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TV Rewind: Felicity, “The Love Bug” and “Getting Lucky”

Felicity, Episodes 2.6 & 2.7
“The Love Bug” & “Getting Lucky”
Original Air Dates: Nov. 7 & 14, 1999

Julie: These were a horny couple of episodes. In the first one, everyone in Felicity’s dorm was coming (pun intended) down with mono, AKA “the kissing disease.” (Or so they thought.) And in the second episode, Felicity is trying to psych herself up to bang David.

First of all, Felicity (with her new haircut) and David look so right together as a couple (even if they’re that boring couple you always “forget” to invite to your dinner parties). They almost kind of look alike. But they’re also so serious. I guess we don’t know that much about David as a person at this point, or about how is temperament is, but he seems very bookish and bland, just like Felicity. I think she needs to be with someone a little more fun-loving. Of course, it really doesn’t matter all that much how David is since he’s just a B-list guy, and she’ll probably be done with him in time for November sweeps.

(I also want to point out before I forget how weird it is that Noel thinks he now has one up on David because he (Noel) hasn’t slept with Felicity. I mean, I get what he’s saying about preserving the pre-sex mystery between him and Felicity, but David just got to have actual sex with her. In what world is that a win for Noel?)

So, yeah. These two episodes were all about trying to become more physically intimate with someone. In the first episode, Felicity is desperate for David to kiss her; and in the second, David is desperate to bone. In “The Love Bug,” Felicity and David’s lips are kept apart due to germs and David’s stand-offishness and Felicity’s heretofore undisclosed ex-relationship with Noel. In “Getting Lucky,” it’s a dog and Felicity’s lack of experience that keep her and David from sealing the deal.

There’s also more more more sex in the form of Ruby getting a diaphragm and Meghan hooking up with that dorky resident and Sean seeing Julie in a bra and Ben getting busy with Teri Polo.

What did you think about how DTF everyone on Felicity is all of a sudden?

Emma: Felicity is with David and Noel is seeing Ruby, but it’s still very much about Felicity and Noel. They’re very much friends again and yet there’s this whole other part as they’ve got undeniable chemistry and a connection. They clearly enjoying spending time with each other and yet they’re also both drawn to these other people. It’s clear to both David and Ruby that this is more than friendship, especially after the eyelash moment – it’s such a traditional move, but there is something so intimate about this gesture, or at least on TV there is.

Noel fucks up by saying Felicity’s name when he’s kissing Ruby; Ruby is of course embarrassed that she’s told Felicity things (including the birth control question and I love how dedicated this show is to mentioning safe sex in a not too stiff fashion, boom boom) and that Felicity has also divulged this info with Elena (and therefore Noel). This seems like a bad RA move. David’s feeling fragile about this whole thing and has trust issues, so this Noel clanger is a red flag. All it takes is a super germy kiss – it’s the flu, not mono – to convince him to give it another go. Ruby also gives Noel another chance, which ugh, because she is still super grating. It’s ok as she’s shooting a movie with Tom Cruise (what was this subplot?!) so she’ll be gone for a few episodes.

Noel’s whole reasoning about mystery and why he’s glad he never slept with Felicity induced a whole lot of eye rolling from me, because pretty much what?! It wreaks of putting Felicity up on a pedestal/trying to find something unique when really he should realise their uniqueness isn’t that they didn’t have sex, but how close they are. It’s shit like this that makes me edge towards Ben even if he’s off on his own storyline with older, married women.

I also agree with you about David as he’s sweet enough and that’s about it. There doesn’t seem to be much fire there, nor is there a crazy amount of chemistry. It might be Standards and Practices, but their several attempts at hooking up feature awkward kissing and lying on top of each other, which doesn’t look that great. At least Ben got to be part of a cliche counter sweep – also what is Teri Polo’s tattoo other than a very ’90s mistake? – and there was an element of passion.

I’m not sure how I feel about Elena’s psych 101’ing Felicity when it comes to sex and it kind of felt a bit like Julie shaming her last season. Yes Felicity is inexperienced, but her friends don’t have to talk to her like she’s completely naive. I’m glad Elena acknowledged that this was pretty shitty of her later on and I get why she thought she was being helpful, but good intentions don’t always end in good results. What did you think of Elena’s advice?

When it comes to the sudden horniness I wonder if it was a network note as the first 5 episodes are very much about fixing relationships and talking. This is part of why Felicity is so endearing, but it’s a college show so sex is expected.

Julie: The eyelash thing is funny. The husband and I were recently at a party and someone was OBVIOUSLY hitting on someone else there. Other people said, no way. Nothing was going on. But it SO WAS. It was obvious to most of us sitting there watching it play out. I’m sure Noel and Felicity thought they weren’t being flirty or inappropriate, but it was just that they couldn’t contain their secret lust for each other. When there’s an attraction, there’s an attraction, and shines like a spotlight on the people involved. Or maybe I’m just too busy paying attention to other people’s business and need to get my own self a life.

Noel saying Felicity’s name is a huge gaff. As much as I am on Team Felicity in all of this, I understand Ruby’s annoyance with all of it. Noel and Felicity have been carrying on this secret little relationship without Ruby knowing about it. They never told her the truth about their past, and now Noel is moaning Felicity’s name during their intimate moments. Ruby’s got beef.

Ah, the ’90s and their subtle safe sex messages. I liked Ruby asking for a diaphragm. That was unexpected. Keepin’ it fresh, Felicity.

The Ruby/Tom Cruise movie subplot is RIDICULOUS. Your question of “What is this subplot?” is dead on. What is it? Why is it? Maybe if we were able to see some of the shooting ourselves, or if the shoot itself became a subplot, it might be palatable, but right now it’s just so random. There had to have been a more logical way to get rid of Ruby for a few episodes. Death, for example.

Teri Polo’s tattoo only made me think of Ted Mosby, so I’m grateful for that. Ben gets to have all the good hooking up on this show. He’s had counter sex and a friend’s girlfriend showed up at his house naked and he’s been randomly kissed in a bar by said friend’s girlfriend. Felicity gets boring horizontal smooching with her lame boyfriend while a dog watches them. And Noel gets Ruby, who probably doesn’t even know what sex is, she’s so dim. And then there’s Sean and Elena, who get NOTHING.

As far as Elena goes, I wasn’t a big fan of her prude-shaming Felicity. The girl had never even had a boyfriend by the time she got to college. She had one night of art-fueled passion with that MTV veejay. Give the girl a break. Maybe she was avoiding sex with David because she really wasn’t ready (or because David is lame; either way, good excuses).

You know who else is not a good friend? Julie, for walking around in front of Sean in that bra.

This show is starting to get a little gimmicky. What did you think about the illness plot and the dreaded stray dog who touches all our lives?

Emma: When it comes to safe sex, this show is very keen to place the responsibility on both parties and this including checking dates on condoms (and Noel is super awkward doing this, because of course) and mentioning stats and the like. It’s a tad PSA-y, but it’s better to be like this than cavalier or focusing on just the pregnancy issue. I guess in a way it also reflects the period the writers grew up in when the HIV/AIDS was incredibly prevalent and so using condoms became way more than a way to stop pregnancy.

I had this discussion the other day off the back of a Normal Heart promo about how most of the early AIDS awareness stuff happened when we were too young to really understand, but the death of Freddie Mercury was our entry point into what this disease was capable of. This is a digression, but basically yay Felicity for not being afraid to talk about safe sex. And so far there’s been no pregnancy scares yet. As soon as I see someone throwing up randomly I’m gonna get mad.

Julie is so painfully oblivious to Sean’s feelings, but the dog really did her a favor by destroying yet another hideous pink shirt in her already extensive pink shirt collection. Sean is so distracted by Julie he can’t even offer Ben some very dumb advice which he normally jumps at. Julie keeps saying “I’m gonna have sex, Jack” and it’s practically killing Sean. It’s killing Julie too, but that’s because she can’t remember what movie it is from. This is why I’m thankful we have the internet in our pocket, even if it is ruining our memory retention skills. It is very satisfying when you finally do remember, minus the imdb crutch.

I have to agree with you about Lucky the dog and as a moving on device it came across as far too contrived. Felicity says Lucky had a profound effect on her and I think she’s giving the dog far too much credit as a this symbolic thing. Yes, Lucky is very cute and yes it’s a bummer when Felicity has to make the choice to put him down and this is never something I want to see. I can’t help but get frustrated at Felicity as he really is a distraction mechanism more than anything else. It’s also fortunate that Felicity has switched majors as she’s got more time for shenanigans, pre-med would not allow for hijinks like this.

In both of these episode Felicity turns into a bit of a nomad, first because Meghan’s mono (which is called glandular fever over here and I’m so glad I never had it) and then because of the dog. This puts her in close proximity to both Noel and David, upping the tension. Though there’s only really chemistry with Noel. Meanwhile Ben is very much out on a story island on his own and I hope he started to circle the orbit of the other guys relatively soon. Do you think Ben’s going to ditch Teri Polo and their work top sex now that he’s had an encounter with her husband?

Oh and don’t be judgy about things being high school Teri Polo, when you’re acting the most high school out of anyone.

How did you feel about the mono and dog of it all?

Julie: Of course Noel the ex-RA knows all about safe sex. He’s really the perfect character to deliver all this information, because he’s funny and awkward and would of course have all of the information at his fingertips. He’s also the kind of guy who I’d bet worries like crazy about pregnancy scares. He has too much to live for! Ben, on the other hand, he’s having sex on counters, so he’s definitely concerned about zero things.

Both of us grew up in the post-Gen X generation (the Catalano Generation). We were too young for all the awesomeness of the ’90s, but we’re not carefree Millenials, either. I know I grew up with a deep fear of dying from sex (also getting pregnant). I wonder how many kids of our generation have horrible sex issues as adults because of the incessant PSAs. Someone should make a show about that. Have they? I don’t know.

Speaking of issues, Teri Polo…I’m not sure what her angle is, but it’s a bad one. I suppose it’s the old “who knows what’s going on in anyone else’s relationship” thing, but her husband seems very sweet, remembering their anniversary and wanting to immortalize her horrible tramp stamp in frosting. Or maybe he really is a jerk. No one wants their tattoo mistake all spelled out in cake. Or maybe that’s the best, and most delicious, way to deal with one’s tattoo mistake. Now that Ben has met the guy, I’m sure (hoping) it will be harder (pun intended) for him to carry on with Teri Polo, but who knows. Sex is a hell of a drug.

I’m with you in wanting Ben to just get this over with and get back with the group, though, really, where is Ben’s place in the group now, which includes two ex-girlfriends and the guy his ex-girlfriend dumped for Ben? Not exactly a comfortable situation. But this is TV, and on TV any relationship can be mended. So I’m sure we’ll be seeing Ben and Felicity hooking up again, at least friendship wise.

