The Americans, episode ten

Philip is stranded. He wanders and doesn’t go home. The next morning Elizabeth makes her way to a garage. Stan and his team are canvasing all the garages they know of. So far no luck. Stan himself is on the move but he stops to make a call. He tries the travel agency but neither Philip nor Elizabeth are there. His next call is to the Jennings household. No answer there either. Elizabeth meets up with Philip. She has a plan.

She wants to get Paige, head up to get Henry then flee for Canada. Philip doesn’t agree. He wants to leave Henry behind. He thinks it is the best thing for his son since Henry doesn’t know anything about them. Elizabeth is not happy with that. Dennis has a priest in custody. He wants them to work together. Stan is on a stakeout. He ducks away. Philip and Elizabeth have reunited and are on the move. She admits that she defied orders,

Arkady tells Oleg’s father that he was taken into custody and since he wasn’t on an official mission there is nothing they can do. Stan left one stakeout for another and it proves fruitless. Dennis is having trouble with the priest. He resorts to threatening the church which gets the priest talking about the operatives he met with. He saw them once without a disguise. Stan’s new stakeout is near Paige’s place. He sees Philip and Elizabeth head into the apartment building.

They go to see Paige and tell her to pack a bag. She wants to take a minute and talk about things, especially when she finds out that they are leaving Henry behind. Elizabeth packs a bag and they head to the car. Stan confronts them in the parking garage, with a gun, and with no other choice Philip owns up to it. He and Stan go back and forth talking about their friendship. Stan isn’t backing down but Philip keeps talking.

He quit being a spy and now he’s just a shitty travel agent and now they need to stop their own country for the safety of society. He tells Stan they are going to leave and as they get ready to head to the car Paige tells Stan to take care of Henry. Philip has one more thing to say. He’s not sure but thinks that Renee might be one of them. The Jennings leave. Elizabeth explains to Paige that they have fake passports but they will have to change their appearance.

Paige is more concerned about Henry. She wants to see him but that isn’t an option. Elizabeth pushes to at least talk to him and Philip relents. A quick call but they can’t tell him anything. Stan goes back to his stakeout. He says nothing. Oleg’s father goes home and sees his wife. In the woods, the Jennings dig up their new passports and shed everything that makes them the Jennings before changing their appearances. They call Henry and Philip tells him how much they love him and how proud they are.

Elizabeth takes a turn and echoes those sentiments. Paige can’t do it though. She can’t talk to Henry and act normal so she skips her turn and Henry gets off the phone. Stan gets back to the office and Dennis brings him in to talk. They got sketches from the priest’s description. It’s obviously Philip and Elizabeth. Dennis has people staking them out now. Stan plays dumb about the whole thing.

Philip stops at McDonald’s. He sends Paige inside and tells Elizabeth he wants to stay for a year to just try and meet with Henry to explain things. Stan goes home. Renee is asleep. He sits down next to her. The next morning, Philip, Elizabeth and Paige are all sitting separately on the train. Agents have been to their house and are taking things out in boxes. Renee looks on from across the street. Law enforcement officers get on the train and check IDs. Philip and Elizabeth pass. As the train leaves, they see that Paige got off before they made it to the Canadian border. Philip runs to sit with Elizabeth.

They are both visibly upset. Stan goes to see Henry. He interrupts hockey practice and breaks the news. Elizabeth dreams of Gregory and art on the long flight back to Russia. Paige gets back to Virginia and goes to Claudia’s apartment. It’s abandoned. She cracks open the vodka. Elizabeth and Philip drive up to the border. They seem hesitant but they do it anyway. They enter with no issue and continue to drive. Eventually they meet up with Arkady.

He takes the wheel and lets the two of them sit in the backseat. Before they get to the city, Philip asks him to pull over. He and Elizabeth get out and talk about what could’ve been. They talk about the kids and how they will be okay. It’ll just take some getting used to.

So can Paige be arrested? Like what happens to her? I also think Renee is a spy and have said that all along. I’m surprised with how this ended, how they were able to flee. I totally expected Elizabeth to go down in a blaze of glory. I think the subdued tone was good and overall I think I liked it. It’s probably the most realistic way this could have wrapped up. Poor Stan though. He tries so hard and just never wins. Now he will never trust his wife again.

 

The Americans, episode nine

Elizabeth and Philip are going about their business. So is Stan. His business involves looking into his neighbors though. He searches for them and gets no results.Elizabeth is trailing some folks important to the summit. Philip is at the travel agency when Stan stops by. They talk about the financial state of the business and Elizabeth’s whereabouts. She’s still trailing some government types. She flashes back to her own training.

