Speaking of loyalties, the great thing about these characters with lies as their profession is that you can't tell whether Elizabeth means what she tells Gabriel (getting Paige ideologically ready) or what she tells Philip (just saying that to get the Centre of our back) or whether both aren't true (Elizabeth wouldn't want anyone else interferring with her daughter, but the idea that Paige will eventually be ready to hear the truth about her and accept it, even join, is still incredibly seductive to her).

My vote is that she was telling Gabriel the truth but that she's lying to herself about just how enthusiastic she is about this for personal reasons. I think she knows she's lying to Philip but thinks of herself as just softening the blow to him because his position is impossible. So, like, as usual she's hiding behind the Centre's orders just a little bit.

Past as comment on the present: the Afghanistan execution video, obviously. Methinks our writers have a "these were the demons we conjured up ourselves" message going on.

Of course, that's almost impossible to avoid with this situation!