The Americans: Born Again
March 5, 2015 8:33 AM - Season 3, Episode 6 - Subscribe
Stan goes on a date. Paige is further initiated into the church and her parents' profession by the respective efforts of Pastor Tim and her mother. Philip continues to work Kimmie while Nina continues to work her cellmate in an effort to get what they want. Mail Robot, Martha, and Agent Aderholt have a tête-à-tête-à-tête. Soundtrack: Pink Floyd.
Stan seems to have a very decent rapport with the Jennings kids. They really seem to like him and he them. When he told his date, "Paige just got baptized," he sounded exactly like a proud, involved uncle. Heaven knows he could use some family and Paige and Henry could use an uncle, so that's a good thing.
Whatever was left of Nina's soul turned to blackened, shrivelled ash in this episode. God, the sight of her gobbling up the steak and red wine Arkady gave her so she could keep up a pretense of not eating in front of her cellmate was almost as bad as that dead-eyed look into the camera as her betrayed and doomed cellmate was carried out of the cell shrieking. To my list of "Everything I needed to know about espionage, I learned from The Americans", I'm adding, "If you ever find yourself in a Russian prison, TRUST NO ONE." It follows the items, "To pass a lie detector test, clench your anus," "Never marry a man who won't take his glasses off during sex, especially when you don't even know where he lives," and "Never underestimate what you can get into a suitcase."
I await the resolution of the Philip and Kimmie storyline with sick dread. I am afraid they'll have to go there and I don't want to see it.
Next on the list of things I don't want to see is Paige finding out her parents are USSR spies. It will completely destroy her relationship with them. And of course Paige and Henry knew that Elizabeth smokes.
How much use will Martha be to Philip now that she doesn't have access to classified files? Perhaps he'll "divorce" her now?
posted by orange swan at 9:17 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
Whatever was left of Nina's soul turned to blackened, shrivelled ash in this episode. God, the sight of her gobbling up the steak and red wine Arkady gave her so she could keep up a pretense of not eating in front of her cellmate was almost as bad as that dead-eyed look into the camera as her betrayed and doomed cellmate was carried out of the cell shrieking. To my list of "Everything I needed to know about espionage, I learned from The Americans", I'm adding, "If you ever find yourself in a Russian prison, TRUST NO ONE." It follows the items, "To pass a lie detector test, clench your anus," "Never marry a man who won't take his glasses off during sex, especially when you don't even know where he lives," and "Never underestimate what you can get into a suitcase."
I await the resolution of the Philip and Kimmie storyline with sick dread. I am afraid they'll have to go there and I don't want to see it.
Next on the list of things I don't want to see is Paige finding out her parents are USSR spies. It will completely destroy her relationship with them. And of course Paige and Henry knew that Elizabeth smokes.
How much use will Martha be to Philip now that she doesn't have access to classified files? Perhaps he'll "divorce" her now?
posted by orange swan at 9:17 AM on March 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
...would actually showing or implying that the deed had been done be crossing a boundary of taste that is impossible to come back from...?
Even though it's a cable show, I have to think (hope?) that depicting or implying what is, for all intents and purposes, statutory rape, no matter how "consensual" would be a bright line the show wouldn't cross. I'm getting really creeped-out by the Phil and Kimmie story.
And, I'm extremely surprised that none of the other school kids who see them together have said anything to anyone. I mean, even in the 80's, if a 16-year-old girl started hanging and going places with a middle-aged man, word would spread like wildfire throughout the school, and probably end up catching the ear of the adults.
That whole storyline seems tailor-made to get Phil arrested. Which might be exactly what Gabriel intends. It's pretty clear he is trying to drive a wedge between Elizabeth and Philip. For what reason, though, is a mystery to me.
~How much use will Martha be to Philip now that she doesn't have access to classified files? Perhaps he'll "divorce" her now?
Sounds like another potential body-in-a-suitcase scene to me.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:29 PM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Even though it's a cable show, I have to think (hope?) that depicting or implying what is, for all intents and purposes, statutory rape, no matter how "consensual" would be a bright line the show wouldn't cross. I'm getting really creeped-out by the Phil and Kimmie story.