Stan isn’t easily dissuaded so he is still looking into his longtime neighbors. He reaches out to Pastor Tim but it leads nowhere. Now in Brazil the pastor has nothing to say because he never really kept in touch. Elizabeth is still reflecting on her own life. She can’t get beyond it. Stan invites Dennis out for a beer. It won’t work but they do head out for lunch. Stan breaks down his theory on the Jennings. Dennis doesn’t buy it. Stan still can’t get it out of his head though.

Oleg is on the move. He leaves a signal for Philip. Dennis got pulled away from Stan to talk to a Russian priest. It gets him nowhere. He ends up pulled out to deal with an op that has agents busting Oleg, after emptying his pockets. Elizabeth is still thinking about when she first joined Stan questions Oleg but gets nowhere with the likes of Dennis looking on. Elizabeth takes out another female operative. In the privacy of a cell, Oleg tells Stan the truth.

He wants Stan to send a message but it’s not likely. Oleg explains that he is not desperate and is willing to sit it out. Elizabeth reports back to Claudia that she saved Gorbachev and reached out to his people about what is planned. Claudia goes off on her about loyalty and defending her country. She is not going to run. Philip meets with a priest. They talk about Elizabeth and what the priest has been up to.

Philip realizes that his government tail might have noticed him. He tells the priest to flee and then takes off himself. After several blocks her breaks into a run and some government types are onto him. It’s tense but he manages to get away. Elizabeth talks to Paige about boys. Paige finally sees what’s up and confronts her mom about her intern boy toy. Elizabeth denies it but Paige still isn’t sure.

She goes off on Elizabeth about being a whore and then Elizabeth snaps. Paige leaves. Dennis sends the whole team out to every suspected site they have. They got the priest and he will be there in a few minutes. Elizabeth’s training is coming to a close. She is warned not to lose herself. Present day the phone rings. It’s Philip. He warns her that things are going to shit. She hurries to the garage and pulls out everything needed to get away.

This is it. One left. I’m so glad that Elizabeth didn’t just blindly follow orders. It seems like Philip got away but I guess not. I don’t know what Paige thought she was signing up for. The audacity to yell at Elizabeth like that. It was nuts. She’s been like that all along. Paige just didn’t see it.

The Americans, episode eight

Elizabeth gets home and checks in with Philip. She tells him that she won’t need his help again. That’s not his concern. He’s worried about her but she tells him that she has it handled. He doesn’t believe her but carries on and tells her about his mission from Oleg. She wants to know what all he’s told and he lets her know that it’s been everything up through Chicago. She feels betrayed but he tries to explain that he was just trying to make her think.

He implies that she is just a puppet following orders and she takes offense to it. He points out that they are the ones that carry out the orders and she fights back before walking away. She wraps up a meeting with one mark and has a quick chat with another. The latter is the kid from the movies. She’s stringing him along about a job and wants a report on his work for the senator. Stan and Dennis are still putting the pieces together. They are getting closer.

Paige watches the news with Claudia and Elizabeth. She steps out and Elizabeth tells Claudia about some backdoor dealings at the summit. From there she heads to the night nurse gig and finds out the husband tried to help the woman die by morphine overdose. It didn’t work though so she’s basically in a coma. Elizabeth tells him to say his goodbyes and then leave. He does and she kills the woman. Then she sends the guy upstairs to spend time with her. Once alone, she takes photos of all of his classified documents.

Dennis, Stan and another agent look at sketches of the suspected illegals. There are several and then men can’t even figure out if they are the same people or multiple. The husband calls Elizabeth back upstairs and tells her to take a piece of art. She is drawn to one in particular. It’s big and shows a woman in obvious pain. That’s the one she takes. She brings it to the secret garage and is about to burn it. She decides not to and instead rolls it up and stores it away.

That lasts all of two seconds before she pulls it back out and torches it. Her next role is with the kid from the movies. He gave her the report and it was great. Now they are celebrating. It takes all of two seconds before they fall in bed together. Stan on the other hand is looking through old photos of the Jennings’ when Carol gets home. She got mail. It’s a letter requesting an interview for a job in personnel at the FBI.

The next morning, Elizabeth is in a hurry to get out the door and the kid is in bed eating breakfast. She sets him up. She’s got a lot to do and just needs a favor. She needs a box delivered to State. He agrees to do and she suggests leaving a piece of his senator’s stationary on top of it. The kid agrees and she kisses him and then leaves. Philip is at the office. He calls Henry but can’t get through to him. Stan goes to see an old friend of the late Gregory.