As far as the dog thing goes, it just felt so lazy. Though it did provide concrete proof of Felicity’s sex issues. (Yes, Elena was mean in pointing them out, but she wasn’t wrong.) Felicity was definitely using the dog as an excuse to avoid boning David, which tells me she really didn’t want to bone him in the first place. Evidently that changed by the end of the episode, or she just talked herself into doing it. Who knows. Either way, I don’t see a lot of hope for her future with her art teacher’s son.

I’m a big fan of Julie and the random movie quote that has invaded her vernacular. I have a ton of those, so many that sometimes I don’t even realize they’re quotes anymore. Some of them even come from this short film I wrote and my friends filmed about ten years ago. That’s when you’ve reached a new low — quoting your own movie (Actually, I shoehorned one of these quotes into my YA novel manuscript. An Easter egg for all six people who saw, an love, Bloodnog).

What did we miss? Javier’s cat?

Emma: They should definitely make that show, as being caught between generations means we don’t get awful a Time think pieces, but we also miss out on self indulgence/narcissism and sometimes I want that; the Catalano generation should be a thing and I think to some extent it is. I was terrified of sex for both pregnancy and STD related reasons and here comes my first Mean Girls reference for Felicity (!) as it reminds me of the sex ed class stating that sex equals death.

Ben and Teri Polo is exactly what we’ve been talking about when it comes to this character as he’s always changing who he is and he’s doing it all over again. I’d like to see him grown a spine and dump her. I love that she has a Filofax as I remember thinking that having one of these meant you were a real adult. It’s just occurred to me that Filofax might not be a US thing, is this a day planner to you guys?

Yeah you’re right about the movie quote thing and sometimes they stick for random reasons – it’s because of Donnie Darko that “go suck a fuck” is my go to joke insult and I guess it sounds weird when you haven’t seen the movie – I also like that certain quotes aren’t restricted to one time or one group of friends. Julie has now passed this one on and it now means something in her past and present.

The tone has been a whole lot less angsty and even though there are arguments and the like it hasn’t felt all that heavy (dog putting down aside). Javier continues to be hilarious and I love how impartial he is and of course his cat looks like that and is called Mummy (it was Mummy, right?). Meghan continues to be hilarious both when she is sick and using Felicity’s Mac without asking first.

They’re leaning a lot towards the female friendships which I’m all for and it’s hilarious when Noel is excluded from the girl chat, but I do wonder if Noel has any kind of dude friends. If only he didn’t have such an issue with Ben and then that would solve Ben’s problem of being isolated in his married lady story. Bonus.

I really liked the scene when Felicity was trying to pick an outfit that was a 3 and Elena kinda lied about her super hot strapless top, but Noel’s slack jaw reaction revealed Elena’s white lie. On this occasion this is a perfectly acceptable use of Elena’s meddling. Of course Felicity changes into her pink sweater which I’m sure she was wearing in the previous episode.

How long do we give David? I’m going two more episodes tops.

Julie: That Mean Girls reference is dead on. Kids, gather ’round. Back in the ’90s all of us were told that you would die if you had sex. That’s actually what happened. Mean Girls doesn’t lie.

We do have a Filofax here, but I think it’s something different from a day planner. Like, a Filofax would sit on your desk; you wouldn’t carry it around with you. Wait. Nope. I just looked up what Filofax is and it’s totally a day planner. I was thinking of a Rolodex. This paragraph is useless.

But, yes, Ben should grow a spine and dump stupid Teri Polo and her Filofax. She is the worst and she made me just go off on a tangent about what a Filofax is.

One of my favorite quotes, a TV quote and not a movie one, is “There’s no Anderson” from Friends. You use it when you’re running your mouth off on a topic you know nothing about.

I think Javier’s cat was either “Mami” or “Mommy.” Probably “Mami,” since he’s Spanish.

David has been in how many so far? Three? If he signed on for a four-episode arc, his days are very numbered.

Anything else to add?

Emma: Teri Polo is good for something now that I know what a day planner really is. And I think you could be right about David.

One final quick thing and that’s Elena calling the dog the ‘r’ word and it was so weird to hear her using this term. It definitely dated the episode and now I’m wondering when this word stopped being something that was casually thrown around like this.

Julie: Oh my yes! I completely forgot about the ‘r’ word. That was jarring, and I’m surprised it was still “OK” to call someone (or something) that back in 1999.

Julie Hammerle is, according to Klout, an expert in the areas of both Morgan Freeman and glasses. Her writing can be found at chicagonow.com/hammervision and you can holler at her on Twitter as well.

Tags: 90s, Felicity, Felicity Porter, Keri Russell, Mean Girls, Teen TV, The Catalano Generation

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Felicity, TV Team-Up
Author Julie Hammerle

The Americans 2.13 “Echo” Review: Finding Meaning and Purpose

22 May

Spy life and family are so intrinsically linked on The Americans because Philip and Elizabeth created theirs to help maintain their cover. Dread has been building all season culminating in a stomach churning finale; going in a soul crushing direction that is completely unexpected and one that explores the overall purpose of these characters and the children they were compelled to have. Compartmentalization is a key component to how Philip and Elizabeth operate and this has been challenged all season, with Philip having a hard time reconciling some of his actions and switching off from the terrible things he has done. Danger has come from outside of their family unit and while I mentioned the threat from within during some of the early season 2 promotional materials, I never expected the twist that has the potential to destroy this family unit.

Paige’s interest in religion came across initially as a way to create conflict in a manner that sidesteps the usual teen rebellion tropes while being fundamentally opposite to her parents’ beliefs. The reason why Philip and Elizabeth have so much disdain towards organized religion is not something they can share with their daughter adding to the already building tension. Elizabeth acknowledged how much Paige is like her a couple of weeks ago and how Paige is looking for meaning in the wrong place. Elizabeth thinks that Paige would benefit from finding meaning and purpose in something bigger than her, so what happens when the KGB reveal their plans to indoctrinate a second generation of illegals who are born to ‘American’ parents on US soil? The twist is particularly insidious because it takes away their children’s choice, repeating the cycle by using the same grand declarations about a cause that is bigger than any one person.

The initial horror comes courtesy of Jared and the discovery of who really killed Emmett, Leanne and Amelia. All this time either Larrick or another unseen force has been the likely culprit and Jared was never a suspect. Jared’s blood spluttering confession is incredibly jarring as he’s done such a good job of protecting his cover and acting the innocent; from his reaction to the bodies in the hotel room, to his tears when Elizabeth first met him. Since Elizabeth first saw Kate meeting Jared out of disguise, she knew something was up and Jared did react far too calmly to the upheaval to his life, not that I ever saw this coming. Philip and Elizabeth both look on in dismay at Jared as he confesses his crime while choking on his own blood and neither of them can hide their shock. They’ve spent so long looking over their shoulders wondering when someone is coming for them and they never contemplated this was a domestic issue wrapped up in the cause.

Throughout this finale (and season) there are many micro gestures and movements often between Philip and Elizabeth as they convey so much to each other without saying a single word. It’s something The Americans excels at and it’s a show that demands you pay attention otherwise the some of the nuance is lost. This happens in this scene after Jared takes his last breath and Philip sinks backwards finally exhaling (mirroring my inner feelings after this intense scene). It’s something Elizabeth does at home before Philip gets back as she rests against the couch in a move that if that piece of furniture wasn’t there and if this show was more melodramatic she would have done so anyway and just fallen to the floor. Exhaustion, relief, fear are all reasons behind this and when Philip and Elizabeth embrace after they have got home from their danger vacation all of these things are communicated in how they are holding each other and in their eyes. Looks in the car between them as they daren’t say anything even if the kids are sleeping show just how in sync they are, well in sync on almost everything.

Simultaneously setting up conflict for next year while tying up the loose ends of this season is expertly handled as Claudia reveals the why of how Jared was recruited against his parents’ wishes. It looks like they are giving Philip and Elizabeth a choice, but really they’re saying the exact same thing to them as they did to Emmett and Leanne; we want your child to work for us and you have no choice. Philip emphasizes the notion that Paige is “our daughter” and yet she is a product of their cover and in this respect she belongs to the KGB and this larger thing they are all part of. This taps into a very specific part of Elizabeth and she has yet to waiver when it comes to their overall purpose. With Philip it is a different story and he has been more prone to disillusion, targeting his daughter is a very good way to add to these feelings.

No matter how united Philip and Elizabeth are, there is always going to be this fundamental difference between them and the Centre could exploit this to get what they want. There is also the danger of what will happen if they do tell Paige who they really are and I think Philip understands there is a chance Paige will reject this path and her parents. Paige is already pissed and confused, she tells Henry that she’s already counting down the days until college when she can escape this “lunatic asylum” and I’m not sure the truth would make her feel any different. It’s a risk and one Elizabeth is contemplating.

Elizabeth has a habit of when it comes to these discussions of cutting them off when it’s not going in a direction she’s happy with and it is a tactic she has been employing all season. In fact this is a way to undermine Philip’s opinions as she switches subjects or calls the kids for dinner to abruptly end a discussion. This leaves it all up in the air for the audience as well and now we are left contemplating just how serious Elizabeth is with this consideration. Cut off sentences and half finished stories are a consequence of the double life and it’s part of why compartmentalizing can be so difficult to comprehend. They discuss Paige while they wait for Fred (RIP) in full disguise and to them it’s the most normal thing in the world.

Sharing stories of their childhood like Elizabeth revealing how at 14 (Paige’s age) she looked after her mother for 10 months when she had diphtheria and she still managed to go to school. Her life was hard, but she made do and this isn’t a complaint and more a statement of fact. Philip begins to share his own tale and his is from when he was a couple of years younger than Henry – both use their own children as a reference point – and we never get to hear how Philip outsmarted the kids who attacked him as they’re interrupted by the police scanner. Whenever they talk about their past they are breaking the rules that were laid out before them and it shows intimacy and trust between them as they peel back the layers of who they were before they became the Jennings.’

So Paige is Elizabeth and Henry’s very much his father’s son; Paige is questioning and dismissive whereas Henry is open and enthusiastic. In a way both are living vicariously through their children as they’ve never had to experience the hardships they had when they were growing up. Philip wants to protect them from ever having to deal with this, it’s why he’s so forceful as reminds Elizabeth “We swore we would never…” The children are meant to be off limits, they are meant to protect them and yet Elizabeth sees Philip’s fear as a slight against who they are and what they do. The through line this season has been family and we’ve hit the point of examining what is more important; family or the cause? For Philip the answer is easy, for Elizabeth it is not so cut and dry and I expect this will dominate the start of next year.

Elizabeth’s desire to tell Paige the truth is also a selfish one as she wants to show her daughter who she really is, as she did with Jared when she turns up at the cabin without her disguise and in a super cool looking leather jacket. To her daughter she is just a very neurotic travel agent and it hurts that she can’t reveal who she really is. I don’t think Elizabeth even contemplates that Paige might reject her; I think this is all Philip thinks about.

