The Soviet Union is No More: Casting News, Story Arc Info

[jjj]

Well, the organizational chart is very compartmentalized, with each segment only knowing a few other contacts.  They had no contact beyond Claudia (or Gabriel) that we saw, and they know that even if there is a backup emergency plan, Claudia will have told that next contact that Elizabeth betrayed them.  They have nowhere to turn.  If they get themselves back to Russia (unlikely, but their only plan), they would find more operational support potential.  (And Arkady has been gone for at least five years.)

8 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

I guess I don't understand why they wouldn't have any operational support from the KGB at all. Why would the Centre abandon two of their most valuable assets whose cover has been blown? I understand that they may be angry that Elizabeth went against orders and killed a KGB officer to protect Nesterenko. She told Claudia that she had reported the entire coup plot back to the Centre. The KGB might want to imprison and/or kill them back in Russia. 

But would they really do nothing at all to help the Jenningses get away from the FBI? Wouldn't it be worse for the KGB if they are caught in the US? 

I would understand if Philip and Elizabeth choose not to contact the KGB via Joan the operator if they don't want to be brought back to Russia and killed. But it's hard for me to picture the KGB abandoning them in enemy territory if they ask for help. Why would Arkady allow his Directorate S officers to be cut adrift like that?

Father Andrei never had a chance to buy that plane ticket -- he was also picked up at the park and was on the way to headquarters, last we heard (as told to Aderholt).  So Andrei is the most likely person, aside from Henry, for them to worry about in terms of trust.  It seems like an odd conversation because of the editing.   We will find out what it means next week! 

And arrggh, of course I meant Philip does not know Oleg was arrested -- corrected above! Thanks!

9 minutes ago, Ellaria Sand said:

I agree that Oleg isn’t a likely factor. Think you mean that Phil doesn’t know that Oleg has been arrested, not Stan. 

I doubt that it’s Father Andrei because Phil told him to buy a plane ticket out of town. Don’t think they trust him, at this point.

I still think that it is Henry that they are referencing. It’s just an odd conversation.

Edited May 25, 2018 by jjj

[Umbelina]

Yes, it would be bad for the KGB for them to be caught.

That's why, a huge faction of the KGB ( the coup people) would simply put bullets in their brains.

Probably the other side as well, since they just killed a KGB agent, Tatiana.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Umbelina

[hellmouse]

35 minutes ago, jjj said:

Well, the organizational chart is very compartmentalized, with each segment only knowing a few other contacts.  They had no contact beyond Claudia (or Gabriel) that we saw, and they know that even if there is a backup emergency plan, Claudia will have told that next contact that Elizabeth betrayed them.  They have nowhere to turn.  If they get themselves back to Russia (unlikely, but their only plan), they would find more operational support potential.  (And Arkady has been gone for at least five years.)

So I guess their only hope is that Claudia has not told anyone that Elizabeth has betrayed them. Maybe she assumes that what Elizabeth told her is all true - in which case she herself might not want to contact the Centre, aside from her fellow hardliners, because she doesn't want to be involved in any roundup of conspirators. 

But Arkady is running (or second in command?) of all of Directorate S, back in Moscow, so he'd be more powerful now than he was when he was in DC 5 years ago. I suppose the local Rezidents could defy his orders and not support the Jenningses. 

As @Umbelina points out, it's entirely possible that the next KGB person they see would just kill them. They have to assume that the message to Oleg did not go through, that Father Andrei was easily broken, that the FBI knows who they are, that Claudia reported Elizabeth, and that the KGB knows she was the one who killed Tatiana. Assume they are entirely blown and can only trust each other. 

Maybe Irina left something for Philip in Montreal. She was good at planning ahead, lol. 

[jjj]

Except, both Elizabeth and Philip think that Oleg picked up the message-- which he did.  They don't know the message has not been transmitted.  

2 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

So I guess their only hope is that Claudia has not told anyone that Elizabeth has betrayed them. Maybe she assumes that what Elizabeth told her is all true - in which case she herself might not want to contact the Centre, aside from her fellow hardliners, because she doesn't want to be involved in any roundup of conspirators. 

But Arkady is running (or second in command?) of all of Directorate S, back in Moscow, so he'd be more powerful now than he was when he was in DC 5 years ago. I suppose the local Rezidents could defy his orders and not support the Jenningses. 

