The Americans, Season 6, Episode 1, Dead Hand

History is a series of decisive moments that only become clear in hindsight.  The Americans has shifted ahead to 1987 to highlight the historical "detante" in U.S.-Soviet relations that paved the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union and ended that period of "Cold War."  The opening hour displayed more callbacks to the real events and historical figures than ever before.  I believe the Americans continue to be one of the best and most underappreciated series on television.  While I’m sad this will be its final season, I respect the creators for sending the series out on a high note.  The opening hour brought out all the reasons which I admire the show, use of music to add emotional context to scenes, being historically accurate and allowing the viewer to question and empathize with the choices of the characters.

A quick review of the previous season highlights the “second generation” program for spies for which Claudia and Elizabeth think Paige would be a perfect candidate.  Oleg’s near brush with exposure by the U.S. intelligence services back in the Soviet Union is recounted.  Stan’s girlfriend Renee makes Phillip question if she may be a fellow KGB officer.  Phillip clearly desires to quit the game and Elizabeth decides she will continue to serve as a solo agent.

The hour opens with a montage set to Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream it’s Over.”  A woman in bed sketches a sleeping Elizabeth in a pink uniform, glasses and frizzy blonde wig.  Phillip oversees the travel agency, which has a bright new modern office with many employees.   A man enters the bedroom where the woman is sketching Elizabeth and greets her with a kiss.  An IV pole hangs in the background.  Phillip toils alone at the office while across town Elizabeth showers after being intimate with a stranger.  Elizabeth gazes out from her hotel room at the Washington Monument.  Phillip walks home in the darkness.  The song plays, “there’s a battle ahead, many battles are lost.” Elizabeth wears a baseball hat near a train station looking drained.  Phillip drives a fancy new car, equipped with a car phone.  He slows down by a movie theater, “Revenge of the Nerds Two”. “The Pick-Up Artist”, “Less Than Zero” and “Wall Street” posters are displayed which would have been playing in the fall of 1987. (The timeline has advanced roughly a year and a half.  Phillip’s snazzy car resembles Gordon Gecko’s in Wall Street that came out in December 1987.)  Elizabeth wearing a new wig follows behind some men taking pictures with her purse camera.  Phillip sits at the kitchen table as Elizabeth comes home late.  The song punctuates the wordless scene, “I’m walking again, to the beat of a drum, and I’m counting the steps to the door of your heart.”  Elizabeth gives Phillip a small smile before heading upstairs.  Elizabeth and Phillip clearly live alone and have parallel lives.  But the longing for each other still exists as in the song’s chorus, “Hey now, hey now, don’t dream it’s over.”  The scene cuts to the opening credits.

Phillip comes downstairs to find Elizabeth in the backyard smoking a cigarette.  He asks her if she’d like to come with him but she replies dully, “I’ve got work. I wish I had time to watch Henry play hockey.”  From her tone, it’s clear that she finds Henry and hockey a waste of time.

Paige watches a movie in Russian with Claudia and Elizabeth on a small color television.   They all laugh together.  Is this part of Paige’s language training?  Does Phillip know that Paige is being trained?  Phillip cheers for Henry at St. Edward’s Academy.  Henry is popular with the young female students and Phillip seems to enjoy flirting the mothers in attendance.  After the movie ends, Paige remarks how “normal” the women in the film seem, but a bit silly when it comes to chasing after men.  Claudia mentions how much more power women have in the Soviet Union but how misogyny is still a problem.  Paige gives Claudia and her mom some weapons information she’s obtained from her university class.  The women seem surprised at how freely information is shared about the U.S.’s military capabilities.  There is an upcoming summit between the U.S. and the Soviets.  Paige is hopeful regarding the talks but Elizabeth is more cynical, noting the U.S. has not always followed through on their agreements. (For example, the SALT II talks were never ratified by Congress or enacted as a response to the Soviet’s invasion of Afghanistan.)  Paige leaves to wait in the car while Elizabeth and Claudia debrief.  Elizabeth has been staking out the Department of Energy that will be involved with the upcoming summit.  Elizabeth is involved with Dean Haskart, one of the U.S. negotiators.  Claudia informs Elizabeth that with about nine weeks ahead of the Washington summit, she’s received a signal for Elizabeth to meet someone in Mexico. (Marking this episode as mid-October 1987, the Washington Summit began on December 8, 1987.)  As always, Elizabeth accepts this assignment.  As she leaves, she muses to Claudia how much Moscow has changed since she left.  Claudia commends her for her strong work and not being on the “boy-crazy” young women portrayed in the film.

In Moscow it is night, former head of the Rezidentura Arkady rings the bell of Oleg’s apartment.  Oleg appears surprised to see his former boss, in order to speak privately the men leave the apartment for a walk.  Arkady begins, “I have an idea about what happened.  I’m Deputy Chief of Directorate-S, I know a lot.”  Oleg politely congratulates him on his promotion but seems wary to speak about his past.  Arkady notes that Oleg was “lucky” he wasn’t shot for previous conduct, he assures Oleg what he’s about to ask, “isn’t a trap.”  Arkady explains he needs someone to take that kind of risk again.  Oleg looks pained, “No, I have a one-year-old son.”  Oleg also notes he has a secure job at the railway ministry.  (Like his father.)  Arkady continues, “There are some in our organization that don't believe in Gorbachev, they don’t want change.  I need someone I trust to go to the United States, quietly.”  Oleg’s government position would allow him greater freedom to travel than most.  Arkady has heard that a general is “going behind his back to meet an illegal in Latin America.” (This is certainly Elizabeth, who has an upcoming secret meeting in Mexico.)  Arkady hopes that Oleg can reach out to the “illegal’s husband.”  He explains that Phillip has quit his active service for a few years; he believes Phillip could be a potential ally of Gorbachev and the reformer wing of the government.  Oleg remains skeptical, not wishing to step in between a husband and his wife.  Arkady pleads with Oleg that the future of the country is at stake to be won by the reformers or the KGB.

Elizabeth walks down the sunny streets of Mexico City carrying brightly colored flowers.  She walks into a café to meet a man waiting for her in the back.  He introduces himself in Russian as General Kovtun of the Strategic Rocket Forces.  (Soviets always loved wordy bureaucratic names.)  He flatters Elizabeth and her work.  He cautions her that neither the Centre nor her husband can learn what he is about to tell her.

At the travel agency, Phillip encourages his agents to “go beyond the brochure” and share their personal travel experiences with their clients, both positive and negative. (Phillip dreams of Yelp in 1987!)

