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: Saraquel and Urban Transport...

[saraqael]

I suspect that Elizabeth would have been mildly stern with Hans in the same way she was with Paige the second time they talked. It was the screaming, red-eyed tirade that was exceptional, not her more reasonable approach afterward. That screaming fit was meant to show that Elizabeth has been pushed to the limits of what she herself can bear, IMO. Yes, Paige undeniably screwed up big time, but Elizabeth doesn't even have the time or mental bandwidth left to question if Paige is suited to this life. It was just YOU (I) screwed up. YOU (I) can't come home again. YOU (I) have work to do.

I don't know much about running a travel business either but I guess you're right that Philip may have just run into a cash flow problem just because there are not enough people taking holiday cruises at the moment. But still, the scene was setup specifically with Philip calling the loan officer about missing his payment on Henry's student loan, then eyeing the pop science business motivational book, to him going to cheer on the team to land more sales. I read that as meaning that Henry's student loans are an underlying cause of Philip's business expansion. I wonder if Henry's scholarship was only for the 1st year, and everyone just assumed that he would continue to get scholarships but then didn't. That's not uncommon. Since Henry is (finally) showing up as a meaningful presence in the show, perhaps we'll find out more. Be interesting to see if Henry would care more about school related money issues getting between him and the American Dream, or about finding out that his parents are KGB spies.

Re: Saraquel and Urban Transport...

[sistermagpie]

I suspect that Elizabeth would have been mildly stern with Hans in the same way she was with Paige the second time they talked.

I think she would have just fired him on the spot, actually. Because I agree--this is completely about Paige being her daughter. Elizabeth's committed to keeping Paige on the job no matter what mistakes she makes, and she's also overly emotional about wanting her to be protected from uglier aspects. Here again she told Paige that her job would be different with no evidence that she might herself not wind up in the park at night with a "crazy" guy shooting himself in the face.

Re: the stuff with the school, I thought the book was Philip desperately trying to get his people to make money fast because he knew he had this bill coming due, not that Henry's school was literally the reason that he expanded. If he needed money for Henry's school he wouldn't have wasted money on a new office etc. The expansion is what's put him in financial straits.

The idea that Henry no longer had a scholarship (I think they do mention it but say it doesn't cover all of it) seems like a total retcon to me that doesn't make much sense. Henry got what seemed to be a full scholarship (it seemed like Henry immediately said to his parents that money wouldn't be an issue if he got the scholarship) based on a few months of good grades and now that he's the school hockey star with what seems like Ivy League potential and presumably still great grades he no longer has one? Henry's an investment for the school.

What was even less believable was that Philip, the father of the school's star hockey player and from what we know excellent student, who has never missed a payment so far, is being spoken to by the bursar like the shifty dad who never pays on time. That guy should have had way more deference to Philip given not only his history but Henry's status at the school.

Re: Saraquel and Urban Transport...

[saraqael]

Elizabeth might have fired Hans on the spot, I agree. But she would have done so in a far more reasonable tone of voice. The way that Elizabeth ranted at Paige was entirely personal. Sure, she's angry at Paige for screwing up but even that incredible screw-up doesn't account for the incandescent rage Elizabeth expressed. I suspect that Elizabeth knows that Paige isn't suitable for field work, and she also knows that she herself has very little time left to teach Paige anything and that's all adding to the stress she's already under.

As for Henry, it's really not uncommon for scholarships to only be good for a student's first year at school. The expectation is that the student would reapply for the first scholarship and maybe others. The school would be vested in trying to keep Henry there, but they'd expect the parents to make up for any shortfall if the scholarship ran out. As for the bursar cutting Philip some slack... nope. Philip is incredibly lucky that the guy gave him any grace period to pay at all. when all is said and done, private schools are just a business like any other business. You don't pay you get cut off.

Re: Saraquel and Urban Transport...

[sistermagpie]

Elizabeth might have fired Hans on the spot, I agree. But she would have done so in a far more reasonable tone of voice. The way that Elizabeth ranted at Paige was entirely personal. Sure, she's angry at Paige for screwing up but even that incredible screw-up doesn't account for the incandescent rage Elizabeth expressed. I suspect that Elizabeth knows that Paige isn't suitable for field work, and she also knows that she herself has very little time left to teach Paige anything and that's all adding to the stress she's already under.

Absolutely. I think her yelling at Paige here was actually coming from the same place as her comforting her in the premiere. Both times her real emotion seems to come from protecting Paige and protecting Paige from seeing her doing the uglier parts of the job. She protected her from her mistake with the sailor by killing him herself. Here she was upset that she couldn't protect her from seeing Elizabeth with a dead body.

