Have Any Relationship To The Americans

Philip and Elizabeth have to scramble to shore up all their relationships this week, and even Paige has to pitch in.

This is SO good, I've loved the recaps for this show on PTV, and the screen grabs and captions are genius. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by Umbelina

[SunnyBeBe]

So was Elizabeth laying the groundwork to bring in Philip and Gabriel as her troubled father and brother when she told her new friend that she only had a brother and father. 

[Tetraneutron]

 

Henry kind of fascinates me. He was the child that I think the KGB should have gone after, although with his relationship to Stan, complicated!

The KGB didn't choose to go after Paige instead of Henry. The second-generation illegals program would have, ideally, involved using both of them. Get one in the State Department and one in the military, for example. I'm not sure it occurred to the KGC (at least, the KGB as written on this show) that American kids raised in America might not have the desire or the temperament to devote themselves to The Cause or believe in it ideologically, that they would be fundamentally different from kids raised in the shittiest parts of Russia during the Wars and purges. The only reason Claudia approached P and E about Paige was because Paige is a few years older and ready to be groomed. They'll come for Henry when he's in high school. And his relationship with Stan would be a major asset, not a liability. He wanders around Stan's house alone and unsupervised. That's a gold mine. 

 

All that's fanfic, though, because the show will likely end before Henry is old enough, if they keep making months of real time into weeks of show time. 

[gwhh]

Great episode. Love how they pick up the "priest" from south America and than when they drop him off they are like where he come from and is he really a priest?

I am taking odds on who gets killed first Martha OR Pastor Tim and Wife? My money on Pastor Tim!

Or maybe they could get Martha to go nuts and kill pastor Tim, his wife and kill her self. Problem solved!

Philip really cares for Martha! Poor guy!

That sex scene at the end. All I got to say is-WOW!! I bet in real life they had to sound proof the bedroom at there house! Since in real life they are dating and Kerri having his baby soon.

Edited April 15, 2016 by gwhh

[Umbelina]

The KGB didn't choose to go after Paige instead of Henry. The second-generation illegals program would have, ideally, involved using both of them. Get one in the State Department and one in the military, for example. I'm not sure it occurred to the KGC (at least, the KGB as written on this show) that American kids raised in America might not have the desire or the temperament to devote themselves to The Cause or believe in it ideologically, that they would be fundamentally different from kids raised in the shittiest parts of Russia during the Wars and purges. The only reason Claudia approached P and E about Paige was because Paige is a few years older and ready to be groomed. They'll come for Henry when he's in high school. And his relationship with Stan would be a major asset, not a liability. He wanders around Stan's house alone and unsupervised. That's a gold mine. 

 

All that's fanfic, though, because the show will likely end before Henry is old enough, if they keep making months of real time into weeks of show time. 

I completely agree the KGB back  in the Soviet Union seems completely clueless about day to day American life, and certainly how different American kids are.  Actually, I could say that of some older (at the time) Russians as well.  I had an experience with a former Russian at University that showed me how completely clueless they are about American life.  Nice old guy, but totally and completely clueless about what American University life was like for students.  He assigned homework as if none of us needed time for other classes, let alone jobs or family.  The class started with about 70 students, within two weeks we were down to 10, and he was still about to fail all of us.  I was able to talk to him, but he still didn't really get it.  I was able to convince him to grade on a curve though, something he was completely against.  So he gave one A (me) and one B, one C, one D, and failed everyone else. 

 

You'd think after their first attempt at second generation recruiting and the subsequent loss of valuable agents they would learn, but I think things were desperate and frankly, a bit insane about then, and bureaucrats made the call to do it again with the Jennings.  I'm sure equally idiotic, though less clueless perhaps, calls were made by Washington for Operations Officer of the CIA in foreign undercover ops.

 

I don't want to think about this show ending!  I really love it too much for that.  (fingers in ears)

Edited April 14, 2016 by Umbelina

[Dowel Jones]

Love how they pick up the "priest" from south America and than when they drop him off they are like where he come from and is he really a priest?

 

I thought that the KGB probably provided them with a ringer, based on an off-camera request, maybe.  Almost certainly (to me) he was not a real priest, as I don't know that the Reagan Administration would let an obviously leftist Salvadoran priest gain a visa to the US, seeing as how we were doing all we could to prop up the Salvadoran government.

