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The Americans 4.07 “Travel Agents” Review: A Lonely Life

Running away from it all is an idea that has been touched upon on The Americans this season with Philip’s inner voice whispering ‘run, run, run’ as a reaction to Pastor Tim knowing their big spy secret. Now Martha knows a version of everything and she’s the one on the fleeing; she is out there on her own and her whole world has collapsed. Leaving Martha with Gabriel was a bad idea as the only person holding her together was Philip and now they have a valuable asset to find in a huge city while the FBI are also trying to do the same thing.

Season 4 is all about consequences that come from living a double life and the resulting spiraling from Martha and to a lesser extent (at the moment) Paige is a result of their relationships that are not as they seem. Martha has been torn from everything she has known and flung into a very dangerous place and her fleeing is an attempt to regain a sense of control; but what do go when everywhere is a potential danger and every face could be the one coming to arrest you?Martha was chosen as a target not only because of whom she is secretary to, but because of her lonely heart status and I can’t help but picture Miss Lonelyhearts from Rear Window when I think of how they picked her. Later when Philip tells Martha she will be making the trip to Moscow solo she remarks that she will be alone “just the way I was before I met you” and if my heart hadn’t already been crushed by this storyline then it would be in pieces after that. Stan and Gaad talk about the why of what Martha has done with money and sex coming up and then pondering if she was really that unhappy and I think we have our answer. Stan even wonders if this is a real love scenario and at first this interpretation surprised me and then I remembered how he felt about Nina; it isn’t that uncommon to fall for the person you are meant to be working or vice versa.

Emotions are manipulated in this business and sometimes it is hard to know what is real and with every new bit of information Martha is getting she is becoming harder to keep at bay with promises and reassurances. Knowing who Philip works for peels back another layer and shatters her illusion of what this relationship was. When she speaks to him on the phone she is desperate and broken, but not completely done as we see her contemplating jumping from a very high bridge and not following through. Chekhov’s Valium does not come into play either. Martha wants this all to end and she is now wise to Philip’s methods knowing he will “tell me some version of the truth that’s not very true.” There is a moment where she contemplates hanging up the phone and not revealing her location, but she is all out of other options and Philip is the only person she can turn to.Elizabeth gets to her first and has a job convincing Martha to a) calm the fuck down and b) come with her willingly. Elizabeth has one hand in her pocket and the other one is not giving a peace sign; there is a strong sense that Elizabeth really doesn’t want to have to resort to the ultimate silencing method and yet you know she will if this goes bad. Martha has a whole host of questions about who Elizabeth is and whether she is “sleeping with my husband.” Knowing this is not the time to speak wife to wife she denies the sleeping with part, but does explain they are all part of this operation. When Martha continues to freak out Elizabeth sucker punches her hard in the gut and whispers the very real facts of how she has nowhere else to go as the FBI knows who she is. Martha needs to do exactly what Elizabeth says and she will live.

As Martha has seen Philip’s true face it is why Elizabeth (and an unseen Hans) get sent out to find Martha while Philip gets to go hang at their phone operator’s apartment. In terms of a lonely existence this job seems to encapsulate all of that and this is probably why Joan is so pleased to have someone to talk to that isn’t just a voice on the end of a line. Philip is of course rather preoccupied and isn’t much up for chatting although he does indulge in some day old borscht. While he isn’t hungry he does seem to appreciate the taste and reminder of home. When they do converse it is about the person who had this job before her, the person Larrick killed and before Philip can answer her question the phone rings and it is Martha. Back to solo living for Joan.A taste of home food and Martha’s forthcoming trip to Moscow and Philip couldn’t be blamed for longing for a way out. This is how Elizabeth infers things and she is at her most vulnerable and forgiving in “Travel Agents.” Instead of reacting with anger as I expected she would that Martha has fled and knows about them being KGB she instead shows empathy telling Philip that this is not his fault. This is a very different Elizabeth to the one we met back in season 1 and she is much more in tune with how complicated things can get. Plus she also went through something similar when Gregory was put in the cross hairs of their operation.

Later on when Martha is back at the house and Philip has gone to find some ice – ice that is stored next to the infected rat – for the injury caused by Elizabeth they have the kind of open conversation that didn’t seem possible until this season. For all their skills at emotional manipulation Philip and Elizabeth are not so good when it comes to sharing their real feelings and this has caused issues in the past such as when Philip slept with his ex Irina in season 1 and then lied about it. Pot helped them open up last year and they have been getting better at telling each other how they feel; EST can also take credit as Elizabeth’s willingness to listen and even participate when Philip told her about the classes showed how much she has changed. Now Elizabeth is allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of her husband even if that means potentially (she talks as a hypothetical) losing him and she takes off her Jennifer glasses (because you can’t have a serious conversation in those specs) and asks him if he could go with Martha, would he? Confusion is part of Philip’s response “Are you crazy?” that she could suggest he would want to leave her and she tries to fill in the blanks by saying she knows this is different. It is a huge amount of different and he emphatically tells her “I love you.” I think Elizabeth also forgets that Philip is the one who has been deeply in love with her since the beginning and all these feelings are still somewhat new for Elizabeth. She was also not privy to Philip’s conversation with William while she was ill a few weeks ago when he said he would only want the normal life if it was with Elizabeth. This is the kind of reassurance Philip probably doesn’t think Elizabeth needs as he doesn’t see her as an insecure person, but her slightly teary eyes while she tells him she would understand if he did want to go with Martha indicates otherwise.

Elizabeth getting ready for bed by herself – and this is the only time we see Elizabeth as Elizabeth in this episode – at the end of “Travel Agents” mirrors Martha’s pre-bed routine in “Clark’s Place” but this time no one is having any kind of sex; desperate, sad, fierce, passionate or otherwise. Instead we see Philip wide awake starring at the ceiling contemplating the lonesome existence he is about to send Martha on, while Martha lies with her back to him also getting no sleep whatsoever. At first he insisted he would be home within a few hours, but Elizabeth smartly pointed out that he should stay because otherwise what would Martha do? This one night of what Elizabeth perceived as comfort is pretty much two people sleeping in the same bed, but two people who are very much apart. Now Martha knows his real name – both Philip and Mikhail (Mischa was his nickname) – it appears the ties that bound them have disappeared with everything Clark.

There is no lie from Philip that he will join her in Moscow and he ignores Elizabeth’s advice and while telling Martha this lie would give her hope at first, it is ultimately kinder her to tell the truth that this is them done. She is never seeing him again. And while I say this pretty much every week Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Alison Wright are crushing it on every single level possible. Wright could quite easily fall into hysterics, but instead she plays Martha as walking the line between holding it together and coming apart at the seams. There is an economy in the interactions between Philip and Elizabeth; so much is said in a look so that when Philip does go all in on his “I love you” moment we know it matters and he means it. Basically I am in awe in a weekly basis and it would be a wonderful thing if the Emmys would recognize their talent this year (although I am not expecting them to after ignoring this show for three seasons).

I’m also pretty sure the last time Philip said “I love you” was after Elizabeth found out about what really happened with Irina. Back then his words had no weight or meaning; here it is everything.Over at the FBI the fallout from Martha is swirling around Gaad, who as he notes had a bug in his office, the Gene stuff and his secretary fell for a Romeo plot and has been married to a KGB agent for two years. Not a great list of things for the person in charge of counterintelligence. Richard Thomas’ delivery of “They seduced and married my secretary” is full of disbelief and he would find it funny if it wasn’t so bad for his career. Actually he probably wouldn’t find it funny even then, but it definitely made me chuckle.

When sorting through Martha’s things we get to see her photo albums and once again The Americans art department does a fantastic job with how authentic these look using real photos of a young Alison Wright. There is also the heart necklace Philip gave her back in season 1 (which belonged to Elizabeth) and if only Stan knew who the former owner was.And while the FBI are working hard to catch Martha, Oleg and Tatiana are the travel agents of the episode title and are planning an escape route for Martha, well at least Oleg is. Tatiana has other ideas by the looks of things and she is only concerned with transporting the sample; she has her backup pilot and isn’t so subtle about shutting the red folder when Oleg comes to see her. It will be interesting to see how the office politics plays out here and what impact it will have on the wider operation if they try to fuck Martha over (and in turn really piss off Philip).

What we got in “Travel Agents” is an accumulation of the Martha plot and now it has all spilled over into the point of no return and season 4 is firing on all cylinders in new and unexpected ways.

Shot(s) of the WeekThis week director Dan Attias employed a lot of tight close ups particularly during moments of high emotion, but the two shots I want to single out are wide angles which help isolate the characters contained within. After Philip tells Martha he won’t be joining her in Moscow we see them from a distance, this is them coming to an end as a couple and as an asset; the two are intrinsically linked and this really emphasizes how alone she was and is going to be. Philip might be sharing the same space, but that means nothing now.When Elizabeth finds Martha in the park she approaches slowly and there is a certain gun duel aspect about the framing here (or I have listened to Hamilton too much) and the hidden gun versus the secret Martha knows makes this a potentially deadly set up. Elizabeth inches closer and closer before she makes her move and this is another case of excellent tension building and execution.

