S05.E02: Pests

[dr pepper]

11 hours ago, henripootel said:

Doubtful.  While we certainly spied on our allies and they on us, I'm pretty sure we limited ourselves to intercepts and a bit of false flagging.  Recruiting agents, real penetration, moles - this was and is considered unbecoming for allies, which is why everybody hated the French and distrusted them.

And why we still won't make a deal to free Jonathan Pollard.

[mrsdalgliesh]

The minute I saw Laurie Holden's name in the credits, I knew Stan's girlfriend would be a problem. This because I'm old and remember her from TXF -- and what her role was If it turns out she really is Russian, I'm going to feel even more ancient because that will mean the show didn't think casting her was a dead giveaway.

[Dowel Jones]

I think Stan is getting into deep trouble here.  If the CIA develops a contact in Russia who lets it slide that he warned Oleg of the CIA's intent, and/or reveals the extent of Philip/Elizabeth's activities in the US, at the very least he's looking at loss of career. ETA:  After reading the possible setup of Oleg in earlier posts, that might not happen after all.  But he is still on the hook for getting close to Phillip/Elizabeth.

Quote

And ironic that William, who did not have a partner in life, ended up with one in death. 

When they did that, I was thinking, what happens if someone at the lab has second thoughts about the burial because of the possible water contamination or whatnot, and decides to have the coffin exhumed and relocated?  I can only imagine the reading on the seismograph when they find the extra body in the coffin. 

Edited March 16, 2017 by Dowel Jones
Because I somehow missed the first 3 pages.

[AllyB]

19 hours ago, Kathemy said:

I am starting to wonder if the real shocker twist of this season will in fact be Stan turning on his employers.

I was thinking this when I watched. That maybe the point of following Nina in Russia and the point of following Oleg now had less to do with those characters and more to do with how what happens to them effects Stan. Nina could never turn Stan through their relationship because he was patriotic to the core. But now he has developed relationships with KGB agents and come to care for and respect them because he believes they were good people willing to do what was right. Then he sees his people, 'the good guys' in the FBI, CIA and government essentially using up these people not caring that it will mean their death. So Stan's belief in who and what is moral is changing. I suspect now that Oleg will meet a similar end to Nina and that will cause a fundamental shift in Stan.

So when he does discover that P&E are really M&N his reaction will not be the reaction of the Stan he was for the first 3 and a half seasons. He will feel deeply betrayed obviously as he has such a personal relationship with the Jennings, especially with Philip. But he will also have an empathy with their position that he wouldn't have had before. I don't necessarily think he will ally with them but he will have a much deeper personal conflict than just feeling betrayed by the enemies he thought were friends.

[AllyB]

11 hours ago, zibnchy said:

I was expecting the "secret trick" Elizabeth told Paige about to be something a little more exciting than "rub your fingers together and think about us" although the thought of Paige rubbing her fingers together and thinking about her parents after sex is quite hilarious. But, still, that's it?!

Ah but what do you think will pop into Paige's mind when she thinks about her parents after sex? The lovely birthday party they threw her when she was 5? The conversation they had when they confirmed there was no Santa Claus but she had to keep schtum to Henry and she felt all grown up? The family holiday to Epcot? That time she walked in on them sixty-nine-ing? It'll be the latter won't it? They don't know it but they've just fucked up that poor girl's sex life forever.

[Uncle JUICE]

On 3/14/2017 at 11:26 PM, One Imaginary Girl said:

It didn't occur to me until Stan compared Renee to a female Philip that maybe she's another Soviet agent.  

I waited a day to watch it so I could get through the commercials, but there's almost no way that Rene is NOT an agent. My guess is the people in Moscow are doing the same thing to Beamon that the FBI and CIA are going to try to do with Burov, at about the same time, and the two of them will have to figure out a way to simultaneously extricate each other, because each can burn the other to the ground. When Gaad died, he was the only person besides Burov who know about Stan and Nina, and I think at least a smidgen of Stan's 'don't use my guy' schtick with the CIA was his subconscious acknowledgement that he's vulnerable to Burov and Burov only. I'm probably pages late with this theory, sorry about that. I think this plays out sort of like The Departed, where each of them has to try to save their own skin. 

On 3/14/2017 at 11:10 PM, Chaos Theory said:

Sex lessons from your parents.  Not awkward at all.  At least Paige is getting to hit Elizabeth in the garage from time to time.  Also now every time Paige has sex she is going to think of her parents.  Not awkward at alll.

I spent that WHOLE scene thinking "Wait, they're not actually going to make her watch them fuck, are they?!?!?" It was so gross!

2 hours ago, AllyB said:

So when he does discover that P&E are really M&N his reaction will not be the reaction of the Stan he was for the first 3 and a half seasons. He will feel deeply betrayed obviously as he has such a personal relationship with the Jennings, especially with Philip. But he will also have an empathy with their position that he wouldn't have had before. I don't necessarily think he will ally with them but he will have a much deeper personal conflict than just feeling betrayed by the enemies he thought were friends.

Couldn't this also be a case of Hank Schrader effect, though? Outing Philip and Elizabeth as Stan, a guy who's had a long relationship, deeply personal, with both of them, also makes HIM vulnerable. It wouldn't be difficult to imagine a discussion wherein Stan tells them he's sure they're spies, and they tell him, turn us in and we've got plenty of proof that you're an asset, too. Even if they didn't, the shadow of it would be enough to destroy Stan's career in law enforcement forever. 

[benteen]

Excellent point.  When it's finally discovered that they are spies (and I have no doubt that it will) Stan's career in law enforcement is over.

[SunnyBeBe]

I"m still not sold on Stan having this softer side. I think it only goes so far.  I mean, recall the innocent guy he killed in cold bold, because he thought he had murdered his colleague?  And, he's quite furious about whoever murdered Gaad.  He may feel for Oleg, but, I have trouble envisioning him helping him in any overt way. Perhaps, indirectly, and unintentionally with comments to Philip or his lover. 

Did Gaad really know all that Stan had done? Recall there was an investigation after the Nina thing and Stan was cleared. But, did Gaad know the full extent of it? 

Edited March 16, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[jjj]

I never thought that the Oleg contact of "This is a message from Stan Beeman" was *actually* from Stan -- I thought it was the CIA using Stan's name to get Oleg's attention.  But the recap seems to think that this is actually a message from Stan. (?)  Stan really does not have any contacts in Russia that we have seen, though, so that seems like quite a stretch to me.  (Well, he does not have any contacts that he, Stan, *knows* about!   E/Ph could be helpful, if only he knew about them!) 

