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The Americans on Fx

Every Philip/Elizabeth scene right now is intense. The stare downs...the dramatic pauses...the verbal shots they are throwing at one another. The writers have done such an amazing job getting us to this point.
 
Prediction: it ends with a forward time jump to 2016 where we see Paige heading up a Russian bot farm.
 
So they just happen to start questioning Russian Orthodox priests because that would be a logical way of exposing hardcore communist heathens? That's where it's going and I'm not buying it, nor am I buying Stan's Hunch Pt. 2 about them. It's starting to feel like they're rushing things for the sake of resolution.
 
EatLeadCommie said:
So they just happen to start questioning Russian Orthodox priests because that would be a logical way of exposing hardcore communist heathens? That's where it's going and I'm not buying it, nor am I buying Stan's Hunch Pt. 2 about them. It's starting to feel like they're rushing things for the sake of resolution.
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I tend to agree. As good as this season has been, its odd to me that Stan just all of a sudden has these thoughts (wow, your mom isn't here for thanksgiving....I wonder if she is a spy). Thats what I loved about BB...That burn was at the perfect cadence with Hank and Walter.
 
CHDeac said:
I tend to agree. As good as this season has been, its odd to me that Stan just all of a sudden has these thoughts (wow, your mom isn't here for thanksgiving....I wonder if she is a spy). Thats what I loved about BB...That burn was at the perfect cadence with Hank and Walter.
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I bought Stan's suspicion. I think an extra spotlight was on that weekend for him, with Henry coming back from boarding school, and with him going back on counterintelligence work. The Harvest stuff coinciding with two emergency flights out was probably just too much, and Philip didn't do a particularly good job deflecting the questions.
 
Keep in mind, we don't really know if Stan not finding anything will quiet his suspicions for a bit, either. It might have just been a bug in the back of his mind, for now. It'll be interesting to see what happens when the sketches come back.
 
You'd think the Russians would prop up the travel agency financially to maintain their cover. Can't have a spy turning due to financial hardship.

And what kind of travel for a client is necessary for a travel agency? Are they making their bed, too? Booking hotels, cars, planes, cruises was all done over the phone even in the 80's.
 
awaken said:
You'd think the Russians would prop up the travel agency financially to maintain their cover. Can't have a spy turning due to financial hardship.

And what kind of travel for a client is necessary for a travel agency? Are they making their bed, too? Booking hotels, cars, planes, cruises was all done over the phone even in the 80's.
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That's been my biggest gripe actually. I'd think that Philiip would at least hit the Russkies up for major hardships, like losing funding for Henry's tuition.
 
I mean an audit would be a pretty quick way to sink the entire operation, so...
 
awaken said:
And what kind of travel for a client is necessary for a travel agency? Are they making their bed, too? Booking hotels, cars, planes, cruises was all done over the phone even in the 80's.
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None-- that's why Stan gets suspicious in the first place this week, no? Philip tries to deflect it as Elizabeth needing to travel for "major clients", but I think Stan has finally picked up that it's bullshit.
 
RedSoxFaithful said:
I mean an audit would be a pretty quick way to sink the entire operation, so...
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It's not that hard, or unfeasible, for some sort of Russian oligarch (which I assume is the only type of rich Russians there are) to buy some super duper deluxe travel package, like an 80s Fyre Festival. Also travel agencies are good means of money laundering in general, so I stand by my statement that Philip could have alleviated his financial woes through The Center.
 
DeacHead said:
It's not that hard, or unfeasible, for some sort of Russian oligarch (which I assume is the only type of rich Russians there are) to buy some super duper deluxe travel package, like an 80s Fyre Festival. Also travel agencies are good means of money laundering in general, so I stand by my statement that Philip could have alleviated his financial woes through The Center.
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I'm mostly just playing devil's advocate here, because I've sort of gotten the impression that the Center tries to stay as hands off as possible with illegals.
 
Agreed. But Philip and Elizabeth are better than that bullshit excuse. When they get caught, it shouldn't be for things we call bs on and see coming.

Oh, and Philip has his own poison pill now, so they won't be taken alive.
 
It's more thematically interesting this way, too. They were doing a fine job running the agency as a sorta small-time thing, but it was Philip's ambition (which they've made a point to Americanize as a motivation throughout the show) that drove them to expanding, and that may ultimately sink them.
 
awaken said:
You'd think the Russians would prop up the travel agency financially to maintain their cover. Can't have a spy turning due to financial hardship.

And what kind of travel for a client is necessary for a travel agency? Are they making their bed, too? Booking hotels, cars, planes, cruises was all done over the phone even in the 80's.
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Disagree with this take. You could make reservations over the phone, but TA's had the research and deals that weren't available to the general public.
 
Also possible Philip didn't want the Center to have that sort of leverage on him if he were to ask for help after quitting.
 
DeacinBama said:
From where? I thought the Chicago guy took his in the van, off-screen, when Philip looked away.
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That's the way my wife saw it, too. I thought Chicago guy died of his wounds. I could be wrong, but why would Philip bother to take the necklace if it was empty?
 
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