This episode featured a soundtrack from the new wave band
Yaz. When this music was released, it was unlike anything that had been done
before. It was exhilarating and
rebellious. This music provided an
emotional pulse for this episode. The
focus is now shifting to the new
generation.
At the end of last week’s episode, it was discovered that
the father of the babysitter is the head of the CIA-Afghan team. The goal is to
become close to the young woman whom they've observed in the park buying a "dime bag" of marijuana from a local dealer. Phillip discusses the issue with Elizabeth.
“We’ve never used someone this young before.” Elizabeth points out that the CIA
is considered a “hard target," therefore, they deem the information so valuable
as to be obtained by any means necessary. (Including possible statutory rape?)
In the next breathe, the Jennings are back to discussing
Paige’s upcoming birthday party. Paige
wants her parents to invite Pastor Tim and his wife. Paige is not the typical teenager, she’s
precocious and becoming more passionate about her faith. Elizabeth hopes to
mold Paige into her own image instead.
Phillip also mentions that Martha is pestering him about starting a
family, maybe by fostering a child. Elizabeth scoffs at this, and reminds Phillip
that he needs to “show her who wears that pants” in their relationship.
Nina looks more desperate in prison as she is drawn out of
her cell and given instructions to work on getting her Belgium roommate Evi to
confess. Nina is told that the young
woman was involved initially in peace activism. Her boyfriend gave her a
package to deliver. The package was intercepted, and the boyfriend had left the
county leaving his girlfriend to be captured and incarcerated for spying.
Stan and Phillip are continuing with the Est seminars. Stan
is picked by the group leader for a visualization exercise. He asks Stan to picture having a conversation
with Sandra. It’s not easy for Stan to
vulnerable and he reacts with anger, cursing the leader and the group as
bullsh#t. The group responds with
applause, thinking that Stan has had some sort of breakthrough. A woman approaches him afterwards and offers him her phone number. Phillip encourages
Stan to be open to dating but Stan is just not emotionally available, even to
himself.
Phillip dons glasses and longhaired wig, and approaches a
group of young women outside a nightclub. (Which includes the babysitter.) It’s
easy to lure them with a quick chat about helping them get fake IDs that will
get them into the clubs. The babysitter introduces herself as Kimmie and
Phillip as “Jim,” and they exchange numbers.
Elizabeth is working on her contact she met through A. A., who is an employee at the Northrop Company. The company is developing the
Stealth technology. Phillip is at home,
quizzing Henry on the state capitals. Henry
has been largely absent this season.
Phillip receives a coded call about symphony tickets being available.
It’s an impressive illustration of the level of sophistication of the Center’s
operation.
Agent Gaad and Stan have a conversation about the Soviet
defector, Zianda. Stan’s intuition is
tingling about her. In a short period of
time she has gained access to high government officials, maybe soon to include
a meeting with the President of the United States. Gaad is skeptical but trusts Stan to keep vigilant.
Nina breaks her silence and begins to tell Evi her story of
how she ended up in prison. Elizabeth
has spent the night at her A.A. friend’s house Michelle, under the guise of
“falling off the wagon.” Michelle’s
husband Maurice seems upset by her presence, especially when she almost is
caught snooping in the kitchen. When the
women are alone, Michelle confesses that she had to send her kids to a
relative’s house due to stress in the marriage.
It’s unclear whether Maurice has been violent, but he’s been out of work
and the situation is volatile.
Phillip as “Jim” meets the young women from the club and
gives them new high quality fake IDs.
Kimmie asks what he does for a living.
He tells her that he is a lawyer and a lobbyist for the liquor companies, who are trying to prevent a national drinking age. (Which sadly, Reagan
passed.) Kimmie had him listen to the
new Yaz album on her Sony Walkman. He
likes the music and she is clearly interested in him despite their age
difference.
Nina continues to tell Evi her own incredible story. Nina
actually is honest about how she was a young KGB agent, on her first assignment
in the U.S., when she was caught by the FBI sending contraband to her
family. Nina feels guilty about the
ambassador that ended up in Siberia due to her actions. Nina recounts how she confessed her spying
then “ruined her second chance.” Will
Nina live long enough to have another chance, and what will the price of that
chance be? Will she pay for it with
Evi’s life or freedom?
Stan and Zianda are at a diner having dinner. She is very talkative, but Stan remains
aloof. Zianda seems incredulous that her
safety could be at risk in the U.S. She
leaves to use the restroom. Stan wanders
back to assess the surroundings. He
senses she may be picking up information placed somewhere in the
diner. He sees a vending machine and
buys her favorite candy bar, Milky Way.
When she returns to the table, he presents it to her. She opens it and eats it immediately. The message isn’t in the Milky Way, but is
something amiss?
Phillip presents Paige with the new album by Yaz. Paige is amazed he knew about the band that
“all the kids at school are talking about.”
He knows because Kimmie is barely older then Paige! Elizabeth is upset with Phillip buying Paige
gifts for “no reason.” Elizabeth takes a
firm stance on not spoiling their children.
This sparks the argument that has been building about Paige’s
recruitment. Elizabeth is adamant that
Paige will know about her parent’s vocation and make it her own.
She yells, “I’m doing it, with or without you!” And since
that song hasn’t been written, the song “Don’t Go!” pulses on as we see Beeman
return to the diner to search the bathroom for clues. Stan looks everywhere, but the evidence or
message is gone. Nina fakes a nightmare,
babbling in Russian “I love you, I’m sorry, I’m scared!” Evi holds her.
The birthday dinner begins as Paige nervously answers the
door to greet Pastor Tim and his wife. Over
a steak dinner, the couple recounts their student days as anti-Vietnam
activists. Tim speaks about his path to
religion. The atheists at the table seem
bewildered. Paige then reveals that she
yearns to be baptized and discussed it with Pastor Tim before tonight. He made it clear that he had to speak to her
parents and obtain their permission.
Stan appears on Sandra’s doorstep again, wanting to talk. Stan tells her he had an affair and he feels
terrible about it. Even though Sandra
likely knew this, it still seems to hurt her. Stan continues to say that he’s sorry and that
he’s continuing the Est seminars and trying to become more honest. The “mea culpa” falls flat as Sandra turns and
goes back to her new home without responding.
After Pastor Tim and his wife leave, Elizabeth airs her
frustration. She feels Paige “set them
up” and manipulated them. It seems she
may have more in common with Elizabeth then she realizes. Elizabeth thinks she must stop this
baptism nonsense now, and tell her the truth about “Who she is!”
The phone rings, and its Kimmie wanting to meet with Phillip.
It’s surprising that he would give out his home phone number. They meet in the park where Kimmie tells him
that her dad hates lobbyists. He probably also would hate a KGB agent
attempting to get close to him thorough his teenage daughter! Kimmie looks so young in her pink sweater as
the two listen to “Only You” by Yaz through her boom box. She is obviously a bit of a rebel, smoking weed and flirtling with older men. This is uncharted territory for Phillip,
recruiting a teenager almost his daughter’s age. Yet, he is drawn to her young rebelious ways which contrast
with the cold plotting of Elizabeth. Where will Kimmie and new wave take us?
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