The General explains the Strategic Rocket Forces have begun work on a system called the “Dead Hand.”  In the event of the United States launching a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, a computerized system will launch a counterattack against the United States, ensuring the final destruction of the enemy.  The General hands her a picture of a man, Fyodor Nesterenko who works at the office of the foreign ministry. Nesterenko is close to Gorbachev and will be attending the upcoming Summit.  The fear is that Gorbachev would trade the “Dead Hand” technology for an agreement by the United States to give up its “Star Wars” program.  “This can’t happen!” Declares the General.  Elizabeth is to report if she learns that Nesterenko is planning on negotiating regarding these technologies.  The General adds ominously, “You know about the Dead Hand now, you cannot be arrested.”  He slides over a black jewelry box to her.  Elizabeth nods.  Peter Gabriel’s “We do what we’re told” begins to play.  On the plane home,  Elizabeth makes a trip to the airplane bathroom.  She opens the black box and looks at the necklace that features an opaque stone.  She slides open the back of the stone to reveal a small white tablet.  It likely contains a cyanide capsule to take in the event of her arrest.  The song chants ominously, “One life, one goal, one truth.”  Elizabeth stares at herself in the mirror and places the necklace around her neck.  Elizabeth has always seemed resigned to the fact that she may end up dying for her country.

Stan and Renee are hosting a dinner for all their friends, including Elizabeth, Phillip and Paige, Dennis Aderholt and his wife and infant.  Paige challenges Stan on the controversial nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court, recounting his past racist views.  (Bork would end up failing to be confirmed.)  Stan seems bemused by Paige’s passion and attributes it to her college-age idealism.  The conversation shifts to Henry’s hockey career at boarding school.  The women excuse themselves to begin dishes in the kitchen.  Renee joins Dennis’s wife as she feeds her baby.  Elizabeth strains to hear their conversation regarding their husbands work at the FBI.  Renee explains its hard to get any information out of the guys, they simply will not talk about work at home.

In Moscow, Oleg tries to explain to his young wife Elina that he must go to the United States to help Arkady.  She begs him not to leave, knowing just how dangerous it could be for Oleg.  Oleg counters, “What kind of life will our son have if good people like me just stand by?”  Oleg assures Elina that Arkady has always been honest with him.  He embraces her, tells her he loves and promises to return.  Elina begs, “Don’t do this to us!”  Later, Oleg embraces his young son Sasha before he leaves.  In this scene, Oleg reveals himself to be willing to risk his life to fight corruption and for a better future for his family even at the risk of sacrificing his own life. (In contrast to Elizabeth who is prepared to die to preserve the old order and ideals.)

The next scene is another montage of action to the mournful Talking Heads song, “Remain in the light.”  Elizabeth sits alone in a café called “La Bocca” near the Department of Energy.  Oleg arrives in Washington where he stares at the Washington Monument as he exits a taxi the song lyrics add, “Mojique holds a package in quivering hands, he feels the time is now or never.”  Oleg checks into The Potomac Inn, as the song continues, “wind in my heart, dust in my head.”  He appears overwhelmed with memories of his time in America and likely Nina.  Elizabeth wears a pink uniform as she arrives for her shift as a caregiver to Dean Haskert’s wife.  Elizabeth has brought Dean food.  She explains that his wife Erica likes to brag that Dean is “saving the world.”  Dean blushes, “I’d like to think I’m doing my part so that we don’t blow each other to bits!”  Elizabeth laughs nervously, “Yeah, that would be good.”

Elizabeth relieves the previous caregiver.  Erica notices that Elizabeth is staring at the painting that hangs behind her bed.  The abstract piece appears to be of a woman screaming and dissolving.  Erica explains that she painted it after her mother died.  Elizabeth confesses, “Art isn’t really my thing.”  Erica scoffs, “That’s like saying life isn’t really your thing, beauty’s not your thing!”  Elizabeth can’t seem to appreciate the abstract nature of Erica’s work.  She asks the ill woman how many paintings she’s made.  Erica doesn’t answer but looks at a loss to answer such an unimportant question.  A tension lingers between the women.

Phillip is making the most of life by going line dancing!  He doesn’t appear to have a special partner but looks genuinely happy.

Later at the Haskert home, Elizabeth watches Erica groan in pain in her sleep.  Despite the fact that Elizabeth is really only there to spy on Dean, she looks with concern at the dying woman.  Elizabeth touches Erica’s shoulder and she quiets down.  Elizabeth glances at the painting that depicts an abstract, nearly faceless woman.  Does Elizabeth see herself in that, a woman who has disappeared after assuming so many identities?

Oleg goes out for a walk in the darkness.  Along his walk, he marks a blue post box with white chalk.  Phillip drives by the mailbox and sees the mark the following day.  Even though Phillip is out of the game, are there still some signals he monitors?

Paige sits at “La Bocca” with an older man.  The powerful cords of Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Women” begin. “Take your silver spoon, dig your grave.”  It appears that Paige is acting as a lookout for the Centre.  Phillip toils alone at the travel agency.  “Chose your path and I’ll pray," Stevie Nicks cautions. Elizabeth drives in a car with an older woman. Phillip leaves work for the day.  As he walks, he removes a note hidden in a cinder block off the sidewalk.  Paige finally leaves the café with an older man.  It isn’t clear what her mission was but she’s been closely watching the comings and goings of the café customers, entry-level Centre work. 

Phillip goes to the laundry room and decodes the message he obtained from the cinder block.  The song fades, “Do you know how to pick up the pieces and go home.”  Gold Dust Woman touches on themes inheritance and loss.  Phillip seems to have lost both Elizabeth and Paige to the work.

Paige reads a book alone in a car.  A naval officer raps on her window that she reluctantly rolls down. “I noticed you were sitting here for some time, this is not the best neighborhood.”  Paige replies she’s waiting for a friend.  The officer requests identification, Paige hands him a fake drivers license. “The picture doesn’t do you justice Ellen Terero.”  The officer notes that she’s near several restricted areas, including the Vice President’s house.  He asks for a second piece of identification and Paige hands him a college id.  He asks if she wants to join him for dinner but Paige declines, stating she’s waiting for a friend.

Nesterenko leaves the Department of Energy; Elizabeth is signaled to this event by static on her walkie-talkie.  Elizabeth’s companion exits the car and walks in front of a group of men including Haskert and Nesterenko.  Elizabeth listens to the men’s conversation but it’s merely small talk about the hotel.

