Okay, here comes my rewatch with tons of nitpicky observations...
* The Jennings do serious breakfasts.
* My suburban street growing up never had this much going on in it. Except when the school across the street was just going in or getting out.
* I know Clark's making orange juice from concentrate but that doesn't change that this is a pretty awesome breakfast he's making for his lady here.
* Clark's Clark-accent is making me laugh in this scene. It's like Philip dials his ass to be a couple of notches tighter. And his little mouth gets tighter too.
* Does Clark wear any dental stuff?
* I love Clark's "Good lord" about the Collins family murders.
* I love the ongoing distinction in the Jennings house b/w TV and news. I wonder if that started with Mom and Dad trying to cut down on TV time while obsessively watching the news.
* Nice that the Jennings have a literal picket fence.
* Philip must be positively gob-smacked at Elizabeth saying she didn't get the signal. This is ELIZABETH.
* I love Philip encouraging her to get out on the street a little. But he knows better than to show he thinks she needs encouragement.
* STAN!!! (Best greeting ever.)
* Do it right this time. Yeah. Right.
* If Philip was back in Russia right now he would be killing it on the black market. Born salesman, right Stan?
* I love reading comments from who thought the clock thing was a sign. Like maybe as soon as Stan leaves Phil will ask Elizabeth, "OMG, did the Centre steal that clock from Stan's mother for our office??!!"
*I suspect Oleg dancing would be kind of hilarious but he'd think he was awesome.
* I don't quite follow Elizabeth's line when she comes back from the drop. Philip says if there was someone watching the brush pass they'd have gotten them by now and she says "Why not?" Why not what?
* Elizabeth also makes the decision for Philip to go after Fred. Btw, is Fred Cardinal or Emmett? Or someone else?
* I love Arkady's office. It's like you can't walk into it without looking for a silver samovar.
* Henry's criticism of school is really awesome. He just thinks the teachers should communicate as it undermines both their pursuits of shared goals. It's a metaphor for the whole dang show, you guys!
* I also like that Henry takes an interest in their travel agent business. He'll remember what inclusive packages are. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point Henry actually provides an important piece of info to Paige.
* No coincidence Henry talks about the benefits of communication in an ep where people are communicating in the most inefficient ways possible because of the situation. Like Arkady even has to talk to the walk-in through an intercom.
* I read a comment somewhere from a guy who said he had trouble following the scenes at Fred's because his apartment looked so exactly like his at the same time. The tape holders especially were awesome--those aren't CDs!
* At first I totally didn't get what Philip was doing with the electrical box. The thing he put in has the word volts on it! It must be electrical related, right? Oh wait, spies.
* Still don't catch what Philip says about the bus to Elizabeth. Is he just saying it's better to pick the kids up today?
* Fred's got liquor out on the table-spying is stressful.
* Gloves would really have solved all Philip's problems here. And they'd match his outfit.
* On the bookcase I see Smiley's People and is the other one Tinker Tailor? And then Sherlock Holmes and Richard Bach. Philip gets a ton more info from that shelf than LOL! it's the 80s.
* There are, like, no naked women in that Playboy.
* I love Philip feeling the thing under the shag rug.
* Crap. (The shock happened.)
* I think it's intentionally ambiguous whether Nina's supposed to be telling Stan about the walk-in. She lies about not knowing when the guy showed up.
*Stan just resolutely insists on pronouncing it Ar-CADE-ee. I sympathize because that's the way I pronounced it in my head when reading "The Adolescent" and I really liked it, but even I gave in after hearing a Russian pronounce it correctly, Stan. Btw, how those Russian lessons going?
* Nina's also talking about how the walk in was "in there a long time" when the last we saw he was sitting alone. It'd be cool if the guy was actually unimportant.
* I love how much of helping spies involves just calming them down and assuring them they're doing okay. Fred and Lucia both get that.
* Damn if Philip isn't using a DIFFERENT ACCENT in this scene with Fred! It's not a full out different accent. It's subtle. But listen to how he says CIA etc. He's not totally talking like himself.
*Speaking of which, I know not everybody's seeing my commercials, but this new Fargo show. Apparently it's got Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thorton? I see the Cohen brother-type in both, but isn't it weird to cast a TV show based on a movie known for its Minnesota accents with two actors very much known for working in their very different native accents?
* Elizabeth would have left the kids alone if those street workers didn't freak her out.
* Got the third repetition from Philip in the scene with Fred: "It's okay, Fred. Fred, it's okay."
* I like how the Philip/Fred scene lands on "we're both his friends" rather than the fact they're working together. In fact, it's subtly contrasting to Elizabeth's scene with Lucia, because she stresses them as being bonded through their work. I don't think there's any judgment implied about one being better, btw. They're just the two sides to what they do.
