S06.E09: Jennings, Elizabeth

[Plums]

23 minutes ago, jjj said:

She was clearly still alive but dying, and they did nothing to help her or run for help.  One diplomat reached down and felt her coat sleeve like he was checking for a pulse.  On the coat sleeve.  Meanwhile, she was taking a while to die.

I thought she was dead pretty instantly, but now I have to go back and rewatch to see, cause I wasn't paying too much attention tbh.

I actually think everyone's bemused reactions are one of the most realistic things the show has ever depicted from civilians. No one sees or hears Liz shoot her, she's basically just there and gone in a flash, and then this random woman in a wig just falls down dead at their feet. She was shot in the back and lands on her back, so it's not immediately discernible that someone has just murdered her. She didn't have a normal gun for people to freak out about. So everyone is just totally caught off guard and don't really know what to make of this very random thing that just happened. We aren't with them long enough to see them figure out exactly what's happened, which I'm sure would have been like, in half a minute.  

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, SailorGirl said:

I'm a bit behind on the postings and someone else may have already answered this, but when Oleg was in Russia considering whether to take on this mission, he and his Russian "handler" were talking about the risks -- they essentially outlined what would happen if he got caught and why. I don't remember the details -- someone else may -- but it was explained. 

I would like to know this as well. Maybe, someone recalls.  I just thought that if they get caught, they're screwed. 

[AMDG]

1 hour ago, scrb said:

So Tatiana, who's pretty much been portrayed as a house cat, was going to shiv a man out in the street?

I mean it's an efficient way to wrap up her character but kind of hard to believe.

Who else would they have to complete the mission? It was only a select few who were in on the plot.

[SunnyBeBe]

5 minutes ago, AMDG said:

Who else would they have to complete the mission? It was only a select few who were in on the plot.

If only Stan would tell Oleg that Tatianna was killed and how, he would know that his people are on notice and that getting that message to them is no longer dire.  At least then, he can stop sweating and focus more on saving his own ass. 

1 minute ago, icemiser69 said:

Aderholt went to Stan's school of stupidity.

I don't know how often Elizabeth wears lipstick, but if there was lipstick on the cigarette butts it would have been a good clue that they were Elizabeth's cigarettes.

Yeah, but, I don't recall her wearing lipstick around the house.  Normally, she wears it for company or missions.  When she's most often smoking it was early in the morning or late at night and she's not dolled up in make up and lipstick.  

[Bannon]

17 minutes ago, Plums said:

I thought she was dead pretty instantly, but now I have to go back and rewatch to see, cause I wasn't paying too much attention tbh.

I actually think everyone's bemused reactions are one of the most realistic things the show has ever depicted from civilians. No one sees or hears Liz shoot her, she's basically just there and gone in a flash, and then this random woman in a wig just falls down dead at their feet. She was shot in the back and lands on her back, so it's not immediately discernible that someone has just murdered her. She didn't have a normal gun for people to freak out about. So everyone is just totally caught off guard and don't really know what to make of this very random thing that just happened. We aren't with them long enough to see them figure out exactly what's happened, which I'm sure would have been like, in half a minute.  

Maybe I'm weird, but whenever I've been in the presence of somebody who has suddenly collapsed, which has happened to me a few times, I've always said something like "Are you all right?" or "Can you hear me?", as a means of determining conciousness or breathing.

[Ina123]

13 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I would like to know this as well. Maybe, someone recalls.  I just thought that if they get caught, they're screwed. 

He's screwed because he's in the US as a private citizen and not a diplomat. The embassy's hands are tied. However, if his father is powerful enough and they want him back, there might be a possibility of a trade. It's unlikely, though, because no matter which faction of the KGB wins, both may see him as a "traitor" or "dirty".

[DrumJunkie]

2 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

If only Stan would tell Oleg that Tatianna was killed and how, he would know that his people are on notice and that getting that message to them is no longer dire.  At least then, he can stop sweating and focus more on saving his own ass. 

A reasonable way to wrap this up Oleg's story would be that Stan finds out about P & E early in the episode and gets word about Tatiana and the dart gun assassination attempt to Oleg.  That would allow Oleg to decode the message to confirm the plot T was involved in without compromising Philips' already blown cover.  With no other reason to hold on to Oleg, he is released and Arkady personally travels to the US to bring him back.  Oh, Forgot that Arkady is PNG, so a US trip is out of the question.  It would be nice to have him and Stan with a scene and resolve the Gaad death.  That last part isn't likely though.