He shows the guy a photo of Elizabeth and asks if she was the woman coming around. It could be but he doesn’t know for sure. The only thing he remembers is that Gregory’s woman smoked like a chimney. Elizabeth calls the kid. She needs the box back. He’s willing to help again. Philip goes to see Stavos, the employee he let go. He explains that things are going downhill. Stavos points out that he has been loyal, even with whatever was going on in the back room. Philip is shocked that he noticed.

Elizabeth goes to pick up the kid and he’s got the box. He also seems distraught. She starts driving and gets him talking. He knows they bugged a meeting but he hasn’t realized it was about the summit. He just knows it was sketchy dealings. He tries to leave but she grabs him. He seems like he is going to cry. She lets him go and tells him to finish school and get out of politics. Philip gets a new suit. Elizabeth listens to the recording of the meeting about the summit.

There isn’t anything huge and she tells Claudia as much. Doesn’t matter. New orders. She has to take out one of the guys involved in the talks, immediately. An undercover Philip goes to the video store and rents a movie. A Russian movie. Claudia gets home to find Elizabeth waiting. She didn’t kill the guy. She thinks he is a good guy and has shown no signs of being a traitor. Claudia is mad and tells her to do her job. This time Elizabeth wants more details.

She gets them. She just doesn’t like them. The Center doesn’t like Gorbachev and plans to take him out. Philip was right. She’s been a pawn all along. Claudia tells her to do her job. Philip is watching his movie while across the street, Stan is watching the Jennings’ house. Elizabeth gets home and wants to meet with Philip’s guy. She’s still mad at Philip for betraying her. He tells her he had to put their country first.

That seems acceptable. She wants to relay a message. What they feared might happen is. The Center wants to take Gorbachev out before the summit is even over. She tells Philip to pass that on and then heads out to protect the man she wouldn’t kill.

So Stan is going to figure it out and his wife, who is also an undercover spy, will take him out for it. That’s what will definitely happen. Henry got outta dodge and isn’t looking back. I respect that. I also feel really bad for that kid that Elizabeth used. He’s just living his life, going to movies alone and being an intern.

The Americans, episode seven

Stan is home when someone knocks on his door. It’s Philip. Henry is at the house eating leftovers. Philip tells Stan that he has to go help Elizabeth with the work thing and Stan offers to keep an eye on Henry. Philip appreciates it. He goes in and tells Henry, who doesn’t seem all that concerned. Stan, on the other hand, he thinks there is more to the story. Philip says that it’s just work. Stan tells him that he has noticed that something is up. He wants to help.

He asks Philip if he’s mixed up in something but Philip tells him that it’s the business going under. Stan is sympathetic. He is there for Philip anytime. Philip thanks him and gives him a hug before leaving. Stan watches him go and seems to still be speculating. Philip in disguise gets to Chicago and Elizabeth is surprised to see him. She wasn’t sure he would really come. Things are awkward between them and she suggests going out to get something to eat.

After a meal, they go to bed and Philip tells Elizabeth about Stan. The next morning he walks the route and questions it. Elizabeth tells him that’s all they’ve got. Stan drives Henry back to the bus and along the way they talk. Henry complains a bit about his parents not being there for him. Stan presses about the business and the family. There is no real extended family and the business always takes precedent, even in the middle of the night.

Elizabeth tells Philip that she was called into a mission to protect everyone that she can’t tell him about. She can’t get arrested. They’d rather she kill herself and gave her the means to do so. Another guy on that mission is who they are trying to save. Philip wants to get rid of the pill but she won’t do it. She just wanted to tell him because he asks her to tell him things. The mission is a go. There are several agents along the route.

A fed is following their target in a car. They create a bit of traffic, swap out drivers and hope for the best. It doesn’t go as planned. They get made a shootout follows. Their getaway driver is the first to go so Elizabeth jumps behind the wheel. The target was hit too and Philip puts pressure on his wounds while he relays his information. Elizabeth keeps driving. The guy takes his suicide pill and dies. Plus now Philip knows what they are up to.

They get to the swap point and go to switch cars. The new car won’t start though so Philip instead grabs a fire ax and starts chopping up the target’s body. They almost get caught but don’t. Instead, they change their clothes, take the head and hands, and then Philip gets the car going and they leave. Back at home Philip is chatting when Dennis comes in. He’s just got the intel from Chicago and he’s mad.

Two feds are dead and they can’t even identify if they got the right guy with no head and hands. Stan tries to be encouraging. Philip and Elizabeth are driving. The whole team meets and Dennis breaks down what intel they are getting out of Chicago. There was a white man and white woman involved. There are sketches on the way. Philip pulls into an abandoned lot. Elizabeth gets out and dumps the head and hands.

