After last week’s explosive tension this week’s hour was more of a “stand-alone” episode that didn’t advance the narrative as much. However, it was still an interesting study of how Elizabeth and Phillip continue to justify their actions after years of fatiguing duty. The Americans continues to explore the emotional stress of counter-intelligence work. Black and white thinking isn’t possible after years in the field when you recognize that all actors have their reasons for even the most unforgivable crimes. These concepts are highlighted by the hunt for a World War II Nazi collaborator.
Henry is listening to his Walkman when Phillip knocks on his door, asking where Elizabeth is. He doesn’t know but mentions that St. Edward’s will be sending acceptance letters in a few weeks time. Phillip says he needs to talk with Elizabeth but he now supports Henry’s academic ambitions. Henry thanks his father. Phillip mentions he needs to “head out.” Phillip pauses in the hallway before leaving, perhaps a little sad or relieved that Henry will be protected from the family’s secrets.
In a blonde wig, mustache, and glasses, Phillip assumes his pilot personae to visit with Tuan. He brings a hearty helping of McDonald’s. The two communist spies watch television together while Phillip hears a melancholy Russian song in his head. He remembers his father playing with him in their desolate home. Letting his son go has him pining for his own father who was also guilty of despicable crimes.
Phillip and Elizabeth meet with Claudia for their debriefing. She asks how it’s going with the Morzov’s. Phillip answers, “It’s moving forward.” (Pasha is suffering.) Elizabeth advises Claudia that Paige is open to getting Pastor Tim a new career out of the country. Claudia approves of this plan. Claudia explains their next mission, they are to find a Soviet woman whom they believed collaborated with the Nazi’s working on their “execution squad.” The woman fled Russia to Germany after the war, there she met an American medic. She married him and has lived outside of Boston since the ‘50’s. Claudia only has one photo of the woman as a young teen, from before the war. The Centre wants to confirm her identity, “Before you do anything.” Phillip hesitates, recalling the lab worker he killed in Kansas under false pretenses. Claudia confirms that the Lassa virus was used in Afghanistan to kill the mujahideen fighters. “They named it ‘Variant V’ after Vitally, his Russian name.” What a sad legacy for William who was so concerned about the spread of the dangerous virus he killed himself with it rather than cause an outbreak.
Ruslan and Oleg return to the office where they encounter a fellow KGB officer named Nikita. Ruslan jokes with the man that he looks terrible. Nikita shares that he just finished interrogating someone for “anti-State” activities. He notes that the man said many true things about corruption in their system but he still had to declare the man mentally ill and have him placed in a psychiatric facility. (Maybe the man is Misha, Phillip’s eldest son who prior to leaving the Soviet Union was in a mental health hospital after speaking out against the Afghan war.) Ruslan nods but isn’t empathetic, “He should no better than to open his mouth.” Much of the Soviet system relied on prudent silence. Oleg looks at the men in silence likely wondering how his own secrets may come to light.
In Boston, Phillip and Elizabeth do surveillance from their car. Phillip starts, “Henry asked about St. Edward’s again. I said it was okay if it’s okay with you which I know it is.” Elizabeth pauses but agrees he should go if he wants to. Phillip still seems hesitant, noting how well Henry is doing with math and his girlfriend. (Maybe Phillip feels guilty about how it’s not working out with Paige presently.) Elizabeth rationalizes that they will still see Henry just not as often. They see a married couple stroll down the street. The man opens the door for the woman as Phillip and Elizabeth try to compare her against the old photo they have. Phillip observes, “They like each other.” Elizabeth scoffs, “Good for them.”
Stan gives Henry a tour of the FBI offices. Henry is doing a story about Stan for his school newspaper. Stan introduces Henry to his partner Dennis, “Do you work for the Post?” He jokes. Henry wants to know how many people work in the building but Dennis doesn’t know. Agent Wolfe calls Dennis away and the men enter the “vault.” Henry is intrigued, “What’s that room for?” The red light bulb brightens when the men shut the door. “Secret stuff,” Stan says with a grin. Stan explains that the “vault” is a secure room with acoustic shielding preventing anyone from listening inside. Unfortunately, Stan can’t show Henry the room. They continue down the hallway where Henry meets the “mail robot.” Henry is amazed but Stan dismisses it as “more trouble than it’s worth.” (Considering that Henry’s parents had to kill an innocent old woman to bug it, it's definitely more trouble than either of them could ever know!)
