The Americans is Delightful.

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

IF he dies in any way other than cancer in a hospital bed they will have to deal with Paige wondering (eventually, if not immediately) if "they" did it. They can't risk that. And his wife knows as well so! Once he's dead there's no way she would keep that secret unless she feared for her life, but we're back to Paige never entertaining the idea.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Interesting that Elizabeth confided in Paige that basically she dreamed of helping out in a third world country, and now they're contemplating sending Pastor Tim off to one. It makes me wonder if they'll all end up in one together at the end.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I thought that story was pure spin Elizabeth was feeding Paige to soften her up to Mommy.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Right, I remember you said that. And, it may well be. I just found the parallels interesting and am wondering whether there isn't some sort of irony in the offing.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

The farther this show moves along, the more I wonder if when Henry's going to find out about Phillip and Elizabeth. They seem to be skipping completely over the topic and neither parent seems to be contemplating whether they should tell him or not. My theory is that he already knows.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

As crazy as that sounds, I wouldn't be surprised.

"Yeah, so you're Russian spies? Big deal." *shrug*

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Leading into the conclusion, this episode felt like a painful parallel to Philip and Elizabeth's previous operation that ultimately lead to the death of an innocent man. Could they be heading to the same result again? I wasn't sure myself if Natalie was truly Anna until she heard the door slam and knew her husband had returned ("Please, don't hurt him. He doesn't know"). Before that, her initial confession rang false, felt hollow. And not just because I agreed with Philip about the uncertainty of the truth. But then the truth then came pouring out as she bore out her soul to her husband.

I'm not surprised Philip wavered. I'm not surprised Elizabeth took charge and killed them both. But even though we knew both of them were reaching a breaking point on their overall mission, I was genuinely taken aback when Elizabeth said she wanted out. Wanted to flee back home. Right now.

The final two episodes of this season can't come soon enough.

Interesting how the last several episodes of alternated focus between Paige and Henry, where one doesn't appear in the episode at all. We're accustomed to that happening with Henry since the beginning but it felt jarring to have Paige be completely absent from an episode (for the second time in three episodes) considering the heavy focus she has gotten throughout the show, especially with how the previous episode ended. Nonetheless, I like this creative direction at this point. Henry has now gone full pro-FBI and everything Stan does, seduced by the "awesomeness" of the bureau. Not that Elizabeth and Philip are going to allow that to happen for even one second. "Well, he's not getting Henry." "No."

At long last, the return of Mail Robot! "Eh, it's more trouble than it's worth."

 

[CorporalCaptain]

The stuff in Russia was heartbreaking.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Indeed it was. Fomina's speech, even though it was in Russian, was one of hell of a gut punch. I wonder if Oleg will take it to heart, as the man of privilege that he is.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Also, the bit about the dude getting committed for speaking out about true things.

 

[marillion]

So here's where the division will really begin.. I don't think for a moment that Phillip wants to go "home"... He doesn't want his kids to grow up in that environment and his memories of his childhood, now that they are flooding back, are too painful.. And now, there's no way Henry will be able to make that kind of transition. I think Phillip is going to show up at Stan's doorstep with a six pack of Miller High Life (a good beer, really!) and just unload sometime next season, or maybe in the season finale..

 

[The Nth Doctor]

"It's so great you're letting him go."

The whole episode pivots around that one line. Of course, Paige meant allowing Henry go to the boarding school but Philip and Elizabeth have other thoughts deeply entrenched in their minds, to the point of a rare moment of their masks slipping. Paige has no idea what's on their minds but she knows something is off. And yet, Philip and Elizabeth don't even consider the possibility of actually leaving Henry behind if and when they decide to go back to Russia.

But it's Tuan's decision to let go of his faux friendship with Pascha that's truly alarming. His plan could work, but it's incredibly risky and there's one problem that no one in the room considered: What if his parents don't arrive at home when Tuan's expects them to? It's a huge gamble and Tuan's plan, as well as his decision not to run it by Philip and Elizabeth, shows he only focuses on the larger picture and isn't caught up in the consequences of the details.

