Episode discussion post: "The Deal"

[jae]

Aired:
26 March 2014 in the U.S. and Canada
30 March 2014 in Israel
12 April 2014 in the UK

This is a discussion post for episode 205 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 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. If you're reading this at a point where you've already seen subsequent episodes, though, please take care to keep comments spoiler-free of anything that comes after season two, episode five.)

Original promo trailers

"Next On: The Deal" (Watch on YouTube)

"The Americans: Exclusive Scene from Episode 5" (Watch on YouTube)

Episode recaps

From Grantland
From The New York Times
From Time
From Vulture
From The Washington Post
From Rolling Stone
From The AV Club
From Hitfix
From the Huffington Post
From Collider
From Sound on Sight
From IGN
From Television Without Pity
From TV Ate My Wardrobe
From Geekbinge
From showratings.tv
From screenrant.com
From GAMbIT Magazine
From Crave Online
From spoilertv.com
From tv.com
From Unreality Primetime
From Newsmanone

Comments

Re: Clark in the third person

[sistermagpie]

Yeah, to me it was more like when Elizabeth says "Maybe stronger" on the tape in the first ep. Philip has to do what the source likes in bed. If he was just doing what he liked he'd be revealing himself instead of manipulating her. He does things that he likes if they happen to coincide.

Re: Clark in the third person

[lovingboth]

Clearly there is an element of that, but Elizabeth has never wanted him in the way that Martha does. Even the reproductive sex he had with Elizabeth was work sex, and I wonder if the oral sex earlier in the series was done for Paige's benefit rather than her walking in on them genuinely doing it.

We've seen Philip and Elizabeth be 'them' sexual... once? After killing her rapist?

Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[jae]

Yeah, I'm just not seeing this at all. I mean, you're missing at least one crucial time (you need to rewatch episode 104! I suspect you'll get a different view after that). And there's just no indication that there's been no sex apart from that. And as for having sex for Paige's benefit--those reaction shots were not the faces of spies that had successfully put one over on their daughter, that was annoyance at being interrupted and annoyance that she'd done something forbidden.

I mean, I could buy that they stopped having sex for a while when things started to go south between them and they had all those trust issues, but now that they're back together for real, I'm sure there's plenty of hanky panky going on. ;)

-J

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

Specifically about Paige coming in on them: I also got the feeling that it was planned / for Paige's benefit, based on their reaction later. Though it makes no sense whatsoever.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[lovingboth]

Why doesn't it make sense? They want to stop her spying(!) on them, and what better way than to rub her face in the consequences of doing so, as it were.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

Because it means they'll be lying in bed naked night after night, waiting for that one night when she decides to sneak in.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[katiac]

This, and also that I feel like if it was set up purposefully to have an effect on Paige, their conversation about it would've been different. As it was, we saw them seem shocked and a little weary about it even after the door shut and Paige was gone. Conversation later wasn't about how they pulled it off, but rather how you'd expect parents to react in that situation.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

Conversation later wasn't about how they pulled it off, but rather how you'd expect parents to react in that situation.

It's not what I'd expect, which is why it looked to me like they'd set it up. But then, most parents don't have much to hide.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[katiac]

I just think back to the times when they've been having sex for work, and it's always been made clear that's what it was. Like with Martha, they're always deliberate to show Philip's face change when she's not looking and it's a very different expression from what she's imagining. Or with Elizabeth and Brad in the previous episode. Here it seemed like there wasn't any indication of that, or at least that's how it seemed to me.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[jae]

I think the key difference is actually "most parents aren't sex workers who feel much more blasé about being observed having sex than most people would," though. They weren't embarrassed about it, but they weren't glad about it either (which they would have been if it had been intentional).

-J

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

I'm trying to think what threw me off here. I think it's the fact that they're discussing the chances of Paige spying on them again. That is, how it affects them. I'd have expected them to discuss how it would affect Paige.

I'm not saying they planned it - I realize that they didn't. But if they had planned it, I could see them reacting this way.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[jae]

I actually don't think it even particularly occurred to them that it would affect Paige--and if it did, they probably thought: "well, she brought that on herself, didn't she?" and shrugged it off.

But if Paige is snooping, then it's not just about "how it affects them"--the whole family could be affected. Very dramatically affected. She's a real danger to them right now, and that was the first indication they had of that.

-J

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[katiac]

I dunno. I think they have so much sex for work they're not really shocked by much any more. Paige saw her dad's butt and clearly figured out what was happening with mouths even if she didn't see it. But I wouldn't expect them to treat it like she was going to have her life upended over it. She got an eyeful of more than she needed to know at that age about the mechanics of sexual positioning, but all she really saw was her parents who are committed to each other having sex with each other. It's not like she walked in on them having a threesome with someone else or something that would've been really upsetting.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

Paige saw her dad's butt and clearly figured out what was happening with mouths even if she didn't see it.

At her age, in the mid-80s, I'm not sure I would have understood what I was seeing.

Which might explain more why they didn't feel the need to explain anything.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[katiac]

Me neither, lol. But then the bacon scene seemed to suggest she at least knew enough to be squicked out by watching her mom slowly insert something into her mouth.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

Heh, yeah. But after all, the show is meant for adults, who would understand what's going on. And kids today aren't as naive.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[treonb]

I take that back.. if Paige really had no idea what she was seeing, then her parents should be very concerned about what's 'going on in that little head of hers'.

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[andy73]

At her age, in the mid-80s, I'm not sure I would have understood what I was seeing.

Me too!!!

And i definitely think that was not a setup for Page!!.
I mean, they were together after i don’t how long, after all they’ve been through….

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[sistermagpie]

Yeah, I thought that was such a great touch. Because it's not even just about how viewers might react in the same situation, it's that it's such a cliche for the parents to be all OMG THE CHILD WALKED IN and it becomes a comedy for several scenes. But in this case they're just far too used to being somewhat performative about sex to freak out, so it was all on Paige. The fact that it might keep her from checking up on them in future was I think almost an afterthought, because the bigger issue for them was realizing she was checking up at all. Before that they really didn't seem to even think that was a danger since their rules had always worked. Certainly not enough of a danger to spend however long every night lying naked and staring at each other's genitals in case Paige walked in. (Not that they were just staring when she walked in.)

Re: Philip and Elizabeth's sex life

[andy73]

Certainly not enough of a danger to spend however long every night lying naked and staring at each other's genitals in case Paige walked in. (Not that they were just staring when she walked in.)

I love you!!!

Re: Clark in the third person

[sistermagpie]

Clearly there is an element of that, but Elizabeth has never wanted him in the way that Martha does. Even the reproductive sex he had with Elizabeth was work sex, and I wonder if the oral sex earlier in the series was done for Paige's benefit rather than her walking in on them genuinely doing it.

You mean the oral sex was chosen by the producers to tone down what Paige saw?

I think they've kind of gone on record as saying that particular position was to indicate a sort of trust and equality--but for Paige was was probably worse than just sex because she clearly got what was going on there!

In terms of them being together, I'd also add the time they spent in the hotel room in In Control. I think the idea is that Elizabeth has openly wanted him in the way that Martha does since the pilot. Philip just doesn't approach with the same tone.