Episode discussion post: "COMINT"

[jae]

Aired:
27 February 2013 in the U.S. and Canada
24 June 2013 in Australia
27 June 2013 in Ireland
29 June 2013 in the UK

This is a discussion post for episode #5 of The Americans, intended for viewers who are watching the show on the Australian/Irish/UK schedule. Please do dive in even if you've seen subsequent episodes, but take care to keep comments spoiler-free of anything that comes after season one, episode five.

FX's original promo trailer:

FX's official three-minute recap:

FX's official "Go Undercover" replay with commentary from the actors and producers:

New reviews/recaps:
From The Guardian (UK)
From Unreality Primetime (UK)
From Digital Spy (UK)


Reviews/recaps from first airing:
From Think Progress
From The AV Club
From Vulture
From Hitfix
From Collider
From Television Without Pity
From We Might Just Love TV More Than You
From jessenigma at dreamwidth
From jae at dreamwidth

Comments

[treonb]

Then he found out what was behind it and immediately responded by doing the thing she'd been wanting to do all along. So her positive reaction wasn't a matter of "he did this to protect me, oh, isn't that great" but a matter of "he gets why that was important to me, and now that he gets it he's willing to do this thing he felt strongly about not doing."

The way I see it, Elizabeth wanted revenge, and Philip took it away from her by doing it himself. So, yes, it wasn't an issue of protection, and Philip showed he cared, but I do see it as more of a 'you touched my woman, prepare to die' kind of thing (and frankly, I think that storywise they had no choice, because they had to bring those two together *somehow*).

He does the same for his daughter. And so later, when he wants revenge on the guy who beat up his wife, he's doing the exact same thing he did in the Pilot. He's not saying that Elizabeth can't handle the guy and he's not really protecting her, because most chances are she's not going to see him again anyway. He just wants revenge.

[jae]

The way I see it, Elizabeth wanted revenge, and Philip took it away from her by doing it himself.

Oh, it can totally be read that way, but SHE certainly didn't see it that way, given her reaction.

I think generally, his obsessively protective trait is a toxic thing between them, but that one time it worked for them because it also meant him simultaneously acknowledging that what she'd suffered was worth killing Timoshev over.

He just wants revenge.

That's what it looks like from inside of his head, but it's not how it looks to HER.

-J

[jae]

I don't see it the same way, but what you describe here is absolutely consistent with canon.

-J

[jae]

Tangential re "and all the residual hurt it's caused their family for 15 years": Can you imagine what that was like for Philip? Suddenly reevaluating all sorts of things that have happeend over the past fifteen years in light of that (and emerging from it simultaneously enraged, ashamed, sad, etc.).

-J