jae: (theamericansgecko)
Jae ([personal profile] jae) wrote in [community profile] theamericans2015-01-28 07:45 pm
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Episode discussion post: "EST Men"

Aired:
28 January 2015 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 301 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 three, episode one.)

Original promo trailer





Episode recaps (including some early-season generalities)

From Grantland
From Vox 1 and 2
From Vulture
From Hitfix
From the Washington Post
From TIME
From the New York Times
From Slate
From Hollywood Reporter
From Slant
From Salon
From the Washington Post
From the New Republic
From Yahoo 1 and 2
From the AV Club
From the Atlantic
From the Boston Globe
From Entertainment Weekly
From TV Guide
From Spoiler TV
From theworkprint.com
From IndieWire 1 and 2
From Slant
From Variety
From thedailynews.com
From Geeks of Doom
From Starpulse
From TV Equals
From Screenrant
From We Got This Covered
lovingboth: (Default)

Stan's life expectancy

[personal profile] lovingboth 2015-01-29 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
All the better for dramatic purposes if Philip has to kill his friend! :)

If Stan is going to be killed, it will be Martha's gun that shoots him, quite possibly with her holding it at the time and being given a choice of saving Clark or Stan. She (thinks she) knows what Stan thinks of her, and if he tried to harm her husband...
selenak: (Default)

Re: Sistermagpie first watch

[personal profile] selenak 2015-01-29 06:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Re: the vibe from Stan in P & E's kitchen, agreed though additionally I don't think he likes being in his empty lonely house right now. Nina isn't an alternative anymore. So he glomps on P & E as the friends who made it thorugh a crisis (proving there's hope even after separation) and have a warm, happy home. (As far as he knows...)

Yes, Annalise was addicted to (dangerous) romance rather than to sex. Scott by turning her on Yousaf disqualified himself as a romantic hero truly deeply in love with her.

Great points that neither Elizabeth nor Philip can be right for 13 episodes. They both will have to go through some changes of their current emotional state re: Paige.
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

Re: Jae's thoughts on second watch

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I also love how Elizabeth looks slightly bored in talking to Charlotte. Obviously she's been working her for a while and she's heard these complaints ad nauseum. She's probably pushed her to do something about it a lot!
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

Re: A few questions about things I didn't quite get

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Iirc, Philip's only reaction to Elizabeth was taking her hand.

We have never seen Hans (the guy in the car with Elizabeth) before.

I can't remember the exact end of the ep, but we definitely left Philip and Yusef with Philip saying he could help him.
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

Re: Sistermagpie first watch

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I thought that was a big part of it. And not surprising. Even if Stan wasn't so reeling from the loss of Nina, an FBI guy like him would have no interest in this big suburban house. He's more suited to a small apartment near the office, but now he has to go home to this big place he only has because this is where he was going to be a family man again. The Jennings have got to be really appealing to him right now.
theplatonicnonyeah: (Default)

Re: Nina and frusen glädje

[personal profile] theplatonicnonyeah 2015-01-29 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
The ice cream was American, yes. And apparently, it was spelt "Frusen Glädjé". The accent is incorrect in proper Swedish. I wonder if it was any good...

I must admit I feel most compelled to write slashfic about Philip and Stan at the moment. o_0

And yey, helloo! Sorry for confusing usernames. Long story. :-)
theplatonicnonyeah: (Default)

Erectile issues within the KGB

[personal profile] theplatonicnonyeah 2015-01-29 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
LOL! I work in a sex toy shop, so yes, a cockring makes perfect sense to me! :-)

Oh, no. I'm now getting some very interesting ideas for a fanfic. Oops.
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Isn't there an accent or something there that's wrong? That was the thing I was remember. You're right, it's Haagen Daaz that means nothing at all. I love that both exist.

I love that there are people here from all over! Do you have any thoughts on Philip's Swedish spy name being Scott?
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

Re: Philip/Stan slash

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh god, even more now. The guy in EST says you're only truly alive when you're having sex, so Philip tries to help Stan "get it" by...
theplatonicnonyeah: (Default)

Doing the dishes innuendo

[personal profile] theplatonicnonyeah 2015-01-29 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
The crack about the 'American housewife' doing the dishes annoyed me, though. I sincerely doubt that Russian women were not the ones stuck with the dishes even when they weren't housewives. (If anything, I'd assume American women got out of doing dishes earlier because dishwasher...)

I actually interpreted the whole exchange as Gabriel hinting rather broadly that he wanted to talk with Philip alone, plus he then added that there was something for Elizabeth in the kitchen drawer, so it made sense for her to go out there. The Jennings' have a dishwasher, btw. Although, sometimes they're seen doing the dishes by hand also. A little inconsistent.
sistermagpie: Classic magpie (Default)

Re: Elizabeth's tape from her mother: the Russian content

[personal profile] sistermagpie 2015-01-29 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know if this person was specifically saying what was there, but they were laughing at her mother's delivery by saying, "You were so cute when you were little waiting for me to come home from work. By the way, I have terminal leukemia."

Which would fit Elizabeth's facial reactions.

ETA: Also it was pointed out elsewhere and I realized yes, I'd read this too, that Elizabeth mother probably would not realistically have been told she had a fatal disease. She'd be told she had anemia or something and to just rest.
Edited 2015-01-29 20:40 (UTC)

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