Episode discussion post: "Rififi"

[jae]

Aired:
2 May 2018 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 606 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 six.)

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Comments

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[treonb]

Sure. But why take Philip's side?

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[shapinglight]

You mean the writers?

Well, I suppose because they agree more with his POV?

I think they're being rather heavy-handed, though. At the moment, it's hard to see what Philip ever saw in Elizabeth and I've never felt that before.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[treonb]

I think that's because now it's personal, and they're on opposite sides. In the past, I think the writers also showed us that they prefer the US, but both P&E disagreed with them, and we could see their dilemmas.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[shapinglight]

Good point. P & E have never really been so at odds as they are now.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[sistermagpie]

I'm actually not so sure they are taking his side. To hear them talk they still seem to think Elizabeth's amazing and it's admirable how singleminded she is. They may still think she's wrong, but more in a tragic way than a hateful one.

I mean, it still seems like the show's structured around her being the hero even if she's tragic and needs to be saved herself. They could do a lot more to play up the more straightforward hero story of Oleg and Philip.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[shapinglight]

I mean, it still seems like the show's structured around her being the hero even if she's tragic and needs to be saved herself. They could do a lot more to play up the more straightforward hero story of Oleg and Philip.

True. Elizabeth has been doing pretty much all the heavy lifting (as it were) so far.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth

[sistermagpie]

Also it occurs to me it might not be that the sides just don't come across the same way. Elizabeth without Philip is all about repressing emotion and doing what needs to be done without caring about people. So she's going to come across as ruthless.

But Philip has also not found happiness not being involved at all. So he wasn't really right, it's just that his not being right doesn't make him a killer.