S06.E07: Harvest

[sistermagpie]

It sometimes seened like Philip actually got pretty physical with his IDs including moving differently.  At least once I remember him even seeming bigger in costume. Clark for instance maybe walked with an imaginary stick up his ass.

[Joe Hellandback]

1. Love Stan's line "I'm good with these things" when Philips seems intent on confessing to him, if there's one thing Stan hasn't been good at over the year. You feel this was Philips last temptation.  

2. You can just see Stan's brain working, you can almost hear it but he's not there yet.

3. The axe scene, oh my god! I though Gotham was bloody. One thing though couldn't they have cut her up INSIDE the van? 

[sistermagpie]

8 minutes ago, Joe Hellandback said:

3. The axe scene, oh my god! I though Gotham was bloody. One thing though couldn't they have cut her up INSIDE the van? 

Gotta give them that one. Even if Philip had noticed the axe before they got her out, how could he have swung that thing inside a van?

[Clanstarling]

1 hour ago, sistermagpie said:

Gotta give them that one. Even if Philip had noticed the axe before they got her out, how could he have swung that thing inside a van?

Beat me to it. :)

[John Potts]

Guess Stan WAS getting suspicious of the Jenningses. Does this mean he's not long for the world? (Liz & Phil have to make it through another 3 episodes at least!)

I wasn't clear why they dismembered the body in the garage. I get that they want to conceal Marilyn's identity but wouldn't they be better taking the body elsewhere? Remove the head & hands, sure, but take the body with them perhaps?

Did like Liz REALLY talking to Paige about whether she wants this life

Did like Philip "regretably" admitting his business was failing as his cover. It's even true!

On ‎10‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 4:11 AM, CaliCheeseSucks said:

Harvest sure did think Philip had unlimited abilities to memorize all those deathbed thoughts.

He said, "Tell mum I love her. Tell dad You Suck! The Maguffin is in Paris" - and I only saw the scene once and don't have that fancy spy training. I suppose it's possible there was some secret hidden meaning in his words which required exact words, but it didn't look like it to me.

Quote

Tara Ariano (Recap): Not to say Stan isn't perfectly able and sufficiently gracious to keep an eye on Henry when Philip takes off, but Henry does have an adult sister who could also come stay in her old room for the duration, but this fact is never raised; it feels weird to me that they don't even give Philip a line explaining why she can't.

I was wondering that too. It would aIso mean that their house wouldn't be open to Stan intrusion (would there normally be college classes on the day after Thanksgiving?). Or worse, Paige might shoot an intruder not realising it was Stan - a rather ignominious end for him, if that happened!

On ‎10‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 1:51 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

what self-respecting SPY doesn't have a security system in their home so they can detect when it has been entered?

I would expect the sort of anti-surveillance measures that CAN be done easily (and invisibly) - you leave drawers open a random amount, sprinkle talc on the bathroom floor to pick up footprints, leave hairs across doorways - they're not going to stop anyone, but they will reveal if somebody has been looking around.

On ‎10‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 7:57 PM, icemiser69 said:

It took three or four wacks with an axe to take off Marilyn's head.  Philip would never survive in a ZA.

It took her executioner three blows to sever Mary Queen of Scots' head - and he had time to prepare. I think Philip did pretty well with what he had at hand!

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 9:11 PM, jjj said:

the artist is definitely there to open up Elizabeth.

It was notable (to me) that straight after Erica told her to open up to the world, she spoke to Paige about not going into the spy game.

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 3:55 AM, Anela said:

Dismembering a body is romantic? :/

So that's where I've been going wrong all these years (Note to self: Find dead body for next date)!

Was it just me, or did Philip's assignment disguise look like Daniel Negreanu?

[SunnyBeBe]

4 minutes ago, John Potts said:

Guess Stan WAS getting suspicious of the Jenningses. Does this mean he's not long for the world? (Liz & Phil have to make it through another 3 episodes at least!)

I wasn't clear why they dismembered the body in the garage. I get that they want to conceal Marilyn's identity but wouldn't they be better taking the body elsewhere? Remove the head & hands, sure, but take the body with them perhaps?

Did like Liz REALLY talking to Paige about whether she wants this life

Did like Philip "regretably" admitting his business was failing as his cover. It's even true!

He said, "Tell mum I love her. Tell dad You Suck! The Maguffin is in Paris" - and I only saw the scene once and don't have that fancy spy training. I suppose it's possible there was some secret hidden meaning in his words which required exact words, but it didn't look like it to me.