* Philip says Paul "said" that Fred did it for something bigger--that's a little fib in there, right? Trying to imply that Paul had actually told Philip about Fred personally.
* Interesting that he not only tells him Paul's dead, but that he's that murder in the paper. I wonder why he does that.
* Hmm. Fred also asks why Philip told him that. I think Philip really gets that this guy needs signals that he stands out among agents enough to be "in the know" in the way they aren't. He even stresses that Paul wore disguises for Fred's protection (not so Fred didn't get to see him for Emmett's protection).
* Philip seems to relax only when Fred's weeping.
* Got dark really fast there for the Jennings. I mean literally dark. It was daylight when she said they were leaving right that minute.
* Elizabeth's not selling this sudden thing she forgot at the office thing at all well.
* And now *Philip's* bringing *Fred* a glass of water in his own house. Talk about a flip of control. Fred's even sitting while Philip's standing.
* What was his real name? Let's say Emmett. Not his real name, but one one layer peeled back.
* I'm eager to find out if Philip really has a close relationship to Emmett himself that he's drawing on here, rather than just flattering an isolated agent by saying Emmett didn't take to a lot of people like he knows that for sure.
* I mean, there have been hints that we might get flashbacks about how relationships were formed this season, so I wouldn't be surprised if the season gets more into the past of Philip/Elizabeth/Emmett/Leanne, including convos between Philip and Emmett about why they do this. Or why people do this. The other family seems a little older too, so they might have been mentors.
* Mentors with whom they occasionally stage threesomes. Their jobs are weird.
* Fred's talking about Jared left all alone. Of course Fred would be more ignorant than Philip about what might be done for or to Jared, but I feel like the show sees that the orphan they must ignore is a bigger dramatic hook that raises more interesting questions.
*And this is the first time Philip says Jared will be taken care of, but more smoothly, and Fred actually is reassured by it.
*And then makes the connection to Henry. Ouch. But that's why Fred's reassured--he knows he's talking to a dad just like Emmett who'd trust his own kid to be taken care of.
*And then Philip actually gets seriously important info he didn't know he was missing. And he pretty much only gets it because he forms a personal bond with this guy. Way to go, Philip!
* Damn, it's so awesome to contrast that scene with Elizabeth Lucia where Elizabeth's showing how the official protocol is important and sometimes a professional interaction is the most comforting thing. Especially if the professional is Wonder Woman. I mean, Elizabeth.
* I like Gaad's space shuttle crack.
* Lucia must be just overwhelmed at Elizabeth's awesomeness. Who was that capped woman?
* I love how many convos Philip and Elizabeth have had just this season that include "It's a long story...tell you later."
* Cool typewriter, Nina!
* I know Philip would probably have intentionally used two phone booths anyway, but I imagine him making the decision to blow Martha off after leaving the first one.
* I hope he made sure there was some flight that was cancelled that day. Let's not get too sloppy, Clark.
* There's something so creepy having him be Clark out of costume. I guess because with the wig and glasses he "becomes" Clark in some way, but here he's like Philip pretending to be this poor woman's husband.
* Oh, Martha. Nobody *wants* to be a victim.
* Did Paige not get the info on the phone in that scene? She starts to write on her hand but she doesn't have enough time to get a phone number or address. (Or for the operator to even search, actually.)
* I love that Philip tells Elizabeth exactly why he came home: I heard your voice on the phone (and it didn't sound good!)
*I said this before, but I love how Philip never forgets his hand in every scene. The one time I got a shock I spent the whole day obsessed with my tongue. I'd gotten shocked in the finger or something but I guess it came out my tongue so that's where it was numb. So it was like a science experiment.
* I went into a ton of detail on this last P&E scene elsewhere, but just putting in one more word about how it still seems to be about Jared's future life. If he's the Dead Boy Walking, what does it matter that he screamed last week? They have to at least think it's a possibility that he's going to be left alive. Otherwise how dopey are these two? Your working for your children's future assassins!
*Love love love Philip's last confession there. It's not even just about an abstract feeling that they have choices, I don't think. I think it's also an acknowledgement that the work means something to him, that he wanted the info, wanted to get away with it and agreed that Henry made a better cover.
*I think another recapper noted this, that Elizabeth's all about the cause, but she'll freak out over her children being in danger. And Philip is all about family, but he'll use his kid as a cover.
*This is one of the many ways the show benefits from how seriously it takes their convictions. It doesn't ask us to invest in what they are, specifically, but it understands people being motivated to make a difference. The idea's brought up over and over, with Martha, Fred, Lucia and Elizabeth. Even Henry's comment about a game vs. real life kind of echoes it. Philip seems less inspired by it these days, but I think he still is tied to it and understands why he does what he does. And it might get dug into a bit later.