That night Stan gets home and there doesn’t seem to be anyone home at the Jennings residence. He picks the lock on the back door and goes in. As he looks at family photos, he remembers the description of the illegal couple he got years earlier. She’s pretty and he’s lucky. It’s the American dream, two kids. He keeps moving through the house. Upstairs though the bedrooms and then into the garage. He gets in the car even. Meanwhile, Philip and Elizabeth fly home.

When they do get home, Philip runs in and calls Henry. It’s a stilted conversation before Henry hurries off the phone. After he hangs up, Elizabeth tells Philip that she has work. She hopes to be home by the following night. Work is night nursing so she goes there and talks about making art. The lady tells Elizabeth to bring all of herself to it. She’s in pain and Elizabeth tries to give her something but she isn’t interested. She wants to focus on her art.

At the office Dennis is struggling. Stan comes in with files from six years earlier. There was a woman in Philly who got away right from under them. Philip is at the office when Elizabeth comes in. She wanted to check on him. She’s headed to Paige’s after to tell her about the mission. Elizabeth also finds out that Philip let people go. Paige asks about Chicago and Elizabeth tells her about the people that were killed. It went to shit.

Paige seems shocked about that. She didn’t think that happened. Elizabeth tells her that it’s not often but it can so she has to decide if she’s in or out because she may have to give her life. Paige says she’s not scared to die. She’s scared of being alone. They talk about Philip. Elizabeth thinks he made a mistake signing up. Paige needs to know that she is signing up forever.

She says she gets it and Elizabeth tells her to apply for an internship at the State Department. Philip sits at home alone. He’s thinking about when he and Elizabeth got married, the real one, not the for the job one.

I feel bad for Philip. He just wants to cheer for his son and run a travel agency. I love that Stan is connecting the dots. I don’t think he will be able to take Philip or Elizabeth out if it came to that but he is going to be the one to figure it out. He knows something is wrong. I feel bad for Henry. Paige doesn’t know what she is doing. That’s a fact.

The Americans, episode six

Elizabeth gets home to find Philip sitting at the table. She gets a drink of water before turning to head to bed. He tells her about what Stan told him and she responds by saying that she didn’t kill the parents in front of the kid. He tells her that he won’t go set up Kimmy and she antagonizes him. She says she knew he wouldn’t and she will handle it so he tells her warned Kimmy. Elizabeth is mad and goes to Paige’s old bedroom for the night. Philip goes to his own.

Stan is at work when Dennis comes in to bring him back downstairs. He has a lead that could round up all the illegals. This is what Stan has been after his whole career. Philip picks up Henry from the bus. They talk about school and how to raise money to keep him there. Elizabeth goes to a movie and chats with the young guy sitting next to her. Dennis lays out the operation for Stan and then gives him a stack to work on. After the movie, Elizabeth tries to make plans with the guy. He declines.

At the house, Henry steps outside to find Elizabeth smoking. They talk about her habit before heading inside so she can make him food. When Elizabeth walks in the room, Philip walks out. The next morning, Philip plays hooky to spend some time with Henry. He’s agitated though and Henry asks about their marriage. Philip tells him that things will work out.

On the metro, Elizabeth happens to bump into the film guy she met. They chit chat for a bit before she gives him her card and tells him to give her a call. Philip is going to have to cut three employees. He talks to the first one. The whole family is cooking when the phone rings. Elizabeth has to go meet with Claudia. They got a distress signal out of Chicago and she has to go to the rescue.

She gets home and starts packing. Philip asks what’s what but she just snaps at him. Someone has to do their job. It’s Thanksgiving and everyone, except Elizabeth, is at Stan’s. He gives a moving toast about fighting for their way of life because people in other parts of the world wish to do them harm. Later that night Philip is staring at the ceiling when he thinks of something. He jumps up and heads out.

Philip goes and snoops through all of Elizabeth’s work things before leaving a message for Oleg. In Chicago, Elizabeth comes up with a plan. It’s not a good one and they might not be able to pull it off but it’s all they’ve got. Stan and Dennis keep working. They might have another lead. Henry is home alone when the phone rings. It’s Elizabeth. He tells her that Philip isn’t home bust she was calling to talk to him. She awkwardly asks about school and he tells her about it.

Oleg picks up the message from Philip. Speaking of, he gets home and Henry tells him about the call from his mom. Henry doesn’t understand why Elizabeth is so unhappy since she has a nice life. Philip is surprised to hear that she seems unhappy. Oleg goes back to his room and reads the note he got. Philip calls Elizabeth and asks how things are. She tells him that this will be a tough one and she doesn’t know how it will end. He tries to get her to come home and when she says no he tells her to sit tight. He’ll head out there.