[quirkygal]

10 hours ago, crgirl412 said:

He wouldn't be taking leftovers home in the USSR, I'll bet!!  First it's Bennigan's leftovers then he'll want a sports car!  He's going to get like Philip and "like it too much."  

Tuan asked if P + E were going to take the leftovers home presumably their home in D.C.  If they were going to pop them in the first trash can at the airport that would be a waste and they should leave the food with Tuan.

People who have experienced starvation and/or lived in poverty where maybe they had one small meal that took the edge off but still left them hungry won't waste food ever.

While P + E grew up hungry they were in the training program from a young age and probably well fed (it wouldn't do to have growing trainees drop dead from hunger and exhaustion after the USSR invested so much in them) and have been trained to see food as abundant. If it's a choice between lugging around leftovers or your cover, you maintain your cover.

Tuan isn't there yet and in these unguarded moments with his faux family he is comfortable enough to show a true behavior from his real personality.

[sistermagpie]

3 hours ago, Uncle JUICE said:

I waited a day to watch it so I could get through the commercials, but there's almost no way that Rene is NOT an agent. 

Why would it be so impossible for her to just be a person at the gym? There are people who still think it's impossible for Pastor Tim to be just a pastor. Anything's possible but there's no reason that Renee couldn't be an actual woman at the gym. Stan already failed to be turned by the most attractive KGB agent they had to offer to him.

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did Gaad really know all that Stan had done? Recall there was an investigation after the Nina thing and Stan was cleared. But, did Gaad know the full extent of it? 

If Gaad knew the extent of it, surely Gaad would have turned Stan in. He knew he slept with Nina and was vulnerable about her. I doubt he knew he actually gave Burov intel and got very close to doing worse. In fact, Gaad rightly held it against Stan what he pulled with Oleg behind his back. He was just powerless to do anything about it, which is another reason why Stan, unlike Oleg, is safe. When Stan's behavior was partly exposed, he got promoted.

3 hours ago, jjj said:

I never thought that the Oleg contact of "This is a message from Stan Beeman" was *actually* from Stan -- I thought it was the CIA using Stan's name to get Oleg's attention.  But the recap seems to think that this is actually a message from Stan.

I think the recap is just wrong. How was anybody helping Oleg there? I've heard people say Stan is "warning" Oleg, but what good does that do? It just lets him know he's screwed a little bit earlier. 

13 hours ago, henripootel said:

Am I the only one who's surprised Tuan has access to high value assets like the Jennings?  I guess somebody has to train him but the Centre is putting a lot of trust in a pretty young guy, and Phillip and Elizabeth regularly get super-high val

Well, he has access to the two agents he knows as Dee and Brad and who are in disguise. And they know about him. 

[Uncle JUICE]

9 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

Why would it be so impossible for her to just be a person at the gym? There are people who still think it's impossible for Pastor Tim to be just a pastor. Anything's possible but there's no reason that Renee couldn't be an actual woman at the gym. Stan already failed to be turned by the most attractive KGB agent they had to offer to him.

In reality, it wouldn't be that hard, but this is a show: they talked her up, Stan looks happy aboutit, they case a somewhat recognizable tv actor, and it doesn't make sense at this point in the overall narrative to give Stan a legitimate love interest, like with less than 2 seasons to go, I don't want to waste any time on Stan Finds Love. This show won't do that, otherwise it would have done something like that already, we'd have spent more time with Stan and his ex wife just so that we could have some relationship drama (as opposed to serving as the potential weak spot he had for Nina against his best instincts, marital trouble). And that KGB agent only tried to turn him out of self-preservation, and she was an obvious KGB agent. She tried to go with just a straight honeypot, not leverage him with anything at her disposal. This looks to me like a directorate S sort of spy who's there to help, at least in part, insulate P&E from Beamon's suspicion, because they're in the middle of super sensitive work in every way. That's the best case scenario: Renee is a plant from the KGB to keep Stan busy and she'll disappear when they don't need her to do that anymore. The worst case is she pulls a reverse Martha / Clark / Gaad's Pen on him. 

[RedHawk]

13 hours ago, henripootel said:

Was it a Bennigans?  I coulda sworn is was a The Old Spaghetti Factory, even the overall decor was reminiscent.  And I remember thinking the same thing these guys did the first time I ate there; jesus that's a lot of food.  I think their locations were all out west so it couldn't be them.

Am I the only one who's surprised Tuan has access to high value assets like the Jennings?  I guess somebody has to train him but the Centre is putting a lot of trust in a pretty young guy, and Phillip and Elizabeth regularly get super-high value missions.  Just seems odd.

Yes, it was Bennigan's -- saw the name printed on the green and white balloons. Apparently the Bennigan's that opened in Tyson's Corner in 1980 was a big deal for the chain, so it's historically accurate for P&E to take the Russian family there.

[scrb]

6 hours ago, AllyB said:

Ah but what do you think will pop into Paige's mind when she thinks about her parents after sex? The lovely birthday party they threw her when she was 5? The conversation they had when they confirmed there was no Santa Claus but she had to keep schtum to Henry and she felt all grown up? The family holiday to Epcot? That time she walked in on them sixty-nine-ing? It'll be the latter won't it? They don't know it but they've just fucked up that poor girl's sex life forever.

Or she will be a super freak, super freak. /Rick James.

[sistermagpie]

26 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

In reality, it wouldn't be that hard, but this is a show: they talked her up, Stan looks happy aboutit, they case a somewhat recognizable tv actor, and it doesn't make sense at this point in the overall narrative to give Stan a legitimate love interest, like with less than 2 seasons to go, I don't want to waste any time on Stan Finds Love.

Her being a regular person has just as much potential for drama as her being part of some complicated spy plot that makes her not a real person. Pastor Tim was far more dangerous and unpredictable as a regular person than as a spy. If she's a regular person she's a new person that could give Stan an unexpected perspective. Stan's personal life is the thing that's the biggest threat to the Jennings at the moment and it's always been important. Adding a woman to the mix, one who isn't primed to dismiss Stan's suspicions as paranoia, could be explosive.

29 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

And that KGB agent only tried to turn him out of self-preservation, and she was an obvious KGB agent. She tried to go with just a straight honeypot, not leverage him with anything at her disposal.