[Chaos Theory]

IMO in real life Pastor Tim and his wife would already be history as would be Marsha. Too many loose ends to deal with, and one slipup will expose both Philip and Elizabeth. And now with Stan and his partner surveilling Marsha the risks heighten.

I disagree at least about Martha. Martha has always been loyal and useful. Killing Martha is a zero sum game. It has no benefit even in the short run. All it does is cause more problems. and a lot of them. Assuming that Philip has any feelings for her at all, it putshim at odds with his handler and the mission which he has always been iffy about. It makes the FBI even more suspicious then they already are and they start really investigating her life which will eventually lead them to Clark. The best option is to offer her the same deal they offered Gregory a couple seasons ago and get her gone. There will always be questions about Martha but a dead body is the worst thing they can leave behind. Even a dirty cop getting murdered gets the whole police force engaged.

<_~~~~edited for clarity

Edited April 15, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[Bannon]

W

 

I disagree at least about Martha.  Martha has always been loyal and useful.  Killing Martha is a zero sum game.  It has no benefit even in the short rub.  All it does is cause more problems. and a lot of them.  Assuming that Philip has any feelings for her at all it put him at odds with his handler and the mission which he has always been iffy about.  It makes the FBI even more suspecious then they already are and they start really investigating her life which will eventually lead them to Calrk.  The best option is to offer he same deal they offered Gregory a couple seasons ago and get her gone.  There will always be questions about Martha but a dead body is the worst thing they can leave behind.  Even a dirty cop gets murdered gets the whole police force  engaged.

We've already seen in this show that the KGB in America is good at body disposal, when they don't want a body discovered. Offering Martha a ticket out isn't a good idea, because she has never indicated any allegiance to the Soviets, and she still has a living mother, if I remember right, whom she might be very reluctant to abandon. She simply isn't a reliable defector, and as such she would always pose a threat. 

[Umbelina]

She'd be no threat in Russia though.

 

Easier to kill her?  Sure.  I love the idea of Martha trying to live in the Soviet Union though.  HA!

[Tetraneutron]

I think a reason a lot of people are pro-killing Martha is the show has consistently handwaved the consequences of killing people, especially people with powerful friends. ie/ The cops find out who did it and you're in a giant mess of shit. The past killings on the show have been ways to end a plot. The Americans never find out who killed Amador, accept that Benson's death was a suicide, and all the other killings are just written off as random accidents. There has never been the slightest blowback on the spies, so it seems like a handy way to solve all your problems. Of course in the real world, most murders aren't unsolved. Even if you can't prove it in a court of law, you know. 

 

For that reason alone, P and E should be killing far less people than they do. Especially not someone who works for the FBI. 

 

And Martha is not at all like Gregory, an ideologue who always knew who he was working with and what he was doing. Martha is kept in the dark and lied to. If she knew what was really going on, odds are good she'd march straight into Stan's office and tell him everything, which is why Philip lies to her. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by Tetraneutron

[scartact]

I agree with you, but there's usually more ... empathy, I guess. Hot and frantic together works, tender together works. Lonely, playful, whatever together works. In that scene, Phillip was despondent, and the natural reaction would have been more tender, understanding, it'll-be-okay sex. Instead she went after him, clearly showing herself in control (not that there's anything wrong with that) and guiding him to where she wanted him to be. Her orgasm seemed forced, faked, to convenient to the moment, and I think that's what his eyes showed, that he knew what was going on. I could be wrong -- I often am -- but it showed Elizabeth using her spy techniques on her partner, and I don't think that will end up well. 

 

I'm not quite sure if I buy this reading either, but maybe I need to... rewatch the scene to get a better gauge of what's happening and their respective emotional levels at this point. I do like that the show makes it a point to have the sex scenes function on a character and plot level, but when the next scenes showed them actually fucking, I looked away out of embarrassment partly because I didn't want my family to get the wrong idea of what I was watching! Er, Catholic guilt aside, I definitely interpreted her actions more of an attempt to dispel a lot of built up tension/pressure and also jealousy regarding Philip's own complex feelings about Martha, but it's ultimately for naught because they're still in this really tricky situation and it's only getting worse for everyone day by day.

 

Henry kind of fascinates me. He was the child that I think the KGB should have gone after, although with his relationship to Stan, complicated! 