So Philip is back in the game to protect Elizabeth but not in an overall way. I just want to see the worlds collide and have Stan figure this out. Speaking of, a small part of me still thinks Renee is playing the long game and is actually a spy herself. That would be such a shocker. I feel bad for Henry. He has no clue what is going on.

The Americans, episode five

Stan has a tail as he first stops by a bakery and then heads to see the courier. They are getting relocated to Oklahoma and the wife is not happy about it. Stan tries to set her at ease. Elizabeth gets an update from Claudia about the players in the negotiation. She needs more information even if they can’t get it through Kimmy because of the Mexico thing. Their talk gets interrupted when Paige turns up.

She’s there for a history lesson. This time it’s WWII. Claudia lost most of her family there. Next on Stan’s tour is the husband courier. He still has a tail. This time it’s hockey, pizza and beer. Elizabeth gives Paige a ride home and her date with the Congressional intern comes up. Elizabeth tells her she shouldn’t be talking about that kind of stuff. Paige argues back but Elizabeth doesn’t budge.

It’s time for Stan to hit the road again. His tail stays on him. Elizabeth goes home to Philip and tells him about how Paige “got it” when they told her about the war. He’s going over the books but she has other things in mind. They have sex instead. The next morning he is in a good mood and Elizabeth tells him that things aren’t going well with the summit. She needs his help.

Basically she wants him to kidnap Kimmy and set her up to be caught with drugs in Soviet territory. She will go to the father and offer her freedom in exchange for information. Elizabeth thinks it’s foolproof but Philip doesn’t want to. She’s just a kid. Elizabeth won’t take no for an answer though. Elizabeth is on a recon mission of her own and Paige is at a bar with the intern.

Philip goes to Michigan to see Kimmy and get the ball rolling. She isn’t interested in meeting up overseas so he might have to resort to drastic measures. Elizabeth is following the male courier. She stops him for a light but before she can do anything more his handler shows up and whisks him away. Paige ends up knocking the intern and his buddy out at the bar because the buddy was being a drunk douche.

With no other options, Philip first compliments and then kisses Kimmy. She’s receptive. She leans back in and apparently invites him in. They have sex while Philip stares at the wall. Stan talks to Renee about her working at the Bureau. There are civilian jobs she would qualify for. Elizabeth is at her caretaker job. She hasn’t been doing her art homework so the woman is pissed at her.

She tells Elizabeth not to think, just to draw. Oleg runs into a former colleague. She doesn’t buy his cover and wants to know what he is doing in the States. He doesn’t budge and she goes off on him. Five years later she is lucky to have the same job because of what he did. He sold her out. Philip is a go for the Kimmy plan overseas. He will meet her in Greece and work from there.

Elizabeth is happy to hear that. Then Paige pulls up. She’s got a bruise on her eyebrow and she’s ready to spar. Tatiana reports back on Oleg. He is not loyal and he is not here for them. Paige is still riled up and she relents and tells her parents vaguely what happened. Elizabeth is pissed. She could have been found out. She can’t go to that bar ever again. Since Elizabeth keeps pushing, Paige snaps.

Paige tells Elizabeth that she isn’t her boss at all times and Paige can make decisions about who to sleep with on her own. Philip hears and gets involved. As Paige leaves, Philip follows Elizabeth upstairs for more information. She tells him about the intern and that Paige might not be cut out for this, like he said all along. Philip tells her that wasn’t his point.

It’s not that she can’t do it. It’s that she shouldn’t. Elizabeth grabs her stuff and heads out “to work.” She goes back to the husband courier’s place. She breaks in through the window but has to take cover once inside because the wife is there. She’s about to make a quick getaway when he comes into the room. She takes cover and then pounces, slitting his throat.

The wife comes in to check on him and sees her. She tries to run but Elizabeth grabs her and kills her too, in the hallway. As she is laying on top of the body she sees the TV, and the little kid in the living room. She backs away slowly. Paige is at home when a visitor shows up. It’s Philip. He tries to talk to her and she tells him that she isn’t like him. She knows that he isn’t into it.

He’s done pretending. He tells her to come at him and she brings up the lack of pads and everything. He’s sure he’ll be fine. Paige goes at him and he blocks her without breaking a sweat. He eventually pins her and seems to prove his point. He leaves without a word. Stan gets to the couriers’ place. He flashes his badge and is headed inside just as their kid is led away.

Paige goes to Claudia’s and asks what the plan is. They teach her how she is supposed to drink. First oil to coat her stomach and then they move on to see how much she can drink. Philip is at home doing work when there’s a knock on the door. It’s Stan. He needs to let off steam and talks about the couriers being murdered. He feels guilty. As he describes the scene, Philip seems very upset.