Those things, imo, made her more tempting, not less. Nina played right into Stan's desire to be a hero. In fact, he was so susceptible to it he basically created the honey trap himself, coming onto her. I don't see why he'd be more vulnerable to a random woman who's supposed to be a civilian encouraging him to turn. She might pump him for classified info, but then, that just makes her another Philip.

31 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

This looks to me like a directorate S sort of spy who's there to help, at least in part, insulate P&E from Beamon's suspicion, because they're in the middle of super sensitive work in every way.

Lots of new characters look like directorate S people. Kelly, Sandra Beeman...there are people who still insist Pastor Tim must be Directorate S and "helping" turn Paige even when he was actively working against the family and threatening them and being targeted for murder. 

More about this in the Stan thread since it's not just about this ep...

[Uncle JUICE]

1 minute ago, sistermagpie said:

Her being a regular person has just as much potential for drama as her being part of some complicated spy plot that makes her not a real person. Pastor Tim was far more dangerous and unpredictable as a regular person than as a spy. If she's a regular person she's a new person that could give Stan an unexpected perspective. Stan's personal life is the thing that's the biggest threat to the Jennings at the moment and it's always been important. Adding a woman to the mix, one who isn't primed to dismiss Stan's suspicions as paranoia, could be explosive.

Those things, imo, made her more tempting, not less. Nina played right into Stan's desire to be a hero. In fact, he was so susceptible to it he basically created the honey trap himself, coming onto her. I don't see why he'd be more vulnerable to a random woman who's supposed to be a civilian encouraging him to turn. She might pump him for classified info, but then, that just makes her another Philip.

Lots of new characters look like directorate S people. Kelly, Sandra Beeman...there are people who still insist Pastor Tim must be Directorate S and "helping" turn Paige even when he was actively working against the family and threatening them and being targeted for murder. 

More about this in the Stan thread since it's not just about this ep...

I agree, Pastor Tim as a regular person is more dangerous and more interesting than any theory that somehow has him as a pre-placed spy, or trying to actively turn Paige. The thing with the 'unexpected perspective' is that she really can't, not without Stan violating his 'oath' to the FBI. He can't talk specifically about work, it was part of what cost him his first marriage (can't connect). I'm not saying it's impossible she's just a regular person and there to somehow facilitate Stan expositing various things he can't to Adderholdt for some reason, I'm saying it seems so improbable that it is effectively impossible. 

And yes, I was talking about Nina's tactics specifically because they did make her more tempting. But he was less vulnerable to Nina because he already knew she worked for the KGB. No such suspicion with Renee means he's more vulnerable to her. She won't be actively encouraging him to turn against his country, either, she will know from Burov that he's a patriot. He will have to be coerced eventually. 

[sistermagpie]

12 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

The thing with the 'unexpected perspective' is that she really can't, not without Stan violating his 'oath' to the FBI. He can't talk specifically about work, it was part of what cost him his first marriage (can't connect).

I actually meant she'd give him a different perspective on the Jennings.

13 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

I'm not saying it's impossible she's just a regular person and there to somehow facilitate Stan expositing various things he can't to Adderholdt for some reason, I'm saying it seems so improbable that it is effectively impossible. 

But I don't understand why it would be so improbable. Why couldn't Stan ask out some woman at the gym? Why would it be so impossible that the show would consider it interesting to give Stan a girlfriend?

14 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

But he was less vulnerable to Nina because he already knew she worked for the KGB. No such suspicion with Renee means he's more vulnerable to her. She won't be actively encouraging him to turn against his country, either, she will know from Burov that he's a patriot. He will have to be coerced eventually.

I don't get what she would need to be doing there if he needs to be coerced eventually or why he'd be vulnerable because he doesn't know she's KGB. He doesn't know Philip is KGB and he's vulnerable to him. This ep, of course, pointed out that sex offers its own heightened sort of vulnerability, but I still don't see why she'd be so much more dangerous there. So he's got a girlfriend who's really KGB, but he's not going to talk to her about work because that violates his oath, she's not going to know more about him emotionally than Philip. If eventually he's going to be coerced why do they need to give him a sex partner? Just coerce him. 

[Eulipian 5k]

On Paige & Matthew:

Why Matthew? As the noted Human Relations Expert Dr H. Lechter once said, "We covet what we see every day". I still think if her first boyfriend's dad wasn't , you know,THE F.B.I., she would have told him what her parents did "as soon as the first nipple made its appearance". All that post coital cuddling gets dangerous!

P & E have every reason to be freaking out with worry, as they are. Even after teaching her "the technique" they're still going to give her the 3rd degree de-briefing.

[Ina123]

I think the greenhouse was just a bunch of hybrid wheat plants being experimented in how they react to bugs. Which ones survive the best, etc. I don't think it was a nefarious reason. I think it's all about increasing wheat production. What better way to resolve starvation than to be able to ward off pestilence. That's still going on today.

[SlackerInc]

6 hours ago, Uncle JUICE said:

In reality, it wouldn't be that hard, but this is a show: they talked her up, Stan looks happy aboutit, they case a somewhat recognizable tv actor, and it doesn't make sense at this point in the overall narrative to give Stan a legitimate love interest, like with less than 2 seasons to go, I don't want to waste any time on Stan Finds Love. This show won't do that, otherwise it would have done something like that already, we'd have spent more time with Stan and his ex wife just so that we could have some relationship drama (as opposed to serving as the potential weak spot he had for Nina against his best instincts, marital trouble).

Are you forgetting that Stan did have a girlfriend before, and she did not turn out to be a spy or anything?

6 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Why would it be so impossible for her to just be a person at the gym? There are people who still think it's impossible for Pastor Tim to be just a pastor. Anything's possible but there's no reason that Renee couldn't be an actual woman at the gym. Stan already failed to be turned by the most attractive KGB agent they had to offer to him.

Glad I'm not the only one with this opinion!  I'm not ruling out that she could be a spy, but I don't think it's such a sure thing as others seem to.

[jjj]

There was just so much buildup, including the "meet Phillip" angle, to the first appearance of Stan's new love interest that it seems like something else is afoot than occurred in the previous relationship.  That one only existed to show us how Stan was bruised from the divorce and the loss of Nina.  I doubt this one is a plot point to create the new phase of HappyStan.  But I trust the showrunners, and will be patient to see how this plays out. 