The Naval officer is disappointed at Paige’s refusal to go out with him.  He says he’s going to keep her student id, she can get it back only by agreeing to go on a date with him on Saturday.  Paige is upset but feels unable to refuse; an escalation in the situation is bound to lead to more questions.

Elizabeth meets with Paige.  Paige explains the sequence of events, scared of disappointing her mother and endangering the mission.  Elizabeth assures her that it’s not a huge problem, she kept cool under pressure and only gave up a fake alias and id.  When Elizabeth returns to the car and her companion is not so generous about the situation. “I told you, she’s too young!”  Elizabeth replies coolly, “I have a lot of faith in this one.”  Obviously, other members of the organization are not to know that Paige is Elizabeth’s daughter. 

Elizabeth asks the woman to drive her to a new location.  Elizabeth spots the officer who questioned Paige.  She asks him for a light, verifying his the name on his uniform.  Elizabeth quickly stabs the young man in the neck, killing him quickly.  She coldly removes Paige’s fake identification from the man’s wallet.  This makes the second time Elizabeth has murdered a man to protect her daughter.  But unlike the man last year who attempted to sexually assault Paige, this young man’s only crime was being a bit pushy in order to go on a date.

Oleg strolls in the park.  Phillip approaches him in glasses and a wig. Phillip initiates the conversation about the weather in Washington. Once they’ve run through the code Phillip asks if Oleg was followed. Oleg notes it took him half the day to shake the multiple FBI tails.  Oleg starts by stating Arkady sent him, and he’s there because many of the “old guard” does not like Gorbachev.  Gorbachev can’t simply get rid of his opponents.  Phillip maintains he’s “out of it.”  Oleg continues that powerful people are resisting the changes under Gorbachev, including a General from the Strategic Rocket forces who recently met with Elizabeth.  Phillip says dryly, “My wife does her job.”  Oleg notes that everyone is divided between progress and the old ways, Elizabeth is with the “old ways” faction.  Oleg implores Phillip to find out what Elizabeth is doing and “stop her.”  Phillip replies forcefully, “She’s MY WIFE!”  Oleg pauses and explains that he left his wife and infant son on this risky mission to help shape the future of our country.  Oleg notes that in his present position he has no immunity if his activities are discovered he’ll be executed.  Oleg leaves Phillip with a newspaper, perhaps containing another coded message.

Elizabeth smokes a cigarette before entering her home,  looking drained and tense.  Phillip reads the newspaper in the kitchen.  Phillip mentions what he’s reading about the upcoming Gorbachev-Reagan summit.  Elizabeth remarks that she’s working on it.  Phillip says it seems like a good deal to get rid of some weapons.  Elizabeth is dismissive, “Maybe for them, not for us!”  Phillip tries to asking her what is wrong, noting how much she’s smoking and working with very little rest.  He observes that he thinks the job is finally getting to her like it did for him.  He says he wants to talk to her about something important.  Elizabeth becomes more frustrated, thinking Phillip must want to talk about something she considers trivial compared to what she’s working on. (Like Henry!) Elizabeth demands Phillip wait until after she’s slept.  Elizabeth seems like she’s on the verge of breaking down for the first time.  Phillip lets her go upstairs to bed.  He continues to work alone in the kitchen.  Once in the bathroom, Elizabeth stares hauntingly at her own reflection and at the necklace.  Her face is as disturbing as the painting of the faceless woman.

This first hour has set the stage for the crescendo of the final season.  Things look very ominous for Elizabeth, if she continues to breakdown her destruction seems assured.  Does Phillip know how involved Paige is becoming in the “family business”?  If not, what will he do when he finds out.  The Soviet Union is so close to collapse it is understandable the “old guard” would have been very fearful.  After the changes made by Gorbachev and experiment with Yelstin’s brand of democracy, the old guard did indeed return in the form of Vladimir Putin in the new millennium.  If Gorbachev would have managed to truly reform and remove his enemies in the KGB might things be different today?  The Americans may be “just a TV show” but it is highlighting real events and historical players by a creator who worked in the field during the era.

The previews of the upcoming episodes look increasingly dangerous for many characters.  Paige is shown to have a “boyfriend” but is she just using him or does she have genuine feelings for him?  Stan notes that some of his Soviet counterparts in intelligence “do not want peace.”  Elizabeth continues on her mission to protect the regressive forces, which may end in her own exposure and demise.  It clearly seems that this season will be filled with decisive moments that may have long-term repercussion for both the characters and their respective countries.

Thoughts on the Eve of The Americans final season

It's been nearly a year since I've posted here.  This past year has been an unbelievable and at times surreal experience.  I became so overwhelmed that I failed to recap the last few episodes of last season's shows.  It was hard to separate the events on the show with the swirl of news.  Could our fictional characters ever imagine the relationship of leaders within an American campaign and now Forty-fifth Presidential Administration? Surely it would have been beyond the wildest hopes of any former KGB agent, even Vladimir Putin.  Themes explored on the show, bugging offices of high-ranking officials, poisoning people with strange biological weapons are now daily news from around the world.  It really seems that we are a strange new Cold War, with perhaps the cooperation of our very own Manchurian candidate.

All my life I've been a news junkie, but these days I feel more like a news zombie.  Our divisions and assumptions about each other and those in power have never been more in question.  As a child of the 1980s, the Americans used to provide me nostalgia and context to the political climate of my early years.  I remember how we were brainwashed to hate and question everything Soviet or Russian. The show provided an illustration of how Soviet operatives would have viewed our government and propaganda of that era.

In my high school years, I studied the Russian language and culture. (Not very successfully, thinking I would never have to use it!)  In my senior year of high school, we hosted twins from our sister city Irkutsk in Siberia. This personal exchange eviscerated and enforced many of generalizations we held about Soviets.  The teens did everything in their power to appear unimpressed by the excess in our culture until finally admitting a deep love of Mickey Mouse. They were lousy at Monopoly but better at English and math than I could ever hope to be. The came from a family of successful scientists and were excited to go into the science fields themselves. (Not as ordered by their government like I had understood the Soviet model worked.)  I was embarrassed how little we really knew about what life in the Soviet Union was like beyond images of bread lines and lack of personal freedom.

What I've always found so interesting about The Americans is that it humanizes the efforts of those on both sides of the Cold War.  Then as now, there has always been a divide between the shady efforts of spies and the common people in both countries.  However, the Russian ability to distort and create propaganda about the West remains, especially under the leadership of Putin and the RT news agency.  RT and other media tools have helped Russia import their worldview to the people all around the worlds are far more sophisticated than any Cold War efforts. It causes us to doubt their interference, especially when the U.S. President echoes Putin's assertion that any interference in Western elections or murder of former spies is "fake news."