Disguise of the WeekThere are no new disguises this week unless you count Philip’s super light cap disguise – the point that Martha has seen his face is reiterated – but I do love the Jennifer look so much and this is the longest Elizabeth has stayed in one disguise over an episode and we only see her true self at the end when she gets ready for bed.

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016This isn’t about what is worn in the above shot, but more about the ad on TV. First I want to say how much fun this scene is because teens are often the much maligned characters in shows like this and The Americans is doing a good job of incorporating the kids; Paige in the main story and Henry (and Matthew) as ultimate latchkey kids ignored by their busy at work dads. Here they drink beer and rather than getting all self-righteous Paige joins in and even gives Henry some extra.

Before Paige came in the sound of a Calvin Klein ad was heard and Henry comments how hot the model is and finally Henry has found a girl around his age to lust after as Brooke Shields was 16 when she shot this campaign. Now this commercial reads on the creepy end, though nowhere near as bad as the last commercial this show led me to look up.

But yeah I’d wear some Calvin Klein 80s jeans, but this ad would not be the reason.

Tags: "Travel Agents", 4.07, Alison Wright, costume design, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Richard Thomas, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.06 “The Rat” Review: Trust Me

21 Apr

Guilt can do funny things to a person and Philip has been feeling increasingly bad about all the terrible things he has done over the years starting with the moment he killed someone when he was 10 years old that we saw in the season 4 premiere of The Americans. More recent events have left their mark including what happened to assets like Anneliese who ended up broken and shoved into a suitcase to the random strangers who have ended up dead at their hands. Martha is the embodiment of everything terrible he has done with all the lying and violent acts committed and Philip’s ability to deal with the possibility that Martha has been compromised is soaked in the guilt of everything he has done for his country.

At the end of last week’s episode “Clark’s Place” we saw Martha alone in bed with Stan and Aderholt keeping watch outside while across town Elizabeth and Philip were letting off steam in an entirely different way. This was in part a reaction from Elizabeth to seeing (and maybe lip reading the “I love you”) Philip’s face after he called Martha and she was both acting out of jealousy, but also comfort and this was a way to take both their minds off everything that is going on right now. This diversion doesn’t last long and the episode opens with them in bed entangled in each other with the conversation quickly shifting from nipple size observations to the status of Martha. Elizabeth reassures Philip that nothing has changed since they fell into bed. Soon everything will be very different as Philip’s increasingly twitchy feelings about whether Martha has been blown or not cause him to do something impulsive that could jeopardize everyone. Philip has in fact already been incredibly impulsive with Martha; when he removed his disguise and didn’t inform either Gabriel or Elizabeth that he had done such a thing. Now Philip has scooped Martha off the street rather than waiting for their Tuesday appointment time and we are in uncharted territory. Promises that all will be okay and the repeated trust assertions are all well and good, but there is very little to back up anything Philip is saying and his actions are getting increasingly desperate.

Here Philip is very much the married man having an affair making promises he knows are unlikely as a way to keep his mistress on side and once again The Americans takes a very unlikely spy problem and makes it relatable in a relationship sense.

The act of removing his Clark face is something he can’t quite put into words when Elizabeth confronts him and the mixture of hurt and betrayal is all over Elizabeth’s face when she turns up to the safe house and sees him as he is; now it probably feels like he is cheating on her. This is one hell of an awkward set up with Gabriel, Philip, Elizabeth and Martha all under one roof and I half expected we would see a contender for most fucked up dinner party with Philip, his two wives and his handler/dad substitute. Instead Philip insists that he stay because that makes most sense for keeping things on an even keel with Martha and Keri Russell delivers a mixture of sadness, confusion and acceptance at what Philip has done by taking off his Clark disguise. Luckily for Elizabeth she doesn’t have to hear what Gabriel does later.

One other striking thing Keri Russell does here is change her voice from her Jennifer tones to her regular Elizabeth voice when Martha realizes she isn’t really Clark’s sister. She is giving off reassuring Elizabeth and it sounds exactly the same as how she has been talking to Philip about Martha’s safety.Not only has Philip shown his face, moved ahead with the extraction plan before they have a clear idea of what the FBI does or doesn’t know, but he has done the one thing he really shouldn’t and that is reveal who they work for. My reaction to Philip uttering “KGB” caused a full out loud gasp and I still can’t believe he went so far as telling this truth. I am looking forward to seeing just how Elizabeth will react to this one especially considering what happens at the end of the episode. This is a betrayal of who they are not only as agents, but as husband and wife.

But first back to this sharing scene and it seems like Philip sheds another layer of his Clark persona every time he thinks he needs to give Martha something to convince her she can trust him; but the more he spills, the more he risks everything.

Philip feels responsible for Martha and now she is in a position of no return there is this extra element of culpability and it all started with the pen discovery and has spiraled since then. Blaming Gene was a good distraction, but that never quite sat well with Stan and so ultimately that was another needless death. Martha can’t go back to work or the way it was before now that she has called in sick because Stan and Aderholt keep on digging and keep finding things that could be suspicious. They now know Clark’s name and this whole web is unraveling at a quick speed. They have even put two and two together with Amador’s murder and how it might be connected to all of this, which it is. And somehow this is all happening by the mid-point of this season and I can’t get over how the writers can crank up the tension this much, this early. Everything teeters on the point of oblivion and Philip is getting closer to the edge with every move he makes.Last week Philip told Elizabeth that it can all move so fast and he has become a self-fulfilling prophecy as he is the one who is making this happen. When he has no secrets left to share – Martha asks if he is involved with Jennifer and all he says is they have worked together for a long time, which is technically not a lie – things lead to a moment of comfort and an embrace. One thing leads to another and sex is a distraction tool once again; however this is more desperate and sad than the passionate release we saw between Philip and Elizabeth in “Clark’s Place.” And Gabriel has to listen to it all.

Something comes up, because it always does and this means Philip has to leave Martha with Gabriel. Philip has concerns with good reason about doing this and once again he doesn’t divulge to his handler exactly what he has done and a heads up here would be useful. He takes Martha’s gun, perhaps for her safety and also so she doesn’t have a weapon to use against Gabriel, but all this does when Martha wakes is freak her out and give her reason to flee when she sees Clark has gone. Gabriel’s assurance that she can trust him means absolutely nothing and she threatens him with a weapon far more dangerous than a gun; revealing who they really are. Philip, you fucked up bad. Martha’s gun has been threatening to go off for two seasons now, but I am now getting a Chekhov’s Valium feeling with every time we see the bottle of pills. Martha has survived for this long and this is an impressive feat considering what a burden she now is to Philip’s mission; this is a much more interesting story to see how they back themselves out of what feels like an inescapable situation and the same goes for Pastor Tim. As with Nina it does seem like there is no way out and her time might be soon, but The Americans writers don’t do easy or obvious. I can’t see her on a ship to Moscow anytime soon and I wonder if instead she will flip and go back to the FBI. Or the Valium might come into play and if she is going to die then maybe it will be at her own hands.

We get to find out a little more about Martha’s backstory and why she was such an easy mark for Philip; she lives “a lonely existence” and with that Stan observation my heart broke a little more for Martha. It also turns out that she was engaged to her high school sweetheart and he broke up with her when she fell pregnant. Martha had an abortion at a time when it was dangerous (as it was illegal) and my heart breaks even more when I think about how much she wanted to foster a kid. If she does survive I wonder if there will be a pregnancy storyline down the road as she did have unprotected sex with Philip and if there is something Philip doesn’t need then that is a fourth child. William is another person we find out a little more about this week; the partner he used to have was also a wife who got sent back home. Her name is/was Eliza and it is unclear whether she is alive or dead. I suspect the latter. All that is clear is William wishes he hadn’t kept quiet and had done something to stop it and the dream of Philip and William as BFFs is coming closer to fruition as William is very interested in asking Philip about his life. Although now I type that out I wonder if there is an ulterior motive at play because this is The Americans after all. Hopefully this suspicion is incorrect and I happy Philip and Elizabeth have both found people they can call friends this season. They sure need this kind of connection.

Using the hero line on William to inspire action gets a snarky response about how he will return in a coffin, but he comes through and things are back to being fraught when meeting with him as they no longer know when he is being surveilled. Hence the disguises and Hans with his binoculars. William and Philip chat like any co-workers who are annoyed at their bosses lack of awareness at what they actually do and William points out that the powers that be have no idea what they are doing. Everything is reactionary and it doesn’t matter how much any of these characters get reassured as the shit could hit the fan at any point. Martha is very much this in action.

Stan’s hunch is playing out and it is time to bring Gaad into the fold and he is in shock at this revelation as Martha has worked for the FBI for over 10 years. Later on he is still ruminating about this development and he questions how he didn’t see it; Stan might wonder the same when/if he finds out who Philip and Elizabeth really are. Performance wise this is another stellar week for all with Matthew Rhys and Alison Wright edging out in to MVP territory. There are a lot of different emotions swirling around and there is one moment where Philip’s entire body sags after he sees that Martha has a gun, which is pretty much the pure expression of mental and physical exhaustion at what is going on. The Americans doesn’t normally play within a time frame that is this tight, but it has only been 3 weeks since the wig removal and so much is stacking up in a small period for these characters. Alison Wright has been playing Martha as part defiant, part nervous wreck this season and walking the line between these two aspects is hard without coming across as hysterical, but she is doing just this and crushing my soul in the process.