[Ina123]

57 minutes ago, jjj said:

Thank you!  And this is the person you see dog walking-- got it now!

Recognize him now?

[SunnyBeBe]

Just now, Ina123 said:

He's screwed because he's in the US as a private citizen and not a diplomat. The embassy's hands are tied. However, if his father is powerful enough and they want him back, there might be a possibility of a trade. It's unlikely, though, because no matter which faction of the KGB wins, both may see him as a "traitor" or "dirty".

Yeah, but, I suppose that if Stan really tried hard, they could arrange to have Oleg sent back to Russia with the explanation that he was taken into custody for his own protection, after the FBI gathered INTEL that there was a coup staged against Gorbachev and they were just being extra careful to detain him for his own safety.  BS, but, they could take the credit for discovering the coup and taking down the assassin!    I know...it's a stretch. 

[kokapetl]

5 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

Recognize him now?

I never watched House. He reminds me of a tv character, but I can’t figure out who. A Ferengi?

[Penman61]

2 hours ago, crgirl412 said:

You reminded me of something I had forgotten to post.  

I don't remember Elizabeth smoking like a chimney when she was with Gregory- at all!!!  Didn't he light up a joint but she declined when she ended their friends with benefits?  She didn't smoke in that apartment when he confronted Philip about loving her. 

When was it???

This series didn't show Greg and Liz in their original romance/intimacy, which took place years before and basically ended when Liz was pregnant with Paige.  What we see in S1 is the "present-day" story, years later, leading up to Gregory's suicide-by-cop.  So the series didn't show scenes of Gregory w/Liz "smoking like a chimney" in front of Curtis.  That's why we don't remember it.  

[kokapetl]

I love this “you pitiful bitch” look that Claudia gave Elizabeth. 

[teddysmom]

1 hour ago, GussieK said:

4 hours ago, meira.hand said:

In Colony :)

I often see him walking his dog around my neighborhood.  He looks so different in person!  I refrain from talking to him (although I also have a dog), 'cause I'd sound like an idiot fangirl and I'd want to pump him for show information!  So I take the role of blase New Yorker.

Who are we talking about? 

[tennisgurl]

I don’t think Claudia’s faction is at all as big as she thinks it is. Why else would they be sending a desk jockey like Tatiana go out on assasination duty? Maybe, as much as she smirks about Liz being an idiot, she’s just as bad?

Edited May 24, 2018 by tennisgurl

[EtheltoTillie]

1 minute ago, teddysmom said:

Who are we talking about? 

Peter Jacobson (playing Agent Wolf).  He appeared only once this season, last night, for a few minutes.

[tennisgurl]

The people on the street are like those people John Mulany makes fun of in his stand up about Law and Order. “Double rape and murder? Doesn’t matter to this guy, he’s gotta unload that truck!”

[benteen]

35 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

That is what I wanted to happen, and actually expected to happen.  I didn't even recognize Tatiana.

If Renee pulls something out of her butt in the very last episode after not being much of factor in the series, I am going to be annoyed.

I could envision a scenario where P & E and little p show up at the  U.S./ Canadian border in disguise and that Stan is the only one that recognizes them and he lets them go through.

What I can't figure out is how they could possibly get Henry informed on everything that is going on within the last 90 minutes of the series, and have Henry willing to go along with it.  Perhaps he stays behind and Stan watches over him.

With all that is going on, I can't imagine Claudia being a factor. 

Yeah, I think this is going to be a disappointment I have with the series.  I wanted to see the fallout explained in more than just one episode.  Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.

I suspect using Tatiana showed how small the plotters were.  While I think Elizabeth would be more likely to be one of those plotters, I will admit that Claudia's explanation of their plan and how they would alter reports to back it up was dicey at best.  If Elizabeth would have showed doubt over that, I could have bought her transformation a little more.

[tpplay]

15 hours ago, Dminches said:

Elizabeth is a monster but I am still rooting for her.  I guess that says something positive about the writing and character development.

Ugh!

If it was possible, I'd jump through the TV screen and execute her myself.

[misstwpherecool]

10 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Which is a shame.  Even with all of this shows faults, it is still better than most of the other crap that is on television.

It seemed anyway that they kept pushing back the season start times. I think they first year it early in the new year/January which made for a greater chance of someone watching it. By the time the time April or May roll around  outdoor activity and  special occasions pick up. Running January through March other than other tv shows there isn't as much to compete.

