S05.E01: Amber Waves

[FormerMod-a1]

As Philip and Elizabeth struggle to contain the risks from Paige's growing relationship with Matthew Beeman, the Centre sends them on an operation unlike any they've ever had before, straining their family and marriage to its limits.

[Primetimer]

When Elizabeth and Philip aren't in airline drag for a job they're working on a recent Soviet emigré, they're trying to keep Paige from losing her mind.

View the full article

[Umbelina]

I'm not sure why, but that seemed a little slow to me. 

Interesting that the minister was having a cheese danish and investigating food shortages, then talking to Oleg about finding those responsible.  Uh, dude, I think a few are in your office.

Poor William.

I enjoyed listening to Pasha's dad bitch though, and I'm starting to like Philip's kid on his little escape trip.

[crgirl412]

The Jennings' Vietnamese "son" was more ardent.  I think even Elizabeth is concerned he's too much.  She gave him a long look after he mentioned putting a bullet in Alexi's head.   

[benteen]

Well, at least William has a friend with him now...

Oof.  I figured Hans was going to get himself killed but not that way.

Very good episode.  It was definitely slower in the beginning but the end was very tense, despite how long the sequence went on.

Didn't know what to think of the beginning until we saw what happened.  Very cool.

Edited March 8, 2017 by benteen

[vb68]

So excited and glad the show is back!

Didn't understand what the big dig was at first, but once they finally showed it, wow. And getting the sample was so gross. And scary.

Speaking of scary, Elizabeth teaching Paige isn't scary at all. Nope.

Surprised Pasha's dad made it through the episode.

Philip and Elizabeth might very well overplay their hand in regard to Paige and Matthew.

Mischa is coming! Mischa is coming! Can't wait! Hope he gets there soon! 

[crgirl412]

6 minutes ago, vb68 said:

So excited and glad the show is back!

Didn't understand what the big dig was at first, but once they finally showed it, wow. And getting the sample was so gross. And scary.

Speaking of scary, Elizabeth teaching Paige isn't scary at all. Nope.

Surprised Pasha's dad made it through the episode.

Philip and Elizabeth might very well overplay their hand in regard to Paige and Matthew.

Mischa is coming! Mischa is coming! Can't wait! Hope he gets there soon! 

I thought the same thing!!  They have no idea how to play this!  Who would?? 

[gwhh]

Great episode of the a-team! 

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0504163/?ref_=ttep_ep21

[Knuckles]

I will miss William, he was so wonderfully snarky, but I guess he now has a friend, for eternity. And Hans, ever the eager protege, bites it. Too bad.

What has happened to their son, Henry? Is he off the show? Now it seems that Paige is an only child. And since she knows her parents are Russian spies, has she never questioned that her parents spend so much time hanging out with Stan, an FBI agent? Has she ever asked if they are using him? Seems like it might be a natural question.

Nice to have the show back, and though I enjoy watching them, I am still waiting for Philip and Elizabeth to get theirs...they have killed so many, and ruined so many lives...they really have it coming. 

[SailorGirl]

1 hour ago, vb68 said:

Didn't understand what the big dig was at first, but once they finally showed it, wow. And getting the sample was so gross. And scary.

I felt it was kind of a slow start to the season as well, until the dig scene. I was on edge for the entire scene (and also grossed out when they took the sample). 

I would have never imagined a 10-minute scene of people digging could be so tense -- when they first started, I thought they were digging for the body, but then they kept going deeper and deeper and I didn't think the body would be buried THAT deeply, so then I began wondering if they were in the wrong spot, and then I couldn't tell what equipment they laid out so then I thought no, they aren't looking for the body, they're planting something related to the biohazard on the grounds (maybe to seep into the soil?), and then I kept wondering how in the hell five people could do that so silently!

For me, at least, it was quite the roller coaster! :-D

That they could take something as boring as digging and make it suspenseful is reason number 2765 why this show is so awesome!

[Bama]

56 minutes ago, Knuckles said:

What has happened to their son, Henry? Is he off the show? Now it seems that Paige is an only child.

He was in the episode tonight.  He came over to eat with Paige, Matthew, and Stan.  He was onscreen for all of 15 seconds.

And he was a good head taller than all three of them.  I got a chuckle out of how grown he is.

He looked the same age as Paige and Matthew instead of the tag-along little brother.

[zibnchy]

I know why this show is the best. I'm sitting here a couple hours later brooding about the fact that Hans is dead. Hans is, at best, a tertiary character but I care that he's dead. And I care that Elizabeth has the sads for having to kill him. And how she told him to look at the flowers before she corked him.