Edited March 16, 2017 by jjj

[Ellaria]

31 minutes ago, jjj said:

There was just so much buildup, including the "meet Phillip" angle, to the first appearance of Stan's new love interest that it seems like something else is afoot than occurred in the previous relationship.  That one only existed to show us how Stan was bruised from the divorce and the loss of Nina.  I doubt this one is a plot point to create the new phase of HappyStan.  But I trust the showrunners, and will be patient to see how this plays out. 

Agree with all this. And it wasn't just the "meet Phillip" angle that I found curious. It was the long, sexy (?) stare that she gave Stan. (Why would anyone look at Stan that way?) And the "she knows more about sports than you" comment. I found all of it to be weird and awkward.

Now - to clarify - I do not think that she is KGB. I also don't think that she is there solely for HappyStan. I think its a plot driven purpose but I'm not exactly sure what it is. 

And I completely understand that not everyone will agree with this opinion.

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, jjj said:

There was just so much buildup, including the "meet Phillip" angle, to the first appearance of Stan's new love interest that it seems like something else is afoot than occurred in the previous relationship. 

For me the build-up was just efficient. Rather than show Stan watching her, getting up the nerve to talk to her and going out with her (which would probably make her seem just as much of a spy) they did it more quickly by having Stan give us the backstory in scenes with Philip (so we got their relationship and Paige stuff too) and skip right to the relationship already somewhat in progress. So we'll come into it when Stan inevitably invites her to meet the Jennings. His last girlfriend also started with a discussion with Philip and Philip encouraging Stan and offering to grease the wheels by having them both over to dinner.

In other words, "meet Philip (and Elizabeth)" was just as central to his last relationship. Philip has always been Stan's doorway to normal social behavior. He's helped him out in his marriage, his dating life, his relationship with his son and its Philip's family that Stan uses for practice.

39 minutes ago, Ellaria Sand said:

Agree with all this. And it wasn't just the "meet Phillip" angle that I found curious. It was the long, sexy (?) stare that she gave Stan. (Why would anyone look at Stan that way?) And the "she knows more about sports than you" comment. I found all of it to be weird and awkward.

I think that's more about Stan being weird and awkward (as he's been before). The long sexy look could just as easily be about her dating an in-shape FBI guy with a good, exciting job. Stan's always been awkward with women but he's not a creep and I totally believe plenty of women would go for that.

[SlackerInc]

56 minutes ago, Ellaria Sand said:

Agree with all this. And it wasn't just the "meet Phillip" angle that I found curious. It was the long, sexy (?) stare that she gave Stan. (Why would anyone look at Stan that way?) And the "she knows more about sports than you" comment. I found all of it to be weird and awkward.

Now - to clarify - I do not think that she is KGB. I also don't think that she is there solely for HappyStan. I think its a plot driven purpose but I'm not exactly sure what it is. 

And I completely understand that not everyone will agree with this opinion.

I agree that it's likely she's there for a plot-driven purpose.  I'm just not so sure it's that she is some kind of spy or agent.

People who do think she is not what she appears to be mostly seem to have "meta" reasons for thinking it: she's a familiar face from TWD, what's the point of introducing her to Philip otherwise, etc.  Well, I have a "meta" reason for thinking the other way: namely, that these showrunners ("Joe and Joel") don't tend to operate that way.  Not their style to play the "unreliable narrator" game.  It's not like 24, where someone will turn out to be a mole after seeming to be one of the "good guys" for the first 18 episodes.  Now, of course there are constantly characters on this show who are hiding their true allegiances from other characters, but not from the audience.

They will occasionally play a little misdirect with a new character, but I feel like they don't make us wait long at all for the reveal--generally within the same episode.

I may be forgetting someone, but these are all the cases I can think of where characters turned out not to be what they initially appeared to be:

They made us think for a while in 1.6 "Trust Me" that the FBI or CIA or someone had found Philip and Elizabeth out, and were interrogating them.  But it turned out to be a trick by Claudia--revealed in the same episode.

Tuan's introduction was a kind of WTF fakeout, but it was soon explained, early in the same episode he was introduced.

The best example is probably Zinaida, but Stan began to have suspicions about her in the second episode she appeared in.  So if no one raises any suspicions about Stan's new squeeze in next week's episode, we will be in unprecedented territory if she does turn out to be undercover.

Some might say that it was unclear where Nina's allegiances lay, but we got to see what she was telling both sides.  We just had to wonder what was going on in her mind: who was playing whom.  And I think she was actually genuinely unsure.

Hang on, though: while making this list, I remembered Jared.  That was a reveal they held for quite a few episodes.  That was also the worst, cheesiest plot they've ever had on this show, much more in the realm of a lesser show, a potboiler like Scandal.  So I guess that does set a precedent--but not a good one.

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, SlackerInc said:

They will occasionally play a little misdirect with a new character, but I feel like they don't make us wait long at all for the reveal--generally within the same episode.

Yes, the show just has never actually played "Spy-gotcha" at all. There are only two times I can think of where a character was introduced and only later were revealed to be a spy: Zinaida and Jared. And in both those cases, the characters had a big question mark before that. Stan was suspicious about Zinaida right away. Jared was at the center of a giant mystery that had no other answer. Whatever one felt about the reveal that it was Jared who did it Jared was not a character that was established as a normal person ever. The murder mystery always raised a question about him, there was no real investigation with other suspects to make him look more innocent, there were a lot of red flags in scenes that encouraged people to wonder about him. By the time Philip and Elizabeth had an actual relationship to the kid they'd seen him with a de-wigged Kate and knew he knew about his parents.

So I would say that even Jared, despite being a twist ending, still didn't play out this kind of reveal.

People who were suspected of being secretly spies who did not turn out to be spies include: Sandra Beeman, Kelly on the bus, Pastor Tim and his wife, Tori (Stan's last girlfriend), the guy who picked up the kids when they hitchhiked, Young-Hee, Tatiana. All chance meetings have seemed suspicious.

Of course, that doesn't mean Renee couldn't be the first time and she hasn't been onscreen long enough for it to be a real twist yet. But do far she's like the others.

