Elizabeth is really naive. When they suggested Gregory go to Moscow I about choked on my water. I love Russia and all, but I'll be blunt: a lot of them are racist as hell. An African American in the 80s would probably end up committing suicide if he had to live there for the rest of his life. No one would really trust him (he's a foreigner, it's the USSR, someone might be looking for traitors), he'd be isolated, no one would have his culture, he wouldn't know the language, he's used to a nice apartment, if he got put in a kommunalka tensions would probably rise, and he would not be prepared for the weather. She has this idea that all that matters is that he's fought for the cause, but that's not all that matters.
I think a lot of what went on with Elizabeth and Gregory, more than perhaps naivety, was projection and, as Elizabeth says to Paige later on, seeing in them what you need to. Like that example is perfect because even right up until the end, she can't wrap her head around the idea that Gregory isn't going to want to go to Moscow. She's projecting her own idea (and her own wants--to go back to Moscow as a hero) of what he would want rather than seeing what's really there.
And Gregory kind of does the same thing with her. Like he tells Philip she would sacrifice the kids for the cause, and then later, actually suggests to Elizabeth that they run off together and leave the kids. So either he's completely heartless and would ask this of her despite knowing it would destroy her (which I don't believe), or he's simply in denial about what Elizabeth's family actually means to her. They mean nothing to him (and in fact are very threatening to him since they tie her to Philip) and so he's deluded himself into thinking they mean nothing to her because that's so much easier to face than the truth. Really, it's kind of like how Philip deluded himself into this one idea of Elizabeth pre-pilot, and part of his arc over the season was having to come to terms with who the "real" Elizabeth was and whether or not he could love her. And (this is off-topic) that was one of the most beautifully illustrated parts of the 10th episode because it was so sad to see what once seemed so right and true shown to have been based on what they both had needed to see, not necessarily what was there, and to have them both realize it, to one extent or another, just before Gregory's death.
And I can't even imagine what it would be like for the kids. Because even to have to deal with the ramifications of the lies Philip and Elizabeth have told them, while in the US and still reasonably comfortable... that could take years to get over. It would be even worse than for Elizabeth, even worse than everyone seeing them as a traitor, or not speaking Russian, because Elizabeth at least made the choice herself to take that step. They would essentially be ripped away with no say in the matter besides, "Do you want to go into foster care or go to Russia?"
no subject
I think a lot of what went on with Elizabeth and Gregory, more than perhaps naivety, was projection and, as Elizabeth says to Paige later on, seeing in them what you need to. Like that example is perfect because even right up until the end, she can't wrap her head around the idea that Gregory isn't going to want to go to Moscow. She's projecting her own idea (and her own wants--to go back to Moscow as a hero) of what he would want rather than seeing what's really there.
And Gregory kind of does the same thing with her. Like he tells Philip she would sacrifice the kids for the cause, and then later, actually suggests to Elizabeth that they run off together and leave the kids. So either he's completely heartless and would ask this of her despite knowing it would destroy her (which I don't believe), or he's simply in denial about what Elizabeth's family actually means to her. They mean nothing to him (and in fact are very threatening to him since they tie her to Philip) and so he's deluded himself into thinking they mean nothing to her because that's so much easier to face than the truth. Really, it's kind of like how Philip deluded himself into this one idea of Elizabeth pre-pilot, and part of his arc over the season was having to come to terms with who the "real" Elizabeth was and whether or not he could love her. And (this is off-topic) that was one of the most beautifully illustrated parts of the 10th episode because it was so sad to see what once seemed so right and true shown to have been based on what they both had needed to see, not necessarily what was there, and to have them both realize it, to one extent or another, just before Gregory's death.
And I can't even imagine what it would be like for the kids. Because even to have to deal with the ramifications of the lies Philip and Elizabeth have told them, while in the US and still reasonably comfortable... that could take years to get over. It would be even worse than for Elizabeth, even worse than everyone seeing them as a traitor, or not speaking Russian, because Elizabeth at least made the choice herself to take that step. They would essentially be ripped away with no say in the matter besides, "Do you want to go into foster care or go to Russia?"