[Ina123]

4 minutes ago, tpplay said:

Ugh!

If it was possible, I'd jump through the TV screen and execute her myself.

If it was possible to assassinate her twice, I would be right behind you, regardless the sudden turn of events. I could do it for her just kicking the jack out from under the car, killing an innocent man.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Ina123

[lazylou]

6 hours ago, RedHawk said:

As a long-time DC resident I have to say that your statement is incorrect. DC gets less snow now than it did in the ‘80s, and it was not rare to get snow then. There’s actually a term used by our weather forecasters now. They say “snow dome” to describe how areas all around DC will get snow but DC gets just a trace if anything at all, as if we are covered by a dome. 

I live in Denver and always get very annoyed when neighborhoods, etc., are clearly not Denver but are supposed to be.  (Pre-sixties housing here in the city was brick...much of which is now painted, but still brick...and movies are always trying to pass off Victorian era frame houses as being Denver.  So...do shots supposed to be in DC look right?  I do not require that everything be done in the correct location...just that it looks like it was.

[Ina123]

Just now, Ina123 said:

 

 

5 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I guess there isn't pastor/parishioner privilege.

If I was Stan and on the other end of that phone call, I'd know something was up. Groovy Hairless was much too hesitant with his answers.

3 minutes ago, lazylou said:

I live in Denver and always get very annoyed when neighborhoods, etc., are clearly not Denver but are supposed to be.  (Pre-sixties housing here in the city was brick...much of which is now painted, but still brick...and movies are always trying to pass off Victorian era frame houses as being Denver.  So...do shots supposed to be in DC look right?  I do not require that everything be done in the correct location...just that it looks like it was.

My memory of Falls Church years ago was red brick colonial. E and P clearly live in a fairly recent (for the 80s) suburb.

[Erin9]

7 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I am beginning to wonder if Stan was just playing that up for the people listening on the speaker.  I know,  I have never had any faith in Stan, but this series is almost over.  If I am ever going to give him the benefit of a doubt, it is now or never.

 I think he was saying exactly how he felt, given his recent Thanksgiving toast. 

[SunnyBeBe]

59 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

There's a Renee sex joke in there somewhere.

So totally unintentional too.  I mean, Stan......oh my....

[RedHawk]

4 hours ago, benteen said:

Minor point, is this the first time we've learned the name of the travel agency?

My complaints aside, the Philip chase scene was very well-done and tense as hell.

We learned it was called Dupont Circle Travel Agency in the first episode, I think. Definitely it was mentioned early in the first season and a few times throughout the series. 

58 minutes ago, AMDG said:

Who else would they have to complete the mission? It was only a select few who were in on the plot.

This comment made me suddenly realize that Tatiana (who was the head of the Rezidentura at this point, right? or she's certainly near the top, not a minor desk jockey) was part of the anti-Gorbachev faction. She would have been the one to falsify the reports, if it came to that. Wait until Oleg hears how she met her end.

 

17 minutes ago, lazylou said:

I live in Denver and always get very annoyed when neighborhoods, etc., are clearly not Denver but are supposed to be.  (Pre-sixties housing here in the city was brick...much of which is now painted, but still brick...and movies are always trying to pass off Victorian era frame houses as being Denver.  So...do shots supposed to be in DC look right?  I do not require that everything be done in the correct location...just that it looks like it was.

Nope, doesn't look like DC at all, which could drive me crazy if I didn't willfully ignore it. Yet, I still notice it in every single outdoor scene. For one, they are always showing buildings with fire escapes and row houses with front stoops (like in Brooklyn), and we just don't (and didn't in the '80s) have buildings like that. They try to fake the look of the federal buildings like the State Department and such and it's not them but they at least look somewhat like them. They DO provide shots of the actual FBI building and the buildings surrounding it. And when we've seen outside Agent Gaad/Agent Wolf's office windows a few times, I think they got the view correct. And the overhead establishing shots of the Mall and Dupont Circle are correct but more recent, not from the '80s.

I live in the neighborhood that they showed on a map when Stan and Aderholt discussed how Sophia would supposedly walk from her office to Armand's Pizza (a real place!) for lunch when she would be actually sneaking a meeting with them. The map was basically correct, which pleased me to a ridiculous level. They do sometimes insert callouts to real DC places and businesses at times, which is fun. Right now a lot of the background talk going on in Stan's new FBI office group is about the Marion Barry scandal that will blow up in a couple more years.