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timeasmymeasure
On rewatch
Date: 2014-03-08 07:54 pm (UTC)* The Jennings do serious breakfasts.
* My suburban street growing up never had this much going on in it. Except when the school across the street was just going in or getting out.
* I know Clark's making orange juice from concentrate but that doesn't change that this is a pretty awesome breakfast he's making for his lady here.
* Clark's Clark-accent is making me laugh in this scene. It's like Philip dials his ass to be a couple of notches tighter. And his little mouth gets tighter too.
* Does Clark wear any dental stuff?
* I love Clark's "Good lord" about the Collins family murders.
* I love the ongoing distinction in the Jennings house b/w TV and news. I wonder if that started with Mom and Dad trying to cut down on TV time while obsessively watching the news.
* Nice that the Jennings have a literal picket fence.
* Philip must be positively gob-smacked at Elizabeth saying she didn't get the signal. This is ELIZABETH.
* I love Philip encouraging her to get out on the street a little. But he knows better than to show he thinks she needs encouragement.
* STAN!!! (Best greeting ever.)
* Do it right this time. Yeah. Right.
* If Philip was back in Russia right now he would be killing it on the black market. Born salesman, right Stan?
* I love reading comments from who thought the clock thing was a sign. Like maybe as soon as Stan leaves Phil will ask Elizabeth, "OMG, did the Centre steal that clock from Stan's mother for our office??!!"
*I suspect Oleg dancing would be kind of hilarious but he'd think he was awesome.
* I don't quite follow Elizabeth's line when she comes back from the drop. Philip says if there was someone watching the brush pass they'd have gotten them by now and she says "Why not?" Why not what?
* Elizabeth also makes the decision for Philip to go after Fred. Btw, is Fred Cardinal or Emmett? Or someone else?
* I love Arkady's office. It's like you can't walk into it without looking for a silver samovar.
* Henry's criticism of school is really awesome. He just thinks the teachers should communicate as it undermines both their pursuits of shared goals. It's a metaphor for the whole dang show, you guys!
* I also like that Henry takes an interest in their travel agent business. He'll remember what inclusive packages are. I wouldn't be surprised if at some point Henry actually provides an important piece of info to Paige.
* No coincidence Henry talks about the benefits of communication in an ep where people are communicating in the most inefficient ways possible because of the situation. Like Arkady even has to talk to the walk-in through an intercom.
* I read a comment somewhere from a guy who said he had trouble following the scenes at Fred's because his apartment looked so exactly like his at the same time. The tape holders especially were awesome--those aren't CDs!
* At first I totally didn't get what Philip was doing with the electrical box. The thing he put in has the word volts on it! It must be electrical related, right? Oh wait, spies.
* Still don't catch what Philip says about the bus to Elizabeth. Is he just saying it's better to pick the kids up today?
* Fred's got liquor out on the table-spying is stressful.
* Gloves would really have solved all Philip's problems here. And they'd match his outfit.
* On the bookcase I see Smiley's People and is the other one Tinker Tailor? And then Sherlock Holmes and Richard Bach. Philip gets a ton more info from that shelf than LOL! it's the 80s.
* There are, like, no naked women in that Playboy.
* I love Philip feeling the thing under the shag rug.
* Crap. (The shock happened.)
* I think it's intentionally ambiguous whether Nina's supposed to be telling Stan about the walk-in. She lies about not knowing when the guy showed up.
*Stan just resolutely insists on pronouncing it Ar-CADE-ee. I sympathize because that's the way I pronounced it in my head when reading "The Adolescent" and I really liked it, but even I gave in after hearing a Russian pronounce it correctly, Stan. Btw, how those Russian lessons going?
* Nina's also talking about how the walk in was "in there a long time" when the last we saw he was sitting alone. It'd be cool if the guy was actually unimportant.
* I love how much of helping spies involves just calming them down and assuring them they're doing okay. Fred and Lucia both get that.
* Damn if Philip isn't using a DIFFERENT ACCENT in this scene with Fred! It's not a full out different accent. It's subtle. But listen to how he says CIA etc. He's not totally talking like himself.
*Speaking of which, I know not everybody's seeing my commercials, but this new Fargo show. Apparently it's got Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thorton? I see the Cohen brother-type in both, but isn't it weird to cast a TV show based on a movie known for its Minnesota accents with two actors very much known for working in their very different native accents?
* Elizabeth would have left the kids alone if those street workers didn't freak her out.
* Got the third repetition from Philip in the scene with Fred: "It's okay, Fred. Fred, it's okay."
* I like how the Philip/Fred scene lands on "we're both his friends" rather than the fact they're working together. In fact, it's subtly contrasting to Elizabeth's scene with Lucia, because she stresses them as being bonded through their work. I don't think there's any judgment implied about one being better, btw. They're just the two sides to what they do.
