Last week’s ending was a shot to the gut as we witnessed
Nina’s execution. But the world and work
of the FBI and KGB continues, Nina but a small causality in this great Cold
War. This hour will focus on Martha and
Paige. The price for Elizabeth and
Phillip protecting their daughter and their “asset” rises each week. The Jennings will do anything to protect Paige
but Martha may not be so lucky. Both Paige and Martha struggle with the
unbearable weight of the truth.
Martha stares out the window out on the street. She carries a glass of red wine back to the
living room. She finds a prescription bottle
and uses the wine to swallow a pill. A
key turns in her door; Phillip has arrived after his several day absences due
to the quarantine. He apologizes,
explaining he had an “emergency at work.” Martha complains she had an emergency too,
first Agent Gaad alerted the office about the photocopy discrepancies and then
Dennis Aderholt invited her to dinner. She
is unclear whether these two events are related or a coincidence. She tells him about her dinner, stating Dennis
plied her with questions about her personal life. She told him she is involved with a married
man who has not plans to leave his wife. (Phillip gave her this narrative, even
though it’s the truth.) Martha explains
how after the dinner she felt seriously ill, like she was having a heart attack. She phoned her physician who diagnosed her
with a panic attack and has prescribed her with Valium. (Maybe that’s true, but
women were routinely dismissed when having cardiac like symptoms until rather
recently.) Martha states she needs to be
able to reach him. Phillip gives her a
phone number, informing her woman will answer and he’ll be able to call her back
within the hour. (The Centre switchboard.) He cautions her to only call the number by a
payphone. Phillip is in a difficult
spot, he trusts Martha and wants to help her but each layer of trust puts her
more at risk.
Paige enters her parent’s bedroom and Elizabeth is startled
out of her slumber. Paige relates that she felt “weird” at the bowling alley
when she had to act like everything was normal around her brother. Paige tells her that Stan paid her a visit
while they were gone, questioning her about the aborted trip to Epcot. Paige tells her mom she made up a story but it
was stressful. Elizabeth seems surprised
by Paige’s ability to protect the family secret. Paige tells her mom, “Pastor Tim says you hurt
people.” Elizabeth tries to quell her daughter’s
questions, knowing she can’t possible tell her the truth about the dangers they
faced over the weekend with the virus quarantine. She tries a different tactic, “We should take
a break. Maybe it’s too much, telling
you everything hasn’t worked out.” Paige
again asks about where her parents were over the weekend, Elizabeth shuts her
down, “It’s enough.”
In the Soviet Union, Oleg meets with his father at his
office. His father begins, looking weary
and stating, “I tried.” Oleg demands to
know what his father means. His father delivers the news about Nina’s
execution, stating it was impossible for him to prevent it given her
history. Oleg breathes deeply, just as
shocked as he was to learn about his brother’s death. Oleg sits down and sighs deeply and says,
more to himself, “I don’t know why I expect anything…” Oleg accuses his father
of not helping his brother either; he had the power to have him transferred out
of the combat zone. Oleg’s father lashes
back, “He wanted to stay and fight, like I did.” The older man is desperate to link his heroic
service in WWll to his son’s service in Afghanistan. But the Soviet-Afghan war was much like our
war in Vietnam. Oleg’s father complains
his son will not be buried with the military honors he deserves. The old man
spits back at his living son, “Go back to America with your fancy job, it is
not what I fought for.” Oleg’s promise
to his father to stay is no longer valid after he failed to save Nina.
At the travel agency, Phillip tells Elizabeth that the
agents know about the extra copies. (Who made them and what they were the
agency has yet to figure out.) Elizabeth suggests they use Hans to see if
Martha is being followed. (The young
South African student whom Elizabeth helped train last season.) Elizabeth explains that Stan was asking Paige
about their whereabouts over the weekend. She demands Phillip “make up with him.”
Dennis Aderholt meets with Stan in the “vault.” Dennis tells
Stan about his “date” with Martha. Dennis believes her relationship with a
married man would explain all her “sneaking around.” Stan reports he found little in her apartment,
no photos except of family, a pistol and a well-worn copy of the Kama-Sutra.
(The photo of her wedding with Clark had been moved to “Clark’s place.”) This
evidence supports Martha’s story about an affair. Martha has survived this first attempt to
discover her secrets.
Elizabeth has an informal dinner in the kitchen of Young
Hee, the Mary Kay representative. The
Korean woman tells an amusing story about her grandparents and the two laugh
easily. Elizabeth explains she comes
from a small family, her mother left when she was ten that made her father
depressed. Young Hee jokes she sure
knows how to ruin a good time. What
Elizabeth is up to with this woman is unclear but all her lies usually have a
careful purpose in the larger deception.
Oleg attends his brother’s funeral with his distraught
family. His mother nearly collapses when
she grabs the first handful of dirt to cover the coffin. Oleg attempts to comfort her with an embrace. His father also tosses dirt in the grave and
remarks the dirt is lighter then he thought it would be. (Perhaps an allusion
to how heavy his heart is compared to the physical world.) Oleg embraces a
soldier, most likely a friend of his brother’s. Oleg’s father stuns the small gathering by
firing his pistol three times in the air. His gesture defies the government not giving
his son “military honors.” It may have been a dangerous gesture but probably
will be overlooked due to the old man’s grief.
