theamericans | Episode discussion post: "Jennings, Elizabeth"

Entry tags:

episode discussion

Episode discussion post: "Jennings, Elizabeth"

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

This is a discussion post for episode 609 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 nine.)

Original promo trailer

Watch on YouTube

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Part of me can't believe that there's only one episode before the show ends because there's so much left to cover, but on the other hand, I suppose that the sudden way that everything is crashing down around the Jennings is what it would have felt like to them. After years of successfully deceiving everyone and overcoming danger, suddenly it's ending for them (and us) and there's no time to think and plot and act. There's only time to cut and run.

I was dismayed when the FBI picked up Oleg with Philip's secret message in his pocket because Oleg no longer has the protection of his consulate job to protect him. He faces years of jail in the US for espionage, or else expelled back to Russia to an uncertain fate there. I hope that his clear, honest discussion with Stan does get through Stan's'thick head,' but there's no guarantee that it will. From Stan's perspective, one Soviet dictator is no different from any other. Only the show's Russian characters know how much is riding on Gorbachev's success. Right now, Stan is viewing the entire situation only through the filter of his job: Russian spies are the enemy, there's been a huge amount of murders lately, and he's going to take them down. He doesn't care what's going on back home in Mother Russia to cause all of this. He just wants it to stop spilling over into the US. Still, I'm hoping that his respect for Oleg motivates him to help Oleg somehow.

Speaking of Stan, even though he's still clearly suspicious of the Jennings, he's still concerned about Philip as a friend that he offered to loan him money to save the business. It's like Stan's 85% sure that Philip is a spy, but just in case he isn't, Stan wants to help him. Sweet, but also sad.

The would-be assassin who Elizabeth shot to save Nesterenko: was that Tatiana? It looked like her but I wasn't sure. They showed her in the 'previously' section so I think it was her. Assuming it was, you know the revelation of her identity is going to cause shock waves in the Russian and US intelligence groups. It might also be enough of a shock to sway Stan to lean more in Oleg's favor because it would help to validate what Oleg told him about the power play against Gorbachev.

I almost wanted to shake Father Andrei when he told Philip that one of his colleagues was going to the FBI to tattle on him that very day. He was like, "hey, should I be worried about this?" Hell yes, man. You should definitely be worried. When Philip took off running, I honestly thought that he might be caught. That was a terrifying moment.

Elizabeth's flashback memory about failing to help the injured man back in Russia certainly helps to explains why she is now so insistent on helping Nesterenko now. Never leave a fallen comrade behind. No matter what, we must always help each other. It explains her anger towards Claudia who was setting up an innocent comrade to be killed. Elizabeth's conflict with Claudia went even deeper than that though. 'You lied to me. If you knew me, you'd know never to lie to me.' Kind of an ironic comment given that when she went home, Paige stormed in and had an absolute tantrum because Elizabeth lied to her, and has been lying to her for years. Like mother, like daughter.

Gotta confess here that I thought the scene with Paige felt very forced and OTT to me. "Mom, you're a lying whore!1!1!" "Paige, you're a naive American brat. Get over it. Pack your go-bag. See you in the getaway car in a few minutes."

Think they'll stop and get Henry before they scram off to Canada?

PS: Was pleased to see that Pastor Tim didn't betray the Jennings'secret to Stan, much as he might have wanted to. Spies aren't the only ones who routinely have to keep secrets. I still think it's a huge stretch that Stan knew how to contact him, but whatevers... the plot needed it to happen.

Think they'll stop and get Henry before they scram off to Canada?

That's definitely the plan! Though it seems suicidal.

I was dismayed when the FBI picked up Oleg with Philip's secret message in his pocket because Oleg no longer has the protection of his consulate job to protect him. He faces years of jail in the US for espionage, or else expelled back to Russia to an uncertain fate there. I hope that his clear, honest discussion with Stan does get through Stan's'thick head,' but there's no guarantee that it will. From Stan's perspective, one Soviet dictator is no different from any other. Only the show's Russian characters know how much is riding on Gorbachev's success. Right now, Stan is viewing the entire situation only through the filter of his job: Russian spies are the enemy, there's been a huge amount of murders lately, and he's going to take them down. He doesn't care what's going on back home in Mother Russia to cause all of this. He just wants it to stop spilling over into the US. Still, I'm hoping that his respect for Oleg motivates him to help Oleg somehow.