Edited March 17, 2017 by sistermagpie

[spaceghostess]

Whoo hoo--I'm so glad to be back on this forum! After not being able to stream The Americans last season and having to wait months to finally binge it, I've solved the streaming problem and am up to date. I missed the insightful commentary here so much and am thrilled to see it's still going strong. :)

Re: Pests, I was so, SO pissed off when P and E were teaching Paige that little self-hypnosis thing. Yes, I understand that they're desperate for her not to give anything away during sexy times. Of course they are. But that "trick" is just so insidious and will ruin sex for her forever. Then again, their whole jam is going to fuck up most, if not all, future relationships for Paige, so why this one thing is bothering me so much, I don't know.  I'm still in the minority (I think) having a great deal of sympathy for Paige, who didn't ask to be born into this mess. I'm also wondering what Henry is up to. If teen lust! wasn't already being covered in Paige's storyline, I'd think he'd met someone. More likely he's in some Dungeons and Dragons club; maybe he'll lose his shit like Tom Hanks did that one time.

Also, this episode made me finally Google what I'd suspected after Amber Waves (which will always and ever mean Boogie Nights to me): that Pasha's mom is, in fact one of my favorite (former) ABT prima ballerinas!! I recognized Irina Dvorovenko's name in the credits immediately, but they did such a good job frumpifying her that I doubted it was the same person (and also I'd only ever seen her dancing from however many rows back). But I had to check after this episode, and was so happy and excited to learn it was her! I saw ID twice in Swan Lake and and numerous times in other ballets. Incredible, gorgeous dancer, (as is her husband).

[henripootel]

21 hours ago, dr pepper said:

And why we still won't make a deal to free Jonathan Pollard.

He got paroled last year, but only after 30 years.  Many murderers get out sooner than that.  Pollard was an agent for an ally but he was born here.  Nobody likes turncoats, and Russia still uses the old methods for dealing with them (small caliber to the back of the head) and we don't say a word, even when they were spying for us.  Pollard would have been better off if he had been an actual Israeli, we probably would have gone for the spy trade deal Israel tried to broker, or just sent him home.  But nobody likes turncoats.

10 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Well, he has access to the two agents he knows as Dee and Brad and who are in disguise. And they know about him. 

Tuan can still identify them, potentially, disguise or not.  And if he decided to turn them in, he could arrange for P&E to walk straight into a trap.  I'm not saying Tuan will do this, but if he gets caught and decides to deal, the Centre gave him two spectacularly valuable cards to play.  Seems pretty risky for a fairly low-level asset who needs basic training, and it exposes the Jennings something awful.  

[sistermagpie]

21 minutes ago, henripootel said:

Tuan can still identify them, potentially, disguise or not.  And if he decided to turn them in, he could arrange for P&E to walk straight into a trap.  I'm not saying Tuan will do this, but if he gets caught and decides to deal, the Centre gave him two spectacularly valuable cards to play.  Seems pretty risky for a fairly low-level asset who needs basic training, and it exposes the Jennings something awful.  

But we don't know he's low level or without training. If the Vietnamese sent him to the US as a fake refugee he might be very high level in their intelligence and be well-trained. They are, after all, trusting him with a pretty difficult operation in being undercover at the high school. It's a risk, of course, but they need somebody young to pretend to be in high school and it might not be his first operation.

[Moose135]

On 3/14/2017 at 11:19 PM, AimingforYoko said:

It could have been soooo much worse. When Elizabeth was talking about staying 'in control', I thought she was going to demonstrate something else you could do with your hands.

Yes, I was really afraid of what they were coming to in that scene, it was just a bit creepy for me.

[SlackerInc]

2 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

People who were suspected of being secretly spies who did not turn out to be spies include: Sandra Beeman, Kelly on the bus, Pastor Tim and his wife, Tori (Stan's last girlfriend), the guy who picked up the kids when they hitchhiked, Young-Hee, Tatiana. All chance meetings have seemed suspicious.

This is a good point on the flipside as well.  We've had all kinds of characters be suspected of being spies and so far, nope: just what they appeared to be.  I feel like there have been even more than what's on your list.

[Bretton]

As much as I love this show (and it really IS my favorite show in the history of television), I still find it's depiction of Paige's religious experience really unrealistic. Not long ago she was a die-hard Jesus-freak, and now she's dating a guy who's not only not part of her church, but who's showing no interest in God whatsoever? I just don't buy it. She would, at the very least, feel conflicted - VERY conflicted. And re: sex, she would have a whole different perspective on that having been indoctrinated in a Christian youth group the previous year. 

Now, if her religiosity was just a phase, that died out when Pastor Tim fell to earth in her eyes, then the showrunners should have made that much more abundantly clear. Religious devotion is not something that wears off overnight like a temporary tattoo.

My frustration with the lack of reality behind the religious angle began with Tim and his totally unrealistic church. As I mentioned last season, churches in America tend (and almost always are) either scripturally conservative or socially progressive. They are very rarely both. Even Elizabeth said she liked how "left wing" the church was. The thing is, in real-world America in the 1980s, a church that really pushed the importance of Jesus and reading the Bible, as Tim did, would be very unlikely to be socially progressive. 

The worst line of the entire show -- and again, I LOVE this show -- was when Tim said, regarding what really matters: "... how we treat each other" I rolled my eyes into moon orbit. No - and I mean NO - pastor who went around preaching the importance of Jesus and the Bible (i.e. who was religiously conservative) would be caught dead saying something like that. In fact, conservative Christian pastors would have railed against such an idea - even going so far as to say "it doesn't matter AT ALL how we treat each other, unless you're saved and going to Heaven".

Sorry, but on this point, the showrunners simply can't have their cake and eat it too. Not if they wish to maintain an air of believability.

Okay, rant over. Carry on...

Edited March 17, 2017 by Bretton

[VCRTracking]

That last scene in Paige's bedroom I thought "Oh god where is this going?" and breathed a sigh of relief when the special technique was just "rub your thumb against your finger and think of mom and dad".

Walking Dead reunion! Damn, where were those sparks between Noah Emmerich and Laurie Holden at the Atlanta CDC?

The bug scene freaked me out.

I know the shots of Keri Russell's ass are gratuitous but goddamn, she's fit.

[kokapetl]

2 hours ago, Bretton said:

As much as I love this show (and it really IS my favorite show in the history of television), I still find it's depiction of Paige's religious experience really unrealistic. Not long ago she was a die-hard Jesus-freak, and now she's dating a guy who's not only not part of her church, but who's showing no interest in God whatsoever? I just don't buy it. She would, at the very least, feel conflicted - VERY conflicted. And re: sex, she would have a whole different perspective on that having been indoctrinated in a Christian youth group the previous year. 

