The things I found most fun/intriguing in this ep...
Wow, that convo at the end with Elizabeth and poor terribly-dressed Paige (her silhouettes the past two weeks have been brutal!). Elizabeth is still lying, making herself out to be the innocent, heroic victim. She tries to give Paige the standard tough talk with the out of "It's okay if you don't want to do this."
But every single thing Elizabeth says and does in her life proves the opposite. Paige will swallow whatever Elizabeth tells her to stay in the group but she's not going to fall for the "it's okay if you leave" speech. Not when Philip's treated like a disappointment and Henry has no relationship with his mother. Her mother has no respect for anyone outside that bubble.
She pretty much told Elizabeth that she thinks this is her only ticket to a marriage like Elizabeth's and a way of not being alone. She has no friends, only people she feels superior too because they don't subscribe to the Communist ideals of decades ago. (Idiots think they're "political" by engaging with world events, probably!) And Elizabeth accepts the reassurance just as I guess she gets from Philip when he's still breathing when she gets to the travel agency.
But I think telling her to apply for an internship at the state department is Elizabeth's sad gesture toward protecting her. Yes, she will totally start that easy career now where she won't get her hands chopped off! She really is just going to work at the state department and xerox things! She's failed almost every big test she's faced in the field, so let's just get her out of the field.
Stan's revelation seemed totally contrived to me despite the set up. But I think his B&E was more about telling himself nothing was wrong. He wants to assure himself his suspicions are false--he's season 4 Martha.
Henry was sensitive to Elizabeth's emotional state last week but missed Philip's signalling here. Stan didn't, though.
Henry's complaints were interesting. His being hurt at his parents leaving when he's home was understandable, but I can't help but think he himself also made himself unavailable when he wanted to go to boarding school. He's also got plans to be away for the summer because that's how to reach his goals. He's working. He's actually very much like his parents in that regard.
Second, it's interesting how he saw his parents as very different in this regard.
Third, Henry said in the end you have to be there for your family. Henry who beaned that guy with the beer bottle. Significant? We'll see. Everybody seems to expect Henry to end up with Stan but to me it seems like that's a false conclusion. He doesn't need a stand in dad and Henry's basically already independent with his room and board until college set up. Stan isn't going to unscrew Henry up after the Big Revelation. His father is always going to be the man he didn't know at all. He can't replace him--and replacing him with the guy who might wind up killing him would be even messier.
Elizabeth's very into her Death Necklace but Philip seems far more hurtling towards death to me, especially since nobody's really noticed. He doesn't seem like he's predicting his death so much as accepting his terrible fate even if it requires him to keep living. He's not getting out of this. He might as well be by Elizabeth's side.
Loved Harvest's last speech and the use of Russian vs. English in it. First, Harvest reports work stuff in English but his personal messages are in Russian. In the end that's what's actually important to him--his parents, his family. That's what he says as his real self.
Then there's Philip's reaction to it. I figured he was hearing that whole speech to his father as being directed at himself from Henry. He responded to the stuff to the mother by saying "I will." (I think Harvest asked him if he'd remember it in Russian.) But in response to the message to his father he switched to Russian to vow "Not a word." It's always significant to have these characters speak Russian and Philip does it less than Elizabeth. He'd already done the first assurance in English.
I totally called Marilyn dying. There was no way she was making it out. Paige is afraid of being alone--I'd say getting your head and hands chopped off by your comrades and left in a parking garage is a lonely death no matter what great cause you were part of there...
Elizabeth seems to have gotten to a place where she's making small gestures towards people but she's still not putting herself into it. She's projecting all problems with spying onto Philip and his unsuitability instead of looking at herself. Lest we forget, Elizabeth is the one who's kind of blow the network with her actions here.
She seems to sometimes be doing that thing she does where she tries to get the other person to do what she doesn't want to ask. Telling Paige she can quit. Telling Philip he doesn't have to come to Chicago. Even here with the necklace--did she give it to him for him to throw it away? She's still not sharing the mission but needs him to know about the pill but won't say why. It's certainly not because he likes her to tell him things.
I think Philip's going to tell her about his work with Oleg, btw. That's what his thinking about the marriage is about. And you know, people often see this as Philip not valuing politics enough but I see this as a situation where the personal is political. It's always been that for Philip. He is the Soviet citizen who has to obey the state but actually guards his inner life from them. That's his rebellion. Elizabeth is still trying to give everything to the state.