Phillip and Elizabeth continue to follow the suspected Nazi collaborator. Elizabeth walks down the street. As the women pass each other, Elizabeth snaps several photographs of the woman from a micro camera concealed in her purse.
Back in Moscow, Formina, the grocery distributor, walks home in the evening carrying a small bag of groceries. Oleg meets up with Ruslan to describe Formina’s shopping errand. “She bought sausages,” Oleg notes she only spoke to the cashier. In other words, she has failed to do anything of interest. Oleg informs his partner he is going shopping on his way home. He offers to get Ruslan into the exclusive store reserved for top Party members. (In a system where everyone was supposed to be equal, Party members were definitely “more equal” than others.) Ruslan declines the offer joking it would ruin him if his wife got used to fancy food. But perhaps the older man is jealous of Oleg’s elite status.
Elizabeth and Phillip work on travel agent business at the dining room table. Henry comes home, excited after his tour of the FBI. He describes some of the highlights, like meeting Stan’s boss in counter-intelligence, a whole room filled with computers and the mysterious vault “where nobody can listen into your conversations.” Phillip nods but probably would love to know how the Americans devised such a room. Henry rushes upstairs to write his report while the details are still fresh.
Phillip cleans up the darkroom after developing the pictures Elizabeth took of the woman. He holds the new photo up to compare it to the old one. “Who the hell knows.” Elizabeth is more confident that it is the same woman. Elizabeth wonders if Stan is trying to recruit Henry for the FBI. Phillip thinks it’s because Matthew “isn’t cut out for it.” Elizabeth isn’t so sure, “He could straighten up when he gets older.” Phillip doubts it. (Is it because of Matthew’s long hair, prejudice!) Elizabeth declares, “He’s not getting Henry.” Phillip wonders whether Paige wanted them to see the pages of Pastor Tim’s diary. He’s worried she’s “moving too fast.” His meaning is opaque but it may be that he thinks she is acting to expel Pastor Tim because his words hurt her. Phillip is wrestling with his own regrets and doesn’t want Paige to have regrets about her action later.
Oleg and Ruslan are let inside Formina’s office at work. The office is wood-paneled with a modest metal desk with a typewriter, an adding machine, and one telephone. Oleg focuses on the bookshelf, getting the employer’s assistance to move it and search behind it but find nothing. Ruslan begins to search the drawers until he finds one that is locked. Oleg looks inside a wardrobe, finding a fancy black desk. The employer confirms he’s seen her wear it before. Oleg wonders where the secretary might have had occasion to where the dress. The employer offers that he’s seen her accept gifts, big packages that she takes home. Ruslan works at picking the lock on the drawer. He finds some items of contraband liquor, perfume but the items are small. In another drawer, he finds her ledger. He calls Oleg over to look at it. This book will hopefully lead them to the real players in the operation. Ruslan is amazed, “It wasn’t even locked!”
Elizabeth and Phillip present the photos to Claudia. The woman is a nurse, married to an ophthalmologist. The have two daughters, one in Boston one on the West coast. The woman is a part-time caregiver for her grandchildren, enjoys drawing and volunteers at a free clinic. Claudia observes, “She’s made a nice life for herself!” (Can these good qualities outweigh the crimes of her youth?) Elizabeth wants to know how the Centre found the woman. Claudia explains they found out she had fled the Soviet Union and required treatment for venereal disease “after sleeping with too many Nazi officers.” (It’s possible that she had no choice.) They worked for years, cross-referencing women treated for STD’s of her age, and height until they found her. Phillip is still skeptical, “So Konina is Prokopchek or someone who was the same height and age as her at the end of the war?” Claudia looks at the photos, promising to get them to the Centre. But how can they be sure of her identity either?