Ice Cold Elizabeth is terrifying. I love the character so much.

At first I thought they were digging William up to steal his body to ship back to the homeland for a hero celebration or something. Then I remembered what killed William. But I have to say, if my job was to cut a piece off a dead guy who died of lassa fever I'd want a goddamn biohazard suit. And something other than a baggie to put the slice in.

Edited March 8, 2017 by zibnchy

[PinkRibbons]

Well, last things first, watching this I remembered that tomorrow marks my family's 32nd anniversary of Exodus from the Soviet Union (and I'm not being hyperbolic; this is literally something we talk about during Seder). Apparently Chernenko dropped dead right after they got out and they just avoided the borders closing behind them.

Pasha's dad reminds me of my own, only less profane and a bit more simplistic than my Papa's complaints about the old USSR. My folks talk about it like they left something that had been dead and rotting around them for years while they were supposed to ignore it happening and pretend the smell wasn't there.

Speaking of which, man did those food shortages hit a nerve with me. To this day the biggest fights we have in our household is me insisting on throwing away uneaten food. My mother always feels like she'll find some use for everything, and it can sit there for ages. A cleaning lady we had once observed that all her former-Soviet clients had incredibly full pantries -- we have enough to feed a family of four for a month in dry goods alone. Honestly I'm surprised Elizabeth and Philip aren't compulsive food hoarders after their childhoods. I work with people their age (people who were kids during WW2), and now whenever our establishment gets its monthly food program delivery, not only to we get full turnout, but the fact that there was a line started panic the first few times. Walkers were used as weapons among the elderly. Seriously.

I'm not relishing the idea of Mini-Misha making his way to Philip, possibly because he represents a common fear a lot of us first-generation kids have: that our parents had other kids they left behind and kept secret. This kind of shit happens more than we like to think. His existence is going to be a nasty shock to Paige and/or Henry if they find out. I did think it was interesting that Henry actually kind of looks like Misha, or I think they're styling the two actors' hair similarly.

I could have done with about five minutes less of digging.

I can't wait to try out that Russian America The Beautiful on my parents.

Edited March 8, 2017 by PinkRibbons
Too much non-episode talk.

[zibnchy]

I want to read more about your family.

8 minutes ago, PinkRibbons said:

But to the actual episode: I'm not relishing the idea of Mini-Misha making his way to Philip

I'm hating the idea. I know he'll have a point, I have faith in the show. But, eh. Tell me something about Martha. That's what I want.

[Dev F]

From the series that brought us "gripping low-speed car chase" and "sexy and intimate tooth-pulling scene" comes "riveting scene of guys digging a hole for ten minutes without talking." This show goes for the high-difficulty shot like no other, and sinks it every damn time.

Am I crazy, or did one of the scenes featured in the trailers get redubbed in the actual episode? During the scene where Elizabeth tells Paige to make a fist, the trailer has her insist "Thumb in, always." But I swear in the episode she says "Thumb here, always." I guess they wanted to make sure it didn't sound like Elizabeth was telling her to stick her thumb inside her fist, which would be super dumb advice unless the plan called for her to break her own thumb when she hit someone.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Dev F

[Alex Kamal]

I'm kinda happy Hans is dead, he creeped me out way too much. I think Alexi is my new favorite character. He and his wife are fun and as the son of two immigrants I enjoy their storyline. I really hope the Vietnamese kid fails in whatever he is trying to do with their son.

[chocolatine]

16 minutes ago, Dev F said:

From the series that brought us "gripping low-speed car chase" and "sexy and intimate tooth-pulling scene" comes "riveting scene of guys digging a hole for ten minutes without talking."

Laughing hysterically at this. You win the internet today.

2 hours ago, crgirl412 said:

The Jennings' Vietnamese "son" was more ardent.  I think even Elizabeth is concerned he's too much.  She gave him a long look after he mentioned putting a bullet in Alexi's head.   

She's probably worried they might have another Jared on their hands.

2 hours ago, vb68 said:

Surprised Pasha's dad made it through the episode.

I thought for sure he was going to have a car dropped on him by the end of the episode, but then this week's cold-blooded killing turned out to be Hans. As soon as Elizabeth told him "it's going to be OK", I knew he was never getting out of that hole. I figured they were digging for William's body since Gabriel had made a point of telling them where he died, but why did they need a piece of it? Didn't he give them some vials of the virus last season?

