Episode discussion post: "Cardinal"

[jae]

Aired:
5 March 2014 in the U.S. and Canada
9 March 2014 in Israel
22 March 2014 in the UK

This is a discussion post for episode 202 of The Americans, intended for viewers who are watching the show on the U.S./Canadian schedule. (Feel free to dive in to the discussion if you're reading this later and have already seen subsequent episodes, but please take care to keep comments spoiler-free of anything that comes after season two, episode two.)

Original promo trailers

"Next On: Cardinal" (Watch on YouTube)

"The Americans: Exclusive Scene from Episode 2" (Watch on YouTube)

Episode recaps

From Vulture
From Hitfix
From The AV Club
From The Huffington Post
From IGN
From Think Progress
From SpoilerTV
From Zap2it
From Television Without Pity
From TV Ate My Wardrobe
From Filmthrasher
From showratings.tv
From Newsmanone
From Screenrant
From the LA Times
From Geekbinge
From tvrage.com
From Unreality TV (UK)

Comments

[sistermagpie]

I loved how Elizabeth was in the best shape when she was dealing with the younger agent--I think Lucia is her name. Partly because she has to project that to keep her calm, but I think also she took comfort in this being a situation she could handle. She likes being the big sister in a situation where she can be that.

In general, one of the things I really like that they're obviously setting up this season is that spies are in some ways all one big family even when they're spying for different countries for different reasons. They can at least be honest about what they're doing, and they tend to get where each other's head is at. There's a lot of times in this ep where they show an immediate understanding of things the other person probably thinks is very isolating and private.

It does look like Emmett and Leanne will continue to be characters to illuminate the Jennings themselves. I'm sure Philip, too, is wondering just what made "Paul" take to Fred so much that he'd talk about his kids. I suspect Fred will wind up being a good agent for Philip now instead. And I wouldn't be surprised if Philip used the name Paul with him too!

[jae]

In general, one of the things I really like that they're obviously setting up this season is that spies are in some ways all one big family even when they're spying for different countries for different reasons.

I like this observation! Of course this is most true when it's the same country (Philip and Elizabeth and Nina, say), or at least the same side in the "war" (as with Elizabeth and Lucia), but even Philip and Stan have this solidarity in a way. It's a large part of what brings them together as friends.

It would really make sense for Philip to take Fred on as an agent at this point--I hope they do go there.

-J

[sistermagpie]

There is some with Philip and Stan, it's true, but I feel like it's even more for these people who are really out in the field as spies. (In Stan's case I think some of the real understanding is a holdover from his undercover days.) It's the dishonesty and double life thing--so I don't think Philip would feel the same way with, say, Gaad. But he does somewhat with Fred, and he would with someone from, say, East Germany or Israel. It's like they're all at sea and when the meet it's like a little island has cropped up briefly where they can just dry off for a second.

In Stan's case, it's really driving him too, I think. Like it's one of the things that makes him feel he understands and connects with Nina, and it was something that Amador couldn't understand. ("It was a little deeper than that.") It's funny, of course, that he seems to want to confide in Philip about it even though for all Stan knows, Philip is just as clueless as Amador.

[katiac]

It's a way to be intimate with someone that they can't really get anywhere else--and considering how far they have to keep the rest of the world away--those relationships are all the more important. Like in the same way that no one but Philip and Elizabeth can ever get into that special space of how they feel about *their* kids and the love they have for *their* family, no one can really get exactly how it must feel to have gone through the KGB training, to do this or that, and Emmett and Leanne can exactly. They had the same training. The same missions. The same orders to have kids. The same fears for their kids. The same feelings the KGB maybe never wanted them to have (about their kids, their lives there, whatever.)

[quantumreality]

Paul seems to be the kind of guy who you could sit down and have a chat with when he's calmer, and maybe Emmett got that vibe and at least played a role of settling in and chatting away with his spying asset.