The Americans is Delightful.

Very cool. I was basing my assessment mainly on the facts that, of the three, she alone spoke substantively to Oleg and that they gave her a backstory that would be compatible with, if not encourage, a re-connection.

 

Just finished watching last night... Phillip is really having issues. I LOVE the way his character has developed over the course of the series.. And I do find it kind of surprising that Elizabeth's character hasn't developed in the same way.. Yes, we've seen some good moments this season with her, and this week's episode really showed the legitimate love they have for each other.. But she has always kind of come off as this hard boiled agent who has to keep Philip in line. She's always on the job, and the juxtaposition of the scenes where the were both having sex with their marks is a true depiction of that.. While Phillip is doing the deed, you can see the regret and discomfort he has on his face.. While Elizabeth is in bed with the guy, she's scanning the room, always assessing.. Just seems like most of her character development took place off screen, in the years leading up to where the series started..

I'm starting to wonder if maybe a good part of the next season really will deal with them being on the run from the Center, with the way Phillip is acting.

As for Stan's girlfriend, I think they are telegraphing too hard, that she might be a plant, which makes me think that Phillip and Elizabeth are completely overthinking it. Instead of tailing her, why don't they just ask the Center for clarification?

 

They might be concerned with the possibility that she's spying on them, too. If she does work for the Soviets, then the question arises: why didn't the Center notify Philip and Elizabeth about her? They might be interested in seeing what the Center says after they know some hard facts; will the Center attempt to contradict what they know?

 

You'd think that Center would want to keep the Jennings in the loop, just to avoid a scenario where your various agents are getting in each others' way, but it would hardly be the first time, in any organization, where the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing.

Liked the throwaway reference to "Romancing the Stone."

 

Maybe Stan's new GF is CIA. She turned up when Stan didn't want Oleg pressured. Maybe "our own" people are double-checking where his loyalties lie.

 

I re-watched Renee's banter with the Jennings about Pennsylvania when they and Stan went out to eat. I get a definitely threatening vibe from Renee in that conversation, and it played out like a poker game, with her seeing their lies about where they said they were from and raising, I suspect, with some of her own.

Another thing I picked up on re-watch was that she won't allow Stan to see her play softball. That raised a definite red flag, because that's naturally consistent with the idea that there're no such games because things about her simply aren't the way she says they are.

 

Good points.. Both of you.. I never thought of the CIA angle..

My only thought about her softball games is that why tell him something so obvious without having a way to back it up.. Sure, Phillip can tell the defector's family that he's a pilot, but other than going to an airport and taking a flight on his airline, how would they know? Lying about the softball team without having it verifiable seems to sloppy for either the CIA or the KGB...

Of course, when all is said and done, she could be completely on the up and up and gets caught in a crossfire somehow (figurative, not literal) after Phil and Liz push to find out who she is... I dunno.. I'm really not sure where I sit with this one...

 

Ooh, I like that idea!

 

I also like the CIA idea! I was thinking about another foreign power aside from the Soviet Union, but I hadn't even considered ourselves. The timing is indeed suspect.

I noticed this as well but only because I was looking for it. If it hadn't been for the discussions here and the A.V. Club reviews, I hadn't suspected Renee as a honeypot. But now that it's in my head, I've been looking for signs. Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see, but I definitely picked something up during that Pennsylvania conversation.

 

Paige feels the same way.

 

Yup, and that's why I still think Paige is the most interesting character on the show.

Well...until Martha properly returns. I'm very curious to see how she's coping in the Societ Union.

 

I'm starting to see Paige as a young Elizabeth embracing an ideology deep deep into her heart.. and it's horrifying. Yes let's replace the "opiate of the masses" with another Class A drug and call it good, ugh.

I think Elizabeth is kinda a sociopath and won't ever be bothered by qualms.

If they don't do anything more with it the whole Matthew's son story was really a waste of time.

Pretty sure young Henry is going to want to join the FBI some day.

 

Fun fact: Last night's episode "Crossbreed" was directed by Roxann Dawson!

Yes, it seems Paige is getting sucked in. Christianity and communism have much in common, and it's good that they're making Paige seem amenable to Marx. It's great that the book came from Pastor Tim; he really would know all about it.

You mean Philip (played by Matthew Rhys)?

Here's one possibility that occurred to me. Maybe meeting Paige will change Gabriel's mind about leaving, and then it will come out that Philip's son came over and tried to see him...

That would be great!

 

Well, I wanted character development for Elizabeth and I finally got it... I could feel the angst... This whole deal with the lab has shaken her more than I think she wants to admit. Yes.. I think she is a sociopath, but her qualms are starting to crack through.. The bit with the Mary Kay lady showed us who she really is.. When she doesn't have to put on an act for one of her marks, she gives ZERO Fs. But something is stirring inside her now... Interested to see where this goes.

 

(Yes, Phillip, got a messy mind lol)

I'm so glad we have 7 more episodes. I always want this show to do full justice to every storyline and character, it's SO good.

 

The whole thing with her Korean Mary Kay friend really affected Elizabeth. The Mary Kay lady this week brought it all back, and Super Wheat Hippie Guy in Topeka is cool and all, but she's over it. Now Gabriel wants to leave. I think we're finally seeing the loyal Soviet soldier Elizabeth start to crack. She's not as far gone as Philip but she's on her way now.

I think they are very carefully setting the groundwork for it all to come unraveled in season 6, with the Jennings wanting to quit spying, but also not wanting to go home. They want to put down roots and finally have a normal life....except they can't.

The thing with Misha suddenly going back to Russia doesn't seem like it's done with. I think next week, after meeting Paige, Gabriel will feel guilty and come clean to Philip that his son came to visit.

 

Elizabeth has no friends, not even any decent fake friends like Stan is to Phillip at times. For normal people this would be terrible but it's take Elizabeth a couple decades to really feel it

 

I totally forgot that her Korean mark did Mary Kay.. Ok.. I understand that more now... But yeah.. She has no friends at all... Yes, Stan could be considered a mark for Phillip, but in reality, Phillip truly thinks of him as a friend..

She is a tough nut to crack.. I loved how she had to dig deep to make up something to talk about with the psychiatrist and loved her little eye-roll when she walked out the door... Phillip would have been morose and introspective.. She's a soldier... But I too believe she's really starting to break down.. And good for her for that..