The use of TV in Martha’s morning routine provided some fun historical timeline information including Princes Charles and Princess Diana’s trip to Australia and New Zealand with Prince William (Princess Diana would have been pregnant with Harry at the time, but this would not have been public knowledge at this early stage in the pregnancy). This is followed by a segment about three different women – single, divorced, widowed – and how all three are loving life; Martha switches the TV off just as the single woman mentions she has never felt the need to be married. Martha’s single life was definitely less fraught/complicated than the one she lives now and ultimately less lonely.

Expectations of a different kind are occurring in the Jennings house and Henry is not giving up on his Epcot quest and he even comes up with a new slogan of sorts – “EPCOT: Don’t Kill the Dream.” Pastor Tim might feel differently about this.

For now Henry should just be happy his parents are not in jail because if this Martha thing goes south then that will be where they are headed. The hunt for Martha from both sides will be on and while The Americans is too tense to be a good binge watch show, with this cliffhanger I really wish I had the next episode available now.

Shot(s) of the WeekThe lighting of this scene and the weight of this moment are both important and every single action Philip makes is causing everything to spiral further out of their control.Shots of hands are repeatedly used in “The Rat” and here Philip and Elizabeth’s bodies are tangled up together with Philip’s wedding band taking a prominent position in this moment of unity. Close ups of reassuring shoulder squeezes from Philip to Gabriel, Philip to Martha and Tatiana to Oleg are all significant in their affection, but this is the one that stands out in its intimacy.

Disguise of the Week

I did consider the return of Jennifer as she is one of my favorite Elizabeth disguises, but as we got a couple of new ones this week it made sense to give them a spin. First up Elizabeth rocking a slightly Felicity-esque curly hair look.A close up on the star earrings (which we have seen before) is necessary.

Meanwhile…Philip goes blonde again for William.

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016

There’s not a whole lot of options this week, but I do really like Elizabeth’s paisley dress as she cooks a dish that Young Hee showed her how to prepare as she tries to push down feelings of resentment as to where Philip is in this moment.

Tags: "The Rat", 4.06, Alison Wright, Dylan Baker, Holly Taylor, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.05 “Clark’s Place” Review: People of Action

14 Apr

There is a reason The Americans didn’t go with “Heroes” as their David Bowie closing music choice, opting instead for the apt “Under Pressure” collaboration with Queen. There are no heroes on The Americans and this is the kind of war where both sides do some very bad things and people definitely get hurt no matter how much either team wants to spin their tales of horror. It is relentless and by this point it a battle that has been simmering for nearly 40 years and while we know the end is in sight; there is no sign of it letting up for the people in the midst of it all. The wheels keep on spinning and the problems keep on coming.Last week’s quarantine getaway might not have been the vacation Philip and Elizabeth need, but it did give them the briefest respite from the many challenges they’ve got going on at work and home. There is no taking a break now and the things that stacked up during the ‘maybe you’ve got glanders’ 48 hour period have to be addressed. Bowling was fun and all, but there are other wives, daughters and Pastors who have a lot of questions.

Paige wants to know where they have been and her late night chat with her mother (Philip is at Clark’s) doesn’t give her any answers as Elizabeth stonewalls her. Firstly it is the middle of the night and Paige fully startled Elizabeth out of her slumber and even though it isn’t surprising to see her react in this way with all that is going on, it is surprising to see Elizabeth this twitchy. I guess she did just think she might die so her vulnerability levels are high.

Paige’s quest for answers is also not a shocking turn of events as finding out your parents are spies is not an everyday kinda problem. They are vague when it comes to describing what they do and the only thing they keep stressing is how dangerous it is for someone else to know their secret and how much trouble they would get in if they were caught. While Martha spins the story in the exact way Philip tells her to with this notion that she is having an affair with a married man, Paige comes straight out and tells Pastor Tim what her parents wanted her to say to him. Paige is wrestling with her confusion with honesty, whereas Martha’s is a much deeper predicament because if she fucks up she will be going to jail to and her loyalty to Clark is incredibly complicated. With Pastor Tim and Alice the solution to get them on side is to spin a religious angle because Pastor Tim believes that the Soviets have a very dim and oppressive take on those who believe. That’s why Philip and Elizabeth take their very good friend Father Rivas with them to explain all the good work they do and the lives they have saved. This definitely has a positive impact on Pastor Tim and also gives Philip and Elizabeth the chance to double down on this idea that both sides do good and bad. And of course they do good and this whole bit is well orchestrated. It also leads to one of the funniest moments this week when after dropping Rivas off Philip ponders whether he is even a priest. Regardless, part 1 of getting Pastor Tim on side is successful and it is Paige they might need to work on.

Paige is resistant to all of this and the gentle prodding/manipulation; she tells Pastor Tim that it seems like there is a grownup conspiracy going on where they are telling her how to feel and then they do whatever they want. That’s what adults do, Paige. Such a teen. Paige does admit that they at least told her the truth when she asked even if in retrospect they probably shouldn’t have. That scores them points and Elizabeth will be glad to know that Paige does know they love her. Later on they pop in on Paige while she is in bed and she tells them they were right about how Pastor Tim cares about her; while this should be comforting Paige still looks like sleep will be evading her and the weight of the world is on her mind.

Sleep or lack of is a problem this week for Martha and the Valium she has been prescribed for her panic attacks is not helping all that much. Out of everyone she is truly on her own right now; she couldn’t reach Clark before her dinner date with Agent Aderholt and even though she has a new emergency number to reach Philip on this doesn’t make him any more available to her really. “Clark’s Place” opens with their only face to face interaction and here she tells him about the copy machine query and the possibility they are on to her. When Philip gives her the number to memorize he tells her he needs that bit of paper back in the morning and her response is heartbreaking – “Why would I expect to keep anything?” Even their wedding photo is gone when she comes back to the apartment.Philip puts Hans on Martha full time and he thinks he spots someone tailing her and while Hans isn’t sure, we know that his hunch is correct and they are getting closer to figuring out that something is up with Martha that goes beyond an affair with a married man. What this does is isolate Martha even further and the call later where Philip tells her he loves her is not much of a consolation prize. Another week with another knockout performance from Alison Wright and this entire cast is crushing it this season. Is it too much to hope the Emmy voters are paying attention?

The phone call Philip makes is all under the watchful eye of his other wife and Elizabeth’s concern here is part mission related with a big dollop of jealousy. Martha is an important asset and one they must protect at all costs, but as Gabriel points out they are good at what they do because they care about the people they work with. Part of this is Gabriel buttering them up, but Elizabeth also knows that Philip does have some feelings for Martha, which is maybe why she asserts her role as wife with some super steamy moves at the end of the episode. All while Martha is across town; alone in bed and with a pair of FBI agents sitting outside her apartment.In season 2 Martha told Elizabeth (while dressed as Jennifer) that Clark was a wild animal in bed. This was a point of contention that led to a very upsetting physical moment between Philip and Elizabeth; this time however Elizabeth definitely has the upper hand in the wife stakes. And she always does really. Considering how much shit is going on and that they just faced a near-death adjacent experience it isn’t surprising that sex is on the cards as it is both the perfect distraction and way to work out all this nervous energy. They are people of action after all. Let’s just hope Paige is also out as she has been through enough as it is to have to hear that as well.

This moment comes after they have put it together that Agent Aderholt is the guy Elizabeth took out in the season 3 premiere and he’s also the guy who took Martha out; none of this is good news. The friendly face they have in the FBI is friendly once again as Philip and Stan have finally made up. Philip apologizes and then uses his chat with Sandra a few weeks ago to tell Stan that Sandra feels bad about things too; all the ways to get him back on side and Sad Stan re-earns that nickname by revealing that he doesn’t have many friends. Henry doesn’t count and his relationship with Oleg is goes back to being cordial this week, but that is all it is.Ah yes Oleg and Stan and the news of Nina’s death reaches all the people who care about her this week. Oleg is angry that his father could do nothing to stop it even though he knows he knows he shouldn’t expect anything and the death of his brother is wrapped up in this overwhelming grief. Oleg’s father Igor is angry that even though his son died fighting for his country there will be no military honors at his funeral; he was a hero, but in this Cold War there are no heroes and everything related to it must be erased from history.

Similarly the details surrounding Nina’s death are incredibly vague and they don’t even have the information regarding what she did other than she “interfered.” To her country Nina was a traitor even though she got valuable intel when she was working as a double agent. It doesn’t matter and Arkady swings between anger at Nina and anger at the system with what happened to her. When Oleg tells Stan he doesn’t dance around her death coming straight out and telling him. Stan is speechless and Oleg shares the story about his brother’s funeral and how there are no heroes in this war. It all seems so futile.

The word hero gets used as a suggestion from Gabriel about how they should push William; he has been in the US for 25 years and has achieved barely anything. Now is the time for him to step up. But even if he does come through and help swing the balance of power the only time he will be getting called a hero is in a secret meeting in a car park. He probably should not expect a statue or portrait to be put up in every office.