[Glade]

If that had been Claudia or Renee, it would have been a really powerful sendoff for either character, with Elizabeth killing them and not even stopping to look at their faces to see who it was.  Whether she was taught how to assassinate or not, Tatiana definitely wasn't trained to face off against a directorate S agent, so she stood no chance.  We better get something about Renee next week. 

That Elizabeth insisted on continuing to lie even after that scene with Claudia (when she should have been preparing to tell Paige that it's over) was ridiculous.  I'm glad that Paige finally said F this, even though unbeknownst to her the issue was about to become moot.  When she entered the room I thought that either Claudia or Pastor Tim had contacted her, but no, it was on her own which is better.   

This was an incredible episode.  I'm really hoping we get an extended finale next week--at least 2 hours (though I'd settle for 3 or 4--enough to make up for the 3 episodes they sawed off of this season that could have been an epilogue--or maybe there will be a music video montage that shows us Martha and her daughter, and all the other characters moving on.)

Edited May 24, 2018 by Glade

[tpplay]

8 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

The writers finally tightened the light bulb in her head. 

What pisses me off is that the writers have made Paige such a dim bulb for so long, that to have her all of a sudden say she knew what was going on along, to me just isn't believable.  Paige does not have a poker face.

I actually thought she meant "I didn't want to know it but I knew it."  That lying was going on all the time.  That something was up.  I've had experiences like that when something has been revealed to me and all of a sudden - "I knew it."  So that's why that worked for me.  (Also, I actually think Paige does have something of a poker face, but maybe that's just her face."

[RedHawk]

I'm ok without a montage of "what happened" in the other characters' lives. Many of their story lines have been ended in a way I can accept. For example, if we never see or hear about Claudia again, we saw her final showdown with Liz. Pastor Tim was questioned by Stan and didn't give up P&E. I don't think Stan will contact him again. Pastor Tim is happy with his life in Argentina and will probably be watching the political news from the U.S. more closely for a while, and watching his back even longer, so for me that's an acceptable end to his story. He may now recall that early visit from black-gloved Philip and realize that in his interactions with the Jennings couple he was in far more danger than he let himself imagine. I guess he will never suspect his amazingly perfect job offer came not because of Jesus but the KGB.

I'm sad thinking that young Misha may never meet his father Philip but I'm thinking that we're to accept that he found a welcoming alternate family with his uncle and that he'll be ok.

The one hanging thread I most want wrapped up is what was going on when Agent Gaad was murdered. I doubt we'll learn anything, just have to accept that he was collateral damage of the Cold War. 

[jjj]

59 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

The people on the street are like those people John Mulany makes fun of in his stand up about Law and Order. “Double rape and murder? Doesn’t matter to this guy, he’s gotta unload that truck!”

Ha!  I have never seen that bit, but I am always so amused at the L&O scenes where the police show up at some random person's door about a murder, and the person is going, hey, I am making a piece of toast here, but go ahead with your questions.  Hey, I am sorting pictures for my photo album (it was the 90s!), but sure, tell me about the gruesome murder.  A police visit for me would get my full attention!  Yes, this group of diplomats was similarly befuddled. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I recall a few episodes back, when Paige was asking questions about honey trapping and E lied to her, I posted then that Paige knew that her mom was lying and that she was just pretending to believe her.  Too hard to look for it now.  But, I still think she knew, but was in denial.  The problem with Paige is that she just can't process things well.  It's tough stuff, but.....to me, if this was not near the series finale, she would be hold up in a closet again, too upset to function. I just don't see her having that inner strength that is needed to live their life.  Her belief system and sensibilities just aren't right for it. 

[White Sheep]

How far can you get in 1987 with with 15,000 American dollars and undisclosed sum of Canadian money (top bill a 5 Canadian note)?   I saw 1 stack of 100 and 1 stack of 50 dollars bills that she pulled from the fuse box hiding place.  With the entire KGB /FBI/CIA organization after you?   

 

Do do you think they have any more cash laying around?   

Edited May 25, 2018 by White Sheep

[SunnyBeBe]

I didn't count it, but thought that with Philip's financial troubles, do you think he snatched any from the kitty? 

[tpplay]

1 hour ago, Ina123 said:

1 hour ago, tpplay said:

Ugh!

If it was possible, I'd jump through the TV screen and execute her myself.