As @Umbelina points out, it's entirely possible that the next KGB person they see would just kill them. They have to assume that the message to Oleg did not go through, that Father Andrei was easily broken, that the FBI knows who they are, that Claudia reported Elizabeth, and that the KGB knows she was the one who killed Tatiana. Assume they are entirely blown and can only trust each other. 

Maybe Irina left something for Philip in Montreal. She was good at planning ahead, lol. 

[hellmouse]

2 minutes ago, jjj said:

Except, both Elizabeth and Philip think that Oleg picked up the message-- which he did.  They don't know the message has not been transmitted.  

Right, but if I were them, I'd assume every single thing has gone wrong and plan based on that. But I am not a trained KGB officer - not even Paige level - so I am just guessing. 

[Umbelina]

Yes, so far, Elizabeth thinks Oleg picked up the message.  We don't know about Philip's thoughts yet, unless I missed something.

Either way, I know the original plan was to head for the Canadian Russian Embassy, but now?  Once Elizabeth fills Philip in on all that has gone down?  Honestly, they would be stupid to follow through with that plan.

I doubt they will get the chance, so it probably doesn't matter.

[jjj]

You are right, Arkady is deputy director of Directorate S -- I had forgotten his specific role.  

12 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

So I guess their only hope is that Claudia has not told anyone that Elizabeth has betrayed them. Maybe she assumes that what Elizabeth told her is all true - in which case she herself might not want to contact the Centre, aside from her fellow hardliners, because she doesn't want to be involved in any roundup of conspirators. 

But Arkady is running (or second in command?) of all of Directorate S, back in Moscow, so he'd be more powerful now than he was when he was in DC 5 years ago. I suppose the local Rezidents could defy his orders and not support the Jenningses. 

As @Umbelina points out, it's entirely possible that the next KGB person they see would just kill them. They have to assume that the message to Oleg did not go through, that Father Andrei was easily broken, that the FBI knows who they are, that Claudia reported Elizabeth, and that the KGB knows she was the one who killed Tatiana. Assume they are entirely blown and can only trust each other. 

Maybe Irina left something for Philip in Montreal. She was good at planning ahead, lol. 

[Umbelina]

I thought Arkady was now the DIRECTOR of S?  He's being bypassed by people higher than him, which is pretty damn high.

[jjj]

The New York Times calls him deputy director -- I'm happy to get better sources of information!  

I did think he was in the wilderness for a while-- working at Nina's prison?  Am I imagining this? 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/28/arts/television/the-americans-dead-hand-recap.amp.html 

 

8 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

I thought Arkady was now the DIRECTOR of S?  He's being bypassed by people higher than him, which is pretty damn high.

Edited May 25, 2018 by jjj

[Dev F]

12 minutes ago, jjj said:

I did think he was in the wilderness for a while-- working at Nina's prison?  Am I imagining this?

I think you're thinking of Vasili, the original rezident whom Stan and Nina framed for her betrayals. He ran the secret facility where Nina was assigned to spy on Anton the kidnapped stealth researcher after she was released from prison. By the time Arkady got PNGed back to Russia, Nina was already dead.

[jjj]

Just now, Dev F said:

I think you're thinking of Vasili, the original rezident whom Stan and Nina framed for her betrayals. He ran the secret facility where Nina was assigned to spy on Anton the kidnapped stealth researcher after she was released from prison. By the time Arkady got PNGed back to Russia, Nina was already dead.

Thank you!  Sorry for the confusion; I only focus on one season at a time, then forget them.  Looking forward to the rewatch! 

[Umbelina]

My mistake, I did just pull it up, yes, he's Deputy Chief of Directorate S.

[BingeyKohan]

It seems that in the next episode they will be definitively ID’d within the FBI, since we see the sketches. And Oleg’s hesitation over decoding the message was in part he didn’t want to blow their covers. Would Stan tell him their covers are blown anyway so might as well decode, giving Stan a chance to see he was telling the truth about the plot, or is that story beat not so significant anymore anyway? I guess their intimate convo accomplished more or less the same thing since it seemed like Oleg got through a little.

If the trust question is about Henry I don’t know that P would answer so definitively unless he’s showing off for Elizabeth a little (“he’s your department”). Stan already knows the basic truth about them by then so I guess what she’s asking about is Henry not betraying their location in the long term?*

 

*assuming she means H. I would like for it to be Gabriel!

Edited May 25, 2018 by BingeyKohan

[sistermagpie]

Oleg wouldn't necessarily know which Illegals he was dealing with so he wouldn't know who it was okay to blow.

