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The Americans (1 Viewer)

PlasmaDogPlasma said:
Not sure I get this. If anything, I would think Henry echoing that the business had problems would reinforce the story.

Also, a man and woman being involved in the Chicago thing making Stan consider that maybe it's his neighbors he's been friends with for years seems like a very big stretch.

In a show where the writing is generally pretty great I thought the whole transition in Stan felt forced and rushed.
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Agree with the Henry part as far as the travel business issues.  But, it's the other things that Henry told Stan that were more damning.  Not having sitters "back in the day", etc.

Stan was already considering it before the details about Chicago started coming in.  That just added a little fuel to the fire.  What I'm not positive on is whether the conversation with Henry that I think tipped the scales happened before or after the Chicago details came in.  I think before, but can't recall.

 
PlasmaDogPlasma said:
simey said:
When Henry told Stan he knows about the travel agency being in trouble, I think that made Stan wonder how sincere that talk with Philip was.
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Not sure I get this. If anything, I would think Henry echoing that the business had problems would reinforce the story.

Also, a man and woman being involved in the Chicago thing making Stan consider that maybe it's his neighbors he's been friends with for years seems like a very big stretch.

In a show where the writing is generally pretty great I thought the whole transition in Stan felt forced and rushed.
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Philip told Stan he was embarrassed about the failing business and this and that, and then gave him that long hug like he had just released a big load off his shoulders. Stan comes to learn Henry knew about it, and Henry acted like it was no big secret.  That made Stan question Henry more about the family, and the more Henry revealed, the more Stan's suspicions grew. I was expecting Philip to tell Stan something like he and Elizabeth were having marital problems, but he went with the travel agency story instead.  Anyway, I don't think of it as a stretch that he is suspecting something is up with Philip and Elizabeth. I think he has always wondered about life at the Jennings house, but he had his own things going on, and he already accused Philip once in the past of having an affair with his ex wife, so he has tried not to jump to conclusions since then, but he has noticed things about them such as their comings and goings at all hours in the night. 

 
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jfranco77 said:
Liz and Phil are going to be done in by Phil's generosity in helping out in Chicago, aren't they? If it was just Elizabeth, and no "man and woman" team were involved, probably none of this ever happens. 
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I thought that was a good point. The law of unintended consequences. I actually don't think all of this was rushed or forced. I mean, the whole show is about Russian spies living next door to an FBI agent. The last people Stan ever suspected were his neighbors, one of whom is his best friend. At some point, something had to give. Also, Stan left counterintelligence. He only recently returned to help Aderholt. I think some of his suspicions can be explained by being away, and then coming back with a fresh perspective. It's not like Philip and Elizabeth just suddenly started doing things they've never done before. These are things they've always done. Except that they took for granted that Stan would remain the loyal friend who would never suspect anything. Isn't that how criminals get caught? Look at the chain of events: Elizabeth is overworked because she's working alone; she misses Thanksgiving because of "work"; Philip joins her and leaves Henry with Stan, telling Stan that he's upset his business is failing; Stan finds out from Henry, who is now almost an adult and thus has a more mature perspective on his parents he didn't have as a boy, that the failing business is nothing new and his parents have always worked odd hours as "travel agents"; and, oh, the spy they tracked down in Chicago was killed during extraction by a man and woman who also killed two FBI agents during the time when Stan's neighbors were gone.

I think it was also telling that Stan didn't immediately rush to Aderholt with his theory. I'm not sure he totally believes it. But they did show that flashback of the bioweapon spy who was on his death bed describing the "all-American" couple who were actually Russians, and the wife was "very pretty." I think it showed he was remembering bits and pieces, and he asked Aderholt about the old sketches they had of the illegals from before. Also, he was in Philip's car looking at the registration, which was what he was working on with that FBI task force, trying to sift through vehicle registrations to find fake ones. I think that ends up being the smoking gun, that he traces Philip's car and finds out just how much of their lives are fake. 

 
phandango said:
I think it was also telling that Stan didn't immediately rush to Aderholt with his theory. I'm not sure he totally believes it. But they did show that flashback of the bioweapon spy who was on his death bed describing the "all-American" couple who were actually Russians, and the wife was "very pretty." I think it showed he was remembering bits and pieces, and he asked Aderholt about the old sketches they had of the illegals from before. Also, he was in Philip's car looking at the registration, which was what he was working on with that FBI task force, trying to sift through vehicle registrations to find fake ones. I think that ends up being the smoking gun, that he traces Philip's car and finds out just how much of their lives are fake. 
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The way the last shot of the ep was Phillip thinking about their wedding, and the fact that the FBI is looking into Russian Orthodox priests, and the fact that the show's creators have said all along it's a "show about marriage" makes me think the priest is going to be the smoking gun, somehow. 