For a brief moment I considered the idea that they might kill either Paige or Henry in the finale, but if they had I think this would have driven both Philip and Elizabeth away from the cause. Instead Larrick decided to go with the turning them in option, except he didn’t count on Jared having a gun. Larrick didn’t go out quietly, instead it resulted in a fight that involved both Philip and Elizabeth in handcuffs and the gun Larrick had tucked down the back of his pants being used to kill him. Larrick has been truly terrifying and his unpredictable nature has made him the kind of villain I’d like to see more of on this show.

Philip meets with Arkady for the first time, showing just how serious he is by risking his cover as Arkady is often subject to surveillance. It’s a very brief meeting and one that conveys just how strongly Philip feels about this. We’ve seen how the KGB use manipulation and points of weakness to exert control and I suspect they will attempt to drive a wedge between Philip and Elizabeth to get their second generation spy (this storyline reminds me of “Project Christmas” on Alias). Season 1 focused on the shakiness of their marriage, but this was prior to the bond they have now and I wonder how easy it will be pit them against each other now they are in love.

Because I love magazine covers here is the issue of Rolling Stone Philip picks up to browse while he is talking to Arkady. It is from April 1982 and the “Beware the Pentagon” headline is rather appropriate. Warren Beatty is giving me Peter Gallagher vibes in this photo sans the eyebrows. Also that cover line. Seriously.

Back to The Americans and I’ve almost hit 2000 words without mentioning the other plot of dread as Stan contemplates treason for love. It’s another case of how far someone will go for their country, in this case it’s Stan and protecting the US against the Russians. Despite having nothing in his personal life beyond Nina now that Sandra has moved out and a son who couldn’t give a shit, it is not a simple choice. Stan rejects Sandra’s correct intuition that something is bothering him, showing that even with their recent stranger status, twenty years does count towards something.

Stan didn’t even want to get surveillance reports for Oleg and probably gave himself an ulcer as a result of this so it was always unlikely that he would give over something as huge as Echo even if it was to save the woman he loves. Stan even went through with wearing a wire (giving himself another ulcer most likely) and getting the information (floppy discs!), but running away with Nina and betraying his country is not something someone like Stan is capable of. Like those on the opposite team he has limits and he chose duty over love. But tell Nina he’s sorry. I can’t hold it against Stan for failing Nina and despite some impulsive reactions like killing Vlad; he’s one of the good guys. The FBI is bigger than him and if he betrayed that he would lose his identity and this was laid out in his discussion with Henry in “Stealth.”

So what about Nina? Options have run out and the envelope full of cash Oleg gave her last week is of no help now as she is trapped by circumstance. Nina’s story has been tragic all along and it’s been one long fight for survival since Stan first approached her. There’s no fight left in her as she leaves the Rezidentura as she’s come to accept her fate and there’s nothing she can do to stop her trip to Russia and most likely her execution. Oleg has connections and he clearly loves her, but I don’t think this is enough to save her; if it was he would have used this move by now. The Lenin portrait is so defiant and the framing of Nina next to this shows her own defiance and sadness. This is truly heartbreaking as this character’s resolve and attempts at self-preservation in the face of certain doom has been incredibly compelling, as has Annet Mahendru’s performance.

It’s hard to find fault in any of the performances and another quietly devastating scene comes courtesy of Martha and her desire to have children. Martha doesn’t know if her marriage to Clark is enough and we know it isn’t because of who Clark really is. I’m glad they’re not going down the pregnancy route with Martha at the moment as Philip already has far too much on his plate without this extra concern, but on a personal level I want so much more for this character. Martha is currently proving her worth with the files she is stealing – in Stan’s dream Martha is seen taking a file off the mail robot showing that he is aware of her deception on a subconscious level – and ideally for her it would be best if she can’t give Clark anything that might be useful. This isn’t the kind of show that will let her bow out that easily and it’s significant that Philip becomes aware of the gun that now sits in the same drawer as her bottle opener.

This season has built on the solid foundation from last year and by going deeper into these relationships and setting higher stakes it has gone from strength to strength. It’s hard to sum this all up without a series of hyperbolic statements but it really does deserve all the plaudits and praise. Matthew Rhys has been the season’s MVP as he has been a ball of emotions quietly simmering and then exploding. The pain that is etched on his face for half the season followed by the real joy he gets from spending time with his children (cool dad new car dancing for example) has been a real pleasure to watch. Playing a slightly more balanced role has been Keri Russell and she has been no less exceptional and her pain has often on the quieter, more understated side and the chemistry between the pair is undeniable whether it is spooning on the couch or getting a lot more intimate on the dining room table.

The overall production quality also deserves a special mention as the direction, particularly in “Behind the Red Door” (which I singled out at the time) has been magnificent. The shot above is so simple and yet it highlights the level of dread as Philip and Elizabeth scoop up their kids in the middle of the night and jump in their car. All there is them and the open road and yet it’s never going to be just them as a family and this season finale has made this abundantly clear.

To have a look at our rundown of the best disguises from season 2 head here.

Tags: "Echo", 2.13, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Review, The Americans

Comments 17 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans Best Disguises of Season 2

21 May

Tonight is The Americans finale, concluding what has been an incredible second season as Philip and Elizabeth have skated even closer to danger. The disguises are of course a big part of the aesthetic, so I want to take a look at this season’s best looks and how they represent the ever growing dread and tension from the outset. It is 1982 so the frames are big and there’s a drab quality to a lot of the clothes; this isn’t the neon/bold print 80s that will come later. Generally they don’t want to stand out unless the mission calls for it so there’s a whole lot of short wigs for Elizabeth and era appropriate facial hair for Philip; blending in is what they do best. Oh and there might be some artistic license with what I call these disguises when a real fake name has not been mentioned.

Philip’s flashiest attire appears in the season opener and a wig malfunction for Cowboy Steve leads to the shooting of an innocent teenage boy and a look at how much glue is used to keep this hairpiece on. Not enough by all accounts and I’m guessing Philip has a good quality shampoo to keep his locks from being a gluey mess the entire time. Before disaster strikes, Philip’s Texas drawl and negotiations are going well as he looks rather menacing, if not out of place in his leather/suede combination jacket and aviators.

Matthew Rhys has dubbed this disguise ‘Fernando’ but to me it’s Rust Cohle’s older brother. This costume is an Americans staple and he first used this in the pilot when he interpreted barbecue on a whole new level. It’s a multipurpose look and it’s rather unassuming as he uses it whenever he wants to play a blue-collar worker, allowing him access to areas that might otherwise be off limits. It is also how he came to meet Fred when he broke into his house as an electrician and now he has to wear this every time he meets with him.

Here is one of several wigs that has me asking “How do they fit Keri Russell’s hair under there?” and a recurring cover. This is Ann Chadwick from the Child Advocacy Center and she looks suitably bland. It’s all beige and big frames; there’s not meant to be anything fancy about someone who holds this position.

We first ‘met’ Clark’s sister Jennifer at the wedding last season and Jennifer is a hoot and self-confessed Betty Buttinsky. It’s just as well, as when Clark is indisposed Jennifer can step up to the Martha wrangling plate, even if it means hearing about how Clark is an “animal in bed.” Not something you want to know when it is about your fake brother who is actually the love of your life. Philip and Elizabeth have been relatively solid all season except for the Clark in bed experimentation that goes horribly awry. Aside from this Jennifer is a fun and dorky look on Elizabeth, it’s just a shame it leads to one of the most heartbreaking/fucked up moments of this season.

More bureaucratic disguises and as CIA Security Elizabeth breaks free of those dowdy short wig/glasses chains for something on the funkier side. The same can’t be said about Philip’s facial add-ons. I can picture Valerie and Bob shooting the shit after work in a dive bar together and they’re definitely having an affair on the side. Yes it’s fun making up names and backstories for their covers.

In “Yousaf” it is “bring your sexy disguise to work” day as both Philip and Elizabeth up the hotness ante. Elizabeth is all shoulder pads and plunging necklines, however Gloria Shoulder Pads is a double threat thanks to an interest in current affairs and she uses this as a ruse to get Yousaf to notice her beyond the heels and blonde hair. This is one of the most quintessential early 80s looks they have done so far – just look at that hair flick – and sadly this is all we get to see of Gloria Shoulder Pads as Philip brings in Annelise for the honey trap plot. Philip is reacting to how hesitant Elizabeth has been with using sex this season to get what they need, not that she has overtly said something and it also raises questions about how detrimental their real love is to their seduction performance.

In the same episode Elizabeth plays the unassuming Swimming Sally and pulls an assassination move in the pool. It’s the perfect disguise as the swimming cap and goggles obscure her face. I love the textured look of this swimming cap and how it reads on camera.

Flat caps, beanies and baseball caps are all essential components of ‘light disguise.’ Ditto wearing all black. It’s not as altering as any of the other disguises of course, but not all occasions call for wigs and glasses. Throw in a black turtleneck and this is when they look like classic spies (or maybe a cat burglar).

Vietnam Ted will pay for your meds and listen to your crackpot theories because he knows those theories have weight to them. Ted is Philip’s hairiest look and he also develops a rather gruff speech pattern to add to his disillusioned Vietnam vet demeanor. The brown suede and sheepskin coat looks pretty toasty and considering how much snow has featured this season (thank you Polar Vortex) it’s the ideal outerwear.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow when I will be discussing the season 2 finale “Echo” and for all our coverage on The Americans head here.

Tags: costume design, disguise, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, spies, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 2.12 “Operation Chronicle” Review: “Take it Easy”

15 May

These words from Philip offer little comfort to Elizabeth as she questions how well their own children would handle Jared’s current predicament and she believes this day will eventually come. Family has played an intrinsic part on The Americans this season and remains in focus as we head into the final episode of the year. There is the burden of isolation that runs through all of these characters with some choosing this path of loneliness, while others cling to the relationships they have. Some of these connections are there to serve a greater purpose and yet still produce moments of emotional honesty even if the bonds aren’t real.

One unseen threat – to Philip and Elizabeth – is Larrick as he continues his hunt, building the tension and dread as the episode progresses. How much you can rely on the country you serve is called into question and Paige also feels doubt towards her parents as she continues to (rightly) sense they are lying to her.

A couple of episodes ago I wrote about the kitchen location and how it represents the constant push/pull between their home life and their work; it’s where they spend time with their kids and doing domestic tasks, but it’s also where they debrief and plot. There’s also the rebellious streak with Elizabeth smoking in there and having sex on the dining room table while the kids sleep upstairs. The family they have is part of their cover and the initial union between Philip and Elizabeth was nothing more than part of this setup. Emotions were never meant to come into play, but when you bring children into the world together and really fall for each other, well then it is going to get complicated.

