Episode discussion post: "START"

[jae]

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

This is a discussion post for episode 610 of The Americans (the season and series finale), 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.)

Original promo trailer

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Comments

Re: Jae's comments on Treon's thoughts

[sistermagpie]

I can see why you'd say that, but I don't know. I think the main reason why she stayed behind was that someone from the family had to be there for Henry--if not to finish raising him (as I'm sure Stan will do), then at least to be able to explain things to him. Which meant she kind of had to go back to her life. Plus, she's a novice spy and not a very good one at that. She doesn't really have the skills she'd need to live out a life under a totally different identity without the help of her parents.

That's what I thought. Henry's almost 17 and already very independent. Stan will be there for him when he needs an adult parental figure, but this episode made Philip his father forever--Henry's going to spend the rest of his life wondering about him.

Paige is the person who can help him with that. That's the real payoff to her being brought into the secret. It's not being a spy or becoming Russian but having some understanding of how her parents had a different mindset. Especially after that last fight with Elizabeth where she really made clear how little they regarded themselves as people--or were regarded as people--in the face of what their country needed.

The narrative payoff for Paige having been brought in on the secret

[jae]

Paige is the person who can help him with that. That's the real payoff to her being brought into the secret. It's not being a spy or becoming Russian but having some understanding of how her parents had a different mindset.

I hadn't thought of it that way, but I think this is exactly right. Narratively speaking, that really is the payoff.

-J