If it was possible to assassinate her twice, I would be right behind you, regardless the sudden turn of events. I could do it for her just kicking the jack out from under the car, killing an innocent man.

Yes.  And that poor old lady in the warehouse who she poisoned.  And countless others.  Not to mention that she is a pitifully terrible parent.  

[hellmouse]

5 minutes ago, White Sheep said:

How far can you get in 1987 with with 15,000 American dollars and undisclosed sum of Canadian money (top bill a 5 Canadian note)?   I saw 1 stack of 100 and 1 stack of 50 dollars bills that she pulled from the fuse box hiding place.  With the entire KGB /FBI/CIA organization after you?   

 

Do do you think they have any more cash laying around?   

When Philip calls Elizabeth he is a wearing a different jacket than he had on when he met Father Andrei. So I'm guessing he has already gone to a safe house or a garage. Hopefully a garage because then he'll have a car. We know from previous episodes that they have cash, guns, passports etc stashed in at least one garage. So if that's where Philip went, he probably grabbed more cash. 

I think $15,000 was a good amount of money in 1987, probably equivalent to about $30,000 today. Enough to get to Canada, buy plane tickets, and hide until they can leave. But not enough to live on forever.  

[SunnyBeBe]

58 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

I am beginning to wonder if Stan was just playing that up for the people listening on the speaker.  I know,  I have never had any faith in Stan, but this series is almost over.  If I am ever going to give him the benefit of a doubt, it is now or never.

I'm not sure I can give Stan the benefit of the doubt. I don't get why he doesn't listen to what Oleg is saying and try to use it as a positive for the US., especially, when he learns of Tatianna.   Couldn't he use the info to make the Americans appear to be on top of things, saved the day, saved a Soviet diplomat and diverted a coup to foil the Summit? They don't have to bring Oleg into it at all.  But, Stan is acting like he's in a pissing contest.  I don't get it. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[jjj]

No, I had suggested a few episodes ago that Philip could have helped himself to the cash that was sitting in several locations -- but I am sure we would have seen that, if he did.  And he knew what the money really was for.  Interestingly, even though he was out of the life for a while, he was totally on the hook if Elizabeth got discovered, because the escape plan had to include him, and so they still had to be running drills all that time for eventual discovery. 

Yes, $15,000 could go a long way in 1987.  And even further in Canada, where the US dollar was very strong.  I used to travel to Canada then partly because hotel rooms seemed so cheap!  (And hey were cheap to start with!) 

20 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I didn't count it, but thought that with Philip's financial troubles, do you think he snatched any from the kitty? 

[EtheltoTillie]

4 hours ago, misstwpherecool said:

What was the big lead or information on the safe houses when Aderholt put everyone them and garages was it? The priests?

It was from Harvest and, I suppose, the previous episode, when they learned about all the super duper tradecraft from the traitor they uncovered. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by GussieK

[jjj]

28 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

When Philip calls Elizabeth he is a wearing a different jacket than he had on when he met Father Andrei. So I'm guessing he has already gone to a safe house or a garage. Hopefully a garage because then he'll have a car. We know from previous episodes that they have cash, guns, passports etc stashed in at least one garage. So if that's where Philip went, he probably grabbed more cash. 

I think $15,000 was a good amount of money in 1987, probably equivalent to about $30,000 today. Enough to get to Canada, buy plane tickets, and hide until they can leave. But not enough to live on forever.  

I'll be interested to find out if Philip got to a garage that was not under FBI surveillance.  I thought he was wearing the top he had under his puffy parka. 

And the $15000 -- was only intended as getaway money, not starting over money.  They knew there would be no starting over in the US or Canada.  The goal was to get "home".  What a shock it would be for Paige.  But I have a feeling she will not be making that trip "home".

7 minutes ago, GussieK said:

It was from Harvest and, I suppose, the previous episode, when they learned about all the super duper tradecraft from the traitor they uncovered. 

 

No, the question was what set off Aderholt and made him put all agents on garages and safe houses RIGHT NOW.  It was the chase of Philip, because they assumed he would be heading to one of those, and they wanted to be sure to nab him, which would take more than *two* fast-running agents.

Edited May 24, 2018 by jjj

[EtheltoTillie]

17 minutes ago, jjj said:

I'll be interested to find out if Philip got to a garage that was not under FBI surveillance.  I thought he was wearing the top he had under his puffy parka. 