The first season saw Philip and Elizabeth take the first steps towards making this real and in doing so they have become stronger as a couple, however they have also compromised their abilities to remain impartial. With Paige and Henry, Philip might have always been the fun dad and Elizabeth as the disciplinarian but in “Operation Chronicle” we see that Philip has a lot more confidence in their abilities to deal if they were put in the same position as Jared.

Elizabeth is far less certain of this citing the fact they had each other when they first came to this unknown country, plus they had training. The one thing they have in common is their lack of choice. Jared is now heading to a destination unknown – Switzerland, Hungary and Australia are all options – and he’s going to lose any connections he once had. Jared has already lost his family, but to lose everything else that makes up his identity doesn’t sit well with Elizabeth. This feels like a role reversal as Elizabeth is taking the position of questioning the decisions of the Centre; this isn’t her duty to her country talking, but the promise she made to a friend and her instincts of being a mother. It’s not like Philip is shoulder shrugging the whole thing, but he’s of the more pragmatic school of thought on this one.

When it comes to their own kids, Philip has faith in them pointing out how smart Paige is and while Henry is still a kid, who knows in a couple of years? In fact we’ve seen Henry’s capacity for defending both himself and his sister when he smashed a bottle of beer over the creepy duck feeding dude last season. Plus he knows how to break and enter, even if it is just to play video games. Henry also provides some pop culture analysis this week discussing the first Star Trek movie (which he is not a fan of) and the forthcoming Wrath of Khan (which he thinks has some potential thanks to Khan, but he doesn’t have high expectations) so hey he could be a movie critic. Get in there Henry, while there is still money in it.

There continues to be tension between Paige and her parents, with Elizabeth on the receiving end of Paige’s disappointment this week thanks to a work emergency. The emergency is real (Jared), but of course they concoct a semi-believable lie to throw Paige off the scent. Paige listens in on their phone call, but the click of the receiver reveals her presence and her parents are far too experienced to fall for this. Paige wanted to pack her bags for her big protest trip with her mom and this disappointment is genuine; yet another occasion where their work has got in the way of spending time with their kids. Paige talks to Pastor Tim – who I get a creepy vibe off, it might be his hair – about her parents and how she thinks they both could be having an affair and whatever it is, she doesn’t believe anything they say anymore. The magic is gone and her instincts are right, I mean they have both technically had affairs, it’s just there’s no way Paige would ever think they were something as dramatic as KGB spies.

The above outfit would not look out of place now proving that plaid is a timeless pattern that transcends the decades of the latter half of the twentieth century and this one we are currently in.

Oh hey it’s Elizabeth’s disguise she used a few weeks ago when she went to an AA meeting and now she’s using this as a cover to help push Fred towards getting what they need with the RAM paint samples. It’s appropriate that these two disguises are paired together as Philip had his moment of despair while wearing this attire in the same episode as Elizabeth’s post AA share session. Stan mentioned how KGB spies would look for weakness and exploit it and Philip and Elizabeth are doing just this with Fred. Fred is a loner and so Emmett used tales of his family to make Fred feel wanted and part of something, by bringing Elizabeth along to this meeting Philip is doing the same thing. They also appeal to Fred’s sense of superiority and this achieves the response they want as he agrees to going through with their plan.

Let’s take a moment to look at this stunning shot of Fred in the snow and looking as isolated as it comes – oh hey thanks Polar Vortex for helping create these shots even if it’s the worst to shoot in.

The reasons behind helping the cause are varied; for Elizabeth and Philip it’s how they were raised, with Larrick it’s blackmail, for some it’s money, others think their government is corrupt and deserves it and for someone like Fred it’s there chance to be a somebody and belong. Loyalty and trust are hard to come by and while Philip and Elizabeth now implicitly trust each other, it hasn’t always been the case. This is one of the benefits of falling in love and while it has had a negative impact on how well they do their job at times, this kind of trust is not the kind that can be bought. Of course they still have very different processes and Elizabeth’s hot headed nature is the kind of thing that could put them in danger, it has put them in danger in fact. Philip is more emotional in general, but more measured in the field and as they come up against the unseen Larrick I wonder if either of them is really prepared for what they will face.

Martha’s figured out one of Clark’s secrets and that’s his ‘toupee’ situation. Philip is quite taken aback by this, but there’s no way that thing that sits on his head feels like actual hair. If anyone was wondering whether Martha and Clark use any form of protection the used condom disposal answers that question, but uh oh as Martha wants to have kids with Clark. This isn’t up for discussion and now I’m wondering if Martha will go to any kind of extremes to get what she wants.

As Clark, Philip discusses why having kids in this line of work is a bad idea and this applies to his real life, but the kids he had are part of that cover. Those kids, like Jared are a product of a larger plan they are unaware of and these children are caught in the crossfire (for Amelia the literal kind). It’s a complex scheme because their children are going to be their number one priority and they’ve been told to produce something they will be more loyal to than the country they are serving. Elizabeth is the more staunch believer and her reaction and instant desire to protect a child that is not even hers shows the lengths she would go to if there was a threat to either Paige or Henry. Family trumps country.

What about a lover? Stan is being asked to betray his country to save Nina’s life and while she’s playing him, her life really does hang in the balance if he doesn’t come through. Stan’s been going through it this season and I’d really like to see him get a win, as long as this doesn’t cause Nina’s death, nor negatively impact Philip and Elizabeth. Stan has been tasked with getting information on Echo (the title of the finale) to save Nina and Nina has another benefactor in Oleg as he gives her an envelope stuffed full of cash if she has to go on the run. Where would Nina go? Like Jared, Nina would end up somewhere unknown and alone and the connections she has made, both real and fake would end here. Stan is also pretty isolated as Sandra’s moving in with this other guy and his son can barely look at him; unlike the Jennings’ kitchen which is generally full of warmth (Bible destruction aside), the Beeman’s couldn’t feel anymore sterile or unwelcome. Not even a pilfered VHS copy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show can win Stan cool dad points.

Taking it easy is a luxury none of these characters can afford, especially when there is a silent threat stalking them. The seen and the unseen is an important concept as there is a lot of blind loyalty and following orders from someone they never see. In losing Kate and their answering service George, they have lost their physical connection to what they are trying to achieve and now they are being sent short messages with missions that serve the cause, but don’t protect them from other dangers. Larrick and Stan threaten Philip and Elizabeth for very different reasons and Larrick poses a far bigger menace to the personal safety of their family. One other source of peril is Philip and Elizabeth themselves as while they are a more united than they have ever been before, there does still exist conflict between them and how they deal with the problems they encounter; could this be the real enemy within?

With just one episode to go the crackling tension that has been building all season is about to boil over and I have a feeling we are in for some heartbreak come next week. How many physical and emotional casualties will there be? As with last year my worries lie at the feet of both Nina and Martha.

Tags: "Operation Chronicle", 2.12, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Review, The Americans

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Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

TV Rewind: Felicity, “The Depths” and “Crash”

8 May

Felicity, Episodes 2.4 & 2.5
“The Depths” & “Crash”
Original Air Dates: Oct. 17 & 24, 1999

Emma: These first few episodes focus on the relationships that have been impacted by Felicity’s choice at the end of last season and what I think is really smart is how the show gives the audience a chance to breathe by laying off any kind of Ben/Felicity post breakup interaction until episode 5. By doing this she gets to repair the relationship that clearly means the most to her, at least on a friendship level, and that’s Noel, as well as addressing her not BFF status with Julie.

At the end of the last episode after Felicity has been publicly humiliated in class for her interpretation of hands (which, as I said last time, look more than fine to me, anyone would think she drew stick figure hands), Noel took all his anger and made the first steps towards forgiveness. This continues in the next two episodes and while there is still plenty of awkwardness between them – which Elena has no time to deal with and her lack of filter is wonderful – it’s so much better and I’m so happy to have it like this again. Felicity mentions to Noel that things are different with Julie as despite coming across on the surface as besties, they never had the same intimacy (and not the kissing kind) that Noel and Felicity had. Friendships with the opposite sex are so misrepresented on TV and movies because this closeness always ends up in a will they/won’t they and while I can be quite the shipper (as I have been with this show), it would also be good to see this kind of friendship just be friends – slightly related as I’m pretty sure The Vampire Diaries is about to destroy my favorite platonic ship. So with Noel and Felicity, I’m quite looking forward to seeing them going back to just friends. If only Amy Smart was not in the picture because she is the worst, that whole thing about touching someone’s hands to find out what kind of work they do made my eyes roll so hard.

So this all ties in with Julie, as Julie has written and performed a song about Felicity, something which Meghan thinks is pretty much the best thing ever. Felicity is less than thrilled; and if I hadn’t been watching a lot of The Americans recently, I would have been shocked to hear Felicity talk about punching Julie in the face. But I’ve seen Keri Russell punch a lot of faces now. This song is what prompts Felicity’s assertion that Julie never operated at Noel friendship level status and it’s something we’ve both been saying for a long time now, so I’m glad to see this show is on the same wavelength as us.

In a slightly contrived situation Felicity and Julie end up on the same subway train and it just so happens that it stops between stations for hours (thanks to someone getting hit, they’re not too specific but I guess trains never are when stuff like this happens). It’s the perfect time to hash out these bad feelings and what better than 20 strangers with various issues adding their many opinions to this fraught discussion?! It’s pretty ridiculous but as a process to air grievances it works for me.

What did you think of the set up? Are you glad to see how Felicity and Noel are handling being friends again?

Julie: The stopped train thing, which took up a big chunk of the episode, was completely ridiculous, but also completely expected. It’s not like we’ve never seen this sort of “people stuck somewhere/big truths revealed” thing before. I thought it was handled pretty well. One guy was peeved at the girls for being so caught up in problems that are not problems at all. He’s trying to get a loan for a house, not arguing with a friend over a stupid boy. And then there was the lady who posited that all problems are relative, which is also true. And then a lawyer jumped into the fray, and he was just annoying as hell. Really, that was where this storyline lost me. No attorney worth his salt would’ve gotten involved in this conversation. If he were commuting to work, he would’ve been either a) asleep or b) working or c) reading/watching a movie. Also, that actor was horrible.

How about the mole people? Did you see the Meghan reveal coming?

Anyway, I love that the show addressed the thing we’d been talking about all along — Julie and Felicity were never great friends to begin with. They’ve been kind of frenemies all along, what with Julie hooking up with Felicity’s crush and then calling Felicity an inexperienced virgin and finally Felicity traveling cross country with Ben. They never had the easy rapport Felicity displays with either Noel or Elena. And it was the song that finally got them talking. Maybe they can start over and grow to become the kind of friends they always assumed they were.

I am so glad that Felicity and Noel are back to talking. The two of them together (plus Elena, especially in the second episode of the two we watched this week) are my favorite part of this show. I know the show eventually drags us back into the will they/won’t they Team Noel situation, but right now I’m just enjoying Scott Foley being fun and funny and not mooning over Felicity. And, yeah, if only Ruby could GTFO really soon.