 

Allison Wright has been an underrated MVP to me too, last season as well.  Her little things, eyes darting, just everything is so perfect. 

 

Watching this live IS so completely tense!  "Under Pressure" indeed!  http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/americans-under-pressure-235162 I love this recap because it shows how throughout the episode, they earned that closing song.  I like watching again because I can relax and enjoy it a bit more, instead of gripping the arms of the chair.

 

RE: Henry, I think it just occurred to me the more time Henry spends away from his family and with Stan, the significantly HARDER it would be to tell him about all the KGB spy stuff. Paige was hard enough as is with Jesus and Pastor Groovyhairs on her side, but it's even worse because Henry has an FBI Counter-Intellegence Agent (with deep undercover experience) with him! While the show still hasn't begun to address if and how Henry will learn about his parents' true identities, I would assume that the more we continue on with Paige's storyline the more it would become the elephant in the room amongst her and their parents.

 

As for Allison Wright, I know Vulture seems to be doing weekly check-in interviews with her now and they recently posted another brief interview with her on Martha's fragile emotional state!

[Bannon]

I think a reason a lot of people are pro-killing Martha is the show has consistently handwaved the consequences of killing people, especially people with powerful friends. ie/ The cops find out who did it and you're in a giant mess of shit. The past killings on the show have been ways to end a plot. The Americans never find out who killed Amador, accept that Benson's death was a suicide, and all the other killings are just written off as random accidents. There has never been the slightest blowback on the spies, so it seems like a handy way to solve all your problems. Of course in the real world, most murders aren't unsolved. Even if you can't prove it in a court of law, you know. 

 

For that reason alone, P and E should be killing far less people than they do. Especially not someone who works for the FBI. 

 

And Martha is not at all like Gregory, an ideologue who always knew who he was working with and what he was doing. Martha is kept in the dark and lied to. If she knew what was really going on, odds are good she'd march straight into Stan's office and tell him everything, which is why Philip lies to her. 

I always thought the best way to force a resolution to the Marths story arc would have been for Martha to somehow accidentally discover that Phillip is married to someone else,and has a family. There's no way she would tolerate that, it seems to me. It'll be too bad if they never take it in that direction.   

 

I agree that it has been a weakness in the show's writing that E & P have murdered as many people as they have.

[Dev F]

I love the idea of Martha trying to live in the Soviet Union though.  HA!

 

Well, Anton does need a new sweet lady friend to help keep his head in the right place!

[Umbelina]

They could easily forge a confession letter from Martha to the FBI.  Much more nuanced than this, but something similar.

 

"To my imperialistic coworkers,

You are working for a corrupt and failing system!  (site a few areas of corruption)  I despise you and the so-called democracy in the USA.  I've obviously been caught, but I will always take great pride in what I have accomplished for the glorious and just USSR.  I've done my duty here, and am now leaving for Russia!  You treated me like nobody, but there I will be a hero!

My family knows nothing of this, of course, they are idiot believers in the corrupt USA.  I'm sure you will bother them, possibly even accuse them, because you are just that clueless about my work here.  gotcha!"

Edited April 14, 2016 by Umbelina

[Bannon]

They could easily forge a confession letter from Martha to the FBI.  Much more nuanced than this, but something similar.

 

"To my imperialistic coworkers,

You are working for a corrupt and failing system!  (site a few areas of corruption)  I despise you and the so-called democracy in the USA.  I've obviously been caught, but I will always take great pride in what I have accomplished for the glorious and just USSR.  I've done my duty here, and am now leaving for Russia!  You treated me like nobody, but there I will be a hero!

My family knows nothing of this, of course, they are idiot believers in the corrupt USA.  I'm sure you will bother them, possibly even accuse them, because you are just that clueless about my work here.  gotcha!"

P.S. I left behind my copy of The Kama Sutra. Would you please be considerate enough to forward it to me, at my flat on the outskirts of Kiev?

[wellread]

I can't give enough credit to the writers for the quality of their work.  Sending a Central American (probably fake) Jesuit priest to dangle the glamour of liberation theology in front of Tim and Alice.  Catnip for them!  I'm sure the good Father is only the first step in the plan to reel in the Groovyhairs.  And then the brief moment at the end of the burial scene when Oleg's father fires the gun to represent a forbidden military salute to his dead son.  A totally unexpected and deeply moving moment from a pretty unsympathetic character.