Henry read his FBI report to Stan. Stan is a bit embarrassed about the flagrant praise. “Laying it on a little thick if you ask me!” Henry disagrees, stating it was amazing to see the work Stan does for a living. Stan tries to explain some of the drawbacks of his work. “I’d love to explain it to you Henry but I’m not allowed to. You see, I don’t trust you.” This statement takes Henry aback. Stan elaborates, “You could be the greatest kid in the world but I have to think of you as a spy. That’s what the FBI is like.” Henry asks if Stan trusts anybody. Stan responds that some people trust their wives, but he didn’t. Stan reveals he doesn’t trust his kid either. Henry summarizes, “That sucks.” (In contrast, Phillip and Elizabeth trust each other exclusively but their work has been put under huge strain by including Paige in their trust.)
Oleg and Ruslan have brought Formina in for questioning, they slide her ledger over to her. “You took my ledger, so?” Oleg and Ruslan explain that these are “serious crimes” and they know she is working under someone else’s orders. They probe her about how the operation works, noting that if she signs a confession they will make sure the prosecutor “goes easy” on her. Formina is defiant, “I kept a ledger for my boss. Fine. What else do you want?” Ruslan wants to know how it works, who took the bribes in the corrupt system. Oleg adds, “We know you're not just some powerless little secretary doing what you’re told.” Formina scoffs, “I never said I was powerless!” Ruslan notes that her sentence will probably be fifteen years in prison. Formina says, “This is how the whole country works. It’s how people get fed. It isn’t going to change.” Ruslan simmers with rage, “You think you can beat the KGB?” Formina says it’s not just her, it’s every official, warehouse and grocery store manager. “You KGB, you think you're so above it all but that’s because you don’t have to worry about any of these things. So high and mighty!”
The sub-text to this conversation is that essentially that the Central Communist planning was an utter failure. The black market was the way the trade and commerce really operated behind closed doors. The government didn’t want the failures of their system to be truly known so they turned a blind eye to this activity. After the fall of the Soviet system, some of these same people became wealthy oligarchs.
Elizabeth works in the laundry room decoding a message when Phillip knocks in code at the door. Elizabeth has received orders confirming the Nazi collaborator. Phillip raises doubts again, “They saw the same pictures we saw.” Elizabeth believes it’s the same woman. Phillip sighs, “I want to be sure before... I can’t just get this order from them and do whatever they say.” Elizabeth promises that they will make sure.
Stan and Dennis meet with Sofia again. She explains that recently a reporter was recalled to Moscow. The men ask her if there was a reason that she knew about for this action but she can’t say anything more. Stan praises her performance so far, “Just keep noticing things like that.” As Sofia readies to leave Dennis asks about her son and her new boyfriend. Sofia lights up when she talks about Gennadi, noting that he’s very famous but not egotistical. Stan cautions her, “You have to be careful with him too.” Sofia asserts she knows. It’s possible Gennadi works for the KGB, she really needs to be careful especially as an inexperienced asset.
Phillip and Elizabeth have traveled back to Boston. They watch as the woman exits her car and enters her home alone. They look at each other before exiting to confront the woman.
The woman is setting the table for dinner. She looks harmless wearing a cardigan and pearls. Elizabeth and Phillip enter through the unlocked back door. Phillip holds a gun with a silencer. They make their way quietly through the kitchen to confront the woman. Phillip commands her, “Not one sound.” Natalie offers him money from her purse, Elizabeth enters. “This isn’t about money.” Phillip says they want the truth. Elizabeth says the woman’s former Russian name, Natalie says, “Who?” Phillip commands, “You tell us.”
Natalia panics, she offers to show them her driver’s license to prove her identity. Elizabeth asks where was she born. Natalie says, Russia, when pressed she says Sevsk but says she’s been in the United States for forty years. Elizabeth says, “You’re lying. Your life is a lie!” Natalie’s speech is rapid, denying any knowledge of what they are talking about. Phillip notes she’s from Dyatkovo but again Natalie says she’s never been there. Elizabeth says her former name again. Natalie looks increasingly frightened, “Who is she, what did she do to you? It’s not me, I’m a wife, I’m a mother, I’ve lived in this house for twenty-five years!”
Elizabeth snaps, she slaps Natalie in the face. “You’re a traitor, you slaughtered your own people, young boys, hundreds of them. Brave soldiers who were fighting for their country, you took them to the edge of town and you shot them in a pit! You’re a monster!” She grabs Natalie by the hair, “Do you want to know who we are?” Elizabeth switches to Russian and spits, “We are them!” Elizabeth walks out of the room, Natalie sobs loudly. Phillip looks at her, gun aimed at her head.