 
Any chance Stan makes a last second decision in the end to let them flee?  Or, perhaps Eliz takes the cyanide, and Stan let's Phillip (and the kids) get out of the country because he really does like him? 

 
jfranco77 said:
The way the last shot of the ep was Phillip thinking about their wedding, and the fact that the FBI is looking into Russian Orthodox priests, and the fact that the show's creators have said all along it's a "show about marriage" makes me think the priest is going to be the smoking gun, somehow. 
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Yeah, I forgot about that, but I was thinking something similar when I saw it, because I remember Aderholt mentioning they were looking into Russian Orthodox priests. 

Philip is going to absolutely lose it when he finds out Elizabeth told Paige to get the State Department internship. 

Edit: I thought the State Department internship was Elizabeth doubling down and pulling Paige in deeper, but another comment I read was that it's Elizabeth's way of getting Paige out of being a spy. I suppose that makes sense in light of the conversation she had with the dying artist woman.

 
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Bobcat10 said:
Any chance Stan makes a last second decision in the end to let them flee?  Or, perhaps Eliz takes the cyanide, and Stan let's Phillip (and the kids) get out of the country because he really does like him? 
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I do think it's going to look very bad for Stan that he was an FBI counterintelligence agent living next door to two Russian spies and never figured it out. 

 
Bobcat10 said:
Any chance Stan makes a last second decision in the end to let them flee?  Or, perhaps Eliz takes the cyanide, and Stan let's Phillip (and the kids) get out of the country because he really does like him? 

phandango said:
I do think it's going to look very bad for Stan that he was an FBI counterintelligence agent living next door to two Russian spies and never figured it out. 
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Agreed, very embarrassing.  Would not shock me if he both lets them escape and helps cover it up.
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phandango said:
I do think it's going to look very bad for Stan that he was an FBI counterintelligence agent living next door to two Russian spies and never figured it out. 
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Stan could be dating a spy who wants him to get her a job at the FBI, or she could be who she says she really is.

 
phandango said:
Yeah, I forgot about that, but I was thinking something similar when I saw it, because I remember Aderholt mentioning they were looking into Russian Orthodox priests. 

Philip is going to absolutely lose it when he finds out Elizabeth told Paige to get the State Department internship. 

Edit: I thought the State Department internship was Elizabeth doubling down and pulling Paige in deeper, but another comment I read was that it's Elizabeth's way of getting Paige out of being a spy. I suppose that makes sense in light of the conversation she had with the dying artist woman.
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I mean, I think the whole point of the State Dept thing is that Paige is 2nd generation, ostensibly totally clean and can pass any background check, and work her way up to a position of influence and power where she can be a great mole for Russia. 

OTOH it could just be a way for her to get a legit job and get out of spying.

 
Really interested to see how they are going to end this show. I can see Elizabeth taking the pill somehow. I just don't see a road to a happy ending for Phillip. What happens to the kids. 3 episodes to go right? Seems like a lit to wrap up in 3 hours of the show. 

 
Bobcat10 said:
Any chance Stan makes a last second decision in the end to let them flee?  Or, perhaps Eliz takes the cyanide, and Stan let's Phillip (and the kids) get out of the country because he really does like him? 
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I wonder if his Thanksgiving speech was a way of establishing his bona fides that he is too much of a hard-### to let them get away. I do think he's too much of a patriot to let Phillip turn him. But maybe I can see him letting Phillip get away if Phillip convinces him Elizabeth was the real baddie.

 
Kind of like how Walt and Tony Soprano were viewed, so are the Jennings.  I think a dark ending to some could be happy to others.  If that makes sense.  As long as they aren't lumberjacks in Oregon, I'm good.  

 
Bobcat10 said:
Kind of like how Walt and Tony Soprano were viewed, so are the Jennings.  I think a dark ending to some could be happy to others.  If that makes sense.  As long as they aren't lumberjacks in Oregon, I'm good.  
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Yeah, I mean, this season especially... do you WANT Elizabeth to get away? Most people probably don't. Or maybe it's better to say they don't care if she makes it out or not. I'm still pulling for her somehow. I think they've done a good job establishing Phillip as someone we DO want to root for. 

 
I could see Phillip seeing Stan as his way out.  Let him know about Oleg and that he's actively working to help the summit (well, except for the hand chopping in the parking lot bit).  

