Episode discussion post: "Baggage"

[jae]

Aired:
4 February 2015 in the U.S. and Canada

This is a discussion post for episode 302 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 two.)

Original promo trailer

"The Americans 3x02 Promo "Baggage" / This Season on The Americans" (Watch on YouTube)

Episode recaps

From Hitfix
From The AV Club
From The Atlantic
From the LA Times
From Slant Magazine
From IGN
From TV.com
From Sound on Sight
From Geeks of Doom
From TVEquals
From examiner.com
From TV Ate My Wardrobe
From the International Business Times
From Uproxx
From MovieNewsGuide
From MStarz
From Starpulse
From Romance at Random
From SpoilerTV

Comments

Re: Elizabeth and her mother

[saraqael]

I'm sure that Elizabeth loves her mother, too. But. She hasn't seen her mother for years, possibly since she was recruited as a teen. She's had to stay connected to her mother through carefully worded, long distance communiques. Imagine having to distill all of the moments of your life into self-censored letters that are being scrutinized by the KGB. "Dear Mom. I love you. [I haven't seen you for 10 years.] Look, I have a family now. [I needed a couple of kids in order to masquerade as an American housewife. Sometimes I think I might actually love them, but that's not important because I only really love the cause.] I am doing well. [I murdered a few people and I've seduced dozens of men to get them to betray their country, but we won't talk about that.] I am happy. [I am serving my country. My duty is all there is. Except for my fake husband and fake kids who I think I might actually like, if that's okay with you and the Politburo.]"

How much of her true life and feelings could Elizabeth really share with her mother? And how genuine could her mother really be with her in return under these circumstances?

Elizabeth remembers that her mother absolutely, unhesitatingly encouraged her to join the KGB. Elizabeth is so proud of this memory. But it's also a kid's memory. If you think about it, what else could Elizabeth's mother have said to her? 'No, don't join the KGB?' Soviet Russia was a terrible place when Elizabeth was a child. Nobody dared to say no to the government. And the fact that Elizabeth's father was a deserter must have put even more pressure on her mother to want to prove her loyalty.