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: Paige's "Crazy Life"

[wendelah1]

I honestly feel like Paige's real feelings at this stage isn't that her life is crazy but that she feels like she's going crazy and paranoid, but we know she isn't.

So for me it's like a central contradiction--her life has been stable, but she's got just as much or more legitimate reason than most to feel anxious and fearful because she's picking up on something not being what it seems.

I agree that it's what she can't see that's most threatening. She's being lied to constantly by her parents, the people she needs to be able to trust, and on a deep level she knows this. She knows all is not as it appears. And yeah, I agree, she does think she might be going crazy.