I think Philip woukd be emphatic about Henry more just because it would be like defending Henry. To him being loyal to family is a basic good quality he'd expect him to have.

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm just curious as to what basis the Jennings family has to trust Henry. He's their child and brother, but, coming clean with Paige didn't go so well initially and she spilled the beans pretty quickly after getting the information. Henry is cut from a different cloth, but, still.   I know that Henry told Stan that you have to have your family's back, but, I don't think he considered anything like this, even in his wildest dreams.   I would be scared that he might think he knows better than his parents, when they say they have to leave fast and call the father of one of his friends who is a police chief, to get some advice. 

[sistermagpie]

I don't think they do have a logical basis for it. They didn't for Paige either but they didit. It's more like they should trust him on principle like they did her. Even if the trust is misplaced.  Trusting in this case means considering him family.

[SunnyBeBe]

I realize this is a spoiler thread, but, in case this might be too much of a spoiler, although, I don't think it is at all, because it's unreliable, but, still, be forewarned.  

Even though, from my experience, Imdb is not reliable for showing which actors actually appear on a particular episode, I still took a look for fun.  I may have missed something, however, for the Start episode, I was not able to locate any roles for a pilot, train conductor, ship captain, cab driver, police officer, school official, border patrol officer, NOR KGB agent.  This would imply that only that the main characters are the only ones in play for the finale.  Except Arkady is also listed for Start.  So, who is going to play the roles of all the FBI agents, police, border patrol, etc., who are chasing after the Jennings family? 

It's been years since I tried to get scoops by looking at Imdb, but, recall that it wasn't reliable.  Has it changed? 

[hellmouse]

Having read various interviews with the cast and show runners, I am ever more convinced that I don't know what will happen in the finale. 

Keri Russell said she was surprised by the finale, and that it got the tone of the show right. She also said that when Matthew Rhys cried when he read the final script. 

Noah Emmerich said he was surprised by the finale. 

Matthew Rhys said he was "incredibly impressed with how the producers threw a curveball that I don’t think anyone will see coming. It was a very emotional roller coaster — and then incredibly moving."

So what is this surprise? 

I'm wondering now if Stan's past altercations with the CIA and the Deputy AG will come back to bite him and he'll get pulled off the case. From their perspective, he's always been too emotionally invested in the Russians - from Nina to Vlad to Oleg. 

I think the CIA will get involved in the case when they find out about the murder of a KGB officer who appears to have been attempting to murder a Soviet government negotiator. They will want to "partner with" the FBI. And some higher up may think it is weird that Stan Beeman, who hasn't been in Counter-Intelligence for three years, in suddenly back in the mix when all this other stuff is happening. And he's trying to get his wife a job at the FBI. So even though Aderholt trusts him, maybe the higher ups don't. 

That could lead to Stan doing some crazy off-the-books stuff out of frustration and anger. Maybe his actions are what cause the curve ball that surprised peopel? 

Edited May 25, 2018 by hellmouse

[Ellaria]

1 minute ago, hellmouse said:

Having read various interviews with the cast and show runners, I am ever more convinced that I don't know what will happen in the finale...

Matthew Rhys said he was "incredibly impressed with how the producers threw a curveball that I don’t think anyone will see coming. It was a very emotional roller coaster — and then incredibly moving."

So what is this surprise?... 

...That could lead to Stan doing some crazy off-the-books stuff out of frustration and anger. Maybe that is the surprise? 

I am not able to make a guess about what will happen either. Not a clue!

Regarding MR's comment about the "curveball," I don't know what to think. This show doesn't typically do the unexpected. Usually, they have laid the groundwork for their plot developments.

If I had to guess, I'd agree that the surprise may lie in Stan's story line. There is Reddit theory that he will get arrested. I'm not sure if that's likely but, right now, I am not sure what to expect of him. He may choose a path that one wouldn't foresee.

[SunnyBeBe]

Interesting perspective.  I've always thought that Stan looks suspicious, based on how things look. The only thing that looks normal is that he is suggesting that P and E are spies. Other than that, it appears to be complicit with them. 

 THAT'S the main reason that I always witched about why the Jennings didn't have some kind of evidence on him to use as leverage. But, maybe, time would not have allowed them to use it at the end, when they needed the leverage.  I'm also ticked that my idea of having Paige and Matthew marry, have baby, didn't go through. 

If the finale script made Matthew cry and there was a curve ball, then, I would suspect that someone does die and maybe, that someone is not who we suspect, like him or E, but, Stan. Or Stan gets arrested, not P and E! I know. I've got too much of The Americans on the brain. 