The other thing this episode was the addition of Teri Polo as Ben’s Older Woman. What did you think of this episode? Was it a little early for one of the characters to be getting involved with a cougar? I mean, 90210 waited until at least Season 4.

Emma: Oh yeah that lawyer guy was the worst and it’s such a cheap gimmicky set up to get them to talk about what’s going on. Honestly being stuck underground for that long in a situation like that would make me way more cranky that most of these dudes. Having some teen drama to partake in would either send me over the edge or be incredible entertaining. I’m sure the former is more likely than the latter.

The mole people moment was so bizarre and I kind of want it to be this unexplained Meghan thing. Like this is just something she does. Meghan’s wardrobe continues to be the most amazing collection of awful clothes including a pair of snakeskin trousers in this episode.

The label best friend is so funny when you think about it and I remember at high school feeling this weird pressure to have that best friend, so it makes sense that both Felicity and Julie clung to the first person they met. It’s been a very passive aggressive friendship in a way and both their insecurities has impacted their behavior around each other and this competitive nature hasn’t really been present with Felicity and Elena, even with their academic achievements. They fell out because of a guy, but those cracks already existed and I’m all for shows exploring difficult female relationships.

In the end they both end up at the art gallery, despite going their separate ways which seemed to indicate initially that this relationship is dunzo. The photograph that frames them in this final shot is kinda cheesy in its symbolism, but hey I like a bit of cheese sometimes and it worked for me. The next episode has the pair taking more steps towards being friends again and I’m happy that there are not so many fraught relationships on the show, but I’m glad that they’re not instantly besties again. Julie even gives Felicity dating advice and one thing I’m glad the train conversation addressed was how Julie had given Ben a pass while she was super pissed at Felicity, it’s just one of those things and I think people are always going to pick one person to forgive first. It’s just easier that way.

So we never got to hear Julie’s song which puts us in this interesting position – the folks on the train hear the song but only fragments of the Ben, Julie, Felicity drama. Whereas we have seen everything prior to this, but don’t know how badly the song portrays Felicity (though it sounds like it’s pretty mean). This leaves some mystery and while I’d have liked to hear just how bitchy the song is, I also get why we didn’t. Did you want to hear the song?

The Teri Polo older woman story does seem rather sudden, mostly because it looks like Ben moves on pretty quickly. Also she’s an actress I’ve never really warmed to – including my recentish West Wing first watch – so it instantly got my back up. I don’t mind the older woman story and it was inevitably going to happen as this is a story teen shows love to do and it makes it less creepy that it’s a customer rather than a teacher. Jumping ahead to the second episode what do you make of her going cold on Ben after they slept together? She has a pager which is my favorite thing about ’90s technology.

Oh while I’m on the subject of ’90s moments Noel having a G Shock watch is so utterly perfect for this period and of course Ruby is so impressed that he got it off the internet, which I guess at the time wasn’t all that common. Noel is so cutting edge. I’ve also decided that Noel is probably based on JJ in some respects especially as he loves his Apple products. This is probably a better guess than last season’s initial Zach comparison. Fun Noel is good to have around, just get a better love interest dude.

Julie: The whole “Best Friend” label has always felt icky to me. My “Best Friend” in grade school used to make lists ranking her friends all the time. Sometimes I’d be at the top. Sometimes I’d be second or third. It was kind of an S&M friendship, and this was her way of exerting power over me. Since then, I’ve always had trouble naming anyone my “Best Friend.” If your friend is best enough, I’d like to think everyone would know it without having to label it.

I do love that this show (like My So-Called Life before it) is daring to show the complexities of female friendships. There’s just not a lot of that on TV; even Parks & Rec, which is very pro-gal pal, mostly only shows the women on the show respecting and cherishing one another.

I think they do leave the Meghan-as-mole-person thing unexplained, which I appreciate. We don’t need to know any more than the fact that Meghan wanders around the subway late at night with a group of similarly-dressed people. That is plenty.

As far as Julie and Felicity go, I’m glad we didn’t hear the song. I don’t think it would’ve lived up to the hype that Meghan gave it, and it would either make Felicity look petty or Julie look mean. We didn’t need to hear the song to pick a side. We saw what happened. We lived it.

Teri Polo is totally married. I actually don’t know that, because I don’t remember how her storyline turns out, but that’s my guess. She booked it out of there right quick, and that’s why I definitely think Ben is her sidepiece, which doesn’t make me like her any more than I’m already predisposed to like Teri Polo (i.e. not much; I’m in your camp). You are definitely right that Ben moves on too quickly. It’s like — Boom! — he’s over Felicity. He’s over Julie. He’s over everything. He’s all id at this point, Ben. I believe he certainly thinks with his pants’ head more than he thinks with his head head.

But Felicity is also moving on, sort of, with her professor’s son. What did you think of David and the blind date?

Emma: That Teri Polo theory sounds very plausible, especially as she had to get a new number which is very shady indeed. Ben is the flakiest for sure and I’m kinda sad that we didn’t get an initial Felicity hair reaction. Or he just hasn’t noticed and that would be the most perfect if that’s the case.

Even though it’s SO inappropriate of her professor to set her up and it’s initially an utter disaster, I’m glad Felicity went on that date. She didn’t date during high school and it’s only been Noel and Ben so far which went to a very intense place very quickly. A blind date is just what Felicity needs (incidentally I have never been on a blind date) even if it is a terrible experience. At least she gets to be badass with her French language skills that David didn’t expect she would possess.

There’s something about Felicity that draws people to her that I have a hard time believing she was such a wallflower in high school, I guess she maybe needed a different environment to shine (I sound like a PSA). It might have been the French or David just realised what a drunk dick he’s been as he comes begging for another chance. I love that Felicity doesn’t just accept his apology and she lets him know just how awful he was even if he does have a sad story to explain his behavior (this breakup story reminded me of Before Sunrise and why Jesse is in Europe as I only watched this for the first time recently). It’s no excuses and Meghan’s open jaw reaction to Felicity’s tirade is amazing. Meghan gives amazing reaction face.

Felicity does go on a second date and it’s a lot better than the first, they even hold hands which is pretty adorable. The only point that made me frown at Felicity was during her closing tape to Sally as she explains why she didn’t tell Noel about David – it’s weird for Felicity to talk about the B list date with an A list guy. I get that she’s trying to explain Noel’s position, but this labeling came across as kinda snobby on this occasion. Am I being too harsh on Felicity? Also why do you think Felicity could tell Ben about David and not Noel?

Julie: Ben totally hasn’t noticed Felicity’s hair! What a dumbass. He is so clueless. At this point, he’s going to need to do a lot of work to even make me consider joining Team Ben. Noel definitely has the edge right now.

I was happy that Felicity stuck up for herself with David, and that they did have a nice second date together, but a big part of me wishes she had just told him off and had that be the end of it. Why did he have to have the sob story? Why did he have to acquit himself so nicely on the second date? And, really, other than her French speaking, what was it that compelled him to even seek her out for a second date? The whole thing just feels like a way to shove Felicity into a new love situation that doesn’t involve Ben or Noel. Why can’t Felicity do the Mindy Lahiri thing and date a new guy every episode for a while? Why does David have to turn out to be kind of a nice guy? It’s all too tidy.

Also, I’m wondering if Felicity isn’t starting to see Noel in a more romantic light right now because of his dalliance with stupid Ruby.

Anything else?

Emma: I would love to see “Felicity dates…” and then just a parade of hot dudes from the late ’90s. The David thing was extra weird as I mentioned on Twitter as I watched Elementary after this and there he was kidnapping Joan. It is a bit too easy that he’s this good guy in the end, they should just let some people be jerks and there’s always some kind of redemption angle.

I think you could be right about Felicity’s reason behind her withholding from Noel and with Ben she seemed more curious than jealous that he had an older lady thing occurring.

We do need to talk about the excellent Noel and Elena bonding subplot over video games that Elena dismissed initially before her competitive nature got the better of her. The only consoles I’ve owned myself are a Megadrive and a Game Boy, we do have a Wii and a PS3 but I use the latter for watching things on and I’m definitely not what you would call a gamer. I tend to be terrible at video games and I have little patience to get any better so I’m definitely the Felicity in all of this. So Noel has got himself a PlayStation and considering how much he likes tech stuff this isn’t a surprise and because I don’t know games all that well I have no idea what they are playing. Whatever it is, it is addictive and Noel blows off class to play. Soon Elena gets sucked in and they become incapable of paying attention to anyone else. This includes ignoring phone calls and blowing off plans. We only get Ruby on the phone in this episode, which pleases me.

It all goes too far when Noel makes a kid cry and I love how disheveled both Elena and Noel look by this point. Now they could just go on YouTube for a walkthrough rather than relying on a 7 year old.

What did you think of this subplot?

Julie: How did I completely forget about the video game subplot? I loved it! I have been known to become addicted to video games periodically. I spent too much of my 20s enveloped in the Sims universe, suffering a very brief relapse around Christmas last year. We have a PS3, which we’ve just started to use for video games, since my son is into Legos and there are several Lego games. He and I have also become hooked on Skylanders, which is really the most brilliant money-making scheme of all time. Seriously. The creators should be giving seminars.

During freshman year of college, we used to rent a Nintendo 64 console from Blockbuster (how old am I?) during finals week and everyone would congregate in one room and play Bond or MarioKart whenever they had time. After freshman year, John bought his own Nintendo 64, and we’d spend too much time playing the aforementioned games along with Diddy Kong Racing and Mario Golf. I’m sad to say that the console died recently when our basement flooded, taking the Diddy Kong cartridge along with it.

Anyway, yeah. I loved how Elena and Noel had to go old school and get the 411 from a kid (or they could’ve bought one of the game books that we all used to devour back in the day). It’s so much easer in 2014 with the YouTubes and all.

Also, yes, Noel and Elena hanging out > Noel and Ruby hanging out any day of the week.

Julie Hammerle is, according to Klout, an expert in the areas of both Morgan Freeman and glasses. Her writing can be found at chicagonow.com/hammervision and you can holler at her on Twitter as well.

Tags: "Crash", "The Depths", 90s, Felicity, Keri Russell, Teen TV

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Felicity, TV Team-Up
Author Julie Hammerle

The Americans 2.11 “Stealth” Review: Making a Difference

8 May

Even when Philip and Elizabeth disagree on how to deal with their daughter’s new found interest in religion, they present a united front and this harmony has been developing since the pilot episode. Family has been in focus this season and the idea of making a difference comes to the forefront this week; it is why these characters take the risks they do. This takes several different forms and since Jared’s family was murdered in the premiere the fear for their own kids and Elizabeth’s sense of duty to her fallen friends has taken over.