I think Oleg will somehow come into this... Stan goes to see Oleg and somehow see's Phil and him exchanging something

 
when the sick lady is telling Elizabeth about “something just clicking and just seeing it” (paraphrasing) they purposely showed all of the paintings where they all seem to be a very dark and perhaps evil woman. Wonder if that’s some sort of. 

 
Can someone take mercy on me and explain what the hell was going on with the axe in the parking garage? I was doing four things at once.

 
Bobcat10 said:
Kind of like how Walt and Tony Soprano were viewed, so are the Jennings.  I think a dark ending to some could be happy to others.  If that makes sense.  As long as they aren't lumberjacks in Oregon, I'm good.  
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Hard to believe this ends well for anyone.  Phillip isn't going back to Russia, Page is off to State Dept, Henry is just an innocent kid, and Elizabeth doesn't get it. 

I'm fine that Stan figured it out after this long, but at the end of the day his career would be ####ed and he would probably have an ending similar to his neighbors if he turned them in.  The season talks about the 1987 Minnesota Twins, so we're still a ways away from the wall coming down. 

Only happy ending IMO would be Stan confronting them, and then Stan disappearing and everyone melting into the American sunset as Gorbachev creates world peas.  Otherwise this ends :tfp:  

ETA:  OR, OR...OR, Stan's gf doing him in, because she's an "illegal," and everyone lives happily ever after.  All I know is that Stan has to die for any of this to end well, he just isn't the guy to turn his back on any of this.  Hopefully they don't come up with a scenario where Stans lets them walk, that would be terrible. 

ETA 2: This is a top 5 show for me, evah

 
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Doctor Detroit said:
Hard to believe this ends well for anyone.  Phillip isn't going back to Russia, Page is off to State Dept, Henry is just an innocent kid, and Elizabeth doesn't get it. 

I'm fine that Stan figured it out after this long, but at the end of the day his career would be ####ed and he would probably have an ending similar to his neighbors if he turned them in.  The season talks about the 1987 Minnesota Twins, so we're still a ways away from the wall coming down. 

Only happy ending IMO would be Stan confronting them, and then Stan disappearing and everyone melting into the American sunset as Gorbachev creates world peas.  Otherwise this ends :tfp:  

ETA:  OR, OR...OR, Stan's gf doing him in, because she's an "illegal," and everyone lives happily ever after.  All I know is that Stan has to die for any of this to end well, he just isn't the guy to turn his back on any of this.  Hopefully they don't come up with a scenario where Stans lets them walk, that would be terrible. 

ETA 2: This is a top 5 show for me, evah
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It really depends on how you define "well" doesn't it? I don't think everyone is rooting for the FBI guy to die and the murderous Russian spies to get away and live happily ever after.

 
Another possibility that I thought of is that someone in the changing Soviet regime blows their cover wide open. I haven't really thought this through but it would be a nice unexpected plot twist. Maybe that's a reason for keeping Oleg in the picture because he isn't adding a lot otherwise right now.

 
roadkill1292 said:
Another possibility that I thought of is that someone in the changing Soviet regime blows their cover wide open. I haven't really thought this through but it would be a nice unexpected plot twist. Maybe that's a reason for keeping Oleg in the picture because he isn't adding a lot otherwise right now.
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I think Oleg is as good as dead. His presence has that "just one last job" feel to it, where all he has to do is this one final thing and then he can go back to his wife and young son. Everything is coalescing at this summit, so maybe he teams up with Philip and sacrifices his life to save Philip or something tragically heroic. 

At this point, if Stan's wife is some kind of deus ex machina plot device, that would be really lame. 

I think the way that Philip has been portrayed as sympathetic, he lives, and Elizabeth, as the antagonist in the relationship, dies. 

 
phandango said:
I think Oleg is as good as dead. His presence has that "just one last job" feel to it, where all he has to do is this one final thing and then he can go back to his wife and young son. Everything is coalescing at this summit, so maybe he teams up with Philip and sacrifices his life to save Philip or something tragically heroic. 

At this point, if Stan's wife is some kind of deus ex machina plot device, that would be really lame. 

I think the way that Philip has been portrayed as sympathetic, he lives, and Elizabeth, as the antagonist in the relationship, dies. 
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:goodposting: To throw her in as a spy at this point would be too much.. She's been at most a side note is some episodes and non-existent in many.. To have her all of sudden be a big part of the spy business would be, as you said, "lame".

 
snogger said:
:goodposting: To throw her in as a spy at this point would be too much.. She's been at most a side note is some episodes and non-existent in many.. To have her all of sudden be a big part of the spy business would be, as you said, "lame".
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I think they've been deliberate with leaving some suspicious things about her from the jump. Wouldn't surprise me if she were an illegal all along and she "saves" the Jenningses from Stan and the FBI. 