Elizabeth and Phillip confer, “You all right?” he asks. “You believe her, she’s lying?” Phillip looks at Natalie sobbing on the chair. “Even if it is her…” Phillip isn’t sure they should execute her for crimes committed so long ago. Elizabeth can’t believe her husband, for her, it’s obvious what should be done with this traitor. “You think she’s changed?” Elizabeth walks away from Phillip.
The return to Natalie. “You’re not going to fool us, we know who you are and we know what you’ve done!” Natalie asks what they are going to do to her. “Wait,” says Elizabeth. They plan to wait for her husband to return. Natalie protests, noting her husband has nothing to do with this, he’s never been to Russia. Natalie inhales and confesses, “It’s all true what you said. I’m Anna from Dyatkovo. I betrayed my friends, neighbors, I deserve to die but not my husband! John has nothing to do with this. Kill me, then go.”
Elizabeth commands her to sit down and tell her story. She explains she helped the Nazi’s execute people but she can’t remember exactly where it was too long ago. (Is she fabricating the story in an attempt to save her husband?) Natalie cries when she hears her husband’s car. “Please don’t hurt him, he thinks I’m wonderful!” Tears stream down the desperate woman’s face.
Phillip grabs the older gentleman, commanding him not to scream. Elizabeth holds her hand over Natalie’s mouth. John panics and offers them money. Natalie tearfully explains, “They’re here because of the war.” Natalie asks for water before proceeding. Elizabeth pours her a glass from a pitcher on the table. Phillip keeps his gun trained on the couple.
John pleads, “Natalie, tell me what’s happening?” She whispers, “Dyatkovo. I’m from Dyatkovo.” John disputes this. Natalie continues when the Nazi’s came, they rounded men and shot them in the town square. She tried to hold on to her mother, but she was shot. “They made me dig a hole, I used a shovel, a pail and then my hands. They threw them in like garbage, I was sixteen.” Phillip looks at her with empathy while Elizabeth stares with steely eyes. “I didn’t know anything about the world, about anything. They let me live.” Phillip asks “Why?” Natalie says she doesn’t know why. “I was good, obedient. The first time, they gave me so much to drink I could barely stand up.” (She could be talking about participating in the execution squad or being raped as she had numerous STD’s by the end of the war.)
John asks, “The first time?” Natalie confesses to shooting Soviet prisoners but claims, “It wasn’t me in my body, it wasn’t me!” John looks at her, “Natalie..” Natalie cries and tells him she wanted to be the person he thought she was. John looks at her lovingly, “I know who you are Natalie, you’re good.” Natalie looks at Phillip pleadingly, “I’m sorry.” Phillip looks moved but Elizabeth glances at him to shoot her. He raises his gun and both John and Natalie beg for their lives. Natalie begins to pray in Russian. John screams, “You can’t do this, you heard what they did to her!” Elizabeth takes out her gun and shoots John then Natalie in the head. Phillip looks in silent horror at the scene.
As they drive home, Elizabeth speaks. “I want to get out of here. We should just go, I mean it. Let’s go home.” Phillip stares off on the empty dark road before them. It’s easy to imagine the preceding scene as something that could one day happen to Elizabeth and Phillip. How would they account for their crimes? Unlike Natalie, they can’t claim youth or drunkenness. For decades they’ve both “followed orders” whether willing like Elizabeth or with moral hesitation like Phillip. Elizabeth may feel that killing Natalie and John was the straightforward conclusion, the price for her crimes. Many people in this country also believe there is no rehabilitation after such horrendous crimes. But Phillip appeared moved by John’s final words of love and support for his wife despite knowing the truth. It didn’t change his love for her. Likewise, nothing Elizabeth can do can change Phillip’s love for her.
The preview for next week shows Elizabeth asking Claudia for “an end to their tour.” What would such a move entail? Would they abandon Henry to the capitalist elite school and bring Paige with them? Oleg still walks the tightrope between his investigation and the Secret Police's investigation of him. Will Stan discover be able to protect Sofia from the KGB? There are two episodes left in this dramatic season.
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