The Americans: EST Men
January 29, 2015 8:29 AM - Season 3, Episode 1 - Subscribe
Elizabeth loses key intel in the Season 3 premiere. Meanwhile, Stan tries to fix his marriage.
Because, as good as it is, it is relentlessly depressing. The closest anyone on this show has ever come to happiness is that time that Phillip got to wear his Clark wig to fuck Elizabeth.
posted by Etrigan at 9:53 AM on January 29, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 9:53 AM on January 29, 2015 [6 favorites]
I am so happy this show is back. It occurred to me last night that is one of the few shows where the male lead has as much - if not more - naked time as the female lead. It helps that the sex is not just a tool for titilation, but also for manipulation and strategy, but still! It’s refreshing.
This season's theme (The Fight For Paige) is going to drive some really good conflict and drama this year. I love that Phillip and Elizabeth see in Paige the life each wants - Phillip’s secret desire to be the person he’s primarily pretending to be: the normal American, and Elizabeth’s desire for her daughter to be another glorious true believer in the Soviet way as a sort of bonding exercise, as if being honest with her daughter will bring them closer together. They both are protecting their daughter in their own way.
I totally didn’t realize it was Gad that was Elizabeth was beating up until Stan stopped by his office, whereupon I chortled.
posted by julen at 10:27 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
This season's theme (The Fight For Paige) is going to drive some really good conflict and drama this year. I love that Phillip and Elizabeth see in Paige the life each wants - Phillip’s secret desire to be the person he’s primarily pretending to be: the normal American, and Elizabeth’s desire for her daughter to be another glorious true believer in the Soviet way as a sort of bonding exercise, as if being honest with her daughter will bring them closer together. They both are protecting their daughter in their own way.
I totally didn’t realize it was Gad that was Elizabeth was beating up until Stan stopped by his office, whereupon I chortled.
posted by julen at 10:27 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
~I totally didn’t realize it was Gad that was Elizabeth was beating up until Stan stopped by his office, whereupon I chortled.
Recall, though, that Gaad got a really good look at her face right before she thumped him with the gun. The production made a very obvious point about it. And, honestly, except for the wig, she was unmistakably Elizabeth. It's going to be interesting to see how that detail plays out. For instance, is Stan going to recognize a drawing made based on Gaad's description?
I, too, am glad it's back. But, man, didn't it feel like you were dropped-in at about mid-episode? I tuned-in about three minutes late, and I thought, by the looks of things, that it had started 30 minutes earlier.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:13 AM on January 29, 2015
Recall, though, that Gaad got a really good look at her face right before she thumped him with the gun. The production made a very obvious point about it. And, honestly, except for the wig, she was unmistakably Elizabeth. It's going to be interesting to see how that detail plays out. For instance, is Stan going to recognize a drawing made based on Gaad's description?
I, too, am glad it's back. But, man, didn't it feel like you were dropped-in at about mid-episode? I tuned-in about three minutes late, and I thought, by the looks of things, that it had started 30 minutes earlier.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:13 AM on January 29, 2015
The closest anyone on this show has ever come to happiness is that time that Phillip got to wear his Clark wig to fuck Elizabeth.
And didn't that end with Elizabeth crying and Phillip kind of disgusted with himself?
posted by LizBoBiz at 11:42 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
And didn't that end with Elizabeth crying and Phillip kind of disgusted with himself?
posted by LizBoBiz at 11:42 AM on January 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Americans is the best show on TV. So why isn't anybody watching it?
Because the general public has terrible taste.
posted by LizBoBiz at 11:44 AM on January 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
Because the general public has terrible taste.
posted by LizBoBiz at 11:44 AM on January 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
I love this show so much.
I'm still hoping it turns out Martha has secretly flipped because it's the only way I see her surviving.
I got a hint it was Gaad during the fight, and agree that he definitely got a good look at Elizabeth. I couldn't read Stan's twitching to tell if he will make the connection between hearing their suspect got it in the face and Elizabeth' "grocery accident." I'm feeling some Usual Suspects-type tension building.