I was wondering that too. It would aIso mean that their house wouldn't be open to Stan intrusion (would there normally be college classes on the day after Thanksgiving?). Or worse, Paige might shoot an intruder not realising it was Stan - a rather ignominious end for him, if that happened!

I would expect the sort of anti-surveillance measures that CAN be done easily (and invisibly) - you leave drawers open a random amount, sprinkle talc on the bathroom floor to pick up footprints, leave hairs across doorways - they're not going to stop anyone, but they will reveal if somebody has been looking around.

It took her executioner three blows to sever Mary Queen of Scots' head - and he had time to prepare. I think Philip did pretty well with what he had at hand!

It was notable (to me) that straight after Erica told her to open up to the world, she spoke to Paige about not going into the spy game.

So that's where I've been going wrong all these years (Note to self: Find dead body for next date)!

Was it just me, or did Philip's assignment disguise look like Daniel Negreanu?

Yes, there are some little things, I suppose.  I recall that someone told me years ago that if I wanted to know if anyone had entered a door while I was gone. (Let's say they had a key.)  You could put a small piece of folded paper up inside the door jam.  If opened, it would fall and they wouldn't even notice it. So, if you return and the paper is dislodged, you know the door was opened.  And, it wasn't even a Russian spy who told me that trick. lol  

Edited May 21, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[John Potts]

9 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

If opened, it would fall and they wouldn't even notice it. So, if you return and the paper is dislodged, you know the door was opened.  And, it wasn't even a Russian spy who told me that trick.

You don't think it was a Russian spy...

[sistermagpie]

Re: Marilyn's body, they were trying to avoid lugging a body around. Much easier to dump a head and hands.

[SunnyBeBe]

11 minutes ago, John Potts said:

You don't think it was a Russian spy...

OMG!  lol  It might have been a honey trap!  But, I didn't know anything.....lol.

Edited May 21, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Umbelina]

I think most spies leave little "tells" like a random hair in the door and other security tricks, but they are not practical when you have kids.  They could have small cameras/microphones set up if Center issued them for that purpose though. 

Honestly I think it's like not checking the door peep hole before opening it.  They've been in that house for years, they are just used to it by now.  Most spies don't stay in one house for a decade, so maybe they got sloppy there?  They have checked when alerts have been out, like when their friends were killed, and when they had that guy in the trunk.  Now that they know Stan is suspicious, they may be checking more, and showing Paige how to use the "tells" like the hair in the door, since she's in on things now, and Henry isn't home.

Major or minor?  To me, pretty minor.  They MAY have a tell inside that basement room behind the breaker box though, but Stan didn't get in, so....

[SunnyBeBe]

On 5/10/2018 at 9:13 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

Yes, they seem to have always set up Henry and Stan as more compatible.  So that's why I wonder if they are setting the stage for Stan do take on Henry as the parental figure. (Paige will have Claudia.)  And P & E EXIT for good to parts unknown or just to live abroad.  Recall back when Stan and Aderholt were talking in the office about the baby and Aderholt asked Stan if he and Renee wanted a child?  Stan considered and said they were too OLD. But, maybe not for a high school student...that might work. 

AMEN!  So, if the writers don't recognize this.......I just pray they don't insult my intelligence. 

I just ran across my hunch that Stan would take on Henry as a parental figure. Recall Aderholt asking him if he and Renee wanted kids.  I guess it was an omen.  

[Umbelina]

Stan's issues just occurred to me.  I put some of it in his thread, but...damn.  That guy is in a world of trouble now.

What will he do? 

Even if Stan assists in cutting an immunity deal for Paige?

When Paige is questioned, and she will be questioned, they will focus part of that on just how her parents escaped.  Paige has no alibi.  How can she hide that she was with them, and if they get that far (which they will) how could she possibly avoid slipping up and saying that Stan let them go?  She WILL slip up, the FBI would go over it time and time again.  Paige is not a good liar, she's even said that she "can't lie" many times.

Then there is the issue of Renee working for the FBI.  Philip, an excellent KGB embedded Officer, has just told him he thinks Renee is also KGB.  How can Stan, a loyal "Goddamn American" and FBI agent just let that go?  Or let the FBI take that kind of risk?  WOULD HE?

I don't think he will be able to lie to them, he couldn't live with himself if he did, it would tear him apart. 

At the very least he would resign, but that wouldn't stop Renee from her FBI job. 

I think he goes in, confesses to all of it, at the same time, telling them Paige will spill a lot of information, so offering her an immunity deal is a good plan, and that Henry knows nothing.  Henry will be questioned endlessly as well, but since he really does know nothing, he'll eventually be cleared, though social stigmas may follow him forever.  Paige will reveal just how naive and willing to do anything to please mommy she is, and that, along with some pretty valuable information and stipulations about staying away from anything governmental or secret is required by her in order to not spend her life in prison.