Now, if her religiosity was just a phase, that died out when Pastor Tim fell to earth in her eyes, then the showrunners should have made that much more abundantly clear. Religious devotion is not something that wears off overnight like a temporary tattoo.

My frustration with the lack of reality behind the religious angle began with Tim and his totally unrealistic church. As I mentioned last season, churches in America tend (and almost always are) either scripturally conservative or socially progressive. They are very rarely both. Even Elizabeth said she liked how "left wing" the church was. The thing is, in real-world America in the 1980s, a church that really pushed the importance of Jesus and reading the Bible, as Tim did, would be very unlikely to be socially progressive. 

The worst line of the entire show -- and again, I LOVE this show -- was when Tim said, regarding what really matters: "... how we treat each other" I rolled my eyes into moon orbit. No - and I mean NO - pastor who went around preaching the importance of Jesus and the Bible (i.e. who was religiously conservative) would be caught dead saying something like that. In fact, conservative Christian pastors would have railed against such an idea - even going so far as to say "it doesn't matter AT ALL how we treat each other, unless you're saved and going to Heaven".

Sorry, but on this point, the showrunners simply can't have their cake and eat it too. Not if they wish to maintain an air of believability.

Okay, rant over. Carry on...

It's also strange because Elizabeth basically ordered Paige to maintain her relationship with Pastor Tim indefinitely.

[SlackerInc]

2 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I know the shots of Keri Russell's ass are gratuitous but goddamn, she's fit.

Especially since she's 40 and recently had a baby!  I was thinking a body double at first--but no, not unless they used CGI.

[MisterBluxom]

This is quite the mystery.

I wonder if Keri could possibly be so vain as to realize that she only has a few more years available to show off her lovely body and she is the one making this happen?

Somehow, I have difficulty believing that. But it really is a mystery. The shots of her naked body are clearly not integral to the plots. So why is this happening?

If it's not coming from Keri, then who else would be pushing for this?

I'd really like to know. From what I've heard and seen of her in public appearances, she just does not seem like the kind of lady who would have a need to flaunt her physical beauty. I would guess that she understands the relative value of her physical appearance vesus her abilities as an actor. Especially since she is now a mother, I would think she would not feel the need to display that kind of behavior. Usually, it's just youngsters who have not experienced very much of life who behave in that way.

So, maybe there is some other reason for this? Could the network be trying to show off their star in order to increase ratings somehow? It sure doesn't seem like a sensible way to drive ratings because this show is not targeted to the kind of audience that would get excited over that kind of thing. I must be missing the point somehow.

But, I still believe this is the best show on TV and it keeps on getting better all the time.

[Uncle JUICE]

44 minutes ago, MissBluxom said:

This is quite the mystery.

I wonder if Keri could possibly be so vain as to realize that she only has a few more years available to show off her lovely body and she is the one making this happen?

Somehow, I have difficulty believing that. But it really is a mystery. The shots of her naked body are clearly not integral to the plots. So why is this happening?

If it's not coming from Keri, then who else would be pushing for this?

I'd really like to know. From what I've heard and seen of her in public appearances, she just does not seem like the kind of lady who would have a need to flaunt her physical beauty. I would guess that she understands the relative value of her physical appearance vesus her abilities as an actor. Especially since she is now a mother, I would think she would not feel the need to display that kind of behavior. Usually, it's just youngsters who have not experienced very much of life who behave in that way.

So, maybe there is some other reason for this? Could the network be trying to show off their star in order to increase ratings somehow? It sure doesn't seem like a sensible way to drive ratings because this show is not targeted to the kind of audience that would get excited over that kind of thing. I must be missing the point somehow.

But, I still believe this is the best show on TV and it keeps on getting better all the time.

I have a theory on the nudity thing, which at the time, seemed gratuitous, but this show hasn't had a history of gratuitous nudity or violence. I think showing her naked, or Philip, is signifying to the audience that this is the realest that character can be in that moment. They're not wearing disguises (during the sex scenes where they're naked, they're almost never exposed unless it's with each other...think about the masterful sex scene that ended the season four episode right before Martha goes to Russia, a montage set to Under Pressure that's such beautiful filmmaking it brings tears to my eyes, no exaggeration, of course I was a little stoned at the time, but still!). This is the most honest depiction of the character we get. Here, in this case, it's Elizabeth trying to wash off whatever she was just in, oprobably feeling those bugs all over her still, but moreover, she's totally silent, and she's thinking really deeply about the situation. We can't know what she's thinking...maybe she's wondering if she's doing the right thing. But we know she's using absolutely no artifice at all in this moment. In that way, her being naked is absolutely integral to the character at the time. Sure, it could have been done another way, but this way, you can do it without SAYING you're doing it. I spend a lot of time watching this show fascinated by what a stressful life this must be, where everyone, even people you trust, can become suspect, can work against your interests in service of some greater conspiracy. When she's naked, she's outside of all of that. That seems like the kind of idea that could sell an actress like Russel to do it, she doesn't seem like the "any chance we have to put me in a thong, we're taking it" type. 

Still. Nice ass :). 

[Ina123]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 3:55 PM, kay1864 said:

Does anyone else get the sense that Philip often has to improvise his responses to Stan, to appear more American? ("You asked her out this time? (beat) What is wrong with you?  You gotta declare, Stan!") It's quite possibly the first time he's dealt with "buddy that has a crush", since he didn't go through a normal high school (or at least not an American one).  So he has to (in an instant) rely on both his Soviet training on American behavior and his observations made to date while in the US.

Maybe I'm reading too much into Matthew Rhys' performance, but to me there's always a subtle hint of Philip's responses being devised / evaluated on the spot, rather than coming naturally (as they would do most American adult males).  Certainly the case when he's in disguise, but even this one with Stan.

A lot of people for whom English is a second language learn it from movies and TV. Over the years of watching TV and movies and just observation over time, I'm sure Phillip and Elizabeth have learned the American high school culture and how to react to everyday situations the way any American would. 

[Ina123]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 6:54 PM, Ellaria Sand said:

Glad that Stan has found a lady friend although I wouldn't trust Andrea/Renee as far as I could throw her. He needs to ditch those yellow gym shorts 'cause they aren't doing him any favors. Nice to see Aderholt who clearly is the brains in that partnership.