I am looking forward to seeing how the show will commence.  Elizabeth and Phillip have finally decided that it was time to return home as a family.  However, at last, they had a lead on the direct line to the CIA operations in Moscow. (A holy grail of their spy career.) It appears that this last important and dangerous mission will likely expose them their neighbor, family friend, and FBI agent next-door Stan.  I'm not expecting a smooth road to wrap up all the dramatic threads of the series.  Nina's storyline ended in a brutal and abrupt manner.  Will Paige or Henry be endangered before the end?  How many innocent people will suffer on both sides? It's the realism and moral ambiguity that continue to surprise viewers and make for a show that's almost as crazy as our present-day world.

The Americans, Season 5, Episode 11, Dyatkovo

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.

Better Call Saul, Season 3, Episode 6, Off Brand

This hour explores life after Jimmy cuts his relationship with Chuck.  Jimmy is forced to come up with a plan for a year outside of the law.  Kim continues to offer to him support but within the realm of his legitimate business. Gus and Hector take their feud to the next level offering us views of how the Fring Empire was built.

Nacho is seated in a taqueria called “El Michochano.”  Don Hector is seated at a table nearby reading the sports section of a Spanish newspaper.  A heavily tattooed man enters and pays Nacho.  Nacho places the cash, rolled and secured with a rubber band in a duffle bag. (Like the one that was given to “El Greco” in the Sabrosito episode.)  The next man who comes into pay looks like he could work at a cellphone company.  He attempts to make small talk with Nacho but Nacho quiets him so he can count the money.  The payment is short, the man explains one of his new guys was spooked by a cop car and dropped the drugs in the gutter.  He promises Nacho he’ll make it up to him next week.  Nacho allows him to leave but Hector looks up from his newspaper and scoffs, “Who works for whom?”  Nacho gets up and drags the man back inside the restaurant for a beating.

Nacho works the sewing machine at his father’s car upholstery shop. His father asks about where a certain leather is and Nacho tells him. The dark shop is a safe environment for him, away from his cartel business.  Nacho works in almost a Zen-like trance sewing a heavy leather material until he punctures his own hand with the needle.  He calmly removes the needle from his skin.  The opening credits flash depicting a payphone in the desert sun, the book is opened to the advertisement for Saul Goodman, attorney at law.

Kim makes her final appeal to the New Mexico State Bar panel.  She highlights Jimmy’s work for an underserved clientele, the elderly. A group of his former clients sits in the courtroom, all have given Jimmy glowing testimony as to how he helped them as their attorney.  In a taxicab, Rebecca goes across town to check on Chuck.  Kim continues her speech, emphasizing how Jimmy spent three years being the sole caregiver for his older brother, including buying his favorite newspaper and altering a suit with Mylar lining so that Chuck could work.  Rebecca arrives and knocks on several doors but Chuck doesn’t answer.  He’s crouched on the floor in the dark.  Kim concludes her statements characterizing Jimmy’s actions as a moment where “he snapped” but refutes that Jimmy destroyed evidence.

After the proceedings, Kim pops open some champagne to celebrate his year probation from practicing the law, this was the best possible outcome.  Jimmy jokes that Kim made him sound like a saint, “right up there with Mother Theresa.”  Kim asks what Jimmy thinks he may do for the next twelve months. “Whoa, slow down, that’s tomorrow talk.” He raises his mug to toast her as the "world's best defense attorney."  They smile together but there is a knock at the door.

Rebecca enters the office and explains how she went to Chuck’s house and knocked for over an hour but he refused to let her inside.  She wants Jimmy to go with her now to try to get inside to check on him.  Jimmy looks at her incredulous, “I’m done with all that.”  Jimmy apologizes if she feels he mislead her about the reason for coming out but he stated he needed help with his defense and Chuck would need help afterward, all of which was true.  Rebecca counters, “I guess you are the person Chuck always said you were, enjoy your champagne.”  Jimmy knew he was destroying his relationship with his brother and Rebecca with the court proceedings.  Unlike Rebecca, Jimmy has dealt with his brother’s mental illness for a long time and is understandably done after this betrayal.  It’s doubtful Rebecca will stay and help her ex-husband as she expected Jimmy to do.  The incident sours their victory night.

Stacey shares a local grief group.  She speaks about how her late husband used to make Mickey Mouse pancakes and she tried but they didn’t come out the same but it made her daughter Kaylee very happy.  She continues that Kaylee wants her to come and speak about her father’s job (police officer) on career day.  She says she’s considering it.  The therapist praises her progress.  Mike is seated next to her but he doesn’t share.  Afterward, she confesses she volunteered him for a project, helping build kids a playground.  He resists but ultimately he can’t say no to his daughter-in-law, especially when she calls him “Pop” and mentions how her late husband worshiped him.

Howard pays a visit to Chuck’s late in the evening.  Chuck doesn’t respond but Howard calls out “I’m not leaving, I don’t want to wake up the neighbors but I’ve got all night.”  Finally, Chuck opens the door. Howard has brought a very expensive thirty-five-year-old Scotch. (Lawyers and their scotch.)  Howard shares that Jimmy has been a suspended for one year. “And if he screws up, which we both know he will that one year can turn into forever.”  Howard encourages Chuck to look forward, his brother is not worth dwelling on.  He says, “Put your energy into the future, anything else is a waste of your time and intellect.”  Chuck sighs deeply. “To new beginnings!”  They toast. Howard rises to leave, insisting he’s fine to drive.  Chuck paces but then returns to his desk.  He removes the infamous tape recorder and takes out the large batteries. One rolls off the desk but he moves to grasp it in his fist, gasping in pain.  It seems he’s trying to de-sensitize himself from his phobia.

Jimmy talks to the fish he bought last week. (In Breaking Bad, Saul’s office will feature a large fish tank.) He calls out, “Francesca, it's go- time!”  He has Francesca begin to call each of his clients, from A-Z to inform them personally of his year “sabbatical” from the law.  He tries to spin the situation the best he can, promising them each a letter explaining the reasons.  It’s admirable that he takes the effort to contact each one personally.  The last client reminds him that he sees Jimmy’s advertisement every day on the local television station.  Jimmy calls out in a panic, “Francesca, get me KWPV.”  If he doesn’t pull his commercial, he could be in violation of the probation agreement and possibly make his suspension permanent.