Sistermagpie's thoughts on Dead HandHarvest
Wow, that convo at the end with Elizabeth and poor terribly-dressed Paige (her silhouettes the past two weeks have been brutal!). Elizabeth is still lying, making herself out to be the innocent, heroic victim. She tries to give Paige the standard tough talk with the out of "It's okay if you don't want to do this."
But every single thing Elizabeth says and does in her life proves the opposite. Paige will swallow whatever Elizabeth tells her to stay in the group but she's not going to fall for the "it's okay if you leave" speech. Not when Philip's treated like a disappointment and Henry has no relationship with his mother. Her mother has no respect for anyone outside that bubble.
She pretty much told Elizabeth that she thinks this is her only ticket to a marriage like Elizabeth's and a way of not being alone. She has no friends, only people she feels superior too because they don't subscribe to the Communist ideals of decades ago. (Idiots think they're "political" by engaging with world events, probably!) And Elizabeth accepts the reassurance just as I guess she gets from Philip when he's still breathing when she gets to the travel agency.
But I think telling her to apply for an internship at the state department is Elizabeth's sad gesture toward protecting her. Yes, she will totally start that easy career now where she won't get her hands chopped off! She really is just going to work at the state department and xerox things! She's failed almost every big test she's faced in the field, so let's just get her out of the field.
Stan's revelation seemed totally contrived to me despite the set up. But I think his B&E was more about telling himself nothing was wrong. He wants to assure himself his suspicions are false--he's season 4 Martha.
Henry was sensitive to Elizabeth's emotional state last week but missed Philip's signalling here. Stan didn't, though.
Henry's complaints were interesting. His being hurt at his parents leaving when he's home was understandable, but I can't help but think he himself also made himself unavailable when he wanted to go to boarding school. He's also got plans to be away for the summer because that's how to reach his goals. He's working. He's actually very much like his parents in that regard.
Second, it's interesting how he saw his parents as very different in this regard.
Third, Henry said in the end you have to be there for your family. Henry who beaned that guy with the beer bottle. Significant? We'll see. Everybody seems to expect Henry to end up with Stan but to me it seems like that's a false conclusion. He doesn't need a stand in dad and Henry's basically already independent with his room and board until college set up. Stan isn't going to unscrew Henry up after the Big Revelation. His father is always going to be the man he didn't know at all. He can't replace him--and replacing him with the guy who might wind up killing him would be even messier.
Elizabeth's very into her Death Necklace but Philip seems far more hurtling towards death to me, especially since nobody's really noticed. He doesn't seem like he's predicting his death so much as accepting his terrible fate even if it requires him to keep living. He's not getting out of this. He might as well be by Elizabeth's side.
Loved Harvest's last speech and the use of Russian vs. English in it. First, Harvest reports work stuff in English but his personal messages are in Russian. In the end that's what's actually important to him--his parents, his family. That's what he says as his real self.
Then there's Philip's reaction to it. I figured he was hearing that whole speech to his father as being directed at himself from Henry. He responded to the stuff to the mother by saying "I will." (I think Harvest asked him if he'd remember it in Russian.) But in response to the message to his father he switched to Russian to vow "Not a word." It's always significant to have these characters speak Russian and Philip does it less than Elizabeth. He'd already done the first assurance in English.
I totally called Marilyn dying. There was no way she was making it out. Paige is afraid of being alone--I'd say getting your head and hands chopped off by your comrades and left in a parking garage is a lonely death no matter what great cause you were part of there...
Elizabeth seems to have gotten to a place where she's making small gestures towards people but she's still not putting herself into it. She's projecting all problems with spying onto Philip and his unsuitability instead of looking at herself. Lest we forget, Elizabeth is the one who's kind of blow the network with her actions here.
She seems to sometimes be doing that thing she does where she tries to get the other person to do what she doesn't want to ask. Telling Paige she can quit. Telling Philip he doesn't have to come to Chicago. Even here with the necklace--did she give it to him for him to throw it away? She's still not sharing the mission but needs him to know about the pill but won't say why. It's certainly not because he likes her to tell him things.
I think Philip's going to tell her about his work with Oleg, btw. That's what his thinking about the marriage is about. And you know, people often see this as Philip not valuing politics enough but I see this as a situation where the personal is political. It's always been that for Philip. He is the Soviet citizen who has to obey the state but actually guards his inner life from them. That's his rebellion. Elizabeth is still trying to give everything to the state.