OOOOOHHHH...maybe the CURVEBALL that Matt is referring to is about Renee being KGB.  

Edited May 25, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[jjj]

Thanks for the warning up front -- skipped the previous messages!  I know I should not be here if I want to avoid major spoilers!  My spoiling is at the preview level.  ?

[SunnyBeBe]

Okay.  I get it.  I'm one of the people who doesn't like surprises.  I know. It's odd.  

So, let me give another WARNING:  This time it is about a TRAILER for season 6.

Perhaps this has been discussed before, but, I didn't catch it.  Some of it is on the Renee thread.  It's about one of the quick scenes in the Season 6 trailer.  It shows an unmarked law enforcement car (red light on dash turned on) sitting in a blocked car position and in which the vehicle that is being blocked, appears to be Renee's vehicle. Is this a red herring they threw in the trailer for fun?  Just curious.  It appears that they are near a parking garage too. 

[jjj]

There are a couple of misleading splices in the season preview, which I only realized yesterday when I listened to it.  The police car may be meaningful, but I wanted to mention this for anyone watching the preview. 

[BingeyKohan]

Someone on Reddit mentioned how all the major players in this story are risking something huge, except Stan. What's on the line for him except he could get shot in a confrontation? (that's true of him being an FBI agent in general) I guess his credibility takes a major hit if he lived across the street from these KGB agents all these years. Is that scene as career-killing as Gaad's secretary actually marrying KGB? Seems like a slightly lesser offense, and he'd already cycled out of CI anyway. 

All this to say I think the finale has to send him out on a limb where he's really risking something in a way he hasn't before. I don't know what that means other than, as someone said upthread, he's actually shut out of the case and worms his way back in surreptitiously, sort of like Clarice Starling sneaking back in to see Hannibal Lecter even though her credentials had been pulled. I guess that's a curveball, from Noah Emmerich's POV, Stan operating way outside the law and official channels.

[SunnyBeBe]

Stan could be vulnerable to many things like death, arrest or humiliation, IF he is married to someone who is playing him. 

[Plums]

I have to wonder if Tatiana's assassination mid-plot to assassinate Nesterenko will tip Stan off to the fact that Oleg is telling the truth and this intra-KGB squabble is actually super serious if the Deputy Resident is trying to kill Gobachev's chief negotiator. I wonder if he'll send that message to the Soviet Union and get caught. Maybe by Renee? 

[BingeyKohan]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Stan could be vulnerable to many things like death, arrest or humiliation, IF he is married to someone who is playing him. 

True! I guess I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth, advancing the car theory and then also pretending like Renee won't be important in the finale. What I think about the car is: it will be Renee but she'll wiggle out of it somehow and she will be proven to be sketchy and it still won't be that important in the finale, it'll just be a wrinkle they indicate will keep going after the curtain has gone down on the show. I think Stan's biggest moments will be within the frustrations of law enforcement and with the Jennings themselves.

[SusanSunflower]

I have to think this: 

Quote

I have to wonder if Tatiana's assassination mid-plot to assassinate Nesterenko will tip Stan off to the fact that Oleg is telling the truth and this intra-KGB squabble is actually super serious if the Deputy Resident is trying to kill Gobachev's chief negotiator. I wonder if he'll send that message to the Soviet Union and get caught. 

Tatiana's involvement (particularly if Nesterenko caught even a glimpse of E. walking away -- just to realize that he dodged the bullet by the intervention of someone)  should set alarm bells ringing (and massively increase security at the summit)  raising the question of, "who would want to kill a peace negotiator?"  Arkady would know that the plot was in motion, even if momentarily thwarted and Claudia's arsenal against Nesterenko remains moot as long as he's alive to refute it. 

Tatiana is not some "low level KGB operative"  (even if Elizabeth would never consider herself low-level, if in the scheme of things she no mover-and-shaker, knower of names and identities as both Tatiana and Claudia likely were/are) ...  again, red alert ... we may see a side of ass-covering Claudia we have never imagined (since she's a regional handler).  Tatiana likely has fingerprints on file (visas and such) ... she's probably not without a paper trail. 