Jimmy smokes outside the block glass wall of the office.  Kim comes out to join him.  Jimmy tells her about the ad for television, he had nine airings left and is out of nearly five thousand dollars.  Kim advises him to find a local business to sell them to but Jimmy says it’s forbidden in the contract unless she can find a loophole.  Kim is concerned about giving Francesca two weeks notice and the high cost of renting an office meant for two practices.  Jimmy doesn’t want to fire Francesca nor does he want her to give up the law office.  He makes her a promise that he will find a way to continue to make payments for the rent, and the secretary, “Split things fifty-fifty, just like before.”  Jimmy says, “Call it aspirational thinking, the day I don’t show up with my half we talk about closing this place.”  Kim agrees, but it’s not clear how Jimmy will do it.

Jimmy pitches the idea of advertising on television to a local carpet store.  The Native couple seems wary of the high price for running nine ads.  But they have seen him on television, “Give me Jimmy!”  They want at least a week to think about it.  Jimmy offers them one commercial spot for the price of eight hundred and ninety dollars, but he wants them to shoot and air it that day.  They can’t make a commitment.

Jimmy goes outside to find the NW State crew who shot his other ads.  He tells them to get in the car, he’s failed to secure the client and is out the money unless he can find a business in the next two hours.  “How do I find a client who needs a commercial and can afford one?”  The young woman in the group suggests he make a commercial about his commercial making service.

They go to the local television station to shoot in front of the satellite dishes.  Jimmy tries to come up with a pitch but he’s frustrated and doesn’t know how to pitch the new idea.  He hopes one of the film students can make the pitch but none of them has any charisma.  Jimmy orders, “Quick, open your magic bag, we’ll have to Karloff this thing!”

A Pollos Hermanos truck approaches an industrial facility isolated in the middle of the desert.  The men work to dismantle the truck, down to the floorboards.  They open up the floor of the truck to reveal kilos of cocaine packed in sand.  Gus has increased his import of product in accordance with Hector’s demands. The ingenuity of drug smugglers is amazing.

In the warehouse, ten bricks of “product” are placed on a table.  Nacho comes with his pony-tailed associate Arturo to meet with Fring’s men.  Nacho asks if all the bricks are the same weight and requests a scale. Gus’s lead man Ernesto scoffs but offers Nacho to pick which bricks he wants.  Nacho opens a black duffle bag and proceeds to take six bricks. Ernesto says, “Did you forget how to count?” Nacho replies, “Don Hector gets six.”  Victor (Gus's goon) pulls out his gun and points it at Nacho.  Nacho puts his hands in the air while Arturo looks at him, ready to draw his weapon if necessary.  Nacho asserts, “He’s expecting six, and that’s what I’m going to bring.”

Slowly, Ernesto pulls a phone from his pocket and walks away to call his boss.  He explains the situation with Nacho. “He’s pushing it.”  Gus, calm and collected responds, “Give it him.” Gus stands in an industrial building as well.  Ernesto puts his phone back, and his man slowly lowers his gun.  Nacho slings the duffle bag over his shoulder and walks away.  He appears surprisingly calm for someone who just had a gun to his head.  Nacho has resigned himself to a criminal life.

Gus tours the industrial laundry.  Breaking Bad fans will instantly recognize it as the place, which hid the Fring state of the art meth lab.  He inspects the machines and floorboards with a small flashlight.  He stops at the place that will later hold conceal the basement lab.  As he exits the facility, there is large for sale sign on the property.  He enters the care where a woman is waiting, Lydia his business distributor. “It could work,” he informs her.  She smiles, “Okay then.”

Chuck pauses before exiting his home late at night.  He wears a “space blanket” over his head tucked under his cardigan.  He walks down the middle of his suburban street, the electricity hums loudly around him.  He walks down another street past a few people and businesses lite up with bright neon lights.  No one gives him a second look despite his strange attire. Finally, he reaches his destination, a pay phone.  Despite the loud humming in his ear, he manages to make a call to his former doctor Laura Cruz.  He pleads to speak with her and his placed on hold.  It’s a big step for Chuck, realizing he does need help.  Without Jimmy, he’s forced to face his demons without an enabler.

Nacho and Arturo meet with Don Hector at the taqueria.  The old man gloats about the victory. “What did he say, did he piss himself?”  Nacho says Gus wasn’t there, but they called him.  Nacho mentions that they put a gun to his head, Arturo adds, “It’s no big deal.”  Arturo's phone rings and he takes the call outside.  Alone with Nacho, Hector presses him for details about his father’s business.  Specifically, he wants to know where in Mexico he gets his supplies.  Nacho cautiously replies, “Jalisco.”  Hector has a new plan to get his product over the border using a legitimate business.  He doesn’t want to rely on Gus any longer.  Nacho pleads his father is a “simple man and not in the business.” Hector commands, “You will teach him.” Nacho protests but Hector promises that “I’ll take good care of Papi and he’ll make much more money than with his little sewing machine.” 

Arturo re-enters the restaurant, he’s received bad news about Tuco. Tuco caused a fight in prison and broke a guard’s jaw.  Tuco is in solitary confinement.  Hector is outraged, “He only had six months, now he’ll be in there forever!”  Hector upends a table in frustration and begins coughing. He reaches for a pill out of his pocket.  He catches his breath after taking the pill.  He growls, “You talk to your father!” before leaving the taqueria.  Nacho moves his boot revealing a stray capsule that Hector dropped.  (It looks to me like Cardizem, a calcium channel blocker which is used to improve the heart's blood flow. One pill is unlikely to be harmful to someone on the medicine.) He is likely hatching a plan against the old man.  You don’t mess with people’s family members!

Jimmy is animated on the home phone, taking notes and promising, “You won’t be disappointed!” He says he’ll shoot the commercial and have it on the air the same day. “Don’t wear stripes or you’ll moray, it’s a film-making term.”  Kim enters and catches the end of his phone conversation.  She seems bemused by Jimmy’s enthusiasm and offers him a beer.  He notes that if she’s sleeping at home her case must be doing better. “I needed clean clothes.”  She asks about his scheme. Jimmy explains how he’s unloading the ad-time, they pay him to shoot the commercial and he throws in the airtime for free thus enabling him to keep the terms of the contract.

“I made a new one today.”  Kim wants to see it but Jimmy turns sheepish.  He finally agrees but adds, “Keep in mind, it’s not my best work.”  He puts the tape in the VCR.

