theamericans | Episode discussion post: "Tchaikovsky"

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jae posting in

theamericans

Aired:
4 April 2018 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 602 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 six, episode two.)

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From:

jae

I am a little sad the show never did anything with that (I think it could have been great). Ah well, I suppose they can't do everything.

-J

From:

saraqael

It does feel like a wasted opportunity to explore Stan's character in more depth, but you're right that the show can't do everything. I suspect that if the show had stuck to it's original focus on spy story-of-the-week, they might have gone more in depth about Stan's background to position him as an equal adversary to the Jennings. Instead of FBI agent with intensely skilled undercover experience vs. skilled undercover KGB agents, the show switched it's tone and focus to the Jennings' marriage and family. It almost seems to me that Stan's role in the story changed from opponent to merely being a component in Philip's journey to self-awareness. Philip has genuinely become friends with Stan, and it's via Stan that Philip got introduced to EST.

I still keep the image in my mind of Stan being 'undercover agent infiltrating horrible white supremacist group' because it reminds me to not take Stan for granted. He's not just the nice guy next door who hangs out and has dinner with the Jennings. He can be dangerous when he needs to be, and he's unpredictable. I think about the time when he shot that Russian guy from the Embassy out of what seemed to me to be purely self-righteous anger.

From:

sistermagpie

Instead of FBI agent with intensely skilled undercover experience vs. skilled undercover KGB agents, the show switched it's tone and focus to the Jennings' marriage and family. It almost seems to me that Stan's role in the story changed from opponent to merely being a component in Philip's journey to self-awareness.

I think Stan's been more of his own character than just someone there for Philip--if you think back on the show he has a very clear arc that's a natural reflection of the Jennings. The way he couldn't assimilate into his family life, his struggles with his wife and son, Nina and Oleg and all that. He's paralleled the Jennings and Philip especially in a lot of ways--or not paralleled but had a parallel running story.

I'm not sure what to make of Renee. She's so much less of a character than Sandra, I think that's why she comes across as a spy. Even in this ep Stan's saying cliche things about how "you want to tell Renee I'll be home late!" and gossiping about secret stuff without any sense of who she is as a person beyond Stan's new wife. Sandra was far more of an individual and her relationship with Stan far more unique.

From:

saraqael

I like to think that the writers have purposely withheld information about Renee to keep us all wondering about her. In some ways, that's just as effective to build user interest as fleshing her out more might have been. OTOH, if the series ends and she's still just a blank slate, that'll be quite a waste. I expect we're going to find out more about her this year.

From:

sistermagpie

It seems like they almost went the opposite way with the way they portrayed him, because there's so much about Stan that seems to completely negate the idea.

Which I can except--I just erase that little fact from his background and replace it with something that fits better. It's important that he was away for years and immersed in a job that was traumatizing, not that he was undercover as a white supremacist. Since they've done so little with it it doesn't take much adjustment on my part.