And the $15000 -- was only intended as getaway money, not starting over money.  They knew there would be no starting over in the US or Canada.  The goal was to get "home".  What a shock it would be for Paige.  But I have a feeling she will not be making that trip "home".

No, the question was what set off Aderholt and made him put all agents on garages and safe houses RIGHT NOW.  It was the chase of Philip, because they assumed he would be heading to one of those, and they wanted to be sure to nab him, which would take more than *two* fast-running agents.

Oh, that makes sense. 

[Ina123]

I think that was a fitting end to the Tatiana story.

Once again her operation is screwed by Oleg.

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, Kokapetl said:

I love this “you pitiful bitch” look that Claudia gave Elizabeth. 

 

To me it's more like "Oh, honey, no." Hee. Margo Martindale is a queen.

[jjj]

48 minutes ago, hellmouse said:

When Philip calls Elizabeth he is a wearing a different jacket than he had on when he met Father Andrei. So I'm guessing he has already gone to a safe house or a garage. Hopefully a garage because then he'll have a car. We know from previous episodes that they have cash, guns, passports etc stashed in at least one garage. So if that's where Philip went, he probably grabbed more cash. 

You are right (correcting my earlier response) -- Philip does have a brown jacket over his sweater in the phone call.  But he did not need to go to a garage -- he had to get back to his car, which was not under surveillance.  Yet.  I assume he had the jacket in his car. 

[Macbeth]

8 hours ago, JFParnell said:

Did anyone else think of Mags Bennett (from Justified) when Margo Martindale was preparing a meal in front of Liz? Mags had some literally killer moonshine for her enemies.

 

Always.  Claudia like Mags would have no problems poisoning someone.  However, unlike Mags, Claudia won't console you while you die - she will just spit in your face.

[Mrs Shibbles]

8 hours ago, JFParnell said:

 

Did anyone else think of Mags Bennett (from Justified) when Margo Martindale was preparing a meal in front of Liz? Mags had some literally killer moonshine for her enemies.

Yes! We just rewatched the series and this is the first thing that popped into my head. Don’t try the “Apple Pie”, Elizabeth!

[SunnyBeBe]

26 minutes ago, jjj said:

I'll be interested to find out if Philip got to a garage that was not under FBI surveillance.  I thought he was wearing the top he had under his puffy parka. 

And the $15000 -- was only intended as getaway money, not starting over money.  They knew there would be no starting over in the US or Canada.  The goal was to get "home".  What a shock it would be for Paige.  But I have a feeling she will not be making that trip "home".

No, the question was what set off Aderholt and made him put all agents on garages and safe houses RIGHT NOW.  It was the chase of Philip, because they assumed he would be heading to one of those, and they wanted to be sure to nab him, which would take more than *two* fast-running agents.

But, how did they know where Philip and the Priest would be located? Just that morning, the head priest gave Andre's name to the FBI, but, how would the FBI know they were going to the park? Did they follow P from a garage to the park or just get there to see him meet with Andre? I mean, it would be a great guess that they just happened to get there to see him with Philip by chance.

[EtheltoTillie]

3 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

But, how did they know where Philip and the Priest would be located? Just that morning, the head priest gave Andre's name to the FBI, but, how would the FBI know they were going to the park? Did they follow P from a garage to the park or just get there to see him meet with Andre? I mean, it would be a great guess that they just happened to get there to see him with Philip by chance.

I think it would have been easy for them to find and follow the priest. He probably lives at the church.

[jjj]

5 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

But, how did they know where Philip and the Priest would be located? Just that morning, the head priest gave Andre's name to the FBI, but, how would the FBI know they were going to the park? Did they follow P from a garage to the park or just get there to see him meet with Andre? I mean, it would be a great guess that they just happened to get there to see him with Philip by chance.

I agree the timeline was very tight -- and what I thought is that as soon as the arch-priest (that is what they were calling him) said Andrei's name, they put agents on Andrei.  But given that he was away from the monastery/whatever, they would have had to hunt him down.  Philip was a bonus, and just what they were hoping to find.  They were not following Philip, but definitely following Andrei.  And there had to be another agent or two on the priest after the meeting, because they were bringing him to headquarters for questioning "in ten minutes".  The FBI was on their game for the Father Andrei caper.  (It would not have taken two fast-running agents to catch up with Father Andrei, who seemed confused at Philip's sudden departure.  Confused, but knew he had to move.) 