 
The Noid said:
I think they've been deliberate with leaving some suspicious things about her from the jump. Wouldn't surprise me if she were an illegal all along and she "saves" the Jenningses from Stan and the FBI. 
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Hmm ... maybe Philip will have to decide between her taking down Stan so he can escape back to Russia, or he takes her down to save Stan and get caught. He'd never let Elizabeth get caught, but I could see him choosing Stan's life over his own escape and return to the USSR.

 
PlasmaDogPlasma said:
I do. I want the show to end with the fall of communism in Russia and Elizabeth realizing everything she did was for nothing.
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I don't know how they dont touch on this... the timing is right up against the falling of the wall, and it's hard to believe they wouldn't use that huge historical demarker.

Also, the whole latest task related to the negotiations and the chick who is in Europe that they are potentially going to kidnap etc... that seems related to the very lead-up to Perestroyka and the breakup of the U.S.S.R. 

 
Doctor Detroit said:
Hard to believe this ends well for anyone.  Phillip isn't going back to Russia, Page is off to State Dept, Henry is just an innocent kid, and Elizabeth doesn't get it. 

I'm fine that Stan figured it out after this long, but at the end of the day his career would be ####ed and he would probably have an ending similar to his neighbors if he turned them in.  The season talks about the 1987 Minnesota Twins, so we're still a ways away from the wall coming down. 

Only happy ending IMO would be Stan confronting them, and then Stan disappearing and everyone melting into the American sunset as Gorbachev creates world peas.  Otherwise this ends :tfp:  

ETA:  OR, OR...OR, Stan's gf doing him in, because she's an "illegal," and everyone lives happily ever after.  All I know is that Stan has to die for any of this to end well, he just isn't the guy to turn his back on any of this.  Hopefully they don't come up with a scenario where Stans lets them walk, that would be terrible. 

ETA 2: This is a top 5 show for me, evah
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Wall came down in 1989.... I figured we have to be around '88 and it's just odd they'd get that close and not see that moment in time... even as or especially as, an end point.

 
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roadkill1292 said:
Another possibility that I thought of is that someone in the changing Soviet regime blows their cover wide open. I haven't really thought this through but it would be a nice unexpected plot twist. Maybe that's a reason for keeping Oleg in the picture because he isn't adding a lot otherwise right now.
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I always assumed this would play a role, as stated above. But... only three more episodes.

 
Watched the first episode again today. LOT of references to Philip looking to turn himself in and cash out the 3 million that Timoshev got. With all his recent disdain of what they do and financial troubles with the business, I wonder if that’s the end game here. 

 
Just watched the latest episode. Seemed kind of slow for a show that is wrapping up in like 2 episodes. I really don't know how they are going to wrap this all up. Elizabeth seems to be coming to Phillips side now sort of. 

 
Why are they introducing new characters at the end? That dork that Elizabeth slept with had to be her easiest work ever. 

 
Capella said:
Why are they introducing new characters at the end? That dork that Elizabeth slept with had to be her easiest work ever. 
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Don't think we're going to see him again, and if so probably briefly. His purpose towards the plot is obvious, his purpose towards what's going on with the main characters is, obviously, to show that Elizabeth is starting to crack/wobble, the way that Philip did last year.

I really have no clue how it's going to play out, which makes it so intriguing. It now seems very clear that their might be an attempt(s) on P&E's lives, coming down from the Center. 

 
Good Posting Judge said:
Don't think we're going to see him again, and if so probably briefly. His purpose towards the plot is obvious, his purpose towards what's going on with the main characters is, obviously, to show that Elizabeth is starting to crack/wobble, the way that Philip did last year.

I really have no clue how it's going to play out, which makes it so intriguing. It now seems very clear that their might be an attempt(s) on P&E's lives, coming down from the Center. 
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I will say I missed the last half hour due to having to be up at 5 today ? but I was annoyed seeing him in the first half. 

 
pantherclub said:
Yes to see Elizabeth change like that is a masterpiece.  That kid knew he was donzo.   He should have tried to hit it one more time   
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Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not.

If you are, I will say that I had no problem with Elizabeth's apparent epiphany in this episode. It didn't just happen last night. This has been coming since last season. 

If you're not, then I agree that this episode was a masterpiece. Both Russell & Rhys have been knocking it out of the park all season, but this was (IMO) their finest work to date.

 
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