Episode discussion post: "Echo"

[jae]

Aired:
21 May 2014 in the U.S. and Canada
25 May 2014 in Israel
7 June 2014 in the UK

This is a discussion post for episode 213 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 thirteen.)

Original promo trailer

"The Americans Season 2 Episode 13 Promo - Echo [HD] The Americans 2x13 Promo" (Watch on YouTube)

Episode recaps

From Grantland
From Time
From the Washington Post
From Rolling Stone
From the AV Club
From Hitfix
From IGN
From the Huffington Post: Karen Fratti, Maureen Ryan
From Vulture
From Variety
From the Tampa Bay Times
From Sound on Sight
From Collider
From Paste Magazine
From Gawker
From the Cloture Club
From tv.com
From tvrage.com
From Headline Planet
From spoilertv.com (in French)
From TV Ate My Wardrobe
From GAMbIT Magazine
From showratings.tv
From Comments Enabled
From Boob Tube Dude
From Unreality Primetime (UK)

Comments

"Would you like to share something with the class?"

[jae]

I love that convo in the beginning, particularly how Elizabeth turns to Philip obviously expecting him to share something about his childhood like a normal person and it takes him an inordinately long time to accept that he's going to even do it.

I LOVE this interpretation of what's going on there for him! Love.

It lends more weight to the fact that he actually DOES share, too. Oh, Philip.

-J

Re: "Would you like to share something with the class?"

[sistermagpie]

It's so played that way too. He isn't, like, internally thinking about it as if her story has inspired a memory in him. His eyes are darting back and forth to her and ahead, like he's almost nervous knowing that she's demanding it. And she just waits, not letting him get off with "That much have been hard" as his usual thing. She needs some Motherland bonding at this moment. It's such an interesting way to play it because the expected way would be to make it more natural, as if her memory just naturally made him think of his own, even if he had to pause to say it out loud. He's like really nervous to come out with the story!

And then, almost as a meta "ha ha" to the audience he gets friggin' interrupted and we never hear the end of the story!

Also it turns out it's a good thing Philip likes the cold, huh?

Re: "Would you like to share something with the class?"

[jae]

Yeah, I just went back and rewatched that scene again, and that's totally what's going on. So awesome. *squishes Philip*

And yes, Philip the Siberian! The extra-cold winter of 1981-82 (which apparently was actually one of the coldest winters on record in D.C., according to the showrunners) must have felt distantly familiar.

-J