What happens to Stan though?  "I couldn't shoot them?" might have been understandable, and just get him fired, but "I then came into the office and lied to you all about it, and even said 'I'm going to kill them.' to you, my boss, Aderholt, is almost an accessory charge for Stan, he aided their getaway.  As for Renee?  I just can't see Stan letting the FBI be vulnerable to another KGB infestation. 

Charges?  Or just quietly let go?  Or will Stan honestly be able to keep all of that to himself, and risk Paige not spilling it? 

As I said in his thread.  I think he's fucked.

[paramitch]

I'm a longtime watcher and PTV poster, but haven't posted here in "The Americans" forums in a season or two because honestly... it's so depressing. I still think this show is superb (this final season in particular), and plenty of critics and Emmy voters agree with me. But while I appreciate that mileage varies, the blood in the water here makes it rough to jump in and discuss its good points.

I've been bingewatching S6 the past few days (I'm a wimp! I've been putting it off!) and visiting the episode forums each time, and man, despite the show's 2018 Emmy nominations (for Drama, Writing, and for Russell and Rhys, all richly deserved in my view) I need to remember to go read Sepinwall after each visit or something to cheer myself up. It's just absolutely grim, like Sansa Stark or Dana Brody all over again (not to mention Betty Draper or Skylar White). I'll never understand the rage and vitriol a scared or grieving female character (often battling genuinely horrific circumstances) can inspire.

Anyway. Thanks for letting me vent. Onward and upward!

I know a lot of people have noticed the bruise or mark on Elizabeth's face and my take is that it is 100% deliberate -- after all, of course if it were a simple momentary blemish of Keri's, the makeup people could make that invisible. Instead, to me, it's purposeful and a way to show that Elizabeth is rotting, almost, from her own stress and nihilism. I feel that it's externalizing her internal struggle. She has a bruise on her heart and a darkness in her soul. And with all the smoking, the blemishes and occasional red spots, her red eyes -- she looks about as awful as it is possible for a gorgeous person like Keri Russell (or Elizabeth) to look. I'm certain it's simply a sign of her literal decline. (The Witches of Eastwick did something similar to great effect with Suki/Michelle Pfeiffer, who has a cold sore in a key scene.)

On 5/10/2018 at 9:57 AM, dubbel zout said:

I don't envy the people deciding how to end the show. They can't win no matter what, really.

Nope, they really can't.

On 5/10/2018 at 1:28 PM, benteen said:

If Paige wants to (stupidly) pursue a career in espionage, then she should be going out of her way to make a LOT of friends.

I'm puzzled by Paige's "I have no one" speech to Elizabeth because it seemed inconsistent to me -- Philip's recent visit for instance implied that Paige has a roommate, we've seen firsthand that she has friends she goes out and has fun with, she's obviously socially at ease with guys and sex, etc. Sure, she may feel alone and friendless, but this season has demonstrated that she isn't actually anywhere near that. Of course, the irony is, regardless of whether it was true, I did wish for Elizabeth to: 

1. Meet Paige's eye very steadily and say, with all the love in the world, "You just described all the reasons you need to find another outlet in your life. This choice isn't right for you. I think the Peace Corps would be great." And I also agree with those who think Elizabeth should have then, quietly, listed off the ten most terrible things she and Philip have ever had to do as part of their work. And then said the words again: "Peace. Corps."
2. And then I'd have wished for Liz to respond like a mother and comfort Paige that someday she will fit in, she will find friends and a man who will appreciate her so she won't be alone. Instead of "Great! You're alone, terrified of isolation and your heart is a void! Now go apply for an internship to begin your lonely, loveless, and despairing career in American politics!"

On 5/10/2018 at 3:37 PM, Chaos Theory said:

I have got to stop reading the anti-Paige stuff.  It ruins the show for me.   

It does for me as well. While I don't always love Paige, I think she's necessary, and I think the character is functioning properly as part of the story (and for what she means to Elizabeth and Philip). I already noted above my other feelings on this as well.