Two random observations:

• Phillip needs to do household chores at the "pretend" house as well as at his own house?! Yikes!
• The green leather chairs in the FBI conference room are hideous.

I'm not so suspicious of the new girlfriend as everyone else. Stan is a straight, horny man and he needs a girlfriend. Keeping him single wasn't realistic. I'm in the minority on his looks, too. I think he's ok. Not handsome but he's ok.

Those gym shorts are very 80's and I miss them. I like seeing men's thighs. Not skinny-legs-Stan's but well built ones. I wish those long, floppy basketball shorts of today would just go away.

I worked in an office that had similar green leather chairs. They are in keeping with the times.

[Uncle JUICE]

23 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

A lot of people for whom English is a second language learn it from movies and TV. Over the years of watching TV and movies and just observation over time, I'm sure Phillip and Elizabeth have learned the American high school culture and how to react to everyday situations the way any American would. 

They have children who've been through middle school. I think Phillip was genuinely going EST on Stan with the "you gotta declare" lingo, that sounds like some code that they both recognize from a seminar. And I'm not saying that Stan can't have a girlfriend, I just find it extremely unlikely that he'd have a girlfriend at this point in the series, with a finite number of episodes to go, just to have us watch him go out to dinner with her. They didn't cast that lady, Lauren Holden I think her name is, in order to just have her serve as a sounding board for Stan. He needs a girlfriend maybe, but his narrative as it pertains to this story does not. I will come back here and gladly eat my words if I'm wrong, but Renee is not just some girl he happened to meet at the gym. I'd have to go back and listen to his description of her in the first episode: did he say he'd just noticed her, or did he specify that she was some new girl at the gym? The former doesn't rule out nefarious intent (she could just tell him that she'd had a schedule change) but the latter would definitely raise suspicion.

And being a horny single man in America who needs a girlfriend...that sounds like the kind of thing a Russian agent would know would speak to Stan, based on his experience with Nina. When this show first came out, I read a bunch of books about american traitors in the Cold War (Hannsen and Aldrich Ames, the two big ones), and that's exactly the kind of psychological profile they'd be looking to exploit. A guy who's recently divorced, who has a history of being vulnerable to women (hard evidence thereof, with Nina), who was right on the brink of treason already, who probably could use a little validation at this point in his life, who is unhappy at his post...Stan's ripe for the picking. They'd move away from the overt tactic (like Nina asking him to get her something specific) to a more insidious one, burrow in deep, then pull the rug out from under him. I'm going to be disappointed if this show ends up with Stan as a traitor, but I don't know if I'd be more disappointed if Phillip and Elizabeth are somehow exposed. 

God damn this show is great!

[Ina123]

11 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I think that's more about Stan being weird and awkward (as he's been before). The long sexy look could just as easily be about her dating an in-shape FBI guy with a good, exciting job. Stan's always been awkward with women but he's not a creep and I totally believe plenty of women would go for that.

Like I've posted before, I find Stan reasonably attractive. He certainly isn't ugly. He has acne scars but so what? Plenty of very attractive people mate up with just so-so looking people. There really is more to relationships than looks.

[MisterBluxom]

49 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

I have a theory on the nudity thing, which at the time, seemed gratuitous, but this show hasn't had a history of gratuitous nudity or violence. I think showing her naked, or Philip, is signifying to the audience that this is the realest that character can be in that moment. They're not wearing disguises (during the sex scenes where they're naked, they're almost never exposed unless it's with each other...think about the masterful sex scene that ended the season four episode right before Martha goes to Russia, a montage set to Under Pressure that's such beautiful filmmaking it brings tears to my eyes, no exaggeration, of course I was a little stoned at the time, but still!). This is the most honest depiction of the character we get. Here, in this case, it's Elizabeth trying to wash off whatever she was just in, oprobably feeling those bugs all over her still, but moreover, she's totally silent, and she's thinking really deeply about the situation. We can't know what she's thinking...maybe she's wondering if she's doing the right thing. But we know she's using absolutely no artifice at all in this moment. In that way, her being naked is absolutely integral to the character at the time. Sure, it could have been done another way, but this way, you can do it without SAYING you're doing it. I spend a lot of time watching this show fascinated by what a stressful life this must be, where everyone, even people you trust, can become suspect, can work against your interests in service of some greater conspiracy. When she's naked, she's outside of all of that. That seems like the kind of idea that could sell an actress like Russel to do it, she doesn't seem like the "any chance we have to put me in a thong, we're taking it" type. 

Still. Nice ass :). 

 

If you love Keri as much as many others do, I would like to suggest two of her films. I think you may enjoy them very much.

Leaves of Grass stars Ed  Norton and it is very much his film - more so than Keri's. She is very sweet in this film and if you like this sort of thing, we get to see quite a lot of her naked feet. I have a feeling the cinematographer had a foot fetish. So I guess your level of enjoyment with this film might depend on just how much you like Keri's naked feet. Some people find them much more erotic than do others. I would have preferred that they would have shown some other parts of her body instead of just her feet. But, her feet are awfully sweet. She doesn't have a very big part in this movie. But she portrays a very sweet girl next door and it's very easy to fall in love with her.

Also, the film, "Waitress" depicts Keri as a very simple small town waitress. She is the main character in this film and she is very lovable as a waitress. This movie is good fun. If you have not seen these, I hope you will enjoy them.

[Ina123]

7 hours ago, Bretton said:

The worst line of the entire show -- and again, I LOVE this show -- was when Tim said, regarding what really matters: "... how we treat each other" I rolled my eyes into moon orbit. No - and I mean NO - pastor who went around preaching the importance of Jesus and the Bible (i.e. who was religiously conservative) would be caught dead saying something like that. In fact, conservative Christian pastors would have railed against such an idea - even going so far as to say "it doesn't matter AT ALL how we treat each other, unless you're saved and going to Heaven".
 

Huh? I'm 66 years old and attend the same church I was brought to in my mother's arms. I think the Golden Rule may have been the very first thing I was ever taught in church as a child except for "Jesus Loves Me".

[Uncle JUICE]

10 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

Huh? I'm 66 years old and attend the same church I was brought to in my mother's arms. I think the Golden Rule may have been the very first thing I was ever taught in church as a child except for "Jesus Loves Me".

Yeah, they don't drag out the other stuff until you're an adult and you're in the club already :). 

[Ina123]

10 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

Yeah, they don't drag out the other stuff until you're an adult and you're in the club already :). 