Stan’s visit to Jared poses a threat on several levels; an ideological one as Elizabeth doesn’t want an American to reveal they were KGB and a more immediate danger as he’s once again looking for the illegals who just happen to be them. Larrick’s revenge mission is fueled by the deaths at the Contra camp and while we don’t know if he has any personal connection to the men Philip and Elizabeth killed, they could just be symbolic brothers to him.

Starting with Larrick and he once again proves what a terrifying enemy he is as he barely questions Kate before he snaps her neck. Larrick is picking off those who Elizabeth and Philip rely on for contact with the Center as he continues his quest to find them. Larrick wants to put an end to this mess, which he in part blames himself for. Unlike Stan who works within certain parameters (which he has broken in the past with Vlad), Larrick is dangerous because he doesn’t appear to have a stopping point and it’s all about self-preservation. Larrick is pissed that he’s had to do so much to damage his country, but he’s done it regardless and when it comes to finding Philip and Elizabeth there’s no guessing what he will do to achieve this objective. Even though he said he didn’t kill Emmett, Leanne and Amelia can we trust him? Threatening or even killing Paige or Henry doesn’t seem beyond the scope of what Larrick is capable of.

Larrick is also doing a very good job of covering his tracks and he removes any trace of his presence in Kate’s apartment. This includes untying her dead body from the ceiling fan and putting everything back as it was. Kate does leave a message behind on the cardboard toilet roll tube showing she’s not the dolt Philip might have suspected she was and she valiantly fought against Larrick, but his size and experience overpowered her. Kate’s last act of defiance involved spitting in his face and not everyone can be coerced into betraying their country. I’m sad to see Kate go so soon as Wrenn Schmidt barely got to scratch the surface with this character; who will be their next handler and will they be up to the high Jennings standard?

“Stealth” is very much a table setting episode as the tension and unease continue to grow. The Jennings’ have a list of issues they have to deal with and thankfully Philip seems to have recovered from his brief personal torment a few weeks ago. This isn’t to say that this isn’t going to resurface at any point, but at the moment he is very much focused on the mission at hand. Larrick is one threat and he’s not alone as Stan continues to connect the dots with the illegals and Emmett and Leanne, not to mention the Paige drama that continues. It’s all a balancing act and in part it’s why Elizabeth relents so quickly when Paige asks to go to a demonstration. Paige asks at a time when her parents have much bigger concerns and her pre-planned “Who I am and what I think and believe is mine. I’m me” speech isn’t really necessary – it’s annoying in a way when you have a whole argument ready and your parents say ok straight away. I understand why Paige decides to plead on a personal level as earlier Elizabeth refuses to explain why she can’t go to camp beyond the vague and frustrating “Because I’m your mother” and there’s no way to argue against this kind of reasoning.

In the final scene Elizabeth has an epiphany about her daughter as she notes how similar Paige is to her and how they both want to make a difference, however Paige is looking in the wrong place. Elizabeth talks earlier in the episode about how she doesn’t want Paige to get indoctrinated, but this is also what has happened with Elizabeth and Philip with Communism; it’s just a different kind of ideology and there’s probably a lot of similarities between the Young Pioneers camp that Nina spoke of last week and what Paige wants to do with her summer.

This is the “they’re just like us” portion of the week and Stan’s desire to do something worthwhile is not all that different from why Elizabeth and Philip do what they do. Stan’s work is more transparent as he can talk to Henry for his school project about his job in a way Philip never could. There’s a hint of envy when Philip asks Stan to do the hero paper with his son as while his cover job is kind of boring, he would get hero status for what he is doing if they were back in Russia. Stan doesn’t see himself as a hero and the fantasy of the FBI comics he read as a kid chasing down the bad guys outside movie theaters is nothing like his reality and he seems ashamed of his commendation. Feelings of guilt might be overshadowing this joy with his betrayal to his country over the documents he gave Oleg, or because he killed someone in cold blood and then received an award for killing someone else. Being an FBI hero sure looks different to the days of gangsters and Henry’s surprise at the existence of these comics shows just how much the world has changed. Stan still has the desire to make a difference and do something good; this requires compromise and getting your hands dirty and it is something both Philip and Elizabeth know so well.

The grass is always greener and all that as Stan is still very taken with Philip’s new car and his own disintegrating marriage mirrors where we found Philip and Elizabeth at the beginning of the show; the gulf between Sandra and Stan has grown as Philip and Elizabeth’s marriage gained strength. The framing of Stan and Sandra’s scenes has reflected this distance all season and this technique is used once again as they discuss whether their marriage is over. In every sense beyond them saying it out loud it has been done for a long time and there’s no emotional connection between them beyond nostalgia for what they were.

Stan’s got other problems to deal with as Nina comes to him doing some damsel in distress posturing as she explains her deception has been discovered and while Nina is in a very precarious place, we know part of this plea is a manipulation as Arkady has known for a long time. They are using Nina to get Stealth information from Stan as he has the clearance they need, but Nina will get sent home and face a trial for treason if it all goes wrong or so Arkady says. How much of this is part of a bluff or double bluff is unclear and yet I am pretty certain that Arkady wanted Oleg to tell Nina that she is in danger.

Oleg praised Nina earlier this season for not trusting him and in the world they live in there aren’t many people who can be relied on. Philip and Elizabeth have this trust and no matter how much Oleg cares for Nina (and I think he has fallen for her), Nina is caught in a perilous position as she is being used by both sides. The Lenin Young Pioneers pin is a very sweet touch as Oleg has moved from antagonist to confidant. I could be completely wrong and Oleg might still be working all the angles for himself, I just don’t know anymore.

One person who keeps coming up with the goods is Fred as he provides Philip with the necessary person who knows all about the tech side of Stealth and it’s one of the ultimate “Hey! It’s that guy!” Zeljko Ivanek. Ivanek is playing John Skeevers who worked on RAM and has since got cancer that he blames on the paint that was used to suspend microscopic balls as part of technology for Stealth. This introduces us to a new Philip disguise and this one is on the very hairy side. It’s all about finding someone’s vulnerability and using this to their advantage; John’s memory might be a bit unreliable as he can’t remember who Philip is (which also is a bonus), but he is coherent enough to reveal some important detail about the paint and the bad side effects.

Jared is also in a vulnerable position and Stan’s visit prompts Elizabeth to don her short wig and big glasses as she poses once again as someone from the Child Advocacy Center. Elizabeth is feeling guilty for burning Leanne’s letter and Elizabeth feels responsible for him. Jared knows that something is up and boy does this kid break my heart as his eyes plead with her to tell him the truth. Jared also meets with Kate and this is another mystery for The Americans to solve in the next two episodes; why was she visiting him in no form of disguise? Why do they have to get Jared out?

Making a difference and compromise are two key themes in “Stealth” and this episode suggests that achieving both is an extremely difficult task when the stakes are this high. Missions have been going wrong all season and as the tangled web grows, Philip and Elizabeth might get to a point where they will have to make a choice between family and their duty to the cause.

Tags: "Stealth", 2.11, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Comments 2 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 2.10 “Yousaf” Review: Mutually Assured Destruction

1 May

The kitchen is the hub of most households and for Philip and Elizabeth this is no different as The Americans uses this location to bookend “Yousaf” and to reunite the pair after another day of emotionally draining spy work. It’s a significant location as it’s where most of the interactions with the kids take place – we barely ever see their living room – and this week Philip and Elizabeth are taking risks with what they are doing in this communal and open space. In the last episode Philip went to a dark place as he continues to add innocent bystanders to his body count and while he is far from being in a good place, his ability to compartmentalize has kicked in.

Danger comes at them from all angles and as we head towards the climax of the season certain threads are coming together including Stan’s investigation into the illegals he was pursuing last year. That’s not the only threat as Larrick is back in the country and looking for revenge; he is a truly formidable foe who seems capable of doing anything to get what he wants. Personal feelings are threatening the balance of everything and it is only going to get messier as everyone has their finger on the trigger and it only takes one person to ruin the whole precarious environment they are part of.

Philip and Elizabeth are certainly in more tune with each other this year and yet there are still plenty of things they disagree on with how they approach work and family responsibilities. Let’s start with work and Philip’s attempts to protect Elizabeth have left him in a vulnerable position. Elizabeth shows she is more than capable with the assassination end of the business and yet she’s been less comfortable with some of the more intimate activities they have to partake in. It is not something Elizabeth has explicitly pointed out to Philip and yet he’s definitely picking up on her hesitance when it comes to this kind of work, even if she assures him she is more than capable. This is also the first time we have seen them get intimate since Elizabeth’s misguided desire to sleep with ‘Clark’ and what better place to hook up than in your kitchen. Philip is more worried about the kids smelling Elizabeth’s cigarette at the end of the episode than he is of them walking in as they do it on the dining table, but hey after what Paige saw in the premiere there will be no more sneaking around the house in the middle of the night for her.

Last week Philip pretty much cut himself off from everyone as he emotionally spiraled and by coming home and reaching out to Elizabeth in this way he becomes stronger again. It’s more complicated this season as their new found shared love is both a hindrance and a savior. It’s what we saw when Philip came home after his night with the Mossad agent as he found peace with his wife on the sofa in a brief quiet respite before the day started all over again.

Home is rather fraught as the Paige religion debate rages on and Philip’s feeling pretty shitty for his outburst last week; Elizabeth reassures him that what he did wasn’t wrong as Paige was disrespecting them and she tells Philip about the middle of the night kitchen cleaning punishment she dished out. Philip’s back in fun dad mode, including a super adorable, but maybe trying too hard pre-April Fool’s joke on Henry as he tries to repair some of the damage from the Sunday meltdown. He is open to Paige’s request to go to a Bible camp for 3 months, way more receptive than her mother who finds the perfect reason to tell her she can’t go when she discovers Paige’s attempts at forging Elizabeth’s signature. Their parenting styles differ greatly and Elizabeth accuses Philip of letting Paige walk all over him – tell that to the Bible that is now missing several pages. Paige is also pretty pissed and rightly so as the reason behind their distaste for religion is vague, we know why they are so worried, but to Paige they’re being completely unreasonable. It’s also hilarious that drinking or taking drugs are activities that are probably preferable to Elizabeth when it comes to her daughter, to her religion is a drug. Factoring in Henry’s recent break and enter jaunt and his lack of punishment beyond guilt and she’s right to tell her mother it is bullshit. I am disappointed in Paige’s terrible attempt to get rid of the evidence; she might get her ability to lie from her parents, but not this piss poor evidence disposal.