Anyway. This season, for instance, I think has shown us that Paige isn't cut out for this, and I think it's been blatant about that, while also showing that Elizabeth is utterly blind to it out of her need to share and even subtly excuse her own pathological need to serve her country. She doesn't have Philip for that anymore, and even when he does help, she knows he's doing it for HER -- not for Russia. The idea that Paige can carry on the work delights Elizabeth so much she can actually talk to her own teenaged daughter here coolly about her own or Paige's prospective deaths being "worth it." (Gah.) She can't be as tough as Paige needs her to be -- this is definitely not the Elizabeth who calmly told Tuan last season he was going to fail. I definitely think Paige will be Elizabeth's downfall, and I think they've built beautifully to that over the arc of the show (but we'll see if I'm right! Three more to go...).

On 5/10/2018 at 5:24 PM, Dev F said:

So here she is, this poor girl who mistrusts everyone around her and the only society she's ever known, but is terrified of being alone? That's horrifyingly awful. But it's also very much in keeping with the theme of the episode, if Elizabeth is hinting desperately to her daughter that she doesn't have to follow this terrible, lonely path, but Paige is oblivious, because the seeds of her destruction were planted years ago, and now there's nothing left to do but reap the result.

 

Yeah, that's what I'm getting out of it as well, and it's really sad.

On 5/10/2018 at 7:45 PM, whiporee said:

Phillip should have just said E was in love with someone else, that she had been seeing him for a long time and now that the kids were grown she was planning on leaving, and Phillip was trying to talk her out of it. 

I was thinking the same thing -- it wasn't enough for Philip to admit the business was failing. Stan obviously scents there's more to it than that, and even calls Philip out on holding back. This was the moment for Philip to admit with total truth that he and Elizabeth are having a really bad time, that the marriage may not survive either.

On 5/10/2018 at 9:47 PM, whiporee said:

Just on a  sidenote, I HATE how everything is a podcast now. Why won't they just let us read?!?

Oh, God, me too. I just can't stand most of them -- it's just not how I'm built. Listening to a podcast means I can't work, listen to music, or do anything else (except maybe work out) while listening. Podcasts demand time I simply do not have. Whereas, with a blog post, I can read, enjoy, and move on in minutes. 

On 5/11/2018 at 4:52 AM, Ina123 said:

OMG. Someone needs to be a true friend to this woman and tell her how immature "valley girl" speak is.

Every time she spoke I just kept hearing the "One time at band camp" girl in American Pie.

I saw several other posts on this, as well, so let me get this straight: Hatred for Paige on "The Americans" is now so extreme that a respected female writer (still a minority in most TV drama writers' rooms) who wrote scenes featuring her on a specific episode is now mocked simply for how she speaks? I guess we're lucky it was a podcast so she wasn't body-shamed as well.

On 5/11/2018 at 2:03 PM, Umbelina said:

When you are in tune that way, and I think many people have that gift but few listen to that gut feeling, things can become clear in an instant.  "This (whatever it is) is OFF." 

 

I loved that about the scene with Stan and Philip too, which was so beautifully and subtly presented. On the one hand, Philip is (I believe) trying to say goodbye to Stan with real affection, but he's too worried about Elizabeth and too tired to dissemble properly anymore. And I love that Stan can (thanks to Emmerich's beautifully subtle acting choices here) actually see it. You can see Stan's face sharpen, that listening look he gets, when he's thinking... "Something's not right about this." And again -- beautiful acting here, by both performers. Stan's such a tough character because of course if he found out too soon, the show ended. But Emmerich has always conveyed this basic decency that I believed absolutely.

On 5/12/2018 at 8:44 AM, sistermagpie said:

I like that so much of this is coming down to Elizabeth getting sloppy. Though it's not just her--Philip's hug was a huge thing. Without each other to turn to consistently their emotions are coming out in other places. But the practical evidence is mostly Elizabeth: the trail of bodies that lead to the sensor, the most recent late nights, running out on Thanksgiving and then needing Philip to come out too. And maybe in future...the cigarettes.

And what's maddening is that Elizabeth is so tired, so incrementally hardened and yet dying from this terrible job, she can't see how sloppy she's become -- or how utterly unprepared Paige actually is for her life. Not to mention that even wanting this hell for her own child is unfathomable to me (cushy "State Department job" or no). But that's the tragedy of it. Elizabeth is doing all this out of patriotism for a doomed country she can barely remember, while Philip is doing his part for Elizabeth herself. As is poor Paige. And Elizabeth doesn't see it.

On 5/12/2018 at 9:55 AM, Clanstarling said:

I had very little in the way of extended family, and we moved a lot (military) so never saw the ones we did have. It does make you feel different - at least for me - it makes you feel very separate from the rest of the world. I have little understanding of certain kinds of relationships (grandparents, uncles/aunts, cousins). So that was something I did relate to when it came to Paige - and I think it reflects her need, even back then, to feel like she belongs somewhere - and to something larger than herself. 