Meanwhile, Paige, Claudia and Elizabeth are drinking and talking about sex. Paige is shocked to find out that her mother was younger than she is when she started having sex. Philip calls Kimmy. He breaks up with her. He can’t meet her in Europe and moreover he warns her not to go to any communist countries while she is there. He is officially working against Elizabeth.

The ending! Philip is by far the best part of this show and I mean we always knew that but seriously. First he shows Paige that she doesn’t know anything and then he goes against orders to protect Kimmy. I loved it. I half expected him to adopt the couriers’ kid too. This was too much.

The Americans, episode four

Philip meets with Oleg. They talk about life in America and people in the Directorate S being afraid of progress. Philip tells Oleg what he knows about Elizabeth’s work. He also mentions her loyalty and Oleg points out that that can be twisted. Oleg tells him that they can’t meet in person again. Philip goes home and finds Elizabeth in the backyard. She comes in and asks how work was. He tells her fine.

Elizabeth, Paige and another woman go on another mission. Elizabeth takes all the lights out and then breaks into some facility. She tries to steal something, kills a few people and gets away. Philip dusts off a wig and meets up with Kimmy. They catch up a bit. Paige and Elizabeth talk about the mission. It was not a success but that happens sometimes. Paige starts talking about a boy that likes her and interns for a congressman.

That’s when Philip gets home. He hears what they are talking about and snaps. He brings up what happened in the park and Paige still believes the man was troubled and killed himself. Philip storms away. Elizabeth tells Paige not to worry about that and to focus on the goal, her getting a job at State or Defense. That’s what they are getting her ready for. Afterward, Elizabeth goes upstairs and talks to Philip. She thinks he was out of line.

He defends himself because Paige’s life was in danger. Once he says that Elizabeth seems to get it. Philip gives her a tape from Kimmy’s house. It’s the last one until Christmas which Elizabeth is not happy about. Oleg calls home and delivers a coded message. Elizabeth and Claudia meet up. They find out the Americans have a man on the inside. Claudia also wants Elizabeth to look into the couriers, see if that was Stan’s case and then deal with them accordingly.

Henry calls Philip just to check in and ends up finding out that they can’t afford tuition come fall. Elizabeth and Paige run another recon mission. Stan and Philip go out to a bar and Philip talks money. The wheels are in motion on Moscow with Oleg’s information. Philip is crunching numbers in bed when Elizabeth comes in. He tells her how bad things are and she tells him that’s his department.

When they turn the lights out he admits that he misses Paige and she admits that she is tired all the time. Elizabeth is playing nurse again. She’s getting an art lesson when the husband comes in and mentions a party to watch the World Series. Elizabeth offers to go with in a medical capacity. They agree Stan and Doug meet up to talk. The couriers want him involved in relocation. He doesn’t want to but seems to relent.

Philip needs a break. He goes dancing in his cowboy boots. Paige goes to a bar with friends. Elizabeth steals the husband’s jacket and has bugs sewn into them. Paige goes home with the intern kid. The next morning she sees his ID badge. Elizabeth goes with the couple to baseball party. It’s just awkward at first but then gets worse when the woman gets sick. After, Elizabeth listens to the tape but it’s a bust. Philip is still at work. He looks at his sandwich and remembers going hungry when he was a boy.

I mean. Paige is in danger right? There’s really no way around that. Something will probably happen to her. She’s in over her head. I feel bad for Henry. He’s just up at school trying to live his best life and be awesome at hockey and it’s a mess. Elizabeth and Philip need to sort their trouble out. They need to be on the same page.

The Americans, episode three

Elizabeth goes home and tries to clean up but as luck would have it brain matter stains so she’s having a bit of trouble. Paige seems to be in shock and Philip tries to talk to her about letting herself feel what she’s feeling. He tells her that he saw some things too. She asks how he handled it and he tells her he doesn’t know. He had Elizabeth and she does too.

That’s when Elizabeth comes in. Paige starts to defend herself but Elizabeth is ready to tear into her. The phone rings so Philip answers it. Henry had a great hockey game and Philip chats for a minute before he cuts him off. He hangs up and Elizabeth goes off on Paige. She messed up and if it had been anyone else they would be out. Paige tries to plead her case but it’s too late.

The conversation is over so Elizabeth sends Paige home for the night. Philip talks to Elizabeth about being there for Paige, who thinks the man killed himself. Then he gets her to open up about her mission. They need a sensor and there is trouble back home with Gorbachev. Stan meets with the courier’s wife again. She wants to make more of her own decisions. She’s been talking about her arrangement with other people which Stan tells her is dangerous.