Shot(s) of the WeekThis week’s episode was directed by none other than Stan Beeman himself, Noah Emmerich and there are lot of wonderful moments to choose from; particularly in the Jennings house. This one between Elizabeth and Paige in the middle of the night does a good job of showing how this huge spy reveal has opened things up, but there is also a gulf between them. Also experiencing a lot of long hair envy. Later on Elizabeth comes home to find a very normal affair; Henry on the computer while Philip and Paige watch TV. Ronald Reagan is between them and Reagan is the elephant in the room or rather the clown in the room as Elizabeth can’t stifle her laughter at what his red cheeks makes him look like. A new lighter Elizabeth is always welcome and Young Hee is having a good effect on her. This is a very different level of emotions than the last time Regan was on TV.And to complete the Paige and her parents circle here they are checking in while she is in bed, not asleep.

Disguise of the WeekA light disguise week with one appearance by Patty, Clark and Hans. Patty wins because just look at her and I love that purple is her dominant costume color. Young Hee is fascinating and even though we still don’t know why Elizabeth is interested in her, I don’t care as she is super charming and it is nice to see Elizabeth with a friend. Yes Henry, your mom has friends (even if they are work related).

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016It always comes back to the Coach trench and this week Elizabeth switches it up by alternating between her tan and black version. This is also the one Holly Taylor wore to a recent FX event. It is a classic for a reason.

Tags: "Clark's Place", 4.05, Alison Wright, Coach, costume design, Holly Taylor, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.04 “Chloramphenicol” Review: Just One More Thing

7 Apr

Philip and Elizabeth have been living in a burning house for so long on The Americans that adding another thing to their already extensive “To Do” list is not really a big deal. Okay so it had to take what felt like a brush with death to get to this point, but after the decision is made they are pragmatic and ready to take on another thing that could destroy this life they have made for themselves.

In “Chloramphenicol” there are both no options and no good options; Paige must lie about where her parents are even though she doesn’t have a clue just how bad things are for them. Martha also has a problem that requires some input, but once again her go to person is out of reach and she must wing it.And then we have Nina and where she is there are no options; good or otherwise. There is a potential White Knight coming her way as it just so happens that Oleg is back home fighting her corner. His brother’s recent death provides Oleg with a reason to return and he wants his father to have another go at freeing Nina. If his father is successful then Oleg will leave his position in America even though this is the last thing he wants to do, but he’s bargaining with the only thing he has to give. Let’s just say his dad did not come through. Was there any attempt on his part?

Nina received her “exceptional punishment” in a scene we should have probably expected, but was shocking nonetheless. It had echoes of Stan killing her friend Vlad (sans burger) in both manner and execution; seeing the clinical and cold way they scooped up her body leaving the pool of blood behind made it all the more devastating. Nina has been marked for death since Stan entered her world and she has been living on borrowed time. As soon as she made a choice to do something that wasn’t motivated by self-preservation her luck ran out and this make it even more tragic. Coupled with her recent dreams and the signs were all there; particularly the funeral like quality of the flower filled former safe house last week.We do get to see Nina’s happy ending and in this version it looks like Oleg will be moving back to Russia after his father pulled some strings, but as this sequence continues and Anton gets involved we know it is nothing more than fantasy. Narratively it makes sense for Nina’s story to come to an end as they had backed themselves into a corner of sorts and as this is The Americans the options are slim and there is only so much treading water that a character can do. This is TV so there is always a chance though, right?

Nope, nope, nope and Annet Mahendru crushed it with both her happy dream tears and the ones which showed the brief fear she experienced before her death sentence was swiftly delivered. The real kicker is that her letter to Anton’s son didn’t even make it out raising the heartbreaking levels to I just got misty eyed typing this paragraph out. All that is left of Nina’s life is that sad grubby plastic bag full of her sad grubby things and the memories Anton, Oleg, Stan and Boris have of her. She didn’t start a revolution, but she did bring some kind of hope to Anton’s predicament. There is that.

Connections are important and the one Nina had with Anton was life changing; Oleg wants to save her and he isn’t sure if it is for love or something else. There are the ones we have with our family and there are a lot of parent/child moments this week that call to the notion of this deep bond. For Oleg it is his father explaining that the death of a child is like nothing else and it is why he wants him home. We see Elizabeth fever dreaming about the time her mother was sick with diphtheria and this ties into her mother’s recent death, her current sick state and what is going on with Paige. William comments on how lucky Philip and Elizabeth are to have each other as he has no one he can talk to about this stuff on a personal level and it goes some way to explain his prickly exterior.I like the idea of William being Philip’s snarky friend and Philip opens up about a few personal things that he could never do on this level with Stan or even Gabriel. He tells him about how long he has been with Elizabeth (over 20 years) and gives him a good recap of season 3 in the whole telling/not telling Paige of it all. They keep so much close to their chest that in these rare moments of honesty it can be somewhat disconcerting especially when Philip explains that Elizabeth would always chose this life while he would chose to be normal, but he would still want Elizabeth at his side. Matthew Rhys delivery of this line is both raw with a hint of the life he knows that never could have been; the one they pretend they have every day and enough can’t be said about how good everyone is in this cast.

That is a real humdinger of a revelation and while we are very much aware of Philip’s desires it is unusual to hear him speaking so freely with someone who knows exactly who he is; this isn’t him working his issues through a disguise or EST. Philip doesn’t feel like a lucky guy, but later on when he is in an all enveloping ‘yay we’re not dead (again)’ hug with Elizabeth, William looks on with sad envy and it is clear in this business that Philip should be thankful for this relationship.Philip to his credit doesn’t even entertain the idea that Elizabeth is actually sick and I’m not sure whether this is optimism or because he can’t even bear to think of the alternative. Between the vom and everything being super clammy things don’t look good for Elizabeth; unlike Nina we know there will be a way out of this one because Elizabeth is a co-lead and this show still has at least another season on the cards.

What Elizabeth is experiencing is a very bad reaction to the drugs and Wikipedia helpfully notes that “Its use is only recommended when safer antibiotics cannot be used.” This very bad reaction could also be Glanders so it isn’t surprising that she considers the worst and this leads to her taking a very Philip position on a couple of things.Also a quick shot out to the makeup team for the journey of Elizabeth’s eye makeup as it got progressively smudgy while her skin got increasingly clammy. And Keri Russell somehow still looks amazing in this super sick state. Last week I talked a lot about compromise and how since we have met Philip and Elizabeth they have moved from a bond out of necessity to this deep, deep and intense dynamic that goes far beyond any other relationship on this show. Elizabeth knows Philip’s overall position when it comes to their family going so far as telling him to be an American and blame her for anything Pastor Tim death related if she should die. Henry never has to know the truth and they can live the life Philip wants. Except without Elizabeth this is far removed from his dream alternative. The solution they come to when Elizabeth is better the next morning is one they come at together; she now gets why Philip doesn’t want Pastor Tim and Alice to be killed and she is very much on board the cancelling and not just postponing of this plan.

One other choice is to run which Philip is still all for because it means they will be together, but nope Elizabeth wants to go for bonus door number 3 by working Tim and Alice saying “It’s one more thing.” Convincing Gabriel isn’t so hard, but as with Oleg’s father they need to give him something in return to convince the Centre and that is the promise of Paige coming into the family business. It doesn’t sit well and yet they agree nonetheless.

Paige has proven herself pretty adept with spy like qualities as she comes up with a convincing lie when Stan asks where her parents are and even though she is spiraling she manages to keep a lid on her emotions. Gabriel tries to warn them of the forever fear they will feel sharing pre-war tales of terror, but their decision has been made and there is nothing more for them to do but go home and be with their kids.Epcot might be off the menu, but bowling isn’t and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is seeing them enjoying family time with no ulterior motive or nefarious plan on the go. Elizabeth it turns out is a killer bowler and even makes a joke in a Russian accent that it was part of their training. This is so unexpected and delightful that it is clear something very horrible is going to happen if we’re getting a moment of levity.

And horrible it is as Nina’s dream then death follows happy Jennings family time. Oh, show.One other person who is out on her own this week as a result of the Glanders affair is Martha and she doesn’t have any kind of back up when dealing with her dinner date with Agent Aderholt. The evening starts off badly as she zones out on everything he is saying and maybe the wine courage kicks in she goes into detail about her relationship with a married man. In fact a lot of what Martha says is accurate in that he is married and he wouldn’t leave his wife for her. She mentions how they’re not wearing wigs, which well one of them is no longer wearing a wig and that it is a simple set up.

The aspect of honesty and how they provide each other with comfort is half true and she sounds convinced and convincing with this tale. This makes it sadder because while I think Philip does care for Martha it is more out of a sense of responsibility than anything else and Martha is ignoring every other terrible thing about this marriage. After this date I think I might be shipping Martha and Agent Aderholt.

While Martha is at dinner, Stan sneaks around her apartment taking pictures and rifling through her things finding her gun and copy of the Karma Sutra. Luckily the wedding photo is no longer on display as Stan would surely clock it was Philip even in the wig. Will Martha’s married man quell Stan’s suspicions? Or is this another problem for Philip and Elizabeth to add to their growing list?

