Question of the week #58

[treonb]

Philip seems to be progressively less and less able to cope with the life that he chose, and more and more unstable as a result. It's both apparent to the viewer and commented on once in a while on the show. What are the things that have happened that have made him feel that strain in a way he hadn't before--and why those things, at those times?

You can expect spoilers for the entire first three seasons in the comments.

(There's no expiration date on these questions, so if you're reading this post months later and feel like jumping in, please do.)

Comments

[theplatonicnonyeah]

Apart from all the things everyone has already mentioned, I would like to also bring up the EST session that Philip at first reluctantly attended with Stan - but towards the end of season 3 was attending on his own accord, presumably without telling Elizabeth.

I don't think they were solely responsible for starting a thought process in him about his existence and why he does what he does. It was probably a combination of a lot of "meaningless" killing and missions with dubious moral reasons together with these confessional moments (not from him, but powerful enough to affect him). But I do think they woke something in him that he has repressed or that was repressed during his training.

I am really curious to see what the conversation between him and Sandra eventually will mean for his character's development.