Edited May 25, 2018 by SusanSunflower
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[Erin9]

1 hour ago, BingeyKohan said:

Someone on Reddit mentioned how all the major players in this story are risking something huge, except Stan. What's on the line for him except he could get shot in a confrontation? (that's true of him being an FBI agent in general) I guess his credibility takes a major hit if he lived across the street from these KGB agents all these years. Is that scene as career-killing as Gaad's secretary actually marrying KGB? Seems like a slightly lesser offense, and he'd already cycled out of CI anyway. 

All this to say I think the finale has to send him out on a limb where he's really risking something in a way he hasn't before. I don't know what that means other than, as someone said upthread, he's actually shut out of the case and worms his way back in surreptitiously, sort of like Clarice Starling sneaking back in to see Hannibal Lecter even though her credentials had been pulled. I guess that's a curveball, from Noah Emmerich's POV, Stan operating way outside the law and official channels.

I tend to feel the same. Somewhere upthread, I mentioned that Oleg, Philip and Elizabeth have been taking massive risks for their beliefs. Then we have Stan. Who has risked nothing. 

I’ve never watched a scene Stan was in and worried about his life. There’s never been a sense of doom surrounding his character to me. So, that’s never been a real risk to me. 

[SunnyBeBe]

1 minute ago, Erin9 said:

I tend to feel the same. Somewhere upthread, I mentioned that Oleg, Philip and Elizabeth have been taking massive risks for their beliefs. Then we have Stan. Who has risked nothing. 

I’ve never watched a scene Stan was in and worried about his life. There’s never been a sense of doom surrounding his character to me. So, that’s never been a real risk to me. 

But, Stan just seems to step up and suddenly save the day.  Recall when he just happened to follow this guy to work. Stan was looking at him across the street from a hotel room.  Stan prevented him from killing someone.  I can't recall which season this was in.  Was this Stan being brilliant or just getting lucky? 

[SusanSunflower]

It was an odd choice to phase out both the Rezidentura AND most of the FBI presence in the story a few years ago ... (wonder if they needed / were they encouraged to cut the budget and so stick to basics*).  Bitching about the concurrent dominance Paige Jenning's character and "development" is useless, but there appears in hindsight that clearly "decisions were made" about how and where the show was going to go that (again in hindsight) seem regrettable. 

*Every additional plot line has additional characters, multitudes of extras, sets and location shooting and scheduling that cost a fortune.  

It just struck me how relatively "pared down", what had been this very rich drama, eventually became as it focused on Paige and one-off assignments. 

Edited May 25, 2018 by SusanSunflower

[SunnyBeBe]

4 minutes ago, SusanSunflower said:

It was an odd choice to phase out both the Rezidentura AND most of the FBI presence in the story a few years ago ... (did they need / were they encouraged to cut the budget and so stick to basics).  Bitching about the concurrent dominance Paige Jenning's character and "development" is useless, but there appears in hindsight that clearly "decisions were made" about how and where the show was going to go that (again in hindsight) seem regrettable. 

Excellent points. That office was crucial to the story, imo, but, it was cut so we could see Russia in dark hues and Paige and her antics.  Good grief. Brilliant writing indeed. 

[Erin9]

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

But, Stan just seems to step up and suddenly save the day.  Recall when he just happened to follow this guy to work. Stan was looking at him across the street from a hotel room.  Stan prevented him from killing someone.  I can't recall which season this was in.  Was this Stan being brilliant or just getting lucky? 

Was this the guy that showed up at the FBI (I think it was there- I forget what he said though.) and Stan wound up following/realizing was kind of crazy? Or am I mixing 2 stories up? The aftermath caused problems for Gaad for some reason. 

He never seemed brilliant to me. Lucky, sometimes very intuitive (and others totally out of it), and smart, not brilliant though. 

[Erin9]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Excellent points. That office was crucial to the story, imo, but, it was cut so we could see Russia in dark hues and Paige and her antics.  Good grief. Brilliant writing indeed. 

I think ultimately they wanted/needed Arkady and Oleg back in the Soviet Union so they could do this final phase, but maybe they could have put it off for a little longer. They also needed Arkady to KNOW Oleg was the guy to send back to the US. So- Oleg’s story with the virus was super important. And that was part of why he ran home IIRC. (Maybe not though.) I think they would have needed to do a lot of restructuring of stories to hang onto the office longer. But they could have. Arkady heading home could have more easily been put off within the existing story. 

There really wasn’t much to do with Tatiana alone in the office. So, I see why it was cut after S4. It was such a brilliant part of the earlier seasons though. It was a real loss. 