I was a Navy brat and this absolutely resonates very strongly with me. And I can see why it would resonate with Paige as well.

On 5/12/2018 at 3:13 PM, sistermagpie said:

It's fitting that Erika has her drawing pictures of every day objects, getting her to really look at ordinary things. See the art in them and the meaning. And sad that in the same episode Paige seems to be going the opposite way, deciding that her not having any friends is because other people are flawed--even people who are also interested in politics etc. She'll just keep waiting for some phantom perfect person. Yet what did Philip say about the first time Elizabeth saw him? That she was disappointed. She wanted someone else, even if she didn't know who. It took over a decade of mundane, everyday life for her to see something else in him.

Thank you for this truly beautiful, eloquent and really insightful post on Elizabeth, Philip, and what Erika is bringing to Elizabeth's life. I love the way she's causing Elizabeth to open up and understand herself. Elizabeth has always seen the world in terms of black and white -- USSR, good. US, bad. Etc. Erica has taught her to consider life more subtly, to see the shades of grey, both literal and figurative.

On 5/12/2018 at 5:57 PM, Penman61 said:

Not kidding:  I just today found out that Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are a couple IRL, like with kids and stuff and everything.

 

Seriously, check out some of their interviews on YouTube. They are incredibly charming, lighthearted people (which is amazing considering these brutal roles, but probably so so healthy!), and both are the teeniest bit dorky in the best way. They're an absolutely lovely couple. (Oh, and do not miss Matthew in all his beardiest Welsh glory on "The Wine Show." Seriously. Hunky British men wander around and drink wine and talk about it. It is Wine Narnia.)

On 5/13/2018 at 9:42 AM, duVerre said:

By the same token, is wearing a wig that ages you up about 20 years, when you don't have time to age yourself up in other ways, running an unnecessary risk? To me, it is. 

I feel like you're reading too much into the aged-up disguises Philip and Elizabeth wore here because the show has to walk a fine line -- they have to look like themselves for the viewers, but also to look like they could be mistaken for other people. I thought Philip was flawless and Elizabeth convincing -- she'd done some subtle makeup to look older, and it reminded me a lot of people like Fionnula Flanagan who simply age splendidly -- a pretty face underneath the white/grey hair.

On 5/15/2018 at 2:30 PM, Umbelina said:

During Harvest's goodbye to his parents, I honestly thought of Philip's OWN parents, rather than Philip AS a parent.

One thing I thought was interesting -- "Mother" had just been used as a code word for Russia, for the "Motherland." So to me it was interesting and rather literal that Harvest said to tell "Mother" he loved her and was sorry to leave... and that he hated "Father" and wanted him to die. It was hard for me not to see the U.S. as his 'Father' in that respect (since he is literally working for its death in that instant).

Edited September 13, 2018 by paramitch
Missed a word. Also, mods, hope this is OK. Please edit where unacceptable.

[Domestic Assassin]

2 hours ago, paramitch said:

I know a lot of people have noticed the bruise or mark on Elizabeth's face and my take is that it is 100% deliberate -- after all, of course if it were a simple momentary blemish of Keri's, the makeup people could make that invisible.

One thing I've been noticing on re-watch is that their disguises occasionally included some type of feature like a birthmark or scar or bruise.  I had never really noticed that before this episode.  Maybe it was intended to distract people from other features of their faces?

[sistermagpie]

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

I'm puzzled by Paige's "I have no one" speech to Elizabeth because it seemed inconsistent to me -- Philip's recent visit for instance implied that Paige has a roommate, we've seen firsthand that she has friends she goes out and has fun with, she's obviously socially at ease with guys and sex, etc. Sure, she may feel alone and friendless, but this season has demonstrated that she isn't actually anywhere near that. Of course, the irony is, regardless of whether it was true, I did wish for Elizabeth to: 

I think it's actually very consistent. Paige isn't claiming that she's a social outcast who can't talk to people or that people don't like. She's saying that she doesn't have people who really feel like friends to her and I think that's exactly what we see and have always seen. She has a bunch of people she goes out with, but it's not unusual for them to tell her they're leaving and she stays behind because of a boy. She says she went out for coffee with friends "from sociology class" which implies the same thing--she's accepted socially, but she's not really an important friend to these people nor she to them. She has a roommate, but that seems more convenient than a great friendship. She gets along, it seems still, better with guys, but there it's mostly guys working to amuse her. It doesn't surprise me at all that Paige considers herself friendless and tries to find that in Elizabeth and Claudia via "the Cause" the same way she tried to find connection through the church. (There, too, there were moments that showed us she was very accepted socially, but she obviously had no real connections with the other kids.)