Shot(s) of the WeekAnd I’m crying as Nina gets her Adriana from The Sopranos moment and we realize the end is nigh for Nina. Because we all need these bowling pictures after that heartbreak. More Jennings having fun please.

Disguise of the Week

There were no disguises this week and is this the first wig free week for The Americans?

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016Again we need this shot of a happy Elizabeth and Paige. Plus Elizabeth’s sweater is giving me a lot of Felicity feelings and the cable knit is working like a charm (also one of the secrets costume designer Katie Irish told me about a couple of weeks ago).

Update! The Felicity sweater comparison from Season 1 “Boggled.”I think we found a match.

Tags: "Chloramphenicol", 4.04, Alison Wright, Annet Mahendru, costume design, Holly Taylor, Katie Irish, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, The Americans, wigs

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.03 “Experimental City of Tomorrow” Review: “Run, Run, Run”

31 Mar

A weekend away is just the thing the Jennings family needs right now with everything going on in The Americans and considering their cover profession they have the ability to do just that in an instant (and with a discount!). However it isn’t as easy as booking and going; there are ulterior motives at play, high stakes and that little matter of getting exposed to a potentially deadly pathogen to put a spanner in the works.

Philip and Elizabeth have always felt (here at TV Ate My Wardrobe we like to feel) only just a few steps ahead of those who might bring them down whether it was Stan in the pilot episode sniffing around their garage or when they were being trailed last season. There has always been a way out, an option whether good or bad; they’ve always made it happen but their current noose is getting tighter by the second.So much is going on and it even has Gabriel rattled as he echoes Philip’s sentiment that now is the time for them to leave. Claudia sides with Elizabeth on the matter (without realizing it) and the pair are more alike than either would care to admit. Time is what is needed and it is also the thing they are short on and so now is a really great time for them to get exposed to something that requires a self-imposed quarantine blowing their other plans out of the water. Sorry Henry, no Epcot for you. Although the last time they went to a theme park things didn’t end well so maybe it is for the best.

Let’s do a quick rundown of the balls they have up in the air from most pressing to least; Pastor Tim knowing their big secret and invoking the code of telling his wife, Paige’s continued spiral after finding out her parents are spies, Martha getting used to Clark’s real face and playing it cool at work, Elizabeth’s new and as yet unexplained mission with Young Hee and the Stan/Philip fractured friendship. That is a lot to contend with and now is not a good time to be benched because they pose a risk to everyone they know for an entirely different reason.

The Pastor Tim problem keeps on expanding if that was possible and he isn’t buying Philip and Elizabeth’s wide eyed “Peace Workers” explanation. It probably doesn’t help their case that Tim has been on the receiving end of Philip’s quiet menace back in season 2 and I think he sees real danger in who they are and what they do. Plus there is that matter of Communism and organized religion not really seeing eye to eye. It is maybe a tad convenient that Pastor Tim hasn’t gone to the authorities yet because of his clergy honor code, but this doesn’t read as disingenuous coming from this character and it does seem like the kind of thing he would weigh up. One thing Pastor Tim wants to make sure is that Philip and Elizabeth’s work doesn’t put anyone in danger; if only he knew the extent of their actions and what their superiors have in store for Tim and his wife. And even though he doesn’t kill anyone with his bare hands this week, Philip does resort to a full on spit in the face to force William into acting rather than running. Gross Philip, gross. Paige is caught in the middle of this one and she is upset with Pastor Tim for divulging her secret to his wife, but she is also still unclear as to what her parents work entails. They are both quick to point out (maybe too quick) that no one gets hurt (tell that to the airport security guard last week) and they plan on telling her more when they go away including where Philip goes two nights a week. While they are incredibly in tune with each other to the point of deeply exhaling at the same time – kudos again to Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys for not only how they say things but giving each sigh a meaning – the finer details probably need ironing out to get their stories straight and a weekend locked up at Gabriel’s is as good a time as any to figure this out. Other body mirroring occurs and it is impressive how often they mimic each other in how they look/stand/sigh.

When people talk about the secret to a strong marriage the ability to compromise is always on that list and it is something Philip and Elizabeth are actually quite good at. Perhaps it was all those years where they went through the motions as a married couple or that the time we have spent with them has been exploring the shift from this pretense to actually feeling it, but if one of them doesn’t want to do something then the other will listen and hold off. Even when it was something as big as telling Paige last season Elizabeth waited despite her very contradictory feelings on the matter.Later when Philip talks to Sandra about their current Paige predicament (leaving out the finer details of course) he mentions that there are disagreements, but ultimately his family would go where he goes. In a way this is Philip trying to repair his friendship with Stan through Sandra – it is useful having a friendly face in the FBI and an actual friend – and he is also pointing out the fundamental reason why his marriage is strong.

Philip wants to run because that is what his internal alarm has been telling him to do, but because Elizabeth’s hasn’t then they stay. It is as simple as that. The same goes for when they find Gabriel in distress and after a short debate about what they should do, while Elizabeth feels (there’s that word again) she should remain there with Gabriel they both ultimately leave to meet William together. All or nothing.

At the core of what makes The Americans so compelling is this relationship and the moments that resonate are ones which are familiar to us such as talking about their day while undressing for bed or discussing what is best for their family; even if the wider issues they are dealing with are completely alien. This conversation in their office at work after Philip has been praised for making time for family by his employee is especially important because not only does it lay out why Philip isn’t insisting on doing things his way (even if he was right about telling Paige), but it also points to the notion that they are fucked whatever they do; Paige loses in either scenario. If they leave and go back to Russia it will be a huge culture shock for all of them and even if Elizabeth has dreamed of Odessa (a small detail she seems impressed that Philip has remembered) this level of upheaval will be devastating for each member of this family.

Philip is the most at home in the US and yet he is the one suggesting a return home; Elizabeth reluctance comes from leaving everything they have built here and the twenty years of work they have put in. I also wonder if she also likes it in the US despite what her duty to her country and cause is telling her. For Philip what is important is keeping his family together and “it all matters” to him; as with their initial Paige disagreement last year they are at an impasse and we will have to wait and see how it plays out as there are so many players involved now. They are in this together and the clasping of hands shows their commitment to each other regardless of this difference of opinion.

One thing they do agree on is how important it is for Paige to control her anger when confronting Pastor Tim regarding his secret spilling. Anger is an emotion we rarely see from Philip and Elizabeth; Philip ripping out the pages from Paige’s bible and Elizabeth reaction to Paige’s confession last week are the two times we have seen them display this feeling. The other is in the pilot episode when Elizabeth kicked Timoshev’s head through the garage wall and Philip snapped his neck; this is one occasion where anger acted in a unifying manner. Otherwise it is a reaction that is unstable and leads to unpredictable moments such as Lucia attempting to kill Larrick in season 2 and ending up dead herself. Anger can push someone further away and Philip knows the importance of keeping Pastor Tim close and in this scene with Paige he is both manipulating her and teaching the skills of emotional manipulation; whether they like it or not Paige is now very much in this business.Laughter is not something we hear very often on The Americans and it is equal parts disconcerting and delightful to see Elizabeth engage in such cheery behavior while in disguise as Patty. Patty is someone I have been really looking forward to meeting ever since Entertainment Weekly unveiled this new look and talking to Americans costume designer Katie Irish last week increased those already high anticipation levels; this costume/persona did not disappoint.

We are introduced to Patty at a Mary Kay party and it is quickly established that Young Hee is who Elizabeth is interested in. Later on she ‘bumps’ into her while grocery shopping and they instantly develop a rapport with Elizabeth playing the nervous about approaching people card, which is kinda required for the Mary Kay selling model. Young Hee offers to help and they have a good day together; so good that Elizabeth gets an invite to dinner.

What makes this different from other occasions where Elizabeth has made a friend for work such as Michelle is that she usually uses it as a time to unload in the guise of someone else. On this occasion when asked about her family she deflects and I think that she wants to keep that separate from this genuinely good time she is having hanging out with Young Hee. It is still work, but it is also a distraction from the very real and high amount of problems she is facing right now. This is an escape for her and yet it is also important that she tells Philip that she had fun; this is not a secret she is keeping from him. Also the pepper dance was really cute and I’m not sure I’ve ever used this word to describe Elizabeth.

The FBI doesn’t want reports to contain “I feel” and sends out a memo to underscore this point and Stan is using a whole lot of gut feelings when it comes to his surveillance of Martha. This isn’t Stan plucking suspicions out of this thin air and something doesn’t sit right with him with the whole Gene suicide thing and really if anyone could plant a bug in Gaad’s office then his secretary is an obvious suspect. Plus she has been acting jumpy as hell and there was that dream Stan had in the season 2 finale pointing to his subconscious knowing something was up long before the big reveal. So far all Stan has is that Martha doesn’t come home two nights a week (those same two nights Paige asks about) and he wants Agent Aderholt to come on board the surveillance plan. Aderholt has a better idea than sitting in a car until 3 am suggesting he takes her out to dinner instead. If this all takes place while Philip and Elizabeth are stuck at Gabriel’s then they might be in trouble here too.Nina is the one dreaming this week and she’s back in a cell after her latest exploits; “exceptional punishment” has a terrifying ring to it and it is no wonder she is dreaming of the old apartment she met Stan in and this time it is full of flowers. Anton is also there dragging her back to her current location and even though she smiled reading what he wrote about her that doesn’t make up for how bad things are going to get. Can Oleg save the day? If this was a different show I would be inclined to think he could, but as this is The Americans my hopes for this are diminished.