I really enjoy Philip and Stan's beer banter, and I think Philip on some level enjoys it too. As if he weren't conflicted enough already.

I'm curious to see where the Misha Jr story is going, but how are he and Philip going to communicate when they meet up? I love Matthew Rhys, but the one time he tried to speak Russian on this show, it was bad.

LMAO at the Russian parody of America The Beautiful and Oleg's danish-eating boss working to "combat corruption".

I'm still not loving the Paige The Teenage Spy storyline. Elizabeth pushing her around the garage reminded me of that flashback scene a few seasons ago when Elizabeth unceremoniously threw a four-year-old Paige into the pool.

Russian nostalgia piece of the night: the walnut-shaped cookies Pasha's mother was serving for dessert. They're not easy to make, but so delicious! We used to have the special baking mold back in the 80s, but sadly we didn't take it with us when we emigrated to Germany (we only took a few suitcases worth of stuff with us).

[Bannon]

Hopefully, all the Stan face time is not an indicator that the character is going to get as many scenes as he did prior to season 4. He remains the major character who is most poorly drawn, and I don't think he is salvageable .

It looks like season 5 will encompass Chernenko's  12 months in office, and start season 5 just as Gorbachev takes power. The timeline is a bit off, however: Tonight's episode takes place during the '84 Olympics, but they were in February, and in tonight's episode had Chernenko in power already, and he didn't actually take the office until April, and was dead 11 months later.

[gatopretoNYC]

Those paper masks really did not seem like enough protection to me.

Edited March 8, 2017 by gatopretoNYC

[Bannon]

17 minutes ago, gatopretoNYC said:

The winter and summer Olympics used to be held in the same year. The '84 summer games were in Los Angeles, in July and August.

The actors are not wearing summer clothing for Maryland. Its the winter Olympics, in February, in Sarajevo.

[gatopretoNYC]

1 minute ago, Bannon said:

The actors are not wearing summer clothing for Maryland. Its the winter Olympics, in February, in Sarajevo.

I just realized that, and edited my post right before you posted this. Whoops!

[SWLinPHX]

MY OBSERVATIONS SO FAR:

• Why or how is a Vietnamese kid who speaks perfect English a Soviet spy?  Was he born in the U.S. or Russia or Vietnam... or what?  Don't give me he is really a Vietnamese Russian with perfect American English at his age.

• How is Phillip going to communicate with Mischa?  They not only have no Russian accent but hardly ever spoke Russian.  I don't think Rhys's Russian will be as good as his American accent.  To be honest, their lack of even a word of Russian all this time (even in private) was always made it a bit less believable).

• How did Gabriel know where William's body was buried?  Where'd they get a map to pinpoint the spot and why would it be so easy to get?  William doesn't work there so they have no inside contact anymore.

• When's the last time you saw a scene with no dialogue (and repetitive, time-lapses action) take up so much damn screen time?!?

• Poor Hans!  He was so loyal.  :(  That killing reminded me of how they killed Nina -- and that Elizabeth truly is cold as ice.

Edited March 8, 2017 by SWLinPHX

[shura]

42 minutes ago, Bannon said:

The actors are not wearing summer clothing for Maryland. Its the winter Olympics, in February, in Sarajevo.

That's what I thought, too. But Oleg was walking around Moscow with his big umbrella definitely not in February. Were his scenes supposed to be happening not at the same time as the rest of the episode?

What's the story of this Department of Agriculture consultant guy? He didn't seem like a defector, was he allowed to emigrate with his family somehow? I wonder how. Not that I think it's implausible, I just want to know the details.

I missed it if they explained it, how did the KGB know where exactly William was buried?

[SlackerInc]

6 hours ago, Umbelina said:

I'm not sure why, but that seemed a little slow to me. 

When I first read this, I was assuming you meant the digging scene, but then other people are saying the opposite, that it was slow before that part.  I greatly enjoyed the whole episode, but I really marvelled at their willingness to commit to such a long buildup of digging rather than kind of montage-ing it.  I think it worked fantastically well, but as @Dev F noted, it's such a tough shot to take.

2 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I figured they were digging for William's body since Gabriel had made a point of telling them where he died, but why did they need a piece of it? Didn't he give them some vials of the virus last season?

No, he didn't have the clearance to get that virus.  What he gave them was lesser grade stuff.  Then Philip and Elizabeth did the whole long con with the higher-up at the lab to make him think he had drunkenly had sex with her, that resulted in an abortion and her suicide, allowing them to get the elderly handlers into his office alone, where they went through his computer and got the information they needed to get William the codes to go steal the super virus.  Then William was caught before he could actually deliver the goods, so he infected himself instead.