This is really central to my understanding of Paige now that the show's over, actually. I think her priority has always been a longing for the kind of intimacy (especially romantic intimacy) she sees with her parents. 

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

And then I'd have wished for Liz to respond like a mother and comfort Paige that someday she will fit in, she will find friends and a man who will appreciate her so she won't be alone. Instead of "Great! You're alone, terrified of isolation and your heart is a void! Now go apply for an internship to begin your lonely, loveless, and despairing career in American politics!"

Though of course, she doesn't listen to the parent who does tell her that. She doesn't believe him or listen to any of the little advice he can offer about working at it. (Philip, ironically, might as well have a PhD. in "Lonely People Studies".) At this point more than ever she's gone all in on doing it Elizabeth's way, without having Elizabeth's ability to inspire people to try to get through to her. (Nor does she have a real motivation like Elizabeth has.)

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

The idea that Paige can carry on the work delights Elizabeth so much she can actually talk to her own teenaged daughter here coolly about her own or Paige's prospective deaths being "worth it." (Gah.) She can't be as tough as Paige needs her to be -- this is definitely not the Elizabeth who calmly told Tuan last season he was going to fail. I definitely think Paige will be Elizabeth's downfall, and I think they've built beautifully to that over the arc of the show (but we'll see if I'm right! Three more to go...).

I hope you read some of the discussion of this on the rewatch thread when you've gotten to the end (there's spoilers there) because I was just trying to work out Elizabeth's exact perspective here, the way she's sort of trying to have it all ways and making it the most dangerous for everyone. 

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

I was thinking the same thing -- it wasn't enough for Philip to admit the business was failing. Stan obviously scents there's more to it than that, and even calls Philip out on holding back. This was the moment for Philip to admit with total truth that he and Elizabeth are having a really bad time, that the marriage may not survive either.

I honestly don't think that would have helped either. Stan was there when Elizabeth and Philip were separated and Philip wasn't in this state. Elizabeth leaving him wouldn't make Philip hug Stan and Henry as if he's never going to see him again. I think that's the thing Stan's seeing there.

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

And what's maddening is that Elizabeth is so tired, so incrementally hardened and yet dying from this terrible job, she can't see how sloppy she's become -- or how utterly unprepared Paige actually is for her life. Not to mention that even wanting this hell for her own child is unfathomable to me (cushy "State Department job" or no). But that's the tragedy of it. Elizabeth is doing all this out of patriotism for a doomed country she can barely remember, while Philip is doing his part for Elizabeth herself. As is poor Paige. And Elizabeth doesn't see it.

Yes, again this is something that really fascinates me. From the first episode of the season Elizabeth is so bitter and spiritually dead (rotting inside, as you said) that she's contemptuous of actual life. And it seems to have affected the way she approaches the work as well. More and more she relies on strong arm tactics for maybe lots of reasons--she's exhausted, she doesn't have time to be more careful, but also I think she's angry and suicidal.

She's also sloppy with Paige. Not only is she happy to pretend Paige is "getting it" in terms of becoming Russian when Paige is just trying to feel a connection despite the different backgrounds, but more importantly she's covering over obvious signs that Paige is not capable of doing this kind of work. She lies about it to others and to Paige herself, so Paige doesn't even know how unprepared she is. She seems to just think if she's in the state department she'll be taken care of or something so she can brush off all these red flags. That's how you treat a job you don't think is that important. (And suggesting Claudia could take over? That, to me, is almost the biggest betrayal of all, even introducing Paige to her.)

The few times she does send out some signals she almost sabotaging herself on purpose because there's no way they'll be received. She isn't clear about the real problems with Philip. And here it's even more blatant--she tells Paige she should quit if she can't handle it, which just tells Paige yet again that Elizabeth doesn't much respect people who don't. Back in S1 Paige routinely saw herself as different from Elizabeth and that was fine. She's totally lost that. It's almost like Elizabeth's doing just enough to be able to say that she raised a concern. 

6 hours ago, paramitch said:

One thing I thought was interesting -- "Mother" had just been used as a code word for Russia, for the "Motherland." So to me it was interesting and rather literal that Harvest said to tell "Mother" he loved her and was sorry to leave... and that he hated "Father" and wanted him to die.

Sometimes I find myself thinking about Philip's relationship with Elizabeth in terms of the Motherland, like she can be so demanding and crazy and hurting them all, but he still loves her and sacrifices for her.