No. It's just that a child is a child.

[henripootel]

2 hours ago, Uncle JUICE said:

When she's naked, she's outside of all of that. That seems like the kind of idea that could sell an actress like Russel to do it, she doesn't seem like the "any chance we have to put me in a thong, we're taking it" type. 

Still. Nice ass :). 

Agree on both counts.  I like a nice ass as much as the next guy, but I really do see these scenes as integral to the storyline.  This show is just a master study of art and artifice not just in the spy world (where the stakes are higher) but also in a domestic realm.  They throw this part of the Jennings life into wonderful sharp relief, given that they spend their entire lives cloaking themselves in one way or another, even from each other while longing not to.  Elizabeth being nude is at the bottom of all that, who she really is, wigs and agendas aside for just a few moments.  Also, nice ass, but I really do see these scenes as less erotic than poignant.  Which is some measure of the writer's and directors skills, to show me that scene and make me think anything other than 'Wowsers'.  

Edited March 17, 2017 by henripootel

[Milburn Stone]

On 3/14/2017 at 10:26 PM, One Imaginary Girl said:

I laughed out loud when Elizabeth said to the defector and his wife, "We understand." If they only knew.

It didn't occur to me until Stan compared Renee to a female Philip that maybe she's another Soviet agent.  

Re Elizabeth: I know! That should win an Emmy for "Outstanding Two-Word Reply in a Drama or Comedy Series."

Re Renee: I started to have the same suspicions, because something about her said "File Under Too Good to Be True."

[MisterBluxom]

15 hours ago, SlackerInc said:

Are you forgetting that Stan did have a girlfriend before, and she did not turn out to be a spy or anything?

Glad I'm not the only one with this opinion!  I'm not ruling out that she could be a spy, but I don't think it's such a sure thing as others seem to.

One thing to consider is that having a lady friend is good for our heroes because if "normal" Stan were to get close to the truth, he might well start something that could result in very big trouble. However, "hound dog" Stan's mind is preoccupied with the lovely Renee and thoughts of sexual rapture. He may well be unable to get close to the truth about Phillip and Elizabeth and never be able to pull the trigger. I hope Renee  keeps him Stan fully occupied - no matter who she may work for.  I seriously doubt it will turn out to be the USSR. It would seem to me to be ridiculous that she would be working Stan and no one would tell P&E. That would just be extremely awful. But, she could easily be an agent from some different player in the big leagues - like China or Britain or France. I'd love to see a French lady spy at work. Ooh. La. La!

Tuan provides us with several good lessons. One of the best is that people can easily care intensely about their families and loved ones but hardly nothing at all about their politics or National origin.

I'm guessing that Tuan would go to the ends of the earth to get revenge on the people who killed his family. He doesn't seem to care at all about the nature of Democracy vs. Communism or any other political abstracts. I'm thinking that for most people, if someone caused the death of their families, the wouldn't care very much who that person was or what political ideals they represent. That person would want their pound of flesh and wouldn't really care what their race or religion or creed or anything like that.  That's just not important.

I think it's an excellent lesson to learn when fighting terrorists. The thing that motivates terrorists is not a believe ins Suni vs Shinto or Shiite. It's way more personal than that. If a terrorist hunter keeps that in mind, I would guess they would have way more success than people who are looking for haters of democracy. It's  not that complicated. It's far simpler than that. Far more primal. "You killed  my family. Get ready for death. My name does not have to be Inigo Montoya".

Edited March 17, 2017 by MissBluxom

[Uncle JUICE]

5 minutes ago, MissBluxom said:

One thing to consider is that having a lady friend is good for our heroes because if "normal" Stan were to get close to the truth, he might well start something that could result in very big trouble. However, "hound dog" Stan's mind is preoccupied with the lovely Renee and thoughts of sexual rapture. He may well be unable to get close to the truth about Phillip and Elizabeth and never be able to pull the trigger. I hope Renee  keeps him Stan fully occupied - no matter who she may work for.  I seriously doubt it will turn out to be the USSR. It would seem to me to be ridiculous that she would be working Stan and no one would tell P&E. That would just be extremely awful. But, she could easily be an agent from some different player in the big leagues - like China or Britain or France. I'd love to see a French lady spy at work. Ooh. La. La!

 

I'm curious, why do you think this? It seems to me insulating the spies from each other would make sense, it keeps each of them unable to reveal the other. There's no reason Renee even knows P&E are Russian spies to begin with, the KGB can work Stan independent of P&E without having to expose one to the other. Having them know about each other at all seems more dangerous to me, just in case someone sharp like Stan picks up on something between them in their inevitable pot roast dinner scene. Seriously, has there ever been a neighbor more annoying than Stan? MAKE A FUCKING MEAL YOURSELF BRO.

[MisterBluxom]

On 2017-03-15 at 1:23 PM, TV Anonymous said:

Looking at the way Elizabeth was training Paige, I wonder. How do Elizabeth and Phillip keep their skills up to date? Surely they need physical training to keep their strength and stamina, martial arts training to enable them to fight anytime and of course weapons qualification. How do they do all of that without their children finding out, and between missions and running a functioning travel agency?

And regarding Stan's new squeeze, it is Andrea from The Walking Dead. She can not be just anybody.

I've never seen that kind of training. Swinging one arm from side to side. How is that related to self defense? I sure don't get it.

[henripootel]

15 hours ago, jjj said:

There was just so much buildup, including the "meet Phillip" angle, to the first appearance of Stan's new love interest that it seems like something else is afoot than occurred in the previous relationship.  That one only existed to show us how Stan was bruised from the divorce and the loss of Nina.  I doubt this one is a plot point to create the new phase of HappyStan.  But I trust the showrunners, and will be patient to see how this plays out. 

It just seems so ripe for a 'parallel story' thing - Stan has to watch (from afar) Oleg being disastrously recruited and now Phillip has to watch Stan being disastrously recruited.  Tough, harsh world, spying.

3 minutes ago, MissBluxom said:

I seriously doubt it would be the USSR. It would seem to me to be ridiculous that she would be working Stan and no one would tell P&E.

I've banged on about this in previous posts but this thread is super-popular so - the Soviets had competing intelligence agencies who did not like to share.  I would imagine that we'll eventually see Gabriel give Phillip a heads up that Stan's new girlfriend is GRU and that Phillip is not to interfere, no matter how strongly he feels about it or how sure he is that Stan would never go for it.