Discussions about Paige going to camp and Elizabeth’s fear she will come back a “Jesus freak” are intersected with mission talk. So when Elizabeth is done talking about it she simply changes the subject to Anneliese. Anneliese is someone we haven’t seen since the second episode of season one even though Philip has been maintaining this relationship and between Martha, Anneliese and Elizabeth, Philip is juggling a lot of fake declarations of love with one real one – no wonder he looks so tired. Instead of putting Elizabeth in a potentially dangerous sexual situation he palms it off to Anneliese who appears to be a willing participant. This is until she sleeps with Yousaf and is disgusted at what Philip got her to do asking “What kind of man are you?” It’s a question that keeps coming up and this time he uses his fake love and the cause as an excuse. Philip’s assertion that this kind of work is “not something I take lightly, ever” is an honest one, it’s just he’d rather use case anyone but Elizabeth to be the honeypot, even if she has the more physically dangerous mission this week.

After weeks of Rust Cohle’s brother disguises and various workmen uniforms, it’s good to see Philip looking rather debonair in his fancy suits and think rimmed glasses. I wonder if it’s going to be a problem that Anneliese has seen pretty much his real face (sans glasses) and with slightly more slicked down hair.

Not to be outdone on the hot stakes is Elizabeth’s Yousaf seduction outfit as she borrowed his newspaper in a jacket showing off the true hero of the 1980s – shoulder pads – she caught his attention as well, before Philip chose to go in a different direction. At the moment Philip is the person who decides how they’re playing the spy work, while Elizabeth rules the roost at home.

Most shows have cute moments over dinner or drinks; The Americans does this while discussing how to give someone a heart attack and the pill that will stop Elizabeth from being affected. Elizabeth is the most unassuming of the pair with something like this and it goes off without a hitch – a rarity this season. Elizabeth’s costuming is dominated by white and black in “Yousaf” and the white swim cap is a striking part of her inconspicuous look. It’s also one of the simplest disguises yet as the goggles obscure her entire face. If only everything they did took place in a pool.

Respect is something Philip and Elizabeth demand from their daughter and yet they are both rather dismissive of their handler Kate. The problem with Kate is her inexperience and her lack of intuition as she complains that if they mess up her “head will roll” in the figurative sense, with Philip hammering home the point that if they mess up then they’re dead. Not that it looks like Kate is particularly safe as Larrick’s trail leads to the KGB’s phone intelligence service in DC with Kate’s phone being the one he calls. Larrick is a terrifying foe as he’s a trained killer and he doesn’t appear to have many scruples. Larrick’s also a man of many faces, except he uses his the entire time and just changes his clothes depending on what information he needs to access.

Mutually assured destruction is discussed in an explicit manner between Arkady and Gaad as the Vlad case has been put to bed with Gaad getting reinstated. There’s a cycle of actions that took place by mistake in a way as the murder of FBI agent Chris Amador had nothing to do with the Cold War; it was at the hands of a KGB officer, just for very different unfortunate reasons. A covert war means not owning up to things and the domino effect from one mistake can be huge and it’s why everything is in such a heightened state. At the moment Larrick is running around trying to find Philip and Elizabeth, as is Stan and even though they’re on the same team their motives differ greatly. Stan has also stumbled onto something with the Emmett and Leanne murder case as thanks to Gaad’s briefcase observation they now know there’s way more to this crime than a simple unsolved murder. When Stan questions Jared about any secrets his parents had it is heartbreaking to watch this boy get defensive and then soften to Stan as he believes Stan wants to find out who was responsible. In a way this is exactly what Stan wants, but he’s also manipulating him to help with his illegals end game.

As you can see in the shot above the snow really adds to the aesthetic of The Americans and both this and Hannibal are benefiting from the heavy snowfall the East Coast had early this year, even if it’s probably a nightmare to shoot in.

Nina is going full 80s with her hair as she continues to live the tangled life she was bemoaning to Oleg about earlier in the episode as Stan tells her about his illegals theory and Sandra’s affair. Stan doesn’t know why he is telling her about his marital problems, but secrets are there to be shared and he has to unburden his soul to someone. If only he knew that Nina is also sleeping with Oleg and not as part of a ruse, they actually look like they’re enjoying each other’s company even if they are from very different backgrounds. With the Russian characters there is always a push/pull between what they didn’t have growing up and what they have access to now and Nina is very much like Elizabeth as she longs for the simplicity, even if she didn’t have much beyond a pin of Lenin from Young Pioneers. Everything is a commodity on The Americans and stealth technology is the biggest of them all at the moment. It’s what Oleg is investing all of his time in and it’s what everyone is risking their lives either to protect or obtain.

Ending the day with an illicit cigarette in communal spot like the kitchen is the least of Elizabeth’s concerns and I love that a scene this quiet ends such a frantic and tense episode. It is only going to get more fraught and so Philip and Elizabeth should enjoy this momentary peace while they can.

Tags: "Yousaf", 2.10, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Review, The Americans

Comments 11 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

TV Rewind: Felicity, “Ancient History”

24 Apr

Felicity, Episode 2.03
“Ancient History”
Original Air Date: Oct. 10, 1999

Julie: We left off last time with The Haircut, which deserves some capital letters. This was The Haircut that killed Felicity, the show not the character. Season 1, Felicity was a critical darling and cult hit. With The Haircut in Season 2, people started to wonder what they ever saw in this show anyway.

Which is really not fair. We’re only three episodes in and I see Felicity doing some pretty great stuff. During freshman year, Felicity (the character) was all about overthinking things and, ultimately, not acting on them. But as a sophomore, she is ready to take charge of her life, even if that means stumbling a little bit.

The first drastic step we saw last week: Breaking up with Ben. In the wake of all that drama, Felicity turned to her local barber and asked for the Justin Timberlake. She is now sporting an itsy bitsy curly pixie.

I think it’s adorable on her. She looks great. She has such a fantastic, angular face, the big hair was a little too much for her. And I love what they’re doing with her clothes and makeup so far this season. She’s wearing a little darker lipstick, and the cute tank tops. She just seems breezy at this point, not the high strung girl in all the sweaters. Of course, it is only September right now in Felicity Land. We haven’t yet stumbled into fall.

I do want to say one more thing about the hair: It gets worse. I think the Powers That Be from the show or the network, realized that this was a Colossal Mistake, and they had Keri Russell start growing it out right away. I’m pretty sure junior year is simply one big hair fail, if I can remember correctly. But right now, freshly shorn, she looks fantastic.

Before we move on to other matters, what say you about The Haircut?

Emma: So The Haircut! Since we started our Felicity endeavor it feels like it has been leading to this point and while Noel or Ben is one aspect I had heard mentioned repeatedly, the reference to the show-killing haircut is pop culture legend. So I was expecting something WAY worse and as you mention it actually really suits her, the DVD box cover (the same DVD which also includes a description on the back of something that happens at the end of the season?! WHAT?! Yeah I’m still mad about this) clearly shows the growing out disaster and I’m sad they back pedaled this quickly. When it aired do you remember it being a huge deal?

Now as someone who has gone for the drastic chop on more than one occasion (which I have written about here) I know how amazing and terrifying it feels. The reason I cut mine was never as drastic as Felicity, I just suit shorter hair better and neither did I have the incredible amount of curls that Felicity has. The stranger reaction could come across as weird, but with Felicity her curly hair is so distinctive that it’s not surprising she gets so many comments from people she doesn’t know.

I love that Meghan is the first person we see react to it and her verdict is that it’s “wow bad.” Meghan follows this up with how much guys are going to hate it, which is of course a huge generalization as I know guys who both adore and dislike the pixie look on ladies. Micheal Pena is in the former camp, but I think that’s also because he’s still crushing hard on Felicity even after the party incident. There’s also the assumption that Felicity just broke up with someone and this isn’t the only thing Felicity is changing as she’s also dropping pre-med (as Elena predicted when she saw Felicity’s hair). It’s all change around these parts. This change also includes the opening credits where they’ve got both pre and post haircut photos.

Watching The Americans, I’ve got so used to seeing Keri Russell sporting many different hairstyles (including a pixie cut this week) that this hair chop is probably nowhere near as shocking as it would have been a) at the time and b) if I’d only seen her with the mass of curls.

As you mention everything about her seems way more chilled out than last season, even as she makes some pretty big personal changes. Early fall in New York really suits her.

What do you think of the reactions to her hair, particularly Noel and his cruel laughter?

Julie: Looking at the covers of the DVD boxed sets, I definitely think junior year is where it gets really bad. It’s like this curly halo around her head with no real style. The super short look is adorable and I wish I had the face/hair to pull it off. I’ve never gone super drastic with a haircut. I usually hover somewhere around shoulder length, though I’m growing it out a bit now for summer. Maybe In the fall I’ll get a Claire Underwood. We’ll see how that goes. (Though I couldn’t go full Underwood; I was not meant to be a blonde.)

The reactions were kind of awesome. I love that random people stopped to tell her they noticed. This is a very high school/college thing, because everybody is always all up in each other’s business even if they’ve never met. And, yeah, Felicity totally stood out because of her hair. Maybe now, with that burden off her shoulders (ha), she can really figure out who she is.

I thought Noel’s reaction was perfect. He had every right to be just the amount of dick he needed to be. Maybe he’s one who doesn’t dig the pixie look (considering the kinds of girls we’ve seen him pursue, I’m guessing that’s the case), so perhaps this was just the thing to help him officially and for real get over Felicity. I loved seeing the two of them together in this episode, not pining over each other or with one crushing on the other, but just dealing with the shitty hand they’ve dealt themselves. They always were great as friends, and it’s nice to see that he’s willing to stick up for her and support her and I like that this means we’ll be able to see more scenes with Noel and Felicity hanging out (with Elena at the cool apartment).

All of this is vague and ignores the fact that Noel found himself in pursuit of not one, but two women in this episode. What did you think of Brigid and Ruby and Noel? And how do you feel about the other ex-couple (Ben and Julie) mending their fences?

Emma: So at first I read that as Carrie Underwood, which would be a whole other kind of haircut (or extensions I guess) and yes you really should. I’ve always wanted to do the blonde thing but dealing with roots is not something I’d be good at. I like my hair to be as low maintenance as possible.

Noel’s laugh upon realizing who Elena is talking to is so spontaneously mean, but at the same time I can’t really fault him for getting the digs in where he can and I’m glad they’re not making him Mr Nice Guy all of the time. His “It will grow out, right?” remark deserves all the side eye Elena gives him and I’m also happy Felicity basically told him to fuck off rather than turning into a teary mess. Considering how much hair she’s lopped off, she’s not spiralling as much as she could be. What this shows it that while Felicity is prone to making huge, rash decisions – her hair is to season 2 as coming to NYU was to season 1 – when she makes those choices she sticks at it. She’s so thoughtful, but also incredibly impulsive at times and it’s those choices that feel like the right ones.

It’s why she chose Ben over Noel, in her gut she knew she had to see what would happen and even though they’re broken up now, I think for this character and for the story it was the right choice in that moment. Noel wants to know why she chose Ben and instead of giving him an answer she instead asks would it make him feel better if she said it was a mistake? There’s nothing she can say to make up for that summer and that choice, instead they have to learn how to be in the same room as each other considering they are in the same class. Like you I’m happy with how their scenes play out and that Elena’s apartment is no longer a Felicity free zone, even if Richard (!) won’t be too happy about this.