Philip is at work. He makes a call to Henry’s school. He’s short on tuition and needs a bit of an extension. They agree to a one time deal. Paige and Elizabeth meet and talk about what happened. Elizabeth tells her that she miscalculated but that in the end she would have been willing to die if it came down to it. She’s not scared and Paige shouldn’t be either. They don’t have all the answers but they have to be prepared.

At the travel agency, Philip tries to give the staff a pep talk. They don’t seem enthusiastic. Stan and Dennis talk about the couriers and how to handle the operation. The man is in danger but they don’t know what to do. They’ll have to wait and see. Elizabeth has a cemetry meeting with another Soviet. She talks about bringing Paige in. The guy is interested in meeting Philip even after Elizabeth tries to put him off it.

It’s time for Paige’s next meeting and she says that she is ready. There are several people involved in listening into a conversation between some Americans and some Soviets. Elizabeth takes the last shift in a pizza place. They talk about baseball. The man with the sick wife, the one Elizabeth takes care of, is amongst the people. Stan goes to see Oleg. He tells him that he had his back.

Then Stan pushes about why Oleg is really in DC. He turns the tables and brings up Nina before saying that he was blackmailed. Stan tries to get him to not follow through on whatever he’s there for. Paige and Elizabeth are cooking with Claudia. They talk about food in Russia. That night, even though she isn’t supposed to, Elizabeth brings some home to Philip.

He tries a bit and it’s delicious but he can’t eat it. He’s too full. Elizabeth talks about all the things she does with Claudia and Paige and how when she leaves, it hits her. She hates it here but Philip points out that the world is changing and not just in terms of politics. Elizabeth is adamant that the people back in Moscow don’t want it. Philip points out that she can’t know that.

Stan and Renee are cleaning up and talking about work. She knows that she is boring him and mentions that she thinks working together would be a good idea. She wants to join the FBI. He tells her that she’s too old. Philip gets ready for bed. When he walks into the bedroom, Elizabeth is in bed asleep and he almost cries.

The next day he dons his disguise and heads out. Elizabeth pretends to be conducting a security audit on the warehouse where the sensors are. She brings in an employee and starts talking. Stan picks the courier at the airport. He asks about political asylum. Dennis does the same with the wife at work. Agents also get their kid from school. Stan talks to the man about what happened.

Now they will both be put in witness protection and he will never see his wife or daughter again. He pleads with Stan to fix it. Stan tells him that he will try. Elizabeth wraps up her interview and the guy mentions that his girlfriend works in security. So Elizabeth kills him. Philip meets with Oleg.

I feel so bad for Philip. He’s just trying to stay afloat at this point. He seems so lonely. Also Paige seems to really have no idea what she’s getting herself into. Why is she not running for the hills?

The Americans, episode two

Philip is up and in the kitchen when Elizabeth comes downstairs. She heads right out the door. Stan is at work chatting with the guys when he gets a call. He has to head downstairs right away. He finds his old partner alone in the office. They are stretched thin because of the summit so Stan has to step up. He also hears that Oleg is back in town.

Elizabeth is on a recon mission. She heads into a bookstore and happens to run into a mark that works for the government. They talk about how people feel about the summit. He thinks that she works for State and will be in the building later in the week. He sets up a lunch with her in the cafeteria.

Stan goes to meet with a courier that he used to be the handler for. This is him helping out. It’s more like marriage counseling than anything else. Elizabeth is at the caretaker job. Her patient wants more morphine but Elizabeth won’t do it. Her husband comes in and does it. The woman wants to die but her husband is reluctant.

Later, Elizabeth talks to the husband. She convinces him to let her help kill the woman. She reports back to Grandma about it. She tells Elizabeth to make sure the woman stays alive through the summit. She explains some sort of radiation sensor that scares Elizabeth. It’s not to worry though. Stan goes to see the courier’s wife. She tells him the marriage is over.

He pushes but it’s no use. She’s done and wants Stan to figure it out. The next morning Elizabeth and Philip talk about Paige and how she’s adapting to spy life. Dennis turns up for an update from Stan. He tells him everything he knows which isn’t much. They have to continue their op despite the fighting couple.

Paige is on a mission walking in the city. Elizabeth is on one too. She makes contact with a general she dealt with years earlier. She wants the sensor and tells him to get it and meet her in a few days time. The courier is on his mission at the airport and Stan turns up to observe. Elizabeth heads into the State Department in a disguise on a visitor’s pass.

Philip gets some troubling news at the ATM. Then he runs into a longtime customer who has taken his business elsewhere. He goes back to the office and sorts out what happened. Elizabeth has her business lunch and finds out that insiders worry that Reagan is going senile. She heads back and tells Claudia just as Paige shows up.

