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.)

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Treon's thoughts

[treonb]

I had to watch it the moment I got up...

It was an amazing episode. I loved the direction they took, but the execution sometimes less, particularly for the scene where Stan lets them go. Though it did give all the characters a chance to speak out.

Paige's "You think we can trust him?" question was about Stan. I did not see that coming.

Her decision to stay back was logical, her decision to go back to her old life was not. When she sat there, I was half expecting her to take out the cyanide pill which she somehow stole. She had another identity in her hand, she could have just disappeared, like Philip thought to do.

P&E have a lot of faith in the Americans, but I cannot see Henry being allowed to have a normal life at this point.

They also have a lot of faith in the Russians. Going back was understandable, but very risky.

One of the things I liked best about this episode was Stan and Renee and the "with or without you" sequence. At first I thought they were going with the "Renee is a KGB spy" story, which I still hope isn't true. It took me a while to realize they chose something way better - Stan has no idea whether she is or isn't (just like us), and he has to live with it.

The last words were Elizabeth's, in Russian, which reflects back on the end of S1. "Come home", and they did.

Jae's comments on Treon's thoughts

[jae]

I loved it, too. I've only watched it the once so far, but I'll watch it again this morning.

Her decision to stay back was logical, her decision to go back to her old life was not.

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.

I imagine she'll go to prison once the dust settles and the FBI finishes investigating them. Which, awful. But maybe not any worse than having to start over again in the Soviet Union.

I cannot see Henry being allowed to have a normal life at this point.

He will be poked and prodded by the various intelligence services, but they will quickly realize that his use to them is limited. It's Paige who's going to get the brunt of this.

They also have a lot of faith in the Russians. Going back was understandable, but very risky.

I thought a lot about this! I mean, if they'd gone back before all of the disobedience of this past season, they'd both have been universally lauded as heroes, but as things are, I'm sure there are a lot of their fellow countrymen who would rather they had died (and may still want them dead). And I'm not sure Arkady will be able to protect them, as those same people may now be coming for HIM (as came out in the conversation with Oleg's father).

It took me a while to realize they chose something way better - Stan has no idea whether she is or isn't (just like us), and he has to live with it.

I'm still stunned (in a good way) by this. Like many other people in this group, I didn't see a good way of ending the Renee storyline. I figured they'd have to either reveal her as a spy (in which case it would have been rushed and annoying) or else reveal her as not-a-spy (in which case, why all the teasing?). But this? Perfection. I love that every viewer will get to figure out for themselves what they think about Renee, and the show simply isn't taking a stance on it.

-J

coming back as heroes

[treonb]

I was thinking that as they drove through Russia. They were supposed to be heroes, and instead I was afraid they'd be arrested as traitors.

That would have been a really depressing ending.

Re: coming back as heroes

[jae]

They totally could have been, too, had anyone met them other than Arkady.

-J

Re: Jae's comments on Treon's thoughts

[alley_skywalker]

I don't think Paige is necessarily that screwed. In order foe them to bring charges against her, hey'd have to prove that no only did she know/suspect what her parents were doing, she'd have to actually have participated in some way. And that's a pretty heavy lift, assuming that Paige is a decent liar, and I think she'd be ok at that, given than she'd have more time to plan out her story than she did when Stan accosted them.

Of course, Stan knows, but the only reason he knows she was involved is because they told him. I can't imagine that after everything, especially giving his own involvement in Jennings' escape, that he would turn Paige over. (Not to mention that I think they only told him that she knew, not that she participated.)

Re: Jae's comments on Treon's thoughts

[lovingboth]

Stan cannot afford to let Paige be caught: if she is, his own treachery is bound to be exposed.

If - when - she is, one of them has to die, or he'll spend a very long time in jail.

Will Paige go to prison?

[jae]

My assumption is that since the FBI now know what to look for, it will be trivially easy for them to prove that Paige was at least superficially involved in missions, even if she never did anything truly heinous. So while I can imagine scenarios where she wouldn't end up doing a lot of time, it's hard to imagine that she wouldn't do any at all.

-J

Re: Will Paige go to prison?

[sistermagpie]

Yeah she acted as lookout to multiple murders after all.

Re: Will Paige go to prison?

[andy73]

My assumption is that since the FBI now know what to look for, it will be trivially easy for them to prove that Paige was at least superficially involved in missions, even if she never did anything truly heinous

Why? There aren’t evidence on Paige.
Paige has to tell them only “I didn’t know!!!! My parent spies???? WTF, it is incredible!” Or something like this….

Stan only could link her… but he really can’t…

Re: Will Paige go to prison?

[sistermagpie]

I think Paige's life has a pretty big Elizabeth-shaped hole in it that would be obviously suspicious. She'd have a lot of time unaccounted for by anyone else, and others might be aware of how often she was with her mother. And that's leaving aside the show she put on in the bar that showed she had had self-defense training. Sure, she could say that was just for personal self-defense, but training from her KGB spy mom isn't going to help her case.

Once they start asking her about where she spends her many afternoons and nights out, she's going to have a hard time coming up with answers that would stand up to any scrutiny at all. It would be even harder if she was going to try to lie about even knowing her parents were spies since it started affecting her life a 16. Besides, we've seen that her instinct is always to tell the truth anyway, like she did to Stan. She's not a great liar at all, and this would require coming up with a detailed alternate life to keep straight.

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

Re: Treon's thoughts

[saraqael]

I don't see Paige's decision to return to DC as her returning to her 'old' life. I see it as her returning to her 'own' genuine life for the first time. She's been motivated all of her life by an intense need to connect with her family and in particular with her mother. She finally left them and that version of herself behind. What she does now is anybody's guess, but she's finally making independent decisions that aren't motivated by trying to bond with her parents.

Re: Treon's thoughts

[sistermagpie]

This, yes, absolutely. That's exactly what I saw her doing. Her parents assumed she'd come with them not even because they were ordering her but because she's always followed them around and begged to be included. Here she finally realized what a dead end that was. She was never going to be them, they would always be ultra-bonded to each other. She didn't speak Russian, didn't really want to live there.

The whole beginning part I thought it was so sad that she was just going along with them like as usual she had no other thought. So when she stepped off the train I was so happy for her. And also devastated and sad. But happy for her.

Re: Treon's thoughts

[treonb]

I didn't think of that.

I originally thought she'd now be sent to jail for the next 20+ years and not much help for Henry or herself, but after thinking it over (and reading here), I can see how she'd manage to stay free, and actually start her life anew.

Re: Treon's thoughts

[saraqael]

She might still end up in jail. That may depend on how well Stan keeps his mouth shut about letting the Jennings go, but also on whether she decides to confess or stay quiet. It's impossible to know for sure what will happen to her. She doesn't have many real options. From the post-finale interviews I've been seeing with the Js and the cast, it seems they all think that Paige's prospects are rather bleak. I can see a lot of paths forward for her, some good, some bad.

Re: Treon's thoughts

[lovingboth]

At the end of series five, Elizabeth tells Tuan that he won’t last in the spy business, that he can’t do it alone and needs an ally.

At the end of series six, who's Paige got?

And Tuan was a lot more competent and driven than she will ever be.

Re: Treon's thoughts

[treonb]

I meant as "Paige as herself", not as "Paige as a spy"