For a show that is very frugal with the dialog I feel like I'm missing something with the amount of time spent on Stan and his wife. Even episode title lends importance to it. (I'm running a bit of a fever so I may be missing something obvious about that.)
Here, please enjoy real life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys flirting hard in this short interview.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:42 PM on January 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm still hoping it turns out Martha has secretly flipped because it's the only way I see her surviving.
I got a hint it was Gaad during the fight, and agree that he definitely got a good look at Elizabeth. I couldn't read Stan's twitching to tell if he will make the connection between hearing their suspect got it in the face and Elizabeth' "grocery accident." I'm feeling some Usual Suspects-type tension building.
For a show that is very frugal with the dialog I feel like I'm missing something with the amount of time spent on Stan and his wife. Even episode title lends importance to it. (I'm running a bit of a fever so I may be missing something obvious about that.)
Here, please enjoy real life couple Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys flirting hard in this short interview.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:42 PM on January 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
Room 641-A: "For a show that is very frugal with the dialog I feel like I'm missing something with the amount of time spent on Stan and his wife. Even episode title lends importance to it. (I'm running a bit of a fever so I may be missing something obvious about that.)"
I saw it as both a method to settle the viewer in the timeframe and to highlight Stan's seeming cluelessness and alienation from his world. He doesn't understand how to communicate with his wife, he doesn't seem to understand his neighbors are spies (although the suspicion at the beginning has never completely disappeared), his whole world feels out of kilter with his girlfriend/source convicted, his quarry (the pair of illegals hiding in the area) always just out of reach. I think Stan is caught in a wave of passivity right now, without a base or purpose or direction, something to hold onto. But I expect a new lead on his quarry will begin to ground him, and he'll focus or even obsess on it.
I think in another way the EST session also set up some issues for Phillip who spends a lot of time sexing up folks for an ulterior purpose and theoretically never thinking of himself, but of Soviet interests - and who is also putting aside his desires to support his wife. If he wasn't in love with Elizabeth, he'd have turned himself in or disappeared and started a new life a while ago. (Plus the contrast of him at a self-helpy session while Elizabeth was off spying was a good introduction to their conflict this season).
Both of them thought the session was bullshit, but it was speaking to issues in their lives that I expect to be emphasized this year.
posted by julen at 12:58 PM on January 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
I saw it as both a method to settle the viewer in the timeframe and to highlight Stan's seeming cluelessness and alienation from his world. He doesn't understand how to communicate with his wife, he doesn't seem to understand his neighbors are spies (although the suspicion at the beginning has never completely disappeared), his whole world feels out of kilter with his girlfriend/source convicted, his quarry (the pair of illegals hiding in the area) always just out of reach. I think Stan is caught in a wave of passivity right now, without a base or purpose or direction, something to hold onto. But I expect a new lead on his quarry will begin to ground him, and he'll focus or even obsess on it.
I think in another way the EST session also set up some issues for Phillip who spends a lot of time sexing up folks for an ulterior purpose and theoretically never thinking of himself, but of Soviet interests - and who is also putting aside his desires to support his wife. If he wasn't in love with Elizabeth, he'd have turned himself in or disappeared and started a new life a while ago. (Plus the contrast of him at a self-helpy session while Elizabeth was off spying was a good introduction to their conflict this season).
Both of them thought the session was bullshit, but it was speaking to issues in their lives that I expect to be emphasized this year.
posted by julen at 12:58 PM on January 29, 2015 [3 favorites]
julen, I think I've been pushing back against Stan having a personal storyline for some reason since episode one. Maybe because I keep looking to him to move everyone else's story forward, or that I'm just waiting to find out he's known more than he's letting on, but I think that's some weird thing on my part. That was a great explanation and I'm going to recaliber my thoughts about Stan.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:34 PM on January 29, 2015
posted by Room 641-A at 1:34 PM on January 29, 2015
Also, remember Stan's last assignment was undercover with the Klan; he spent a long time pretending to be someone he wasn't, essentially divorced from his real life; he came back to a world he wasn't in sync with when he was transferred to the counter-espionage guys. His family had moved on without him even while waiting for him. He never really got settled back before his life was already spinning out of control. Even professionally he came back from being a lone wolf in the field who was basically in charge of his own destiny to someone thick in beaurocracy, with bosses and office politics there every day and every move.