Jimmy is wearing a flack jacket, fake goatee, and sunglasses topped with a black baseball hat.  “What’s that I see, Albuquerque’s next TV star? It’s you I see! Struggling to make it in today’s fast-paced economy but thinking TV advertising is too expensive for you? Well, you better think again! You can’t afford not to be on TV!  Look at you, you’re a triple threat, great services, great products and now that face! You’re a star! Wrap it all up and your natural charisma and BAM! You belong on TV! Better watch out for paparazzi and autograph hounds!” He holds up an old Polaroid camera. “And it gets better, I can have you on the air TOMORROW! Better get ready to get famous Albuquerque, I can get you on TV for a price you can afford! Just call me, Saul Goodman!”  The commercial concludes with his new name emblazed “Saul Goodman Productions.”

Jimmy smiles, “The guy at the station said he’d never seen so many ‘star swipes’ in a row.”   Kim notes wryly that he appears to have a lot of energy.  Kim looks at Jimmy, “Saul Goodman?” Jimmy nods, “Yeah, It’s all good man! It’s just a name.” But it turned out to be the beginning of his new life.

The preview for next week shows Saul trying to manage his community service with his new business, Kim works hard for Mesa Verde and Mike is brought back in to do some work in the criminal world for Gus. It was gratifying for Breaking Bad fans to see the beginnings of Fring's empire, Lydia and finally the moniker Saul Goodman. 

The Americans, Season 5, Episode 10, Darkroom

 

This week’s installment was a powerful shift in the intentions of several primary characters.  As I had predicted, the final hours of this season will set the course for the final trajectory of the show.  Themes of faith and patriotism loom large as justification for adultery, blackmail and possibly bullying a teenage boy to suicide.  In a way, the current events occurring in the U.S. surpass the wildest expectations of the Cold War soldiers.  Can you imagine Phillip attempting to use the Ambassador to plant a bug in the Oval Office when he visits, accompanied only by the TASS photographers? Could Elizabeth ever dreamed that a sitting president would ban his own press in favor of the Russians?  The best fiction must contain relatable emotions and scenarios, which The Americans has mastered.

The hour begins with Phillip in his pilot personae sharing a drink of homemade “kvass” with Alexei.  Alexei probes Phillip for details about his family life, like his relationship with “Dee” and Tuan.  Alexei is worried that Pasha has gone from being argumentative to quiet. “Like dog, someone beat with stick, sad, very sad boy.”  Phillip states that Tuan can be a “handful.” (Like taking a bus to another state to make forbidden contact with his stepbrother.)  For the first time, the Soviet defector admits that he misses his homeland. “In this place, you have money but not easy to be happy.”  He recalls ice-skating with his mother, who worked hard as a professor and single mother after his father was imprisoned.  Phillip looks reflective as he speaks, perhaps wondering about his own mother and hometown.

Tuan comes home to find Elizabeth washing dishes.  He again apologizes for his “stupid behavior.”  Elizabeth offers him a communist pep talk, “Everything you’ve been through, your people your country… I admire you, I believe in you. You’re fighting so things like that don’t happen to other people.  I wish I could tell you it gets easier but it doesn’t. But you can do this, you can be great at it!”  Tuan thanks her for the encouragement but she warns him sternly not to make the same mistake again. (It seems Elizabeth may be practicing what she wants to say about her career to Paige.)

Phillip returns to meet with “Dee” and Tuan he recounts his conversation summarizing that Pasha is doing worse.  Tuan asks, “Did he tell you about the shit in his locker?”  Phillip is shocked.  Tuan elaborates that he slyly suggested the bullies place dog shit in Pasha’s locker.  Pasha has no idea the prank was Tuan’s idea, Elizabeth praises Tuan’s initiative but Phillip looks concerned.  How will Pasha cope feeling alone and isolated?

Paige is washing the kitchen floor with a mop.  When Phillip and Elizabeth come home they note her agitated state.  Elizabeth asks her what happened, she babysits for Pastor Tim that evening.  Paige reveals, “Pastor Tim thinks I might really be screwed up, he’s worried about my soul.”  Phillip is shocked, “He said that?”  Paige read it in his diary, despite their warning her not to snoop around.  Elizabeth defends Paige, stating, “He doesn’t know you!”  Paige counters that Pastor Tim cares about her and she is worried his words are true, that all the lying in her family has screwed her up.  Phillip notes everyone thinks they themselves are screwed up, that’s normal.  Elizabeth is more defensive, “It wasn’t exactly lying, and we kept things from you because we had to, to protect you and our family. And when you were ready we told you.”  Paige looks hurt, with these words and losing Matthew she’s having a hard time feeling good about herself. 

Elizabeth and Phillip work at their travel company office.  Elizabeth is still enraged by Pastor Tim’s assessment of Paige.  “Can’t you just see him in his little office, writing notes and observations about all of his parishioners, us?”  Phillip wishes Tim had kept it locked up.  Elizabeth scoffs that he probably thinks he’s got God on his side.  Phillip worries that this incident is but another thing that will eat away at Paige.  “She’s not the kind to put things behind her.”  Elizabeth disagrees but Paige does resemble her father more emotionally.  Elizabeth thinks Paige’s disillusionment with religion will help her, “See him for what he is.” Elizabeth hopes Paige will follow her parents “faith” in communism.

In Moscow, Oleg and Ruslan survey the woman Dmitri told them about.  She exits an old Soviet car, removing the side mirror and locking it inside so that it won’t be stolen.  She appears to live in a very modest flat.  Oleg wonders if Dmitri gave them a real name, she hardly appears like a major boss who would scare him.  Oleg notes that if she’s amassing a fortune she doesn’t appear to be spending it.  Ruslan counters, “Sometimes they just store it away for one day, if they live long enough.”  Oleg tells his partner about being pulled in for questioning and the search of his apartment.  The older man notes that Oleg is still working so it can’t be that serious but figure they had a reason to search the apartment.  Oleg theorizes perhaps they found his name in CIA intercepts, maybe just because he worked at the Rezidentura. (This is a partial confession, his name would have been known to the FBI and on Beeman’s papers now in the hands of the CIA.) “Unless they have evidence you committed high treason, you’re fine.” Oleg knows there was evidence on the tape but doesn’t know what they still may have on him.  Oleg is wary, “I’ve seen them decide someone’s guilty, and that’s that. They see what they want to see.”  Oleg can’t control the situation any longer; he seems resigned to the fact he may end up like Nina.