After the debrief, Elizabeth and Paige walk together. Paige asks Elizabeth if sex is ever used to get information and at first Elizabeth says no. After a few moments she backtracks and explains that it’s complicated. That night Elizabeth goes to her meeting about the sensor and the guy says no. She blackmails him and gives him another chance.

Next up is the caretaker gig where Elizabeth gets an art lesson. Philip is stuck late at work. He talks to Henry on the phone about the situation at the office. Elizabeth goes to the park for sensors the sequel while Paige plays lookout in her car nearby. Dude is not playing though. He’s got a gun to take Elizabeth out. She begs and then attacks as he fires.

The shot goes wide. There’s a scuffle and Elizabeth kills him. She’s covered in blood and trying to stage the body when Paige comes running over. Elizabeth tells her to stick to the plan but Paige hesitates. Elizabeth yells at her and Paige takes off. Elizabeth wipes down the gun and sets it up.

I don’t think Paige really has any concept of what she signed up for. Like she actually seems to believe that this is all chatting up guys and watching from her car. I feel like Philip needs to have a talk with her. Also, I’m worried the travel agency will tank. That’s so inconsequential I know but I like that business.

The Americans, episode one

Elizabeth is on the job as a visiting nurse. She’s asleep on the job that is. Meanwhile business is booming for Philip at the travel agency. She sleeps with a mark and showers. He’s making an honest living. She lurks and takes photos. He goes over expense reports.

Philip has a trip and Elizabeth wishes him well. He’s going to see Henry at school. Elizabeth and Paige stay home and spend time with Grandma. They watch a Soviet movie. Philip cheers on Henry at his hockey game. Turns out Paige is learning about life in Moscow.

She also reports back on what her college professors have to say about the upcoming Soviet/US summit. She walks out to the car and Elizabeth and Grandma talk about her undercovers. It’s a slow haul. Arkady goes to see Oleg in Moscow. He needs someone that he can trust to help him because things are tense.

There are people in leadership that don’t trust Gorbachev or his arms summit.They need to work together for the good of the country. Elizabeth is in Mexico City meeting with a general. He wants to talk about a target that will be in the States that can help him with a rocket project. It’s important. Not even Philip can know.

He is back at home giving a pep talk to the travel agents. The general lays out for Elizabeth what he needs her to do. She flies home and is distressed the whole time. It’s time for dinner with the Beeman’s. Paige joins her parents, Stan and Gloria, and his old partner and his wife for dinner. Stan is in a different department now.

Gloria and the other wife still bond about how secretive things are. Oleg is shipping out to help Arkady. His wife is not happy about it. Elizabeth gets coffee and watches. Oleg gets to a hotel. Next stop is her nursing gig. She chats with her patient’s husband. He’s a government employee. He’s the mark.

Philip goes out square dancing with his friends from work. Elizabeth watches her patient toss and turn in pain. Oleg walks down a street. He marks a mailbox with chalk. The next day Philip sees the marked mailbox. Paige is the one at the coffee shop with an older man. Elizabeth is driving someplace with a woman.

It’s driving him nuts. Philip leaves work early and intercepts Oleg’s message. Paige leaves with the man. Philip goes home and translates the message. Paige drives somewhere and parks. A Naval officer knocks on her window. She’s parked near a sensitive area and wants her to leave but he IDs her first.

A man that’s sitting in a bar signals to Elizabeth and her passenger. The other woman gets out and walks near the government guy with the sick wife. Elizabeth listens in on the conversation. The Naval officer won’t give Paige her ID back without a date. She tries to push but he won’t back down.

Later Paige meets with Elizabeth, who is acting like her handler, to check in. Elizabeth assures Paige that she did nothing wrong. She kept her cool and handled the situation. It was a success. When they go their separate ways, Elizabeth tracks the guy down and kills him. She takes Paige’s ID back.

Oleg and Philip meet. Oleg talks about Elizabeth’s trip to Mexico and why he needs Philip’s help with the summit coming up. They need Philip to spy on and stop Elizabeth. Oleg explains that if this goes badly he will be shot. He leaves. Elizabeth is a mess. She stands alone in the rain smoking.

When she gets home, Philip is waiting for her. He tries to talk to her but she doesn’t have the patience for it. She tells him she doesn’t need a speech. She needs sleep and he backs off. She goes upstairs and thinks about all she has to do. He stays in the kitchen working on paperwork.

This is the best show on television. Hands down. There was a lot of exposition in this one but it was necessary. There’s obviously been a time jump. A lot has changed for the Jennings family so we had to learn that. I’m rooting for Philip in this but it seems likely that no one will survive. I figure it will be intense for most of the season so I’m okay what it wasn’t yet.