I think that was one of the appeals of Nina (aside from being gorgeous, and beneficial to his career) - she became -in his eyes- something he could anchor himself to; someone who saw him as he wanted to be seen then, the ultimate good guy, the hero. To her, he wasn't a just a cog in the system or not the man he was expected to be. And ultimately, he wasn't the hero. He wasn't the ultimate good guy. He couldn't save her. So he has to be reeling from that, too.
I meant to make a note about the very ... efficient ... new Russian lady in the meeting, too. She's there to report back to the Center, right?
posted by julen at 4:23 PM on January 29, 2015
I think that was one of the appeals of Nina (aside from being gorgeous, and beneficial to his career) - she became -in his eyes- something he could anchor himself to; someone who saw him as he wanted to be seen then, the ultimate good guy, the hero. To her, he wasn't a just a cog in the system or not the man he was expected to be. And ultimately, he wasn't the hero. He wasn't the ultimate good guy. He couldn't save her. So he has to be reeling from that, too.
I meant to make a note about the very ... efficient ... new Russian lady in the meeting, too. She's there to report back to the Center, right?
posted by julen at 4:23 PM on January 29, 2015
I had completely forgotten about how big EST was back then (though, I had it in my head that it was mostly a late-70's thing). I never knew what it was all about, though. Can anyone confirm that the EST scene was an accurate portrayal of a typical seminar?
posted by Thorzdad at 4:45 AM on January 30, 2015
posted by Thorzdad at 4:45 AM on January 30, 2015
Turns Out The CIA Keeps A Close Eye On What Sort Of Information Is Included In FX’s ‘The Americans’
posted by Room 641-A at 8:10 AM on January 31, 2015
posted by Room 641-A at 8:10 AM on January 31, 2015
They're fortunate that Stan and Gaad don't socialize -- if I recall correctly, in season one when the Jennings attended a party at the Beemans at which several of Stan's coworkers attended, Frank Gaad wasn't there. But maybe he was? In general, though, I've always gotten a strong vibe that Gaad isn't the type to socialize with his coworkers at all. His personal life is private.
If that's correct, then the Jennings don't have to worry too much about walking into Stan's house and having Elizabeth come face-to-face with Gaad.
Not that she knows that was Gaad she punched. I look forward to her discovering this fact when they review some of the tapes from his office and he discusses it.
I puzzled over her decision to not shoot him, though. He got a really good look at her. They showed her reacting to hearing the sirens which, by itself, isn't at all a reason to not shoot him. The opposite, really. But my explanation is that the sirens meant that there were police nearby and so actually shooting a gun would alert them.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 2:42 AM on February 1, 2015
If that's correct, then the Jennings don't have to worry too much about walking into Stan's house and having Elizabeth come face-to-face with Gaad.
Not that she knows that was Gaad she punched. I look forward to her discovering this fact when they review some of the tapes from his office and he discusses it.
I puzzled over her decision to not shoot him, though. He got a really good look at her. They showed her reacting to hearing the sirens which, by itself, isn't at all a reason to not shoot him. The opposite, really. But my explanation is that the sirens meant that there were police nearby and so actually shooting a gun would alert them.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 2:42 AM on February 1, 2015
I've always gotten a strong vibe that Gaad isn't the type to socialize with his coworkers at all. His personal life is private
Yeah, in one of the S2 episodes Beeman shows up unannounced at Gaad's house, and you get the impression that that's the first time he's seen his home and met his wife, and that Gaad was super annoyed at the intrusion.
posted by twoporedomain at 10:36 AM on February 2, 2015
Yeah, in one of the S2 episodes Beeman shows up unannounced at Gaad's house, and you get the impression that that's the first time he's seen his home and met his wife, and that Gaad was super annoyed at the intrusion.
posted by twoporedomain at 10:36 AM on February 2, 2015
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posted by mstokes650 at 9:13 AM on January 29, 2015 [3 favorites]