4 hours ago, Domestic Assassin said:

One thing I've been noticing on re-watch is that their disguises occasionally included some type of feature like a birthmark or scar or bruise.  I had never really noticed that before this episode.  Maybe it was intended to distract people from other features of their faces?

I think that's definitely the idea at times--if you have a birthmark or a bruise or a scar, a person will focus on that when they describe you. I assumed Elizabeth's bruise or that mark was part of the disguise but I definitely also think it works as a sign of her disintegration. 

[Umbelina]

4 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I think that's definitely the idea at times--if you have a birthmark or a bruise or a scar, a person will focus on that when they describe you. I assumed Elizabeth's bruise or that mark was part of the disguise but I definitely also think it works as a sign of her disintegration. 

 

9 hours ago, Domestic Assassin said:

One thing I've been noticing on re-watch is that their disguises occasionally included some type of feature like a birthmark or scar or bruise.  I had never really noticed that before this episode.  Maybe it was intended to distract people from other features of their faces?

Yes, I was just going to reply almost exactly this.

The port wine scars were standard in disguise kits for spies, it was a liquid you just brushed on, and within an hour or so the port wine scar appeared (from my spy book, that boring thing I detailed in the book thread, but it did have lovely tidbits like this.)  It wasn't paint (which the show probably used) it actually brought blood vessels to the surface of the skin, and took a few days to wear off.  Ditto with a rotted tooth, chunky glasses, or gold tooth, or big mole, or tattoo, it often becomes the only thing people remember, so spies used them a lot. 

It may have also been about her "rotting" but frankly, I doubt it, the writers missed a lot of the subtle things we pick up on and give them credit for, for another example, Elizabeth in the window of the train scene looking like one of the dying artist's paintings.  They not only didn't design it, they didn't even notice it until a poster caught it all.  At least they had the grace to admit that.

Then again, a make up artist or cinematographer may have done those things without letting the show-runners know.

--

As for Paige?  She bored me, and it's hard to give the writers credit for FINALLY admitting she would suck at being a spy in the final season, after selling us, or trying to, on her "Russian Soul" and how very very smart this, if anything, average American teen was in all the previous seasons.  So, kudos for finally throwing in the towel?

Was it the actress or the writing?  Both.  Also, the Pastor's story was so unbelievable that it flirted with the ridiculous, when not just being boring and annoying.

Edited September 13, 2018 by Umbelina

[vavera4ka]

On 5/9/2018 at 10:31 PM, Erin9 said:

 

I liked hearing Harvest speak Russian to Philip at the end. Nice touch. I think he did that when he was talking about his parents. Not the Summit. I think Philip can remember the gist- loves mom, hates dad, no regrets. And- Philip actually spoke a few words of Russian. That was a surprise too:  “Not a word.” (He won’t forget.) It seems significant that he chose to respond in Russian. 

I was really impressed with Harvest’s Russian. I had to go and check his IMDb out. Not much info but it seems that he’s an American who studied Slavic languages and lit and worked at one of the most famous Moscow theaters. What a lucky thing casting has encountered. They should have used him more. A perfect illegal. Speaks Russian and English perfectly. 

Though credit where it’s due: MR has a decent pronunciation when he only says few words. He must work on it with either a coach or Russian actors. When he said “not a word” it took me a second to realize that Harvest stopped talking and it was Phillip who said that. And during the wedding. His accent though noticeable wasn’t horrible. Elizabeth’s Russian is much worse. Lol 

[Roseanna]

On ‎10‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 6:31 AM, Erin9 said:

I wonder if Henry will ever know or even care how Stan used him. I know Henry had reason to be upset, but I really wanted him to shut up.  

Henry is a teenager, so he isn't consistent but has one standard for him and one for his parents. It was okay to him to want to go to the boarding school although Philip would have wanted his son to stay at home. But when Philip goes away to help Elizabeth in the work, Henry thinks that it's wrong towards him - although he knows that Philip's travel agency has problems and (as for as he knows), the reason why Elizabeth is away and now Philip also, is related to it. 

It was also funny how he idealized her friends morher or rather that she pampers her child - although even Stan noticed that this woman had a dull life, without anything to think about but her diet.   

 

On ‎11‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 6:40 AM, Milburn Stone said:

The thing I don't get is, how is there any "out" for Paige at this point? Paige "knew too much" from the moment Philip and Elizabeth revealed themselves to her. If she were to say she wants out, how can The Centre possibly let her live? (Unless they spirit her to Russia, I guess.)

Paige could very well be "out" from actual spying if she keeps her mouth shut about her parents. It woud be dumb from the KGB to kill her unless she really endangers P&E, because even Elizabeth wouldn't forgive it and the KGB desperately need her.  