There's also the fact that Stan's starting to suspect he's been duped by the Jennings--and Philip--for years. So he's probably mad as hell at the Soviets and not primed to trust any of them.

Also, this is not the first time Stan's tunnel-vision thinking has messed up the larger picture. Stan bumping off Vladimir, a mid-level flunky at the embassy, did absolutely nothing to further any long-term projects and arguably pissed off Gaad and pushed Nina away from him.

I wouldn't be surprised if in the Americans-verse, Stan deciding to be butthurt about the Jenningses might put Gorbachev in danger, or even become a causal link to the 1991 coup if Gorbachev never gets the news that KGB hardliners are gunning for him as early as 1987.

True, but he also respected Oleg enough to put his own career at risk because of it. Even now with Oleg, Stan is being much kinder than he would be towards any other Soviet rep. He's still trying to hold onto the idea that Philip and Elizabeth are innocent even as he persists to look for evidence to the contrary. He will eventually get his suspicions about the Jennings confirmed, but what if he simultaneously learns that they were allied with Oleg to try to preserve the peace summit and save Gorbachev's life? A lot is riding on Stan now. We've seen him murder a Soviet rep for far less than what the Jennings have done over the years. We've also seen him be decent and realize that the Soviets can be honorable. What will get through his thick head next week when he gets absolute proof about the Jennings?

Pastor Tim can't be really sure that really is an FBI agent on the phone; he has to consider that it might be someone who works for Phillip/Elizabeth and is testing him.

That's a good point. We knew it was Stan Beeman, but Tim couldn't be 100% sure. He had to word his answer carefully for any number of reasons.

All Stan has to do is invite Tim to go to the US Embassy and speak to him via some secure line. Unless the US diplomatic service has been infiltrated, it guarantees that he's speaking to the FBI agent he met.

True. I guess Stan didn't feel like he had the time to set up something that formal. Plus, he's still not entirely sure of his suspicions so he may have wanted to keep the conversations less formal.

As for Tim: In the Slate podcast (or some interview I read) the Js were cagey when asked why Tim didn't tell Stan about the Jennings being spies. Over on Twitter (I think is where I saw this), Kelly AuCoin dodged the question and said that Tim's non-answer 'was in the script'. Obviously they all want the audience to draw our own conclusion. I think that having Tim avoid saying anything damning about the Jennings was the best of all possible answers. It leaves it all ambiguous which is fabulous (at least to me). It makes the character feel more real to me.

I was rewatching it last night and it's a fabulous scene. KO is great in it. It's one of those nice people being spies scenes because we can see Tim's real reactions on his face while he gives chipper answers.

I don't think he had any doubt he was talking to Stan. The KGB testing him like that when he'd kept quiet all that time would be maybe pushing him to confess. Plus, I just don't think he'd imagine them doing anything so elaborate. He did meet Stan. He's got far more reason to expect the FBI to call because they've gotten suspicious over something the Jennings are doing than the KGB doing random prank calls.

The would-be assassin who Elizabeth shot to save Nesterenko: was that Tatiana? It looked like her but I wasn't sure. They showed her in the 'previously' section so I think it was her.

It was Tatiana, I'm sure. I thought it was odd at first, but then I remembered her bitter comments to Oleg about how her career was ruined by him. She never did rise above the level at which she might be expected to go out and assassinate someone.

Thanks. I agree it has to be Tatiana. Plus, I checked IMDB this morning and she's listed in the credits for the episode.

I imagine her last dying thoughts: "Damn you, Oleg! This is why I wanted to be the boss. I would order the assassinations, not carry out the assassinations!"

Yes, sounds about right.

It was definitely Tatiana--the actor who played her commented on it on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/vera_cherny/status/999659232428359682

-J

Nice! Vera Cherny did a great job with this character.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Episode discussion post: "Jennings, Elizabeth"

no subject

Picking up Henry and Stan

Re: Picking up Henry and Stan

Re: Picking up Henry and Stan

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Tim's phone call

no subject

no subject

no subject

Tatiana

Re: Tatiana