The Americans, Season 3 premiere “Est Men”

“The Americans” is currently my favorite show that is NOT airing on HBO.  I think what sets it apart from many other political dramas is the emotional depth of the characters.  We feel for Phillip and Elizabeth as they navigate through their despicable acts.  We feel lost and hopeless as Stan loses his marriage, even though he cheated.  This season is setting the stage for the battle between the Centre and the children of the Directorate S.  While Phillip and Elizabeth are prepared to do anything for the cause, what will Paige and Henry think when they know the truth?

The episode begins with Elizabeth in the bathtub, as she submerges she remembers “teaching” Paige how to swim by throwing her in the water.  As the more emotionally detached parent, she is prepared to sacrifice herself and her daughter for the Centre.

The scene changes to Elizabeth in glasses and short hair, meeting with an ex-CIA operative. The woman confides that she was under utilized and passed over for promotions while based in Nigeria.  She thinks this was based on her gender.  She is ready to give up information to KGB to get back at the CIA.  I think Elizabeth is genuinely disgusted about how this woman was treated, perhaps feeling a bit smug about her accomplishments as an operative.  But, after Elizabeth moves to end the meeting, the woman sneaks upstairs and calls the FBI.  Elizabeth is followed from the bar.  She turns her coat (literally!) and removes her glasses, but two FBI agents soon spot her.  She fights them off, and throws one agent in the path of an approaching motorcycle.  She gets some nasty bruises but escapes.

Meanwhile, Stan and Phillip are attending an “Est” seminar. The speaker explains most of us don’t experience anything in our lives because we’re not in the “now." I’m not sure either man is buying this speech.  I think it’s just a desperate attempt for Stan to try to win back Sandra.  I’m not sure why he even wants her back, except because he feels guilty about his affair with Nina.

Phillip and Stan go home to discover Elizabeth in the kitchen, tending to her wounds. She offers some lame excuse about hurting herself with the groceries! (She should have said she fell off a bike or something more plausible!)  Stan takes Phillip’s hint, and leaves.  Elizabeth confides in Phillip that she almost got caught, but also lost the list of names the woman gave her.  She’s angry and determined to set it right.

The staff of the Soviet Embassy is watching a movie of a Soviet man being executed by the U.S. backed Afghani fighters.  It is startling to see the similarities between that video and the ones made by ISIS today. (Same crazy, different decade!) There is a new face in the room and I assume she is Nina’s replacement.  Oleg makes a comment that the Soviets should leave Afghanistan before their losses increase.  The ambassador pulls him aside privately and tells him to watch himself around the new employee.  The message is clear; she may not approve of dissention and report back to Moscow.

The next morning we see Stan arrive at work, only to find Frank Gaad has suffered a broken nose.  Stan is informed that Nina has been tried and found guilty of treason in Moscow.  They both know this means she will be executed.  Frank explains how they got close to catching a possible target, Elizabeth.  He gives a description of her and also states that she may have injuries to her face and jaw.  I think Stan might have just connected this to his neighbor!

We see Paige and Elizabeth attending church together, then volunteering afterward. (How is this working for atheist Elizabeth?) Elizabeth reunited with Phillip, visits a “friend”, or operative, Gabriel.  He is very interested in Paige.  Elizabeth discloses she feels Paige is nearly ready to learn the truth about her parents, and start to be recruited for the Centre.  Elizabeth feels the liberal teachings of Christianity can be turned into communist thinking.  I have my doubts and so does Phillip.  After the meeting he fumes at her, stating Paige is only fourteen and he doesn’t want this life for her.  I think here begins the power struggle for the future for their daughter.

Stan and Martha are at a shooting range. He helps her with her aim. What would Martha do if she knew the truth about her “husband”, Clark?

Oleg and Arkady discuss Nina.  The ambassador notes there were at least two meetings with Stan that were not reported.  Oleg thinks Nina was perhaps just sloppy with the paperwork. (Nina seemed very meticulous, so I doubt he truly believes that).  Arkady suggests Oleg speak to his father, a high-ranking party member.  Oleg shakes his head in sadness to indicate “nyet” and admits, “I begged him.”  Oleg accepts that he loved Nina, she may have loved Stan and now there is nothing to be done to save her.

Annalise and “Scott” are debriefing in a car about the Afghani source Yousef.  She tells Phillip that the intelligence in the region does not trust the CIA.  This snippet of information gets Phillip aroused and they are intimate in the car.  Annalise is an amateur and has developed feelings for Yousef, even though she feels he deserves better.  She leaves to meet Yousef.

Stan arrives at Sandra’s new house with some of her things.  He looks pained.  He tells her he went to “Est” to try to understand her perspective.  She doubts he enjoyed it.  He confesses he thought it was b*llsh*t and she storms off to her new house and man.

“Clark” and Martha are doing the Kama Sutra.  Then we see Phillip in the kitchen the next morning as Elizabeth asks if the night was “productive."  It’s hard to imagine one’s husband actively sleeping with other women.  I think it illustrates the level of commitment/brainwashing that both spies possess.  Elizabeth is off to a church function and takes the brownies Phillip was about to cut.  At the office, she brings one to him in a rare moment of tenderness.  She tells Phillip her mother recorded a message for her and she is dying. The Russian on the tape was not directly translated.  From the little Russian I was able to understand, she was telling Elizabeth that she was proud of her.  I think these words, at this time, have a great impact on Elizabeth as she tries to direct her own daughter to the “right path."(Which is becoming like Elizabeth.)

The FBI is briefed regarding a high level defector coming to the States from Canada. Their mission is to keep her safe from the Soviets.  Elizabeth is being followed, but this time it is a young man whom she is training.  Paige watches TV and we learn that Brezhnev has died.

“Scott” is listening through the wall, as Annalise and Yousef are intimate.  Yousef implores her to leave her husband and move to Swizerland where he could visit every two weeks.  She says yes, and declares her love for him, and then she tells him that they are being recorded.  Yousef begins to choke her; Scott finally enters the room after she is dead.  

This scene reminded me of Breaking Bad when Walter doesn’t assist Jane as she overdoses.  I think that Phillip knows that Annalise was too risky an asset to save, so he let her be murdered.  “Scott” now has control of Yousef.  When he tells Elizabeth what happened later, she replies she should have been the one to work with him. This mistake of emotional involvement wouldn’t have happened to her.

The game is set for this season. Will Paige learn the truth about her parents?  Is Elizabeth good enough to recruit and train her own daughter against her father’s wishes?  Will Stan figure out his neighbors are the Directorate S?  Will Martha learn that “Clark” and their marriage is a hoax? I’m anxious to see where this season takes us!