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: Episode timeline

[treonb]

I think those daylight scenes you mention just don't fit. Everything else happens in the dark, besides Philip coming back home in the morning. I prefer ignoring them, and seeing this as one long-night ep.

Re: Episode timeline

[sistermagpie]

That's how I read it. Maybe it's a flashback to earlier in the day that's explaining how Elizabeth has the files now. But it seems like the whole thing is just one night. Even Yossi says they spent the night together.

Re: Episode timeline

[georgley]

Yeah, it's pretty confusing. Maybe Yossi was referring to them spending all of the previous night together and it wasn't 't that late when they made the exchange the next night. I need to rewatch.

Re: Episode timeline

[sistermagpie]

Having just watched it again it's definitely 2 whole days that go by.

Re: Episode timeline

[treonb]

You're right. I rewatched those parts and it's more than a scene.

It's morning in the Russian embassy (and it might also be in the bathroom scene), and the day continues until we jump to the tailing Oleg scene.