In Washington, Dennis and Stan wait for Sofia to visit them in an apartment.  Stan lets her inside.  She lives in the building and is impressed they’ve rented an apartment there for the sole purpose of meeting with her. “We promised to keep you safe.”  They ask her about the dentist and she answers with a wide smile, her teeth were fixed after several appointments.  She seems happy and reveals she’s in a relationship with a man.  He’s a member of the famous Soviet National Hockey team,  Gennadi Bystov, and he flies to America to visit and adores her young son. (Many members of the Soviet National team were on active military duty.)  She reveals he brings “packages” over for the Soviet government. Dennis and Stan have a new major asset.

Claudia receives the recording from Kimmy’s father, detailing the hemorrhagic fever, which killed mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan.  Phillip and Elizabeth leave their coats on for the meeting.  Elizabeth notes they sent the Lassa virus to the Centre but Claudia denies any knowledge of a link.  Elizabeth takes a seat and explains they’ve been wondering if Pastor Tim could “get help” finding a job offer.  Claudia notes they have contacts with certain peace organizations all over the world.  Claudia explains that the wheat sample was “extraordinary” and claims it was a Kazak variety stolen from the Soviets.  She says it will take years to work on and they will need to keep Kemp and Stobert running for the foreseeable future.  It’s doubtful the sample was of Soviet origin but perhaps they are saying that to save face in light of the American’s superiority in the genetically altered wheat.  Elizabeth and Phillip will have to keep enduring Topeka.

Paige sits alone in her bedroom reading.  Elizabeth and Phillip knock and enter.  Phillip begins by explaining they’ve discussed her distress over Pastor Tim’s comments and have decided that she “shouldn’t have to manage him the rest of her life.”  They tell her their organization could give him a job offer, something that would make him “very happy” working for a religious charity group.  Paige seems bewildered by the idea her parents could make such an offer, especially without Pastor Tim knowing.  They emphasize they would only do it with her approval.  This extension of choice is important for teens, but most teens don’t have the power of a national secret spy organization to make their wishes reality.

Paige sighs and asks how the grain crop sabotage mission is progressing.  Her parents tell her only half-truths, that they were “able to stop it” and that it was "complicated".  Paige is impressed that her parents saved the Soviet people from this heinous attack.  She seems frustrated that no one can know her parents “heroic” actions. “That’s how it works,”  Phillip concludes.

After exiting her room Elizabeth says, “That was good.”  Paige’s “grooming” is coming along nicely.  Elizabeth tells him she has to go to Topeka soon. “More tai chi?” Phillip adds awkwardly.

It’s snowing in Moscow.  The Burov family eats in silence punctuated by sighs and uncomfortable looks.  Oleg’s mother looks especially concerned about her son.

Evgheniya and Elizabeth share tea.  Evgheniya notes that her students are making progress but their pronunciation is still poor.  Elizabeth notes Tuan learned English faster because no one was able to speak Vietnamese with him.  Evgheniya thinks that idea might work for her family.  Elizabeth notes that school was also helpful for Tuan.  Evgheniya shares what the bullies did to Pasha.  Her son hates school and feels incredibly isolated.  Elizabeth feigns shock over Pasha’s situation, noting that Tuan makes friends easily. (Way to make the mother feel worse Elizabeth!) Elizabeth offers Evgheniya milquetoast advice, “It gets better.”  Evgheniya is not so confident, worried it may get worse for Pasha.

Evgheniya confesses to having an affair with one of her students.  “I was so mad at Alexei and he was so nice, easy and fun.” She realizes now that Alexei is trying to not argue with her as much, “He says we must be strong, for Pasha.”  She feels really guilty about the affair.  Meanwhile, Elizabeth seems to be attempting to calculate how to use the affair to break this family apart.  She asks Evgheniya what she wants to do, and she tearfully says she just wants her family to be happy.  “Then fight for that,” advises Elizabeth.

Phillip and Elizabeth conclude a double date with Stan and Renee.  Renee is energetic and genuinely seems to care for Stan.  They attempt to plan another night out soon but Renee notes she’s “headed home” the following week.  They part ways amicably.

Once alone in the car, Phillip raises his suspicion again that Renee might be working for the Centre.  Elizabeth counters, “Why does this bother you so much? The Centre has nothing to do with them and so what if they do?”  Phillip looks grave, “I don’t want Stan to be like Martha.”  Phillip still feels guilty about what happened to Martha, how she was just lonely and lost everything.  It’s clear Elizabeth has never been involved with her “marks” in the same emotional fashion.  She is able to compartmentalize her feelings better than Phillip.  She is able to move the pieces and only be concerned about winning the game.

Phillip is shown running through the park on a cold winter’s day.  In his mind, he replays an “EST” class.  The instructor gives the analogy about how one would move in the dark, expecting there to be obstacles but how would you feel if the lights came on and you realized that nothing was there?  He explains the body has an instinct to move forward, our brains are machines and therefore programmed to “stimulus-response” type actions. The instructor concludes, “If we are machines what are we to make of this notion of enlightenment? Accepting that we are machines?”  Phillip drops a rock near a construction site.  Is his work merely a “stimulus-response” type activity?  What would Phillip do with his life if he had another choice?

Paige is busy doing homework when Phillip returns home from his run.  He sits down on the couch next to her.  Phillip brings up what Pastor Tim wrote about her. He mentions he still attends EST meetings sometimes and they make you think about the “hard stuff in life” like questions she has asked.  He notes she’s asked them how they ended up in their careers. “One thing they’ve taught me is that who you are as a kid, you don’t need to stay that way.”  Paige is still troubled that Pastor Tim’s words rang true to her.  Phillip argues that even if some things are “a little bit true” he still doesn’t know her.  Paige marvels how her parents could change his whole life through the job offer and he wouldn’t even know.  Phillip says they can’t make him take the job but Paige knows he would want it.  She seems on the verge of telling her father her decision on the matter when she shifts the conversation over to Henry.

“Henry knows what he wants.”  Again, playing a “little mother” Paige advocates that her brother would be better off going away to school.  She doesn’t explicitly say it but implies it would make it easier for the family to keep him ignorant.

At the Soviet Embassy, a man hands Tatiana the rock that Phillip dropped.  She opens it up to remove a coded message and begins to decipher the note.

Paige helps Pastor Tim load up boxes of food for the needy.  She seems detached and businesslike with him.  She states “I think about people who need this food, who stand in line for it. It makes me feel pretty lucky.”  Pastor Tim praises for coping with her situation. “Look how much you’ve grown, you’re definitely moving in the right direction.”  Paige looks a little shaken by his comment because she knows his secret assessment of her.  Pastor Tim offers her some scripture, asking her to turn to her faith when she’s in doubt and the Lord will sustain her. “You’re going to do great in life.”  Paige looks at him with a blank stare.  It seems her faith in him and possibly the Lord is completely gone.