[BingeyKohan]

I always thought they were going to mine Stan's previous and very (it sounded) psychologically taxing embedding with the white supremacists more than they did. Other than a few references to it it always had a 'well, that happened' feel to it, like they wrote that backstory for him and then it almost became too interesting-sounding for its own good.

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah. I see your point.  Plus, with Russia, we got to see Martha, so, maybe, it was for the best. 

[SusanSunflower]

Yes, I enjoyed Moscow a great deal, even if it felt like a very small, isolated "pond" of story and characters ... It almost could have been its own show.   Not as vibrant as the Rezidentura and it's demi-palace intrigue, it had a foreboding "death watch"feel. I was mostly realizing that as the show swung to bring Paige into the center of the story, the ballast provided by the other threads got lighter.  

I've become obsessed with Elizabeth, suburban mom, and how far she felt compelled to participate in decadent American suburban housewifely duties.  PTA, girl/boy scouts, little league -- the full catastrophe.   Partly because I find Elizabeth's competitiveness (and near-constant chilliness) off-putting in her marriage and "wonder" if it contributed to why the Jennings seem to have no friends,  Paige has no friends, and Henry found friends to take him away from the cul de sac.  In middle America, not participating is noticed ... and church going was still fairly common (not now).  Depending on where you live, the "Holidays" can be a frenzy of decorations, shopping and parties with a fair share of school and social events as well (particularly for a small business owner).  

I guess I got curious because of wondering how Paige turned out like she did and what her childhood was like.  Mine was eccentric and I was subjected to a lot of nosiness about a lot of things (that I deeply resented when I realized I was being pumped for information).  The burden of "the secret" occurred when Paige was older and I do not think can explain her "introversion" ...  Note that lots of kids keep bigger secrets from a much younger age, the children of substance abusers and the kids whose parents work "nontraditional" jobs and also latch key kids who learn young to avoid inquiries about "after school".   

[Umbelina]

For some reason I just flashed back to the tracking device Larrick planted on Jared.  I honestly don't think it will play into the finale at all, but that "curve ball" talk has me thinking.  Stan gets to Henry first and as a precaution, puts a tracking device on him?

 

Nah.

[sistermagpie]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

But, Stan just seems to step up and suddenly save the day.  Recall when he just happened to follow this guy to work. Stan was looking at him across the street from a hotel room.  Stan prevented him from killing someone.  I can't recall which season this was in.  Was this Stan being brilliant or just getting lucky? 

Stan was set up to stop that guy via a tip from Nina. I believe it was part of making Nina seem like a god informant when she was actually a double agent still working for the KGB. So no, he wasn't brilliant there. He was lucky. Or set up.

2 hours ago, SusanSunflower said:

 

I guess I got curious because of wondering how Paige turned out like she did and what her childhood was like.  Mine was eccentric and I was subjected to a lot of nosiness about a lot of things (that I deeply resented when I realized I was being pumped for information).  The burden of "the secret" occurred when Paige was older and I do not think can explain her "introversion" ...  Note that lots of kids keep bigger secrets from a much younger age, the children of substance abusers and the kids whose parents work "nontraditional" jobs and also latch key kids who learn young to avoid inquiries about "after school".   

Paige was meant to be completely normal when we met her. Not overly social, but not an outcast either.

[Anela]

I don't suppose it's possible that Stan would end up helping them. 

[SunnyBeBe]

10 minutes ago, Anela said:

I don't suppose it's possible that Stan would end up helping them. 

I've thought about it a lot, but, he's so absolutely STAN, that, I just can't see it. He is the PATRIOT imo.  No matter his feelings, he'll not waiver.  I mean, he'll killed a guy, which is against the rules and he struggled with the Nina thing, but, I actually don't think he would waiver in his duties, even for Mathew.  Especially, for Russian illegals who are serious hardcore criminals. (I hope he does anyway.)

Edited May 25, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[TimWil]

I, like so many of you, can’t be bummed enough by the impending final fade-out of this incredible show. An actors agent friend of mine in NY has gifted me over the years with some character breakdowns his office has received for The Americans, beginning with the pilot in early 2012. Now that the curtain’s finally coming down I thought it might be an appropriate time to share them with you all. These were the actual character descriptions as they were sent by the casting department to agents in NY and LA. Here’s the first batch:

 

Agent Stan Beeman-36, feels more like a soccer dad than an FBI agent, good-natured, with a sense of humor, affable, a keen observer, Stan’s new to the FBI headquarters in Washington, D. C. where he’s just joined the Counter Intelligence department (he’s even learning beginning Russian). Married to Sandra, the father of 15 year old Matthew, Stan’s just moved his family to a new neighborhood and is happy to meet his friendly new neighbors, the Jennings. Stan can’t tell if it’s just the job getting to him or if there is indeed something not quite right about his new neighbors.