ETA:  Yes, also below, posted at the same time!

2 minutes ago, GussieK said:

I think it would have been easy for them to find and follow the priest. He probably lives at the church.

Edited May 24, 2018 by jjj

[Orbert]

Speaking of Agent Wolf, wasn't he the new boss after Gaad "retired" three years ago?  I remember at least one joke about him being a "munchkin" but maybe it was someone else.  Then this season it took me a minute to realize that Aderholt is the boss now, and I think this is the first time we've seen Wolf since then.  But now he's just a regular agent since Aderholt is the boss.  Or am I totally messed up here?

[jjj]

5 minutes ago, Orbert said:

Speaking of Agent Wolf, wasn't he the new boss after Gaad "retired" three years ago?  I remember at least one joke about him being a "munchkin" but maybe it was someone else.  Then this season it took me a minute to realize that Aderholt is the boss now, and I think this is the first time we've seen Wolf since then.  But now he's just a regular agent since Aderholt is the boss.  Or am I totally messed up here?

Gaad always had someone above him -- I assume Wolf is that person now (for Aderholt).  Not head of the whole FBI, but of a division in which Aderholt/Gaad serves as head of a unit. 

Would be fun if they got the actual Ed Meese (Attorney General then, so in charge of the FBI and still alive) for a cameo.  I knew young agents in the FBI then who knew him. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by jjj

[Umbelina]

10 hours ago, Trillian said:

Maybe I’m being naive, but what do the FBI actually have on Oleg?  Stan can threaten all he wants to pin all those murders on him, but nothing links him to them.  No one implicated a tall, extraordinarily handsome man.  Passing secret notes isn’t per se a crime. If they decode the note it may or may not say anything incriminating (or it could be the recipe for Zharkoye - these people know their code words).  I guess he knows the identity of the illegals, but the lawyer in me asks how they could prove that, assuming that itself is a crime. He’s not guilty of spying on the US; at most, they can prove with the note that he’s spying on the Soviet Union. 

 

Or or maybe I just want to see Oleg get home to bachelorette #3 and his cute son and spend the rest of his life on train schedules. 

Espionage. 

7 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

How big of an idiot is Father Andre?  I mean, you do all that small talk, before giving P the biggest news of his life? How dense is that.  What will Andre reveal to the FBI? (I always thought their contact with this guy was ludicrous.) Why didn't Andre pack his bags and leave the day before?  

I felt the discovery of the intern information by Paige was too contrived.  Just don't buy it, but, it is what it is. I suppose it doesn't matter now. 

 

The priest isn't a trained KGB Officer, he just helps them out.  He was an idiot, but that doesn't surprise me, given who he is.

I didn't think it was contrived at all.  Paige knew Elizabeth was working on Nunn.  The congressional interns had a party and both interns were there.  It's 2 + 2.

5 hours ago, Ina123 said:

I thought both Paige's boyfriend and Jackson were interns in Nunn's? office. It's completely believable that they would party together. The problem I had was with Paige suddenly putting it together just with "older woman" and "ruined my life". I don't remember Paige saying that he told how she ruined his life. Unless we are to assume he mentioned stupidly putting a bug in the meeting room for her.

The kid was drunk and puking and scared and quit his job to go home and work at the boring father's business.

5 hours ago, crgirl412 said:

You reminded me of something I had forgotten to post.  

I don't remember Elizabeth smoking like a chimney when she was with Gregory- at all!!!  Didn't he light up a joint but she declined when she ended their friends with benefits?  She didn't smoke in that apartment when he confronted Philip about loving her. 

When was it???

She did.  I remember her almost always lighting up with Gregory, and even some discussion about it between them.

 

I'm still playing catch up here, back to reading.  I just want to add that having Paige be upset about Elizabeth's honeytrapping doesn't strike me as odd at all.  It's difficult enough for most kids/people to picture their parents having sex, let alone boning randoms, especially randoms that are your age.  Aside from that?  Paige was pissed that Elizabeth, yet again, after all they have been through?  LYING to her.  Again.  Some more.  Kid is being a KGB trainee for her, and her mother is STILL lying.

Highly recommend the podcast this week!  Oleg with possibly a spoiler.  Aderholt talking about his role/research.  Yes, it was a cyanide gas gun in the newspaper, the horse was a stuffed horse!  More.

https://slate.com/culture/2018/05/the-americans-insider-podcast-for-episode-609-jennings-elizabeth.html