2 hours ago, Bannon said:

Hopefully, all the Stan face time is not an indicator that the character is going to get as many scenes as he did prior to season 4. He remains the major character who is most poorly drawn, and I don't think he is salvageable .

It looks like season 5 will encompass Chernenko's  12 months in office, and start season 5 just as Gorbachev takes power. The timeline is a bit off, however: Tonight's episode takes place during the '84 Olympics, but they were in February, and in tonight's episode had Chernenko in power already, and he didn't actually take the office until April, and was dead 11 months later.

I really like Stan.  I actually don't think I've ever seen someone take the line you do on him.  Interesting.

I know you feel super sure that it was the Winter Olympics, to the point that you convinced someone else to edit their post; but I think you're wrong.  Showrunners Joe and Joel are sticklers for accuracy, to the point that they never show someone watching a seemingly random hockey game or soap opera without making sure it would be the exact one that would be playing on that particular date at that time.  So I don't believe for a moment they would make an error that egregious.

As I finished that last paragraph, it occurred to me to check to make sure you were right about the other part--that Chernenko took office in April.  According to both Wikipedia and Britannica, you are not: he took office in February.  If the Wiki date is correct, it was right in the middle of the Winter Games, in fact.

So my faith in Joe and Joel was indeed justified, even if for a different reason than I initially assumed.

Edited March 8, 2017 by SlackerInc
Typo, clarification

[EtheltoTillie]

3 hours ago, chocolatine said:

 

Russian nostalgia piece of the night: the walnut-shaped cookies Pasha's mother was serving for dessert. They're not easy to make, but so delicious! We used to have the special baking mold back in the 80s, but sadly we didn't take it with us when we emigrated to Germany (we only took a few suitcases worth of stuff with us).

Thank you for confirming the cookies. I thought I recognized them. I love those. I get them at a Polish deli in Riverhead, Long Island. 

[EtheltoTillie]

51 minutes ago, SWLinPHX said:

MY OBSERVATIONS SO FAR:

• Why or how is a Vietnamese kid who speaks perfect English a Soviet spy?  Was he born in the U.S. or Russia or Vietnam... or what?  Don't give me he is really a Vietnamese Russian with perfect American English at his age.

• How is Phillip going to communicate with Mischa?  They not only have no Russian accent but hardly ever spoke Russian.  I don't think Rhys's Russian will be as good as his American accent.  To be honest, their lack of even a word of Russian all this time (even in private) was always made it a bit less believable).

 

I figured the kid was from (Communist) North Vietnam. Or Vietnam itself, unified after the war. 

As for the speech, I think it was explained in early episodes that never speaking Russian even in private was part of their training to maintain cover and American accent. Margo Martindale and Frank Langella always speak English too. I'm giving benefit of the doubt to their ability to still speak Russian in passable form, however. Interesting to think that Matthew Rhys has to do this all the time, converting from British accent. 

[SlackerInc]

6 hours ago, PreviouslyTV said:

When Elizabeth and Philip aren't in airline drag for a job they're working on a recent Soviet emigré, they're trying to keep Paige from losing her mind.

View the full article

There's some kind of glitch there.  The final paragraph of the "On the Menu" section is cut off.  It reads, in its entirety:

Quote

BUT I DIGRESS: Elizabeth reassures Mrs. M from her own experience: they adopted Tuan when he was ten, and he spoke no English. Pasha will find his way in America, and so will Mrs. M. (Elizabeth doesn't mention that Tuan's

[dr pepper]

Pilot and flight attendant to visit a family that may be under surveillence? Not a good cover, too easy to check.

[Christina]

I think both dates for Chernenko are correct. He took over as general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in February 1984 after the death of Yuri Andropov, and in April 1984 he became chairman of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Union. (Fun Fact: that is similar to the title I plan on giving myself when I become Dictator of the Entire World.)

Like @SlackerInc, my article is missing part of that final paragraph under the "On the Menu" section. 

[Chaos Theory]

Welcome back show!  I missed you.

Paige the teenage spy is looking to be my favorite storyline this season.  Paige has the right amount of interest in what her parents are doing and need for her own life.  Just like any teenager.  Plus add Stan who has an unnatural affinity for the family anyway and thinks the relationship is a "good thing".  It's all twisted and complicated.  So many people are going to get hurt.  Yes Paige we all wish it could be simple.