 

Agent Chris Mizzi-30, African-American, an FBI agent, Agent Mizzi works with a new partner, Stan Beeman, in the Counter Intelligence department in Washington D.C. A bit full of himself but a nice guy, very proud of what he does, Mizzi briefs Stan about their assignment-to track down the missing ex-KGB general Timoshev-and is quite frank about his skepticism about the alleged Soviet sleeper cells in the US.

 

Note: Of course Chris’ last name was changed to Amador, most likely to reflect the ethnicity of the actor (Maximilliano Hernandez) who’d been cast to play him.

 

Colonel Zhukov-Russian, 55 to 70, grey haired, distinguished, rugged, smart, Zhukov is the former head of KGB training who assigned Elizabeth and Philip to their new lives as American sleeper cell operatives fifteen years ago. Still active, living in the US, Zhukov checks in with Elizabeth regarding the disposal of their “traitor,” defector Timoshev, but he really wants to give her a warning about President Reagan’s aggressive efforts against the Soviet spies in the US. Zhukov is clear that no one wants to destroy America, and is surprisingly optimistic about a Socialist paradise in the future-or perhaps he’s just saying what Elizabeth wants to hear.

 

Martha Hansen-30, very plain, in love with Philip-who comes to her in disguise under the name of Clark-Martha works at the Washington D.C. FBI headquarters in the Cou ter Intelligence Center.  Martha is leaking classified information to “Clark,” apparently believing him to be part of some sort of higher security clearance, and gives him what details she knows about the kidnapping of the defector Timoshev.

 

I figured these would whet your appetite for a few more to come in the next few days, including one for this season which is somewhat surprising in terms of when he was originally slated to appear...

Edited May 25, 2018 by TimWil

[Erin9]

32 minutes ago, Anela said:

I don't suppose it's possible that Stan would end up helping them. 

That would be a surprise. But Stan is Stan. I rather doubt it. It would take one heck of a curveball for that to happen imo. But that would be a real surprise. 

After all- he started an investigation into them on his own. It looks like why they’ll officially come to FBI attention might have nothing to do with him. But still- he looked on his own. He could have just ignored his instincts. He had nothing solid. He still doesn’t. He’s kept digging anyway. Doesn’t seem likely he’ll want to help them. 

But I like the idea just as something we really didn’t see as a likely outcome. There might be a plausible way to do it.

Something along the lines of Oleg’s words really resonating with him and leading him to do something surprising I think is possible. It might not be going so far as to help them escape, but it could be significant to them and helpful in another way.

I do strongly believe Stan needs to take a risk, have something at stake. 

[Umbelina]

Stan had nothing solid on Zenaida or on Martha either, but because he is a very good FBI cop, he followed his instincts, and a step at a time, nailed them.

I don't think Stan wants to believe it, but I think in his heart, gut, he knows it's true.  Now it's all about proving it, just as he's done before.

[TimWil]

Casting breakdown #2:

 

Agent Mark Bartholomew-50’s, Mormon, intimidating, hard-working, relentless. FBI Special Agent in Charge, he’s the head of Counter Intelligence in the Washington DC FBI office, and is the boss of Agents Beeman and Mizzi. His current mission is to find the missing defector, former KGB general Timoshev, whose disappearance and apparent kidnapping has security and political ramifications for the US-and his job.

 

Note-Of course his character name was changed to Frank Gaad. I don’t think Gaad was a Mormon, either...was he?

 

Paige Jennings-13 years old, the daughter of Elizabeth and Philip, smart, in the throes of adolescent confusion. Paige is not yet confident about how attractive she is and assumes no boy will be interested in her.

 

Henry Jennings-10 years old, the son of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. Henry is a happy, fairly uncomplicated  all American kid who, like his sister, has no clue who his parents really are and what they do.

 

Sandra Beeman-30’s, warm, bright, wry-humored, Sandra is the wife of FBI agent Stan Beeman and the mother of their 15 year old son Matthew. 

 

Matthew Beeman-15 years old, handsome. Matthew’s on hand when the Jennings come over to welcome his family to the neighborhood. No lines this episode/recurring role.

