The center never should have had Elizabeth have children of her own. It's changing her.
I've wondered about this too. In real life there were illegals who didn't have kids (though there were of course some who did too). I imagine that they must have discussed that; weighed the pros and the cons.
So are we to take it that Claudia thinks Elizabeth should be pulled out of the field? What has changed in Elizabeth to make Claudia believe that? Is it her growing attachment to Philip? Her feelings for her children? Her loss of control?
I can't imagine she wants Elizabeth pulled out entirely; she's too good, and they've made too much of an investment in her. Maybe given a vacation (and some reeducation). I think the fact that she's shown herself to be someone who could fall in love with Philip makes Claudia suspicious, certainly. And the way the thing with Patterson went down must have made Claudia go "whoa, hold on."
Philip. His biggest vulnerability is his feelings for Elizabeth, which have only gotten stronger since the separation. He told her that he wanted to do the meeting with the colonel because of the children. The children need you. You're their mother. And maybe he half believes that.
I think you're exactly right about this, but I do think that he's not just deceiving himself about the role the children play in this, either. My read is that becoming parents sort of originally sealed the deal on his burgeoning feelings for Elizabeth, back in the day, so it's all sort of one big blob of an Achilles heel for him. Look at the pilot, where he avenges Paige's honour in very much the same irrational way that he wants to defend Elizabeth later, in "COMINT."
But the Center is staffed with at least some people who make bad decisions, so who knows what will happen.
Absolutely. But the Center are people who are following orders from people very high up the food chain who may or may not have any idea about spywork. It must make them feel conflicted all the time.
The big operation went south because his forced recruit, Nina, turned on him. He's developed feelings for her and she's his weakness now. She's working him now. Maybe she's been working him all along.
I think they were both working each other all along, but you're right--by the end Nina definitely has the upper hand.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2013-11-24 06:06 pm (UTC)The center never should have had Elizabeth have children of her own. It's changing her.
I've wondered about this too. In real life there were illegals who didn't have kids (though there were of course some who did too). I imagine that they must have discussed that; weighed the pros and the cons.
So are we to take it that Claudia thinks Elizabeth should be pulled out of the field? What has changed in Elizabeth to make Claudia believe that? Is it her growing attachment to Philip? Her feelings for her children? Her loss of control?
I can't imagine she wants Elizabeth pulled out entirely; she's too good, and they've made too much of an investment in her. Maybe given a vacation (and some reeducation). I think the fact that she's shown herself to be someone who could fall in love with Philip makes Claudia suspicious, certainly. And the way the thing with Patterson went down must have made Claudia go "whoa, hold on."
Philip. His biggest vulnerability is his feelings for Elizabeth, which have only gotten stronger since the separation. He told her that he wanted to do the meeting with the colonel because of the children. The children need you. You're their mother. And maybe he half believes that.
I think you're exactly right about this, but I do think that he's not just deceiving himself about the role the children play in this, either. My read is that becoming parents sort of originally sealed the deal on his burgeoning feelings for Elizabeth, back in the day, so it's all sort of one big blob of an Achilles heel for him. Look at the pilot, where he avenges Paige's honour in very much the same irrational way that he wants to defend Elizabeth later, in "COMINT."
But the Center is staffed with at least some people who make bad decisions, so who knows what will happen.
Absolutely. But the Center are people who are following orders from people very high up the food chain who may or may not have any idea about spywork. It must make them feel conflicted all the time.
The big operation went south because his forced recruit, Nina, turned on him. He's developed feelings for her and she's his weakness now. She's working him now. Maybe she's been working him all along.
I think they were both working each other all along, but you're right--by the end Nina definitely has the upper hand.
-J