A touching moment between Oleg and his father. The viewer can see how much Igor cares for his son, using his privilege to help his son anyway he can, but Oleg has to sternly insist to let him be.

Did I confuse two different women or was the wife of Mischa's brother the same woman who was the grocer that Oleg saved from charges after investigating her?

Also, did anyone else fruitlessly search for Martha during Oleg's brief visit to the grocery?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I was scanning for Martha!

Tuan has recklessly made the whole operation vulnerable. What if Pasha blurts out to his parents that Tuan told him where to cut or even that Tuan put him up to it? That could get Tuan in trouble, and it could damage Elizabeth's relationship with Pasha's mom. The fact that Tuan would take the initiative like that without clearing it first, and then fail to understand how it's freaking Philip and Elizabeth out, that means he's getting out of control and in a scary way. Plus the way he want off on his own out of state.

I wondered about Mischa's brother's wife and the grocer, too. They're similar looking, but I believe they are different people.

 

[Captain Shaw]

I was worried for a second when I saw page with a rope in the garage.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I was worried for a second when I saw page with a rope in garage.

Uh, oh....

 

[Enterprise is Great]

I was looking for Martha as well.

I loved the look on Stan and his partner's faces when their asset showed up with her boyfriend. It took them awhile to get their jaws off the floor. I don't trust that guy at all.

Just one more episode. This season is going by fast. Next season will go by faster since it's just 10 episodes instead of the usual 13..

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Good to know I wasn't the only one.

I wondered about Mischa's brother's wife and the grocer, too. They're similar looking, but I believe they are different people.

Yeah, I suspect you're right but it seems strange.

I was worried for a second when I saw page with a rope in the garage.

I was worried for only half a second before I quickly realized what she was up to.

I loved the look on Stan and his partner's faces when their asset showed up with her boyfriend. It took them awhile to get their jaws off the floor. I don't trust that guy at all.

I think it's safe to say no one trusts that guy. It was such an awkward and blatant conversation. Just like Stan said, it was straight out of a training script.

Just one more episode. This season is going by fast. Next season will go by faster since it's just 10 episodes instead of the usual 13..

Indeed. Based on how things are being set up in this episode alone (Philip and Elizabeth planning to go back to Russia but with that lingering possibility of defection, Henry going to boarding school, the Paige question mark, etc.), I feel like we're heading for a thrilling endgame next season.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I was worried for only half a second before I quickly realized what she was up to.

That was me, too. But worried, nonetheless! I gotta think they toyed with us on purpose there, with that, and in an episode discussing a possible suicide attempt, no less.

 

[marillion]

Well.. While that wasn't a "barn burner" of a season finale, there is quite the set up for next season... SOOOO many lingering questions..

Spoiler: What comes next?

Does Phillip feel weak, knowing Elizabeth still kind of wants to continue on? Will they change their minds? Stan's GF giving him the subtle treatment to convince him to keep his job... Martha adopting a little girl to find some purpose in life.. Kimmy realizing that she's losing more than her dealer. lol...

Damn I LOVE this show!!!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

^ Yeah.

And on the Paige front: Paige bravely going on into the parking lot, evidently wondering if she's ready to handle getting assaulted, and soldiering on after getting smacked in the lip. She now looks like she's getting physically abused at home, which adds a new dimension to Pastor Tim's comments in his diary about Paige's psychological damage. Paige still doesn't look like a fighter yet, but more than ever I'm wondering if she's going to have to get physical with someone before it's all over.

Renee's urging of Stan to stay in the bureau works either way, whichever side she's on. If she's KGB or in any other foreign service, then she's trying to keep her asset in place. If she's CIA, FBI, or in any other US service, then maybe she's genuinely being patriotic and trying to keep a good guy in service.