But if Pastor Tim can get some divine intervention in the form of a pathogen then maybe someone will answer Nina’s call too.

Shot of the WeekThe discovery of Gabriel is frantic and as I mention above there is something truly wonderful about how in sync Philip and Elizabeth are in their reactions and in the manner in which Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell play them. So much comes from gestures, glances, micro expressions and even their sighs which speak a thousand volumes.

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016

The coat casually slung over the shoulders is a hard one to pull off and Elizabeth and her current cover are the perfect candidates to work this look. While Patty is leaning hard into 80s fashion there is still a little something of the previous decade in her grocery shopping attire which I really love. Thanks to Mad Men I find it hard to watch a supermarket scene without thinking of Betty slapping Helen Bishop hard in the face. Luckily this encounter was far happier.

Disguise of the WeekThere were no other disguises this week, but if there were it would have taken a lot to beat Patty as she is everything I was hoping for and more. Elizabeth doesn’t get to go glamorous in her cover world too often as she doesn’t want to stand out, but with Patty she gets to try out new trends and wear bold clothes and makeup.If this week’s costumes are any indication then Patty loves purple and her coat collection is just as extensive as Elizabeth’s (which will come in handy later this season for logistical reasons). More Patty and her new BFF Young Hee please as Elizabeth really needs a friend right now.

Tags: "Experimental City of Tomorrow", 4.03, Alison Wright, Annet Mahendru, costume design, Holly Taylor, Katie Irish, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Ruthie Ann Mills, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.02 “Pastor Tim” Review: “You Were Almost Free”

24 Mar

Saying you’re fine and actually being fine are two very different things and quite often when we are asked “Are you alright?” it doesn’t matter if the answer is actually yes and the polite thing to reply in the affirmative. When this question is posed by someone close to us the same brush off response is sometimes still the one we reach for and in the season 4 premiere of The Americans Philip insisted he was fine on each occasion Elizabeth asked.

Elizabeth accepted this as a suitable answer rather than pushing further despite it being clear that something was up; while they are far more solid than when we met them four years ago their strength as a couple does not come from spilling their emotional guts all over the place. The confrontation with Stan forces Philip’s hand and it is a big week for confessions as Philip finally comes up with an answer to Elizabeth’s checking in questions that goes beyond the waving off with a hand deflection.It doesn’t all come pouring out because this is not who Elizabeth and Philip are; instead a series of sighs punctuate the hard to get our words as Philip struggles to explain just what he has been doing and why he has been doing it. In a way it is like he is admitting to an affair as this is an activity he has done in secret and while Elizabeth was out of the country. The ‘feeling’ that Philip got last week which caused him to call off their original meeting with William clearly bothered Elizabeth as she asks if EST is the kind of thing that teaches this. It isn’t and she seems more open to what it is after he confirms that. When she asks if it is something he would like her to go to he looks genuinely surprised and happy by her willingness here. I don’t think Elizabeth would be very receptive to the actual process of EST – now I really want to see her attend a seminar – and yet this offer of potential attendance is a big step.

Sandy Beeman was Team Tell Elizabeth as a way to really benefit from the seminars and Martha also championed the idea of sharing as a way to strengthen a relationship (if only she knew). The experience Philip has been fixating on and one we saw in flashback form last week is something he sees as a defining moment in who he is now and he could only share the very edited version of what happened with both women (and the EST class). With Elizabeth he can spill the whole thing and yet she is the one he finds it the hardest to talk to about this stuff. After the handover goes “pretty bad” it gives Philip the ideal time to unburden his soul and reveal the childhood memory which has been plaguing his recent thoughts. What this also does is serve as a good lesson in what EST does; it helps deal with painful memories, but it requires a confrontation of those experiences rather than avoiding them.

It isn’t surprising to see Elizabeth sympathize with Philip over this incident and she thinks it is good that he stood up for himself; there is no judgement that it went as far as it did. The reveal that he was 10 when he did it is instead met sadness that something this brutal happened to him at a young age, but Elizabeth is not surprised nor horrified. Instead she reaches out her hand to him and this marriage hits another stage of intimacy and shedding of layers. I’m not sure how good it will be for them to completely unpack everything they have done, but therapy of some kind is required to heal their fractured souls.Adverse side effects from conversations like this could include nightmares and Elizabeth dreams of the Pastor Tim murder plan and Paige with a blast from her own past. It is a pretty quick moment, but we see Nikolai Timoshev grab Paige in Elizabeth’s dream; Timoshev is the operative who Elizabeth and Philip kidnapped in the pilot episode and he is the man who raped Elizabeth while she was training to be a spy and who Philip killed. It is like she has reached into her most terrible moment and her subconscious is pairing this with bringing Paige into the fold.

In fact the Paige situation is spiraling and Elizabeth’s fears about Paige spilling everything to Pastor Tim have come true in quick fashion. Instantly going for the killing him solution is not a surprise and I think everyone in the audience expected Pastor Tim to meet his end as soon as Paige uttered those words. But in the same way I think a lot of us expected Martha to have peaced out by now it doesn’t look like Pastor Tim is on the chopping block just yet because Paige ruins everything by telling her mom what she did.

The plan was to make it look like an accident using the space heater in Pastor Tim’s sermon prepping cabin, but because Paige has revealed her slip of the tongue it will now be pretty clear to Paige that her parents had something to do with it if he does indeed end up dead. Accident or no accident. Philip for his part already suggested this would be the case and the idea to run gets floated a couple of times this week. His main concern is that if they do kill Pastor Tim it will send Paige running instead; basically they’re fucked whatever they do.This doesn’t even factor in the deadly pathogen that keeps on coming back to their house, which itself is very much a symbol of the poison seeping in every crack of their family life and it becomes comical that they can’t shift it. Of course this is hilarious in the darkest possible way, but I couldn’t help but let out a laugh when Philip looks down and sees the tin sitting on the bus seat with the guy he has just killed stuffed next to him. Yes the mission did go “pretty bad.”

Both Elizabeth and Philip are pissed with Gabriel and how this is all turning out; that they get the grunt work and are tasked with the delivery of the package. Philip wants to do a dead drop, but this poses a list of potentially lethal issues. It does mean we get to spend more time with the fascinating and super belligerent William, who also really wants Philip to fail at getting that level 4 clearance. Their conversation is peppered with droll zingers and the moments of dark comedy this week are high.

Gabriel is concerned with Elizabeth’s state of mind particularly with the news he has to share with her; her mother has died but she did make sure to pass on a message of love, which Elizabeth does not believe for a second. What this death does is give a moment of mother/daughter bonding for Elizabeth and Paige because of their very recent trip to Germany and in turn this causes Paige to confess about her confession. Unlike her parents or her brother, Paige is not the best at lying. Even though Elizabeth already knew the rage she has tempered while talking to Philip about Paige boils to the surface and she lets her daughter know exactly how much she has fucked up. Paige for her part doesn’t just stand there and take it pointing to how it is Elizabeth and Philip who did this and they have to deal with the consequences. It’s a pretty heartbreaking scene and the phone call from Philip that interrupts Elizabeth’s rage also gives us a chance to see her quiet desperation as she emotionally and emphatically asks him to come home.

Every inch of the Jennings home is a space to confess and this adds to the intimacy. The kitchen is the place where Paige found out the truth; it is the heart of a home and this heart has been stomped all over. It is telling that rather than wait for Philip to come in the house, Elizabeth waits outside having a much needed cigarette. She gets into the parked car in the garage with him and as the walls close in around them there is still the potential for flight, but as the camera pulls away from their place of refuge it is clear that this is far from a simple solution.Elizabeth is not the only person who faces a death in the family and Oleg receives some bad news about his brother who has been killed in combat. Oleg tells Arkady that he didn’t even have to be fighting still as his tour ended in October (we are still in March), but he chose to stay. This theme runs throughout and it is the question plaguing Philip and Elizabeth; even if they did want to leave is that a choice offered to them? Stan tries to use this news as a way to get to Oleg on another level but is met with a brush off. They are not friends.

Friendship is hard in this business especially when a sea of ideology stands between them and Stan is still on the outs with Philip after he accused him of sleeping with Sandy. Elizabeth jokes about Philip making up with his boyfriend (see even Elizabeth can make light of a situation) and it looks like Stan has found a surrogate son in the form of Henry Jennings as he is hanging out at Stan’s eating mac and cheese while getting lady advice. Henry is also adding to his cologne collection which is sure to please his parents even more.Family plays an important part in Nina’s actions this week and in the past she has been very much about self-preservation and her loyalty has not always been the easiest to read. Last week she asked to see her husband and her request has been granted. It isn’t a particularly long scene, but we learn a lot about who Nina was before she came to the US; she was married, got pregnant and the intimation here is that she either miscarried or had an abortion. The interaction with Boris is full of so much warmth, but the lack of heat shows that this was not a passionate relationship and Boris sums up Nina’s trajectory with this sad and beautiful sentiment “My world was too small for you.” What Nina wants from Boris is a favor regarding Anton; she wants his son to know he is alive. This is a huge risk and one that doesn’t benefit Nina in a way which Vasili can understand when he confronts Nina about it later.