She's still lying to her. Still covering up--it's unclear if Philip or Claudia know about Paige not only leaving her post but shouting "Mom!" as she did it. Paige herself might not even remember it or think it was that relevant.

And Elizabeth again in this ep repeated her mantra that Paige's job will be "different."

As for Henry, it's really not uncommon for scholarships to only be good for a student's first year at school. The expectation is that the student would reapply for the first scholarship and maybe others.

No, that just makes no sense with *this* type of private school, which typically offer plenty of full scholarships--all 4 years. It would only be revoked if he didn't fulfill his end of the bargain--that is, if his grades dropped below the minimum or he broke rules. This is a rich man's school. If they want Henry, money is no object. They don't run out of scholarship money.

As described last season, this is exactly what superstar Henry would be getting for four years. He obviously has kept up his end, so now he's exactly the kid they offered a free ride to only now he's even more valuable because it turns out he plays great hockey.

Their business is in finding and cultivating future successful, impressive alumni and Henry is showing every sign that he's just that. Nickel and diming the scholarship money with his dad and sending him back to public school is a waste of their investment.

If they wanted Philip to be in this kind of mess they should have just written it as a story where Henry got into the school and Philip was determined to give him what he wanted by paying for it. Instead they wrote a story about being a superstar with a free ride scholarship Philip couldn't refuse and now want to retcon it into financial aid package that still leaves middle class parents strapped for cash.

ETA: Just FWIW, I know that they never actually laid out exactly what the scholarship was, free-ride all 4 years or not. But what bugs me is the implication last year was that Henry was so amazing everyone wanted to help him and money was no problem because "scholarship" would cover everything. And now they want Philip more responsible. It bugs me that they just didn't do that from the start. Have Henry ask his parents to pay the expense and just say he thinks he can get some financial aid or a scholarship that makes it less expensive.

Scholarship

[lovingboth]

Yep. It's how such schools keep some of their academic records: effectively pay smart kids to go there and stay until they've got the grades that some of the 'only there because they paid full whack' ones can't. Sports is a bonus.

The issue with family money is more around Philip spending on nice consumer items like the car complete with early car phone.

Hans and Paige

[treonb]

Firing Hans seems dangerous. They wouldn't want somebody feeling jilted and getting upset at them and going to the FBI. If he was a really bad spy (like Paige), there's a lot they could give him to do. Same for Paige. Since Elizabeth sees her as a "9 to 5" spy, there's no real reason to drag her to all these operations. I think Elizabeth is trying to create a fantasy of her daughter going in her footsteps.

Re: Hans and Paige

[sistermagpie]

But she did fire Hans. She fired him when he was seen by the other guy. He got himself back in by taking care of the problem, but obviously Elizabeth felt perfectly comfortable saying they couldn't work with him anymore.

Re: Hans and Paige

[quantumreality]

Come to think of it, I remember now he screwed something up, ended up shooting a guy in like the worst place possible?

I don't remember how he bailed himself out of that :O

Re: Hans and Paige

[sistermagpie]

Yup. He shot thd guy in the eye iirc! That bailed him out because he killed the witness.

Re: Hans and Paige

[(Anonymous)]

But then, he did it in a library where anybody could've seen him do it which is total loose cannon territory.

I'm gonna have to rewatch from S4 on, I think, but the show is a real slog sometimes so 13 episodes feels like a lot more.

Re: Hans and Paige

[sistermagpie]

True, though I don't know if Elizabeth knew that. We saw that the murder was a messy nightmare, but Elizabeth maybe just knew he'd killed him.

Re: Hans and Paige

[treonb]

You're right, I completely forgot that. But she didn't fire him from helping the cause, just from doing field work with her. That is what she should be doing with Paige. Though in Paige's case, she can't just cut off connection anyway. Even if she fires her as a spy, she still comes home every once in a while.

Hans: You th-- you think he may have seen me?
Elizabeth: Yeah.
Hans: You don't know for sure.
Elizabeth: I don't have to. Hans, it's over. Us. This.
Hans: You've trained me well. We've-- we've worked so hard.
Elizabeth: I can't take that risk.
Hans: I want to serve. I wa-- I want to be of use
to our cause.
Elizabeth: You will. You'll just serve in other ways.

Re: Hans and Paige

[sistermagpie]

Yes, she really could have used this as an excuse to get Paige out of this life and tell her to serve in other ways. Or at least try. She doesn't even make her prove herself to get back in. Everything continues as normal as if she didn't do anything earth-shattering.

Re: Saraquel and Urban Transport...

[quantumreality]

Nitpick: I think it was Henry's tuition payment.