[JennyMominFL]

This is really long but it describes the entire production of the episode from the table read to post production.

http://www.vox.com/2016/4/14/11411564/how-tv-gets-made-americans-fx-production

[shura]

The Americans never find out who killed Amador, accept that Benson's death was a suicide, and all the other killings are just written off as random accidents. There has never been the slightest blowback on the spies, so it seems like a handy way to solve all your problems.

 

Vlad Kosygin might disagree.

[ptuscadero]

I didn't see that at all. I saw two people who were really stressed out and needed some physical release. It wasn't athletic at all the way Martha sex is, imo. There was a lot of trademark Philip and Elizabeth eye-contact. It was very tender to start with when they were kissing, and then we skipped to the end when Elizabeth was kind of beyond that. She didn't even sound that loud to me--certainly not as loud as Martha's been in the past. The aggressive stance, especially, is exactly the way most of their most intimate sex scenes go. The scene in the car in the pilot, the one before they talk about Martha's talk with "Jennifer," the scene in the kitchen in Yousef. Most of those have some variation of Elizabeth standing over Philip, often touching his face, and then climbing into his lap. I'd say it's one of their favorite positions. In this case, thinking about it, I would think we're maybe supposed to see them switching who's on top to suggest a give and take just as the 69 scene was going for equality.

 

That's how I read it, too. My immediate impression was that it started as a shared intimacy, and quickly became a mutual release of tension.  I didn't feel that either one of them were particularly dominant; in fact, I thought it was about as emotionally uninhibited as we've seen Elizabeth, and I saw it as a strong bonding scene between the two of them. 

[tennisgurl]

I keep trying to picture Martha trying to get along in the USSR, if she has to make a run for it. I feel like it could be either very sad, or very wacky. 

 

Last night, I was convinced that Oleg was going to defect, but now, I am not sure. This show always zips when I think its going to zag, and now it seems like its too obvious for Oleg to defect. Granted, I still think its a possibility, but if it does happen, I imagine that it wont be for quite awhile. There will have to be a lot more than just some disillusionment and betrayal from his country to get him to turn his back on his country, and his family. This show never plays anything that easy. But if that means more juicy material for Costa Ronin, then I am all about the ride. 

[Umbelina]

Honestly, I think I would enjoy a "Martha in Moscow" story more than Nina's, although I love how they ended that story, and I DO think it will all tie in with Oleg in episodes to come, and with a remarkable spy story that really happened about this time in the KGB as well. 

[gwhh]

Who was Oleg hugging in the miltary uniform at his brother funeral?

I love how dad wiped out his huge commie hand cannon and starting firing off his own one man honor guard at the funeral!

Anyone know what type of gun that was?

Edited April 15, 2016 by gwhh

[Valmarmar]

I must have missed why Elizabeth is befriending Yung Hee???

[Moose135]

I must have missed why Elizabeth is befriending Yung Hee???

That hasn't been made clear yet.

[madam magpie]

Holy smokes. The end was pretty hot and yet it also creeped me out a little. This is why I don't like knowing fake couples are real couples on TV or in movies. It feels too voyeuristic or something. That said, I'm in the camp that saw it as intimate and a reaction to pretty severe stress.

Poor Martha. I hope doesn't die or get sent to the USSR. She wouldn't last a day.

"You were right." Has any teenager said that to her parents ever?

[Umbelina]

Who was Oleg hugging in the miltary uniform at his brother funeral?

I love how dad wiped out his huge commie hand cannon and starting firing off his own one man honor guard at the funeral!

Anyone know what type of gun that was?

I wondered that too.  Does Oleg have a younger brother?

[Blakeston]

Couldn't Cuba be an option for Martha, rather than the USSR? (Not that I think she'd exactly blend in there, either.)

[Dowel Jones]

Not all countries have an extradition treaty with the US, and not all crimes are always covered.  I think Sweden is one of those, in that espionage is not covered in the treaty.

[Umbelina]

Well, I doubt the KGB would put her in a country where it was easy to leave, or regret her actions, and start spilling to the FBI or CIA in exchange for immunity.  She's either dead or on the run or in the USSR.  Soon.

[Dev F]

I wondered that too.  Does Oleg have a younger brother?

 

That's what I assumed at first, but if there was another brother around, Oleg's father probably wouldn't be as adamant that Oleg come home to keep his mother from falling apart. So I figure the young man in uniform was one of his brother's army buddies, or something like that.