There is a sense of absolution in her decision and even though she was almost free Nina is no longer “who I was.” In the past we have seen her scramble and do whatever to try and earn her freedom, but something in this place has changed her and that is no longer her prime objective. Her relationship with Anton is an interesting one because it isn’t based on anything sexual and this connection is incredibly important in shaping her decision. Making sure that Anton doesn’t disappear into dust is a priority even if it is detrimental to her position.

And really is there anyone on The Americans who is close to being free?

Disguise of the WeekThis looks like a less curly version of this season 3 delight and Philip tries to work all his persuasive magic with sadly terrible results and it gives rise to some disturbing choking imagery plus a whole lot of “are you fucking kidding me?” facial expressions. Plus this scene also uses Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” in a way which underlines just how quickly this situation turned and just how shit it is for everyone involved. If only that Russian pilot hadn’t been twitchy as fuck. What helps about this look for Philip is that it is pretty bland and that suit is not going to stand out to anyone. The only defining feature is the fake mark on his cheek and that should be the only thing someone should remember.

Shot(s) of the Week

Returning to my earlier point about how different parts of their home are used for confession and the laundry room is a prime example of this. At the start of the episode Philip initially finds it hard to look at his wife when he explains why Stan is mad at him. Later on when it is time for the secret sharing of the crushing his soul variety it starts with this display of utter exhaustion, but a lot more openness in a much bigger and brighter space. For starters the way Elizabeth is lit, dressed and stood suggests tenderness rather than this harried expression and dark attire from the opening scene.They end in this moment of really looking at each other and I really love how the big bathroom mirror is used in this shot.

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016This week for The Observer I spoke to Americans costume designer Katie Irish and one of the items we discussed was this Coach Wool Icon Trench (we will see Elizabeth sporting one in tan this season too) and as I mention in the piece a trench coat is timeless and this whole look would not look out of place in the 80s or present day. Plus Elizabeth really looks like she is not going to take anyone’s shit in that getup.

Bonus – The Most ‘Felicity’ Elizabeth Jennings Has Ever Been
Random and late observation and in this bathroom scene I got a whole lot of Felicity Porter vibes (yes I know they are played by the same actress but there has never been ANYTHING Felicity about Elizabeth). Here in this bathroom as Elizabeth ties up her and goes about her evening skin routine – even spies must moisturize – wearing a plaid shirt it read a little Felicity. The sympathetic ear aspect also adds to this factor and it also hits my love of secrets shard in a bathroom setting.

Tags: "Pastor Tim", 4.02, Holly Taylor, Katie Irish, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, The Americans

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Categories Costuming, Review, The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 4.01 “Glanders” Review: “You’re Safe. We’re Together”

17 Mar

The concept of truth on The Americans is ever changing; lies mask the reality and confessions come pouring out in the strangest of settings. Season 4 delves even deeper into this blurring of the lines as a result of revealing real identities to Paige and half identities to Martha. When Paige asks Elizabeth where Philip has gone in the middle of the night Elizabeth tells her the kid friendly version that doesn’t include information about her father’s other wife or the man he has just killed; it is part truth, part sugar coated lies.

Kicking off where we left these characters at the end of last year and so many precarious situations need to be handled. First up Martha and the last time we saw her Philip dewigged and showed his real face. Philip also killed Martha’s co-worker staging it as a suicide and placing the blame for the bug in Gaad’s office on him all in an effort to protect her and ultimately protect the whole mission. Getting woken up in the middle of the night to be told by your husband with his new face and different hair that he’s killed someone and not just a random person, but a co-worker/friend is not the best wake up call and Martha doesn’t take it so well. She doesn’t go for the gun she keeps in her apartment so that is an automatic win for Philip. It is a delicate situation and he can’t push her too hard; he has to trust his persuasive techniques that have so far worked like a charm, but this is next level emotional manipulation that must come into play. Ultimately it works and the face reveal, while incredibly disorientating has strengthened their relationship and as Elizabeth explained to Paige in the most PG version of what they do it is all about getting people to trust you. Philip’s other confession to Martha about the childhood incident that plagues him is part unburdening of his soul, part pealing back the layers to give Martha the feeling that she really knows him. It is also interesting that he tells Martha the same anecdote about the toys in Gene’s apartment that he told Elizabeth in “March 8, 1983” and he can’t quite get out the reason why this struck a chord with him.

Elizabeth may come across as the more inaccessible one of the pair, but we know far more about her past and childhood experiences than we do Philip so it makes sense at this point to visit his origin story especially as his soul continues to be eroded by the things he has done. Season 2 saw his kill count go up by a great deal and it almost broke him; last year he got a respite and it was left to Elizabeth to drop cars on innocent dude’s heads until the finale when Philip offed Gene. The burden returns. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the turning point for childhood Philip or rather Mischa is a story that he half shared with Elizabeth back in the season 2 finale and one he didn’t get to finish because their asset had just been shot. All we got to hear back then was that some older boys would jump him as he walked home with his families milk and he made the decision to not let it happen again; it turns out he certainly did just that in a moment of explosive violence.This moment that haunts Philip throughout the episode is one that he discusses in front of a whole bunch of strangers at EST leaving out certain important details, but giving just enough that he can unload in this form of very public therapy. The one person who he could reveal the unedited story to is the one person he keeps telling he is fine when clearly he is the opposite. EST gives Philip an outlet of sharing he doesn’t feel comfortable with doing at home and there is definitely this worry that Elizabeth will judge him; as Paige points out to Pastor Tim her parents aren’t really big talkers. Philip isn’t alone in using other outlets to share his secrets and worries as we have seen Elizabeth do this with plenty of assets in disguise; from how she talked about her rape to discussing relationship quandaries. They both talk far more to other people than they do to each other and this stoicism with each other is the one habit they find hard to break. Maybe Philip needs to get stoned again.

Part of this is down to the many years that they inhabited the same space, but were not in the kind of relationship they now are with each other. Trust is not something that needs to be won here and yet there is still a wall between them when it comes to sharing thoughts, feelings and painful memories that might read as a weakness. It is this aspect of The Americans that makes the show sing; the spy stuff is great, but the depiction of marriage is exceptional and hats must go off to Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell and Alison Wright who deliver such incredible performances in this season opener in a variety of ways. Wright has the most overtly emotional material and yet she also has shades of subtly while at work doing Clark’s bidding that Philip made seem as if it was her idea all along. After all while I think that Philip does care for Martha and feels the weight of responsibility he still also needs her for information otherwise this operation is pointless. Subtly is an art for both Russell and Rhys and the reason why these characters don’t always say too much to each other is because their expressions can say so much more.What Philip should do is take the lessons from his conversations with Martha and the advice of Sandy Beeman and tell Elizabeth what is plaguing him and I expect she will be far less judgmental than he is expecting (maybe not about EST). Plus it would be much better than the very obvious lie of “I’m fine.” The problem of course is finding a time to have this chat as they’ve got a laundry list of problems including Gabriel being pissed at them for lying about the Germany trip, keeping an eye on Paige (not doing a great job there, guys), Martha and now biological weapons! This latter issue is and the meeting they are meant to have involves a number of dangers such as coming into contact with said weapon and getting caught be a surveillance team. Plus there is also this new asset to deal with and William sure is sassy; I am so happy to see that Dylan Baker is a regular this season in this role. The strain William gives them isn’t even the thing they’ve been inoculated against and there is the added bonus of having to store it in their freezer. Plus a surprise visit from Stan.

Stan is hooking up with Tori the woman he met at an EST meeting last season and Tori also happens to see Philip with Sandy Beeman post EST meeting enjoying some dessert, which she infers as an intimate moment. I would go with friendly, but whatever. Of course Stan is furious and decides to confront Philip while he happens to have an incredibly dangerous chemical agent in his pocket (and one the episode is named after). Let’s just say there won’t be any Philip and Stan hangouts in the near future. We can add this to Philip’s already very long list of shit he has to sort out.Meanwhile back in Russia, Nina and Anton’s relationship continues to develop and she is playing the role we have seen her inhabit before; one where we can’t be certain how much she is playing each side. The conversations she has with Anton forever circle around his son and the many regrets he has about the manner in which he was taken leaving his family with no answers. There is something incredibly haunting about his fears that he will be sent to a camp and they will never know where he went or what he did. He doesn’t want to disappear and become just dust with “no one ever knowing.” At least for Philip and Elizabeth one of their children knows who they are even if it is just the surface details. It is also interesting that Anton has such warm and fuzzy feelings towards Russia from when he was a kid and his religion was not an issue whereas Philip’s own childhood recollections are filled with such horror. One is serving his country by choice whereas the other has been forced to do so.

Nina also has demands and she wants to see her husband; is this so someone remembers her or is there an ulterior motive?