On ‎11‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 1:21 PM, MissBluxom said:

I Googled "music The Americans s06e07" and found this site that I expect will let me find the soundtrack to any TV show episode in the future.

https://www.tunefind.com/show/the-americans/season-6/63453#songs

The song was "Broken Flag" by The Patti Smith Group.

Unfortunately, we cannot disagree more about the quality of that song. I hated it and felt it kind of ruined that scene for me.

But now that I think some more about it, that terrible ugly dirge was actually pretty representative of the feeling I would have if I ever had to dump those body parts.

The name of the song "Broken Flag" may be the most representative thing about that scene. I wonder if Elizabeth ever had any second thoughts about the value of her allegiance to Russia and the Communist ideals after having to live through that experience. Probably not. They got her when she was just a young girl and she never really had any chance after that.

 

What does Algiers mean in the song ("weeping yarn from Algiers", "for we're marching t'ward Algiers")?
 

On ‎14‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 7:39 AM, kikaha said:

Paige's lack of curiosity about the atrocities taking place around her also doesn't seem unrealistic to me.  That mirrors quite well the attitudes of fellow travelers from the time of the Russian Revolution.  They turned a blind eye to the genocide that went on in Russia under Lenin and Stalin, or rationalized it as collateral damage for the workers' utopia the Soviets were supposedly building.  These people included some of America's leading journalists, educators and intellectuals.   Even if Lenin never uttered the words 'useful idiots,' his writing makes it clear that is exactly how he considered them.

It's the year that makes Paige's idealism and lack of curiosity unrealistic. It's already time of glasnost - there are much information also in the Soviet media.

Even before, many Western Communists had lost their faith when they found out that the Soviet Union didn't behave according to its ideals, f.ex. in 1939 (the non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany) or 1956 (Khrushchev's secret speech).  

On ‎15‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 3:05 AM, Umbelina said:

Paige is in training to be an Intelligence OFFICER, she isn't (wasn't?) destined to be a mere asset or agent, she was destined to recruit and run people like Martha and Marilyn. 

No, if Paige works inside the system, she can't run the assets. That would endanger her own position.

Nor can se recruit herself but only give suggestions who would be possible recruits. 

On ‎15‎.‎5‎.‎2018 at 4:55 AM, Umbelina said:

For example, Paige may learn something by overhearing a conversation in her 9-5 job.  That information will still need follow up, she may have to steal files herself, or copy them, or if the necessary information is in some other office or agency, either recruit someone there to do it, or do a break in herself in some fashion (not optimal.)  She's not going to sit at a desk and have top secret complete files dropped in her lap whenever she needs them.  Even the CIA or FBI is compartmentalized, it's "need to know" on most/many/all cases.  So let's say she's a junior FBI/CIA agent or analyst or secretary, whatever.  She may catch on to a top secret op that's going on, maybe the guy she's sleeping with mentions something, or she glimpses a computer screen, or a bug she's planted picks up something curious.  She will still need to investigate, track down, find out all the rest.  She WILL be Elizabeth.

Again no, following up must be done by others.

Paige would become the most useful as an influence agent, i.e. someone who would influence on the US policy without her superiors never noticing it. But of course Paige would have no talent for that.

[Roseanna]

The episode's title "Harvest" is hardly a coincidence from the writer's part. In the previous season E&P were claimed that the US wanted to sell poisoned grain to the USSR when in reality the former wanted to grow a new cereal that endures carcasses and Philip wondered why the Soviet Union still can't feed her people whereas Oleg investigated corruption which was supposed to the reason why there aren't food in the shops.

Now, the FBI gave the investigation a title "Harvest", hoping at last be rewarded for their investigation about illegals. But it became "Red Harvest" for both sides. Not to speak of psychological cost on main protagonists. 

[Roseanna]

Elizabeth learning to draw: I just read an article about a woman who teaches drawing. She said everyone can learn it and it's not about the hand motor skills, but about an ability to watch and observe. As a spy, Elizabeth is good at observe. It may be that the reason why she had until now drawn so badly and even despised it, is that deep inside she has been drawn to drawing that but she couldn't have acknowledge it to herself, the reason being just what Erika said: that when you wholly concentate on it, you are taken by something beyond yourself - but in a good way, art doesn't use one like ideologies do.    

Harvest gave an important message to Philip and Elizabeth heard it too about a weapon that is in a base France. Yet, neither of them seemed to be in any hurry to leave an urgent message, Elizabeth to her taskgiver and Philip to Oleg. Or were we denied to see it?