[whiporee]

I just watched the ending scene again. For a while, I thought I was wrong -- Phillip did hold her, and he certainly was more into it than I had originally thought. 

 

But the last shot of the show is Elizabeth with her eyes close, looking blissful, almost like mission accomplished (in both senses of the word). But Phillip has his eyes wide open and is looking at her with something that does not resemble affection at all. 

 

One thing I had to remind myself of is we don't really know if/how much these two love each other.  They might, they might not. But whatever they feel is a long way from a traditional relationship where you fall in love with the other person because of who they are. P&E may have learned or grown to love each other, but their foundation is the work and the kids. Phillip already feels as though Elizabeth is threatening that foundation by bringing Paige into the family business, and he's also doubting the work. H'e also been doing his best to go through a lot of self discovery. It's possible he might be thinking Elizabeth isn't all that, after all, and if he starts to think she's using/trying to handle him, that foundation could crack very quickly. 

[Umbelina]

I really took it as once the sex was over, the problems were still right there in his life, it didn't solve anything, but it put things on hold for a few minutes.  Martha's still screwed (and not in a fun way!) and Paige is still in trouble. 

 

I think they did the sex like a handler thing on this show once, at least P and E had that conversation, and there was also the dreadful "show my how you do Martha" scene, which was profoundly sad.

[VCRTracking]

When Reagan was on the TV I thought Elizabeth was going to go off again on what an evil monster he is again now that Paige knows they're Russian spies(Henry is busy with the video games to notice) so her laughing at his makeup and red on his cheeks saying he looked like a clown was great.

[Hecate7]

I can't believe Elizabeth would actually believe that having sex with Philip would...well, what is it supposed to do here? Make him decide he doesn't care about Martha? Make him feel more connected to the Motherland? They were in exactly the same place when they finished as they were when they started (but probably a little more relaxed). 

 

It wasn't supposed to make him forget about Martha. Elizabeth showed a whole range of complex feelings there. Jealousy, yes, but then concern about Philip, and I think she gets that he can love her and still love Martha. She remembers Gregory. If she had had to kill him, instead of just witnessing that he died, it would have devastated her. I think she empathizes with where Philip is, and she's worried about him. She wanted to distract him, cheer him up a bit, and maybe relax him. I don't think she was "working him" at all. I think she just wanted him to know he still has her. The fact that he couldn't stop worrying even after she said the center would do its best for Martha, made her realize he's in a lot of pain.

 

One of the things I like most about this show, is the way it shows that Elizabeth can feel jealous of Martha but still hope for Philip's sake that nothing happens to her, or how Stan and Oleg can both be in love with Nina, and have a weird kind of comeraderie about that.

[AllyB]

But the last shot of the show is Elizabeth with her eyes close, looking blissful, almost like mission accomplished (in both senses of the word). But Phillip has his eyes wide open and is looking at her with something that does not resemble affection at all.

I just thought that was his intense orgasm face.

[Hecate7]

I just thought that was his intense orgasm face.

 

Me, too. I think Elizabeth knows Philip is probably about to be devastated. So does Philip. I think he momentarily lost himself in the sex, but the mere fact of making love to Elizabeth suddenly reminded him that Martha was out there alone in the dark, and he could not comfort her. I don't think he was loathing Elizabeth, but himself, in that moment. He's just as worried, and the problems are still there, even after the sex.

[whiporee]

 

I just thought that was his intense orgasm face.

 

That was a couple of seconds earlier. They're trying to kiss and can't find each other's mouths, her hand on his face. Then she exhales, kicks her head back. 

 

I'm probably making too big a deal out of this to defend it, but I thought it was telling. 

[SlackerInc]

Sistermagpie, that was a really insightful analysis of Philip and Stan's relationship.  If you're not some kind of psychologist, I think you missed your calling!

 

I am a tad disappointed in the way they approached Pastor Tim and Alice.  I mean....really? That's the best they could do?  I just thought it was a mediocre attempt to  solve a gigantic problem.  I mean, that's all it takes to keep your cover?  

 

Oh, I completely buy it.  And I can't help but take a victory lap.  I totally called that they would forge a connection with Pastor Tim specifically through the El Salvador refugee movement, when was it, maybe a year ago?