Episode discussion post: "Echo"
May. 21st, 2014 05:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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theamericansAired:
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
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)
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
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)
Trying to wrap everything up
Date: 2014-05-25 12:55 pm (UTC)I had hoped Stan wouldn't hand over the Echo program, but I was also hoping he'll redeem himself by coming up with a plan to save things. Sort of the way Gaad turned things around. Not becoming a double agent in itself isn't enough for me. He might have been able to save Nina if he was willing to sacrifice himself, but he didn't even try.
The entire 'tell Paige now' and then Philip threatening Arkady came completely out of left field, and I prefer pretending it did not happen.
Jared and Kate - maybe. I can understand some of it, but not all of it.
I really liked the Larrick arc. Except for the fact that he was about to turn over P&E - the more I think about it, the more I agree it doesn't make sense. He wanted to kill Emmet and Leanne, so what changed?
Same goes for Elizabeth's insistence on not telling the kids. I really don't see what changed. She knows Paige, she knows how she feels right now (ie, "I'm not a liar"). How will telling her her whole life was a lie, and to what extent her parents went to make her believe it, help in any way? Even if she doesn't tell the FBI immediately, she'll be running off to Kelli or Pastor Tim.
Things like Philip's depression were completely ignored. Was it building up towards something and I missed it, or is it just going to stay around till the next season?
Compared to the S1 finale, which actually tied up everything nicely, I feel that here they tried to both wrap everything up, and open a whole new can of worms that we wouldn't see coming,and it was just too much.
Re: Trying to wrap everything up
Date: 2014-06-04 01:48 pm (UTC)The entire 'tell Paige now' and then Philip threatening Arkady came completely out of left field, and I prefer pretending it did not happen.
Me, too, except I assume they are setting us up for next season, which is going to make it impossible to ignore if I decide to keep watching the series.
Things like Philip's depression were completely ignored. Was it building up towards something and I missed it, or is it just going to stay around till the next season?
They did spend a lot of time on it only to ignore it this episode. I'm guessing his depression is unchanged and will stay around until next season. He and Stan can be depressed together.
Compared to the S1 finale, which actually tied up everything nicely, I feel that here they tried to both wrap everything up, and open a whole new can of worms that we wouldn't see coming,and it was just too much.
Exactly.