Dennis and Stan attend a briefing in the “vault” regarding how film and other messages are delivered from Moscow to the Rezidentura.  Sofia’s hockey player boyfriend is a courier for such packages, which could possibly contain smuggled technology, weapons or other contraband.  The weakness in the system is in the security area bathroom.  How they are going to exploit the weakness remains to be revealed.

Phillip drives Elizabeth to an abandoned industrial area.  “Where are you taking me, I don’t like surprises.”  Phillip smiles.  After stopping the car, he takes off his disguise of hat and glasses, Elizabeth removes her wig and glasses.  He takes out their “marriage certificate” which they received prior to being paired off and coming to the United States.  Phillip flashes back to that moment when they were both nervous and young.  “Do you want to make this official?”

Phillip leads her inside of a large empty building, they descend the stairs. “Keep in mind I didn’t have many options, Gabriel ran this guy for years and he’s from home.”  The Orthodox priest is waiting for them in full regalia in front of an improvised alter.  Father Andrei is introduced to Elizabeth, he says they will be married but the paperwork to make it legal will have to be completed in the Soviet Union at a later time. Before beginning, Andrei asks them to remove their wedding bands. Phillip whispers, “I know it’s not perfect, with God and everything.” Elizabeth nods and smiles.

The priest performs the ceremony in Russian using their real names, Mikhail and Nadezhda.  He places a new ring on each of their hands.  He places a crown on each of their heads as he crowns them bride and groom.  It’s moving and beautiful to see them finally declare their love for each other.  They step on a cloth to symbolize their journey together.  Elizabeth and Phillip seem almost innocent as they move through the ritual despite all the hardships they’ve faced together.  Father Andrei bows and smiles as he completes the ceremony.

At home, Elizabeth and Phillip enter the laundry room and wordlessly place their symbolic rings into their safe.  They look at each other and embrace.

Evgheniya walks down a city street in the daytime when Tatiana approaches her from the Rezidentura.  Evgheniya’s face goes blanches when the other woman introduces herself.  Tatiana informs her that despite the way she and her family left the Soviet Union, she would not be in trouble were she to return home.  Tatiana blames “Western propaganda” for the misconception.  Tatiana says they’d like for them to return home and it also improves their image if defectors return.  Tatiana again promises they would not be in trouble if they decided to return.  She asks Evgheniya if she’s happy in America and she is silent.  Tatiana asks her to consider what she’s said and thanks her for listening.

Phillip and Elizabeth work on some travel booking information at home. Paige returns from babysitting at Pastor Tim’s.  She reveals that she has taken photos of the diary in the hope that it may be useful in finding a placement for him aboard.  “I’m not mad at him, he’s been really good to me, but he hasn’t been good for our family.”  She’s made her decision, and her parents approve.  She says he mentioned going to South America after college and loving the experience there.  Paige knew she couldn’t get the photos developed at “Photo-Mat” and her parents lead her downstairs and spring into action.

They set up the darkroom with skill and experience, much like the skill Elizabeth used to dispatch the would-be rapist last season.  The scene is woven together with the Bauhuas song, “Slice of Life.”  The lyrics pay homage to feminist artist Barbara Kruger who is famous for photographs covered with bold block headline captions.  “Slice of life” is a term in photojournalism referring to an image made extraordinary by it’s timing and the emotion it conveys. (Lyrics appear in quotes.)

“Her gaze hit the side of mine, so I opened it out. To destroy what you thought was difference. So I lied to you once again, I painted over you, once again and I die before you once again. What’s the difference?”

The room turns red.  The images start to appear before the three of them in the haunting light.  Some it is the mundane day-to-day life of his work, he mentions how he enjoyed Ecuador.  But then the words that hurt Paige so deeply come to light.  He writes, “Are they monsters? I don’t know but what they did to their daughter.  I’ve seen sexual abuse, I’ve seen affairs but nothing I’ve seen compares to what P.J. has been though.” Elizabeth's eyes fixate on the word "affairs." 

“So clear up what you are. Rip up these eyes, rip up this place and scream, I am your slice of life!”

Phillip and Elizabeth continue to read, “severe psychic injury, faith may help but I fear it may not be enough the damage has been done!”  Phillip and Elizabeth exchange horrified looks. 

“I am your slice of life! And the car opened him up to so much more. And the money is brighter with a wider smile!”

The words continue to scream off the page, “How can she ever trust anyone ever again? I am afraid for her soul. How can she know the difference between right and wrong. She doesn’t even know how much she’s suffering.”

Paige looks at her parents, in a way like a child imploring them to fix these hurtful words.  It was said the previous season that Pastor Tim couldn’t be killed because of his relationship with Paige but after causing her so much turmoil, Pastor Tim may have feared for her soul but now he should fear for his life.

Diaries are meant to help one reflect and process the emotional world around them.  It can be mundane, “slice of life” or emotions or thoughts, which would be hurtful or taboo to expose.  Pastor Tim’s words were never meant to be shared.  He didn’t keep them locked because he is a naïve and honest man.  I think he meant what he said to Paige at the church, he does think she’ll have a great life.  His words in the diary reflect his shock and raw reaction to her situation.  Paige sees this as duplicitous but in reality, she is transferring her lack of trust from her parents to Pastor Tim.  Pastor Tim may be guilty of doubts about her in private but everyone has those types of feelings sometimes, even for those we care deeply about. One the other hand, her parents have consistently lied to her deliberately and for the purpose of grooming her for their lifestyle.

This episode signals a profound shift in the series.  Paige’s recruitment seems complete. The decision appears to be supported by both parents yet for different reasons.  Phillip shares his daughter’s sensitivity, something he feels that she could bring to the work while Elizabeth exploits Paige’s idealism. Together they’ve all agreed it’s best to keep Henry ignorant to the truth.  It’s natural to want the best for your children, it’s possible they believe that their work is suited for their daughter or it could be the Old World tradition to pass on your skills through apprenticeship.  In some aspects, Phillip and Elizabeth can’t help themselves, it’s the only life they know, they are proud of their service and are secretly happy to pass on their way of life.  What’s sad is that Paige has little idea what she’s really getting into.  She has no clue to how murder and adultery are daily activities in her parent’s lives.

The preview of the penultimate episode looks intense.  Henry gets a tour of the FBI with Stan and is possibly interested in that career path. Claudia wants them to find a Nazi collaborator.  Phillip struggles to make sure the killing of this woman is justified.  The house of cards is so delicately balanced, will it crash down by the series finale?