Paige and Phillip watch Ronald Reagan speak on television
about supporting the military. Elizabeth walks in and laughs that the
president’s cheeks are so red he looks like a clown. Henry asks his mother where she was and is
surprised that Elizabeth has a friend. Elizabeth and Phillip get their daughter
alone in the kitchen. They inform her they are going to meet with Pastor Tim
and Alice that evening. Ronald Reagan can be heard in the background speaking
about the nuclear arsenal.
Pastor Tim and Alice wait nervously in his church office. The meet the Jennings, who have brought a
special guest they introduce as “Father Rivas” from El Salvador. Father Rivas
states he’s a Jesuit priest who “works with” Elizabeth and Phillip. Elizabeth
offers, “We’d like you to meet a priest so you’d understand.” Phillip points out their work is involved with
promoting human rights in places like El Salvador, where the United States
supports a tyrannical regime. Father
Rivas explains how the Soviet intelligence saved his life by warning his
village about a pending attack. Rivas
brings up the murder of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a friend and fellow Jesuit, as
an illustration of his country’s struggle. (Oscar Romero was a Jesuit murdered
while giving mass in El Salvador in 1980, a passionate support of the rights of
the poor, he’s on the path to being canonized as a Catholic Saint.) It all sounds a little too good to be true but
it gives the liberal pastor pause to consider the broader issues that his
church is also invested in. After they
drop the man off, the deception is confirmed when Elizabeth asks, “I wonder if
he’s really a priest?”
After they return home, Elizabeth and Phillip appear in
Paige’s bedroom doorway to tell her about the meeting. Phillip says, “We told him about the good
things we’re doing all over the world.” Paige
is eager to know if things are okay. Her parents urge her to reach out to
Pastor Tim because he cares about her. They
realize their plan to placate Tim and Alice will not succeed unless Tim feels that
Paige is still a friend. Its likely
Alice and Tim see Paige as a surrogate daughter, and want to make sure she is
in a safe environment. After they close
the door, Elizabeth assures Phillip, “This is going to work.”
Oleg returns to the Soviet Embassy in Washington. Several colleagues offer him their
condolences and support. Little do they
know Oleg is grieving for the love of his life as well as his brother. Oleg has a private meeting with the
ambassador. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come back.” Oleg reveals he wasn’t sure either. Oleg asks Arkady if he’s been informed about
Nina. “They killed her.” Arkady is
shocked and asks, “What happened?” Oleg
explains what he knows about her mission to help a scientist and how she
“interfered” with their plan. Arkady
seems exasperated, he had vouched for her change and can’t believe she kept
being defiant after being given chances to redeem herself. Arkady pounds the table. He asks Oleg if he’d like a drink, Oleg, hurt
by Arkady’s assessment of Nina, leaves his boss alone.
The city bus drops off Martha near Clark’s apartment. Hans watches her from a nearby car. Hans
follows her several blocks and suspects a green car is tailing him. Hans calls
Phillip from a payphone to inform him “His groceries will be delivered in five
minutes.” Phillip is up in the
apartment, he dons his Clark disguise, removes their “wedding” picture and
carefully exits the building through the back. Aderholt observes Martha enter the building. She calls out to Phillip once inside, then
notices their picture is gone and something must be amiss. Phillip walks outside, past Aderholt and
manages to blend in with the crowd unseen.
Paige paces the floor of the church office. She can’t hide her frustration with Pastor
Tim. She tells him her parents want her
to forgive him but she feels confused and angry that she is somehow part of an
grown-up conspiracy of how she’s supposed to feel. (Paige is startlingly
accurate in this assessment; both her parents and Pastor Tim are trying to get
her allegiance.) Pastor Tim persists by asking if she is any clearer in her
knowledge of what her parents actually DO.
Paige can’t say, but she knows they love her and trusted her to tell her
the truth about themselves when she asked. Paige still feels love and trust for her
parents and does not want them to get caught.
Phillip has an urgent meeting with Hans. The younger man informs him he thinks he has
seen Aderholt’s car before and was able to see the license plate partially.
Phillip wonders if someone blocked his view on purpose, worried that there is
more than one person on the surveillance team. Hans is inexperienced but he was at least
careful not to go up to the apartment, in case Dennis had seen him before. It is hard for Phillip to trust others besides
Elizabeth with the gathering of intelligence but he must trust Hans in this
situation.
Martha calls the Centre switchboard. The operator speaks in clear English and says
Phillip said to expect her call. The
operator asks for the number on the payphone and instructs her to wait and
Phillip will call her in one hour.
Phillip and Elizabeth meet with Gabriel in a parking garage,
now that his apartment is uninhabitable. They speak about the possibility that Martha
may be “blown.” Gabriel assures them Gene’s death still protects her, noting
the FBI is looking at other staff besides Martha as a result of the leak.
