Episode discussion post: "Urban Transport Planning"

[jae]

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

This is a discussion post for episode 603 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 three.)

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Comments

Re: Philip's motivational speaking

[sistermagpie]

I wonder if part of the point here is that some of the stuff he talks about that aren't naturally connected to his upbringing will never come that naturally to him. He's not a big salesman, even manipulative as he is.

So he's got the books that people read about business and tries to follow them, but it's not a natural fit.

Likewise, even five or so years in, he's still incapable of speaking naturally about emotions as if he's a human who's learned things. He still always has to reference these "meetings he sometimes goes to" and then tell the person (usually Paige) what THEY say.

And then, to make it even more ironic, he responds to Paige's actual question about his experience by saying he has no idea how he got through it. He just sucked it up, buttercup.

Re: Philip's motivational speaking

[quantumreality]

That said, I think he connected with Paige on a more natural level than Elizabeth did. He gets the spy life, but he's not willing to run roughshod over Paige's feelings when she's just seen a man get shot and her mother covered in blood from it.

EST was good for him and some of its teachings could help Paige process if she intends to continue the spy life the whole hog.

Re: Philip's motivational speaking

[sistermagpie]

Oh yeah, I agree. He was trying to talk to her as a person there--I think that was obviously meant as a contrast with Elizabeth claiming she was "talking to" Paige when she was yelling at her.

But at the same time, what Elizabeth was saying was just as important.