And, I'm extremely surprised that none of the other school kids who see them together have said anything to anyone. I mean, even in the 80's, if a 16-year-old girl started hanging and going places with a middle-aged man, word would spread like wildfire throughout the school, and probably end up catching the ear of the adults.
That whole storyline seems tailor-made to get Phil arrested. Which might be exactly what Gabriel intends. It's pretty clear he is trying to drive a wedge between Elizabeth and Philip. For what reason, though, is a mystery to me.
~How much use will Martha be to Philip now that she doesn't have access to classified files? Perhaps he'll "divorce" her now?
Sounds like another potential body-in-a-suitcase scene to me.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:29 PM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Even though it's a cable show, I have to think (hope?) that depicting or implying what is, for all intents and purposes, statutory rape, no matter how "consensual" would be a bright line the show wouldn't cross.
As icked-out as I am by the thought, I have to ask - why wouldn't they? They haven't shied away from depicting the Jennings' as cold-hearted murderers. Sure, we sympathise with them, but I strongly suspect they won't be able to avoid crossing this particular line.
Anything else would violate the integrity of the world the show has so painstakingly built.
posted by coriolisdave at 2:17 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
As icked-out as I am by the thought, I have to ask - why wouldn't they? They haven't shied away from depicting the Jennings' as cold-hearted murderers. Sure, we sympathise with them, but I strongly suspect they won't be able to avoid crossing this particular line.
Anything else would violate the integrity of the world the show has so painstakingly built.
posted by coriolisdave at 2:17 PM on March 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm increasingly thinking that Philip's last straw is going to be getting the order to kill Martha, but now I think he'll get that order right after he carries out the order to complete the seduction of Kimmie for whatever reason.
posted by Etrigan at 2:23 PM on March 5, 2015
posted by Etrigan at 2:23 PM on March 5, 2015
...and if Philip refuses to carry out the order to kill Martha, Elizabeth will do it.
posted by orange swan at 2:36 PM on March 5, 2015
posted by orange swan at 2:36 PM on March 5, 2015
Gabriel is cold-blooded. And smart. And perceptive. In addition to playing divide and conquer, he knows when to and where to apply the pressure. I'm not so sure Elizabeth realized how much she was dragging her feet. Phillip, on the other hand, totally know how much self-loathing is swamping him and how it plus the resentment of them wanting Paige is making it harder for him to do.
The Kimmie story is so creepy, and I was hoping it would be over already instead of Gabriel intensifying it. Weekly pickups? Ugh. Using god/spirituality to bond himself to her will work for a while; 15-16 year old girls no matter how precocious are primed for a soulful noble relationship, but they also expect quick fixes, so...
The look on Martha's face when she learned there the mailrobot no longer had confidential files was so confused and a little fearful. She's going to have to address what I assume is a mostly subsumed fear that Clark married her for her access.
Agent Aderholt reminds me a bit of a puppy.
I like how Paige sees everything through the perspective of her wanting to be religious: she tries to map every bit of advice and information her parents give her to it and block any objections immediately, and doesn't quite believe them when they say it's general information. It's fascinating watching her father give her the tools to say No and her mother layout the path to doing "more" for the world.
posted by julen at 2:59 PM on March 5, 2015
The Kimmie story is so creepy, and I was hoping it would be over already instead of Gabriel intensifying it. Weekly pickups? Ugh. Using god/spirituality to bond himself to her will work for a while; 15-16 year old girls no matter how precocious are primed for a soulful noble relationship, but they also expect quick fixes, so...
The look on Martha's face when she learned there the mailrobot no longer had confidential files was so confused and a little fearful. She's going to have to address what I assume is a mostly subsumed fear that Clark married her for her access.
Agent Aderholt reminds me a bit of a puppy.
I like how Paige sees everything through the perspective of her wanting to be religious: she tries to map every bit of advice and information her parents give her to it and block any objections immediately, and doesn't quite believe them when they say it's general information. It's fascinating watching her father give her the tools to say No and her mother layout the path to doing "more" for the world.
posted by julen at 2:59 PM on March 5, 2015
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by The Gooch at 8:58 AM on March 5, 2015 [2 favorites]