Gabriel asks Phillip if he can get her a camera. (Easier then photocopying
material.) Phillip refuses, stating it will only lead to Martha’s arrest. Their
handler advises them to slow down and give the Centre time to formulate a
solution. He moves on to the subject of
William. Recent events have spooked the biologist but Gabriel urges them to
tell him to stay. “He hasn’t accomplished much in twenty-five years, but we are
on the verge of something big.” His last
order of business is to ask about Pastor Tim and his wife. Elizabeth says
curtly, “We’re working on it!”
Oleg meets climbs into Stan’s car on a darkened street near
the Capitol building. Without preamble he says, “Nina’s dead. She was executed
a few days ago.” Stan looks away from
Oleg in shock and says, “I thought, I thought.” Oleg responds, “It doesn’t
matter.” Stan explains when he joined
counter-intelligence he knew the risks but still can’t believe what happened to
Nina. Oleg remarks on how his father’s
generation was glorified because they fought the Nazi’s. In contrast, his brother died in a war their
government doesn’t even want to name. Both
men seem horrified at their impotence to protect a woman they both loved.
Martha waits by a payphone at a Laundromat, finally the
phone rings. Martha picks up on the
first ring and tells Phillip she’s been waiting for his call. She asks if he can come tomorrow but Phillip
postpones their meeting until Tuesday.
She appears anxious and frustrated. Phillip tries to consul her by saying, “I love
you.” As Phillip returns to the car,
Elizabeth gives him a disapproving look. She can probably lip-read or simply worries
Phillip cares too much about Martha.
Elizabeth and Phillip stop by Paige’s bedroom. Paige is still awake and speaks without facing
them, “He was nice, you were right, Pastor Tim does care about me.”
They close the door to her room but Paige continues to lay awake
in the darkness.
Matthew arrives at Stan’s house for a weekend visit. He is
surprised to find Henry lounging comfortably on the couch. Henry has the
evening planned including pizza and a movie. Matthew observes how Stan and
Henry interact and it’s obvious Henry has been a surrogate son for Stan. Henry
doesn’t seem to realize Matthew and Stan might need some private time. Resigned to Henry’s presence, Matthew agrees
to play a game.
In the kitchen, Elizabeth informs Phillip their son is over
at the Beeman’s again. Elizabeth shares her concern that Henry doesn’t have
friends his own age. Phillip drinks water from the tap in silence. He’s seems
preoccupied by Martha’s situation. Wordlessly, Elizabeth recognizes her
husband’s mood and asks when he plans to see her again. “Tuesday.” Elizabeth
concludes they should be able to confirm if she is being followed by that time.
Phillip adds vaguely, “It can move too fast.” Phillip leaves to tell Henry to
come home.
At the Beeman’s the boys play “Trivial Pursuit” while eating
pizza. Phillip asks if he can have a
word with Stan in private. Phillip
apologizes, “This is stupid, I should have told you. I was a wimp.” Stan
corrects him, “You were an asshole.” However, Stan acknowledges he doesn’t have
many friends and that he still trusts Phillip. “Her, I’m not so sure about.”
Stan adds like a petulant middle-schooler, “Did she say anything about
me?” Phillip notes truthfully Sandra
confessed she might have been too hard on Stan. The two men join their boys. Henry wants to
stay over and watch the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on tape with Matthew. (Matthew went to a midnight showing the
previous season. Is Matthew questioning his sexuality?)
Stan goes outside to greet his friend Dennis whom he
introduces to Phillip. With Dennis
taking the lead on Martha, this is a potentially explosive development. David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” guides the
ending montage. Martha waits alone in
her apartment popping Valium. Phillip
returns home to tell Elizabeth, “You’ll never guess who I just met!” Elizabeth saw the meeting from the window;
she remembers it was Agent Gaad and Aderholt who nearly captured her in the
past. Elizabeth notes it was Dennis who took Martha out to dinner, it seems
impossible that this is a coincidence now. Elizabeth offers, “We’ll know more by Tuesday.
We’ll do everything we can for her.”
After saying this, the song asks, “Why?” Elizabeth straddles her husband as the song
answers the question with, “Love!” The
two embrace passionately while the song instructs “Why don’t we give love one
more chance?”
Stan and Dennis wait in his car, appearing to be on a stakeout
of Martha. Martha goes to sleep alone.
Elizabeth and Phillip continue their love-making with the
song concluding, “This is our last dance, this is ourselves, under pressure…”
Phillip looks searchingly into Elizabeth’s eyes. She is truly all he has in the world.
What an amazing use of music to illustrate the tension of
the episode. The preview for next week highlights the tightening scrutiny
surrounding Martha. Stan notes, “Martha’s bad.” Martha appears to be kidnapped
and asks her captors, “I’m never going home again, am I?” Phillip might be
desperate to save her but her life but he may not be able to do so alone. The
FBI has never been closer to uncovering the truth. Will Stan’s grief over Nina
loosen or sharpen his resolve for justice?
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