I think P&E getting involved with the Russian family has something to do with the guys job.  He said he had something to do with agriculture.  It is rather clever in the cruel way P&E are clever going through their angry but lonely son.  This is going to be Young Hee all over again isn't it?

Hey Mischa is coming to America.  This is going to end well.

Poor Hans.  Then again he hasn't really had much of a story and much to do in awhile.  And since Martha left there is no one left for him to follow.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Chaos Theory

[SWLinPHX]

8 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Poor Hans.  Then again he hasn't really had much of a story and much to do in awhile.  And since Martha left there is no one left for him to follow.

Don't forget the innocent college student Hans so suddenly and savagely murdered in that library/book archive a couple seasons ago when he was first introduced as a character.

9 hours ago, GussieK said:

As for the speech, I think it was explained in early episodes that never speaking Russian even in private was part of their training to maintain cover and American accent. Margo Martindale and Frank Langella always speak English too. I'm giving benefit of the doubt to their ability to still speak Russian in passable form, however. Interesting to think that Matthew Rhys has to do this all the time, converting from British accent. 

I know all that, but that doesn't explain my point, of how Phillip will communicate with his son in Russian without Rhys having to speak it.  They may make an excuse for his poor speech in that he hasn't used it in so long, but I don't know.  If it is his supposed to be his native born language it still should sound pretty good.

Edited March 8, 2017 by SWLinPHX

[Ina123]

There were a couple of scenes where you could see their breath so I have no doubt it's the Winter Olympics. There is no way you see your breath in the summer in Maryland.

By the way. Martha, Alison Wright, has a small part in the AMC series, "Feud".

[vb68]

The other thing about the Olympics that year is that the Russians made a big show of boycotting the summer games in Los Angeles.  I really can't imagine Philip and Elizabeth having too much interest in them, especially Elizabeth, unless it was to openly hate watch. That's why I just assumed it was the Winter games. They seem more like winter sports fans anyway.

[benteen]

LOL about Elizabeth hate watching the Olympics.

Quote

Why or how is a Vietnamese kid who speaks perfect English a Soviet spy?  Was he born in the U.S. or Russia or Vietnam... or what?  Don't give me he is really a Vietnamese Russian with perfect American English at his age.

According to the producers, the KGB did have a strong relationship with Vietnamese Intelligence. 

[shura]

Quote

BUT I DIGRESS: Elizabeth reassures Mrs. M from her own experience: they adopted Tuan when he was ten, and he spoke no English. Pasha will find his way in America, and so will Mrs. M. (Elizabeth doesn't mention that Tuan's

... thirty years old and is a graduate of the People's Friendship University in Moscow? My first thought when I saw the opening scene was, huh, they recast Henry. Second thought, interesting choice.

1 hour ago, Christina said:

I think both dates for Chernenko are correct. He took over as general secretary for the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in February 1984 after the death of Yuri Andropov, and in April 1984 he became chairman of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Union.

That would be Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, actually. Even cooler as a template for a Ruler of the Universe title.

[EtheltoTillie]

Tuan reminds me of a story we did when I used to work at a magazine.  We sent one of our younger editors to spend a week undercover at a Philadelphia area high school.   She managed to pull it off. 

[qtpye]

2 minutes ago, GussieK said:

Tuan reminds me of a story we did when I used to work at a magazine.  We sent one of our younger editors to spend a week undercover at a Philadelphia area high school.   She managed to pull it off. 

That was the plot of Drew Barrymore's movie "Never been Kissed".  Tuan being a baby faced agent going undercover in High School kind of reminds me of "21 Jump Street".

[Ina123]

OK, I'm stereotyping, but, to me, Asians turn out to be older than they look. I have no doubt Tuan is much older than high school and very well trained.

[ChromaKelly]

So the extra 11 minutes of this episode were the dig scene? My husband and I were on the edge of our seats. What are they doing? What are they looking for? Are they tunneling in? WHAT??? Poor Hans. I do wonder how they knew exactly where William was buried.

Forbidding Paige to see Matthew is going to bite them in the ass. They might be super hard core spies, but parenting a teenage girl will be their toughest assignment yet! (Feel free to steal that, show) 

Pasha's dad is so dead. I could tell Phillip was dying to speak freely with him. I am wondering if it would be plausible for a recently emigrated Soviet to be working in any government agency? Even something like the Dept of Agriculture. So, Tuan is 21 Jump Street-ing. I do wonder how old he really is. That's a nice house to use just for a fake family. I feel for the the Pasha family. This is not going to end well.

