Episode discussion post: "Clark's Place"

[jae]

Aired:
13 April 2016 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 405 of The Americans, intended for viewers who are watching the show on the U.S./Canadian schedule. (Feel free to dive in to the discussion even if you're coming in late--and you should also feel free to start a new thread if it seems too daunting to read through what's already been posted first. If you're reading this at a point where you've already seen subsequent episodes, though, please take care to keep comments spoiler-free of anything that comes after season four, episode five.)

Original promo trailer

"The Americans 4x05 Promo "Clark's Place" (HD)" (Watch on YouTube)

Overnight reviews

From Vulture
From the AV Club
From Hitfix
From Vox
From Entertainment Weekly
From Slate (official podcast)
From the LA Times
From the New York Times
From the Wall Street Journal
From Slant
From IGN
From tv.com
From TV Fanatic
From Den of Geek
From Geeks of Doom
People's World
From Inverse
From For the Win
From Hidden Remote
From Mstarsnews
From Mashable
From The Young Folks
From TV Over Mind
From Celebrity Dirty Laundry

Comments

Re: Paige and the Reagan speech

[sistermagpie]

But then, Paige probably doesn't much like Reagan anyway given Pastor Tim's politics. He's probably not openly disdainful of him, but he wouldn't see him as too great I wouldn't think.

It reminded me of Elizabeth pointing out that Paige's pro-America teacher had a hairlip. Paige was annoyed by that too. I don't think it's even just about the American angle but the mean-spiritedness of some of Elizabeth's comments.

Re: Paige and the Reagan speech

[treonb]

Paige might not like Reagan, but it's different joking about somebody as part of a group or outside it. Reminds me of that joke where an American tells a Russian that they can joke about Reagan all they want, and the Russian says "big deal, so can we".

So she might accept things from Pastor Tim that she won't accept from her parents anymore.

Re: Paige and the Reagan speech

[jae]

I don't mean that she liked Reagan before. But she'd almost have to be sort of wondering whether her parents' side is right, that he's not just wrong but illegitimate in some way. And then thinking about that wondering, and questioning whether she should be wondering. That sort of thing.

-J

Re: Paige and the Reagan speech

[quantumreality]

I like that.

I also like how everything works on two levels in the Jennings household. Henry legit thinks Mom is amused by the reddish coloring on Reagan's cheeks - which JUST WHY OMFG he's an actor he knows how that shit screen tests, doesn't he??? - but Paige knows there's something more fundamental: her mother personally dislikes Reagan in every way and is showing it by laughing at him, not taking him seriously.

I would love to see an episode just about Paige and her wrestling with what her personal ideology is and should be: can she be religious and a Communist? Should she even be one? Or can she just not have an ideology and want to help her parents because they're family?

Re: Paige and the Reagan speech

[sistermagpie]

Or just thinking she doesn't know how she would relate to Russian leaders who have never meant anything to her before. It's kind of great that Philip's sitting next to her and not reacting the same way even when Elizabeth gives him the potential cue. He's presumably always been less likely to make disparaging remarks in general.