At the Rezidentura Arkady is having his own power play problems including be kept way out of the loop on the whole bio-weapon situation as it turns out that Tatiana works for Department 12 (suddenly this sounds very Alias) and he is not happy about it. But he does have Oleg on his team and while he suggests that this environment would work better with everyone getting along he is not above getting someone to spy for him. Spies within spies within spies.

Shot(s) of the WeekThe wig cave! Or at least one of them was unveiled this week as I suspect they have several locations at their disposal and while I was hoping for a fabulous Cher from Clueless style revolving closet what we actually got is the exact level of grime and on the fly that it should be.
This location gives off a Sydney meeting Vaughn on Alias vibe as well as putting a physical barrier between Philip and Elizabeth as he continues the pretense that he is okay. And this shot does a good job of adding to how disconnected they are at the moment from his getting spooked into pulling out of the meeting (it turns out his bad feeling was just a feeling whereas Elizabeth does spot a real surveillance team later on). If only he could get his words out.

Disguise of the WeekA new disguise for season 4 and they get to break out this new blonde couple on three occasions over the premiere including a fake belly for Philip and a whole lot of skeptical face at Philip’s beard for Elizabeth. In one of the lighter moments this week the pair discuss Henry’s new disgusting cologne and there’s nothing more I enjoy about this show than when they have conversations like this while in heavy disguise. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of this pair throughout the season with William coming into play and I am looking forward to seeing what other disguise treats costume designer Katie Irish will deliver this season.

Outfit(s) I Would Wear in 2016It doesn’t matter if it is 1983 or 2016 – a plaid shirt is always a win. This basement conversation is all about Paige and how she is complicated, which could pretty much describe everyone on The Americans and as tends to be the case they don’t get a chance to deep dive into this situation as they have other more pressing issues.Adding to my list of clothing obsessions the robe has now been added and scenes that take place in the heart of the Jennings home are always a favorite. Especially when they are over something so familiar as discussing jet lag mixed in with where Philip goes in the middle of the night. This is Elizabeth in full on mother mode and I believe that she believes what they are doing is for peace.

Tags: "Glanders", 4.01, Alison Wright, costume design, Holly Taylor, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, The Americans, wigs

Comments 4 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans Season 4 Extended Promo: “Do People Get Hurt?”

16 Feb

Oh, Paige. If only you knew the extent to which that question could be answered and while the one she gets is clearly a big, big lie the fact that there is so much more transparency coming to The Americans as a result of secrets shared is exciting and terrifying in equal measure. When The Americans returns in a month not only does Paige have her own indiscretion to reveal, but this new extended promo also shows that Philip’s Clark de-wigging was not a one off and he’s also kinda divulging what happened to Martha’s now dead colleague to Martha. Building on this earlier promo we get to see certain humdinger moments again such as the question of running/getting pulled out of their assignment, Stan shoving Philip up against a wall (which I still think is a misdirect), the realization that they are in deep plus Paige saying sorry. New bits include a mission that requires some sort of vaccination in the form of an injection, Stan talking to Paige about her parents leaving town and the FBI searching what looks like a hotel room.

The overall vibe is the net is closing in from all angles and the tension levels are continuing to rise (if that is possible). The stakes have never been higher and it doesn’t help that more people are aware of either who Philip and Elizabeth are. Basically the shit is really hitting the fan. It also doesn’t look too good if you are a bus driver or Gabriel and somehow it is also hard to imagine a happy ending for either Pastor Tim or Martha, but stranger things have happened.

https://youtu.be/Ocq-ggLJ-84

And just because Philip and Elizabeth tell Paige that no one gets hurt (ha) this really is not going to stop the things they have to do all in the name of duty, their survival and protecting their family.The Jennings car and garage is a really interesting space in how it has been used to hide the human equivalent of a ticking time bomb in the pilot episode; this person could’ve really sounded the death knell of their relationship and even exposed their secret to the FBI agent who had just moved in, but it actually helped ignite the spark that has led to where they are now. This is a safe place and in the past it has also been where Elizabeth has found refuge with her not so secret habit of smoking cigarettes (joints are reserved for their bedroom).

The car also represents a getaway option, but for now it looks like they are using it as a place of comfort (see also the pilot episode and intimacy of a much more sexual nature) and somewhere they can share their fears without worrying about who might be listening.The levels of dread continue to build on a personal and global scale as the threat of nuclear action looms and the FX promotional department continues to crush it in detailing these aspects and themes of unity between Elizabeth and Philip from the key art we have already shared to this very Russian propaganda inspired poster.

In terms of promos they excel both at cutting together moments from the new episodes as well as crafting ones which focus on the overall conflict taking place:

https://youtu.be/wAcQy1gCi8Q

And also highlighting the spy/danger/sex elements; Elizabeth in sequins and red lipstick is hitting my costume and makeup sweet spots.

https://youtu.be/NgUfqWXHmwA

The Americans returns Wednesday, March 16.

Tags: Holly Taylor, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, preview, season 4, The Americans

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Preview, The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans Season 4 Promo – “I’m So Sorry Mom”

4 Feb

Season 4 of The Americans was never going to be an easy ride and somehow with each passing year the writers manage to crank up the tension to new extremes. With last season ending on Paige telling Pastor Tim where her parents are really from it looked like it might be curtains and a swift death for Paige’s mentor, but the easy option is not part of the plan on The Americans and Pastor Tim is very much alive and using his influence on Paige for at least one scene.

Paige at least has the manners to tell her mother that she is sorry. For exactly what we don’t know, but it is sure to be something that will put them all in danger.Dilemmas and big decisions are flying all over the place and from all angles with Gabriel and Claudia pondering the next move for their assets and a sense of dread hangs over everything. Martha doesn’t appear like she is fairing too well after the wig removal revelation and she will have to deal with Philip’s bug in the pen solution. A solution that frames her colleague and staged his suicide in the process. This was Philip’s first kill of season 3 after such a huge body count the previous year and from this promo it looks like he won’t be staying murder free.

And what’s up with Philip getting shoved up against the wall by bestie Stan? Well I have a feeling this has nothing to do with Philip and Elizabeth’s actual occupation and more to do with Stan suspecting something is going on between Philip and his ex Sandra. This is where the conversation at EST from the finale comes into play and while that felt like a sorta tacked on scene at the time it will make a whole lot more sense if I my guess at this context pans out. Oh, Stan if only you could see what secret Philip was really keeping. I also can’t see Philip ever cheating on Elizabeth, well cheating that isn’t part of their work that is.Shout out to the makeup team for the bags under Philip’s eyes and the exhausted/haunted look from Matthew Rhys as he asks Elizabeth if she wants to run.

Disguise wise there are some very familiar faces cropping up including Clark in both police sketch and IRL form with Clark’s sister Jennifer also coming out to play.

Basically everything is going to shit and I cannot wait to see how Philip and Elizabeth wiggle their way out of this one, while also attempting to get Paige back on side and keeping Henry in the dark (just give him that video game console he is after). They probably shouldn’t mention how many people they kill in this line of work and focus on the peace side of it all.

Watch the promo for season 4 below.

For a look at new disguises and the incredible season 4 key art head here and here. Plus watch showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields discussing The Americans as part of this WGA nominees panel.

The Americans returns Wednesday, March 16.

Tags: Alison Wright, Holly Taylor, Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, promo, season 4, The Americans

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Preview, The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans Season 4 Key Art and Premiere Date

16 Jan

Put Wednesday, March 16 into your calendars as that’s the day The Americans returns for season 4 and things are going to get even harder for Philip and Elizabeth (if such a thing is possible).

The promo department has done yet another fantastic job and this new artwork rivals the huddled gun toting red for my favorite of the bunch. Moving from Russian propaganda influence of S1 to something that look like it could be the cover to their experimental fourth album (probably with shades of electronica) and the central relationship is still the focus. Guns are still just as prevalent because danger persists at every corner.We will of course be talking all things The Americans when it returns and hopefully there will be more news from the FX TCA panels today. Check out of Elizabeth’s new disguises here and for Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys discussing costumes head here.

Update! It was confirmed at the TCA panel that there will be no spy baby (they are already filming episode 8), but if Holly Taylor gets her way there will be a spy dog in the future. A plan I can definitely get on board with. Other interesting news includes co-showrunner Joel Fields loosely discussing how long he could see the show go on for and that in a three-act structure, season four marks the end of the second-act. Plus as predicted things are only going to get more precarious and fraught for Philip and Elizabeth when it comes to their mission and protecting their family.

Tags: Holly Taylor, Joel Fields, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, season4, The Americans

Comments 5 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

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TV Ate My Wardrobe

The Americans 4.07 “Travel Agents” Review: A Lonely Life

The Americans 4.06 “The Rat” Review: Trust Me

The Americans 4.05 “Clark’s Place” Review: People of Action

The Americans 4.04 “Chloramphenicol” Review: Just One More Thing

The Americans 4.03 “Experimental City of Tomorrow” Review: “Run, Run, Run”

The Americans 4.02 “Pastor Tim” Review: “You Were Almost Free”

The Americans 4.01 “Glanders” Review: “You’re Safe. We’re Together”

The Americans Season 4 Extended Promo: “Do People Get Hurt?”

The Americans Season 4 Key Art and Premiere Date

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