Oleg looks hotter for some reason. I hope his in-country storyline doesn't drag like Nina's did, only to end with a bullet in the head. I would like an update on Martha.

Not sure how I feel about Mischa. I bet it E's going to have her nose out of joint about it.

[operalover]

Why was William's body not decomposed?

Why would a Soviet citizen be allowed to go to Yugoslavia to visit family? What passport did he show? The agent asked him if it was his first time abroad and he said yes. I'm confused about how he got out and why he would have another passport. I know his mother left him a few foreign passport, but if he is a Soviet citizen what is the explanation for why he would have a foreign one and be allowed out? I originally thought he was going to pretend to be from Germany and going back home.

Edited March 8, 2017 by operalover

[Dev F]

6 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

I do wonder how they knew exactly where William was buried.

The CIA Afghan group was also based out of Fort Detrick, right? If Philip is still running the Kimmy op, maybe they could've gleaned something from the bug in her father's phone. Though that might represent an improbable breakdown in compartmentalization.

[SunnyBeBe]

39 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

OK, I'm stereotyping, but, to me, Asians turn out to be older than they look. I have no doubt Tuan is much older than high school and very well trained.

Yes. I wondered if Tuan might be someone who looks much younger than he really is....say 21 years old. He does act immature though.  He's portraying someone who is younger than Paige, right?  

I was so happy to see this show again!  Yes, it started out slow, but, setting the stage is okay with me.  Then, the digging scene.  I really disliked how long it went on, but, I have to hand it to them.  It was necessary, because how often do we see unrealistic portrayals of people digging a grave by hand seem simple and easy on tv? In reality, it's a very tough job, requires team work and takes a long time.  So, that's what they showed.  I hate dark scenes though, where you can barely see what's going on.  

Can someone tell me why they killed Hans? Was it due to him injuring himself and that they had no way to get him out of there?  Or did he get contaminated with the sample from William's body? 

I have little patience for Paige.  I really wish she would get with the program or stop the whining.  Nothing they do for her is going to be enough.  She's a malcontent, imo, boring.  I still think my idea that they submit her to a psychiatrist to induce amnesia of all she has learned about her parent's true identity would be best about now.  

Edited March 8, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Maire]

Thank god for all of you who remember details from past episodes! I forgot about the whole fake affair/pregnancy subplot. I just kept waiting for Martha to turn up for dinner with Oleg's family.

[sugarbaker design]

2 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Can someone tell me why they killed Hans? Was it due to him injuring himself and that they had no way to get him out of there?  Or did he get contaminated with the sample from William's body? 

Threat of contamination.

[shura]

22 minutes ago, operalover said:

Why would a Soviet citizen be allowed to go to Yugoslavia to visit family? What passport did he show? The agent asked him if it was his first time abroad and he said yes. I'm confused about how he got out and why he would have another passport. I know his mother left him a few foreign passport, but if he is a Soviet citizen what is the explanation for why he would have a foreign one and be allowed out?

I think he showed his Soviet "foreign" passport (that is, a passport for Soviet citizens traveling abroad, as opposed to an internal Soviet passport). All the questions you raise would have been asked way before he showed up at the airport, at the stage (which Misha never actually had to go through) of him applying for this "foreign" passport and the exit visa. The border guard probably wouldn't care about why he was allowed out, his job is just to make sure it's Misha's passport and picture in there, and his reason for travel is what it says in the passport.

[gwhh]

I thought they were digging up a hidden KGB weapon stash at first. 

[vb68]

Quote

Not sure how I feel about Mischa. I bet it E's going to have her nose out of joint about it.

I just hope Claudia and Gabriel don't get to him first. They know he's on the way.

[Ina123]

I'm just now remembering that when Gabriel showed them the map he mentioned that William had one more job, (or did I misunderstand). What was the "one more job? Supply them with a piece of his flesh? Did they want the piece of flesh to re-create the virus?

[SunnyBeBe]

Does Mischa speak other languages, like French, German, etc.?  I'm just trying to envision him getting to the US and having any way to travel, fit in, assimilate, with zero English.  And how will he explain his Russian language with no backup? Can the newly introduced Russian family take him in under some ruse?

Edited March 8, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[sugarbaker design]

6 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

Supply them with a piece of his flesh?

That was William's last job.

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Does Mischa speak other languages, like French, German, etc.?  I'm just trying to envision him getting to the US and having any way to travel, fit in, assimilate, with zero English.

Isn't that the story of every tourist, immigrant or refugee?