* Philip says Paul "said" that Fred did it for something bigger--that's a little fib in there, right? Trying to imply that Paul had actually told Philip about Fred personally.
* Interesting that he not only tells him Paul's dead, but that he's that murder in the paper. I wonder why he does that.
* Hmm. Fred also asks why Philip told him that. I think Philip really gets that this guy needs signals that he stands out among agents enough to be "in the know" in the way they aren't. He even stresses that Paul wore disguises for Fred's protection (not so Fred didn't get to see him for Emmett's protection).
* Philip seems to relax only when Fred's weeping.
* Got dark really fast there for the Jennings. I mean literally dark. It was daylight when she said they were leaving right that minute.
* Elizabeth's not selling this sudden thing she forgot at the office thing at all well.
* And now *Philip's* bringing *Fred* a glass of water in his own house. Talk about a flip of control. Fred's even sitting while Philip's standing.
* What was his real name? Let's say Emmett. Not his real name, but one one layer peeled back.
* I'm eager to find out if Philip really has a close relationship to Emmett himself that he's drawing on here, rather than just flattering an isolated agent by saying Emmett didn't take to a lot of people like he knows that for sure.
* I mean, there have been hints that we might get flashbacks about how relationships were formed this season, so I wouldn't be surprised if the season gets more into the past of Philip/Elizabeth/Emmett/Leanne, including convos between Philip and Emmett about why they do this. Or why people do this. The other family seems a little older too, so they might have been mentors.
* Mentors with whom they occasionally stage threesomes. Their jobs are weird.
* Fred's talking about Jared left all alone. Of course Fred would be more ignorant than Philip about what might be done for or to Jared, but I feel like the show sees that the orphan they must ignore is a bigger dramatic hook that raises more interesting questions.
*And this is the first time Philip says Jared will be taken care of, but more smoothly, and Fred actually is reassured by it.
*And then makes the connection to Henry. Ouch. But that's why Fred's reassured--he knows he's talking to a dad just like Emmett who'd trust his own kid to be taken care of.
*And then Philip actually gets seriously important info he didn't know he was missing. And he pretty much only gets it because he forms a personal bond with this guy. Way to go, Philip!
* Damn, it's so awesome to contrast that scene with Elizabeth Lucia where Elizabeth's showing how the official protocol is important and sometimes a professional interaction is the most comforting thing. Especially if the professional is Wonder Woman. I mean, Elizabeth.
* I like Gaad's space shuttle crack.
* Lucia must be just overwhelmed at Elizabeth's awesomeness. Who was that capped woman?
* I love how many convos Philip and Elizabeth have had just this season that include "It's a long story...tell you later."
* Cool typewriter, Nina!
* I know Philip would probably have intentionally used two phone booths anyway, but I imagine him making the decision to blow Martha off after leaving the first one.
* I hope he made sure there was some flight that was cancelled that day. Let's not get too sloppy, Clark.
* There's something so creepy having him be Clark out of costume. I guess because with the wig and glasses he "becomes" Clark in some way, but here he's like Philip pretending to be this poor woman's husband.
* Oh, Martha. Nobody *wants* to be a victim.
* Did Paige not get the info on the phone in that scene? She starts to write on her hand but she doesn't have enough time to get a phone number or address. (Or for the operator to even search, actually.)
* I love that Philip tells Elizabeth exactly why he came home: I heard your voice on the phone (and it didn't sound good!)
*I said this before, but I love how Philip never forgets his hand in every scene. The one time I got a shock I spent the whole day obsessed with my tongue. I'd gotten shocked in the finger or something but I guess it came out my tongue so that's where it was numb. So it was like a science experiment.
* I went into a ton of detail on this last P&E scene elsewhere, but just putting in one more word about how it still seems to be about Jared's future life. If he's the Dead Boy Walking, what does it matter that he screamed last week? They have to at least think it's a possibility that he's going to be left alive. Otherwise how dopey are these two? Your working for your children's future assassins!
*Love love love Philip's last confession there. It's not even just about an abstract feeling that they have choices, I don't think. I think it's also an acknowledgement that the work means something to him, that he wanted the info, wanted to get away with it and agreed that Henry made a better cover.
*I think another recapper noted this, that Elizabeth's all about the cause, but she'll freak out over her children being in danger. And Philip is all about family, but he'll use his kid as a cover.
*This is one of the many ways the show benefits from how seriously it takes their convictions. It doesn't ask us to invest in what they are, specifically, but it understands people being motivated to make a difference. The idea's brought up over and over, with Martha, Fred, Lucia and Elizabeth. Even Henry's comment about a game vs. real life kind of echoes it. Philip seems less inspired by it these days, but I think he still is tied to it and understands why he does what he does. And it might get dug into a bit later.