 

Rob-28, big, tough, nervous. Rob is a KGB operative working undercover in the US and he’s pretty nervous about his first mission, working with Philip and Elizabeth Jennings to bring down the notorious KGB general Nikolai Timoshev. Rob acquits himself bravely but is fatally injured in the process, though his last words are selfless and he manages, despite his injury, to walk himself into the nearest hospital.

[hellmouse]

I woke up thinking about this show - I am definitely going to have some withdrawal problems in a week or so!

But what I was thinking is that we see Philip call Elizabeth to relay a coded message - topsy turvy - that sets a plan in motion. 

What if he also called Joan the operator to pass along the same message? It would make sense that they would need to notify the Centre if they were blown. He doesn't know at that point that Elizabeth has killed Tatiana and told Claudia about it. He has no reason to think that the KGB would be after them. If that has happened, maybe his message of "illegals with blown cover" is received before the Centre realizes Elizabeth disobeyed orders. So maybe they will have some support plans put in motion to aide their escape. 

I also was thinking about Paige. Maybe circumstances will make it so that the risk of getting Henry becomes too high, and Philip and Elizabeth are faced with the whole family going down together or abandoning one of their children. Maybe Paige will choose to stay in the US with Henry so that he is not alone. That will be her sacrifice, to put her family first in the same way her parents sacrificed to put their country first when they were her age. 

[BingeyKohan]

2 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

I woke up thinking about this show - I am definitely going to have some withdrawal problems in a week or so!

But what I was thinking is that we see Philip call Elizabeth to relay a coded message - topsy turvy - that sets a plan in motion. 

What if he also called Joan the operator to pass along the same message? It would make sense that they would need to notify the Centre if they were blown. He doesn't know at that point that Elizabeth has killed Tatiana and told Claudia about it. He has no reason to think that the KGB would be after them. If that has happened, maybe his message of "illegals with blown cover" is received before the Centre realizes Elizabeth disobeyed orders. So maybe they will have some support plans put in motion to aide their escape. 

I so want to see Joan again. She needs a send-off!

I woke up thinking about the coded phone call as well! Except Elizabeth’s part of it, ‘try not to wake me up.’ It strikes me that when she and Phil put that phrase in place they couldn’t have anticipated the awakening she would have undergone by the time it came to use it. (Now it sounds like a dare almost - just try not to wake me up.) It seems like another sign they have stayed too long at the fair.

[Plums]

so, Mo Ryan, with her early access as a reviewer, gave an extremely vague hint on twitter about the finale, saying that there's at least one if not two scenes with music that are going to be major tearjerkers. Someone replied that they looked up songs from 1987 and that they think they know what song she's referring to, and she said they might have. And that it's not Peter Gabriel. I just looked up 1987 songs and THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. I wish she hadn't said anything, tbh, because this is infuriating. 

[Dev F]

55 minutes ago, TimWil said:

Agent Mark Bartholomew-50’s, Mormon, intimidating, hard-working, relentless. FBI Special Agent in Charge, he’s the head of Counter Intelligence in the Washington DC FBI office, and is the boss of Agents Beeman and Mizzi. His current mission is to find the missing defector, former KGB general Timoshev, whose disappearance and apparent kidnapping has security and political ramifications for the US-and his job.

 

Note-Of course his character name was changed to Frank Gaad. I don’t think Gaad was a Mormon, either...was he?

Agent Bartholomew was the original head of Counterintelligence, played by Michael Gaston in the pilot. He was replaced by Richard Thomas as Agent Gaad for the series, with the explanation that Bartholomew had been reassigned after taking the fall for Timoshev's disappearance.

Interestingly, there's a scene in the pilot that was clearly added in reshoots, where Bartholomew introduces Gaad to Stan as his former deputy to set up that transition. Presumably Gaston was unable to commit to the series, and instead of reshooting all of Bartholomew's scenes with Richard Thomas, it was easier and cheaper to bring Gaston back for a handover scene and establish Gaad as a different character.

[Erin9]

25 minutes ago, Plums said:

so, Mo Ryan, with her early access as a reviewer, gave an extremely vague hint on twitter about the finale, saying that there's at least one if not two scenes with music that are going to be major tearjerkers. Someone replied that they looked up songs from 1987 and that they think they know what song she's referring to, and she said they might have. And that it's not Peter Gabriel. I just looked up 1987 songs and THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. I wish she hadn't said anything, tbh, because this is infuriating. 

Part of me is dreading the finale. I want to know. But, I know it’ll be sad.