What really gets Noel back in Felicity’s corner is the drawing teacher and several of their classmates shitting all over Felicity’s hand drawings, which in my esteemed art opinion (ha) looked way better than the saggy backpack. They have a heart to heart and it reaffirms one important thing and that’s the close relationship they share that goes way beyond anything romantic. That’s the thing about these two is that they’re besties at heart and the smooching got in the way of this. Noel also tells her that her “hair is not so bad” which I guess is a lot better than laughing in her face.

So onto Noel’s new romantic interests and it turns out that Brigid (no T) gave him a pizza number instead of her own in the last episode. Noel decides to try his luck again, but unbeknownst to him, Bridgid is a lesbian. Bridgid tells Felicity this and at first I thought this was going to turn into some not so hilarious misunderstanding but luckily she tells Noel and he doesn’t react like he did when he found out his brother is gay last season. Brigid also has an extreme zigzag center parting which gave me so many 90s flashbacks and I’m not sure why we ever thought this looked good. I hope she sticks around as a recurring character.

One person I don’t want to be a regular fixture (and IMDB sadly lets me know that she is) is Ruby and I’m sure it’s not all Amy Smart, but urgh is Ruby annoying and pretty self involved. Noel’s totally into her as she’s a Mac person. The instant way to Noel Crane’s heart.

Ah, Ben and Julie and what to make of this. Hmm, well I actually really like the loft dynamic as long as Sean lays off crushing on Julie as I’m worried this could enter creepy territory. I’m glad Julie can forgive Ben, but it’s also kinda BS that she’s pretty much fine with him and not with Felicity. What do you think of this setup?

Julie: Yes, thank you! Richard is BACK.

It’s funny you mention Felicity’s impulsiveness. She comes across as such a labored thinker, but then she goes and does these crazy things and makes these big decisions without a second thought. The most we’ve seen her hem and haw about anything has been over whether or not she wants to be with Ben or Noel.

That art class was just painful. I’ve taken a lot of writing workshops, and you always start with something positive. Even if it’s the worst thing you’ve ever read, you at least compliment the spelling. This art teacher was so mean, needlessly mean. These kids are students; give a little constructive criticism, please.

Brigid’s whole aura is so deliciously ’90s. The zigzag part. The hair strategically escaping from her ponytail. She’s got it all. And she’s our first bonafide lesbian on Felicity, so good for her. She seems delightful, and I’m glad they’ve decided not to just let her “fall for Noel” because he’s so hot he’d turn her straight (that seems more like a future Ben Covington plot line).

Ugh. You’d better get used to Ruby. She’ll be sticking around. And, yes, she’s kind of annoying. What’s with all the freshmen this year? Get a clue. Also, probably part of the Ruby hatred is that Noel seems to dig her, and he and Felicity seem to be getting along so much better. Maybe Ruby appears to be getting in the way of that (though I really, truly like Noel and Felicity as friends right now).

You touched on what really gets my goad about the whole Ben and Julie situation. It’s too easy. She’s too fine with him. I get that the summer has passed, but were Julie and Ben ever really “friends?” He was her savior and her boyfriend, but they admittedly never had any fun together. And yet, she’s still really mad at Felicity. I suppose they (Julie, Ben, and Sean) all lived a happy coexistence, and figured they’d recapture the magic.

What do you think?

Emma: Ugh to the Ruby thing, so far she’s coming across as the kind of person who acts dumb (with both dudes and ladies) but is actually smart and so doesn’t really need to resort to this kind of manipulation. She made me bristle a lot. Random observation time – when Ruby was listing the different kinds of computers she mentioned an iPad. Is this JJ time traveling?

I don’t know how sustainable the loft coexistence happiness is as there’s too much going left unsaid – Sean’s crush, built-up resentment, Felicity – I predict it will all come crashing down around episode 9.

One thing I thought was really smart was the absence of Ben/Felicity scenes, there’s so much going on in the episode and this would have left it feeling over stuffed. It’s more realistic on a campus like this that she would only have run ins with one ex and not two as there’s plenty you can do to avoid someone, like switching shifts at D&D. How heartbroken is Javier by the turn of events?

We don’t get Ben’s reaction to her hair and I’m glad we didn’t yet; if this was now, her haircut would be all over Instagram and the initial shock would come while looking at a smartphone screen rather than in real life. Now I’m longing for some Felicity Instagram shots.

Julie: That’s an interesting call about Ruby being a girl who plays dumb. I don’t remember everything about how her storyline plays out, but that could be true. She definitely feels that way. She got into college, presumably a good college, she can’t be that moronic. The windmills in the Norwegian landscape thing was either dumb, playing dumb, or just one of those dumb things that kids hear when they’re younger and carry with them until someone finally sets them straight. (I thought for longer than I’d care to disclose that you had to present a marriage license in order to book a room at the Sybaris. Do you know what the Sybaris is? You don’t want to go to there.)

I remember there being a big stink made a few years ago about Ruby listing the iPad. My guess is that she was just spouting names and combined a couple of them into iPad by accident. Kind of awesome. Or Ruby is a time traveler, because that would make her character ever so much more interesting.

There should definitely be a What Would Felicity Tweet/Instagram thingy somewhere on the internet. That would be awesome. How many favorites/likes/whatevers would her new hair get?

Emma: I do not know what the Sybaris is, the quick look at that link terrified me.

I think Felicity would get a lot of likes/hearts, especially if she used the right filter/wrote a meaningful blog post about chopping it all off for her and not because of some guy. Also where’s the Buzzfeed “Which Felicity character are you?” quiz? That’s something I really want to know.

Julie Hammerle is, according to Klout, an expert in the areas of both Morgan Freeman and glasses. Her writing can be found at chicagonow.com/hammervision and you can holler at her on Twitter as well.

Tags: "Ancient History", 2.03, Felicity, Keri Russell, Scott Foley, Scott Speedman, Teen TV

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Felicity, TV Team-Up
Author Julie Hammerle

The Americans 2.09 “Martial Eagle” Review: “I’m not here to be saved”

24 Apr

A feeling of dread seeps into every corner of The Americans and obtaining secrets is an essential component to winning this war. Philip has been teetering on the edge this season and in “Martial Eagle” those cracks begin to show as he finds it hard to deal with both his cover life and the terrible things he has done recently as part of his real job. It’s a tour du force performance from Matthew Rhys as Philip bounces from his family man persona to whatever wigged wonder is required and he’s struggling to separate the two. One of The Americans overarching themes is duty and Philip struggles to reconcile these aspects and maintain his breezy Philip Jennings persona.

While both seasons are about Philip and Elizabeth, I would suggest that season 1 has more of an Elizabeth focus as she is the one who changed the most over this period, with this year; it has done the same but for Philip. Since Elizabeth was shot it’s like they have switched places as Philip has done the majority of the dangerous work. This isn’t to say that Elizabeth hasn’t been caught in any dangerous predicaments, nor has she been free from making decisions that have ended in death, it’s just Philip has been on the receiving end of these types of moments multiple times his year. Emotions are heightened this season and have been since Emmett and Leanne’s deaths; their deaths have cast a shadow over most episodes whether directly as they hunted for the killer or indirectly now that Stan senses there could be a connection between this and what he is investigating with the DOD and Anton’s kidnapping.

The contra camp infiltration mission goes array as both Philip and Elizabeth resort to killing to save themselves; for Philip this comes at much closer quarters when he cuts open the throat of the person who has caught him taking photos and he ends up covered in blood. There’s something rather intimate about the way Elizabeth hastily cleans this off him and that’s pretty much the only time there is an act of closeness between them in this episode. Philip later holds her at a distance telling her “it’s easier for you.” There’s no follow up other than Elizabeth repeating this assertion in the form of a question “You think it’s easy for me? What I do?” What sparks this bleak and unshakable reaction from Philip is less about what happens at the camp and more about Lewis, the guy they tied up last week. Lewis was meant to be the innocent guy they didn’t have to kill to get what they wanted, but he ended up dead anyway (hypothermia if I had to guess). Doing the ‘right’ thing would have been to shoot him, as at least that way it would have been quick, instead he died a slow death tied to a tree and Philip spirals from this point.

Paige and her church group has recently taken a backseat to Henry’s acting out. Henry attempts to engage Philip with a magic trick and is coldly rebuked; Henry probably thinks this has something to do with breaking into other people’s houses, not the murders his father has recently committed. Like his parents, Henry really doesn’t want to go to church and Elizabeth finds it hard to not show her disgust about the whole thing. Elizabeth has been more vocal in her rage at Paige getting interested in religion, whereas Philip’s anger has been directed at the lack of respect Paige has been showing them of late. When they find out Paige has donated $600 of her savings – for a trip to Europe – to the church, this leads to another visit from ‘scary dad.’

As Philip is generally ‘fun dad’ and Elizabeth is the disciplinarian it’s far more terrifying when Philip loses it. Paige wasn’t that bothered when Philip showed off his stern side earlier this season as she responded with sass on this occasion. Philip hovers on the edge of this conversation, but when he gets involved everything he has been keeping wound up tight inside explodes thanks to a disrespectful eye roll from Paige. Philip starts ripping pages from the Bible and spitting about how Paige respects Jesus and not them. Paige is crying and Elizabeth has the same look in her eyes as Philip did when she went at the Mossad agent hard; it’s possibly the first time that either has seen Philip like this. It’s not surprising that Paige has never experienced this side of her father, but for Elizabeth it’s maybe even more concerning as she has been with him for such a long time and this is not the way Philip reacts. He’s normally a lot more measured than this and even in moments of spontaneous violence – the pilot springs to mind – there is still an element of control. Now he seems unpredictable.

Philip has no time to languish at home as he has to deal with an emergency call from Fred and the swelling strings of sadness follow him throughout the episode only adding to this feeling of dread. Philip stays on the pier overnight, lost in thought and while Elizabeth handles Paige, Philip is caught in his melancholy. Home was all he could think about at the start of the season and he didn’t go through with Martha duties to be with Elizabeth, now Philip can’t face it. It’s no longer the sanctuary it was and I think Philip is having a hard time compartmentalizing everything at the moment; he doesn’t want to infect home with whatever he is going through.

What this does is it isolates Elizabeth from him and at first I thought the AA meetings might be a way for Elizabeth to simply talk through things with strangers using alcohol as a cover for spy work. Then I remembered this wasn’t Scandal and Elizabeth definitely isn’t Huck. Instead Elizabeth is using her real life – “I wanted the opportunity to show him that I could be there for him” – to give her an in with this woman who works in something highly classified. Stan mentions that the Soviets will locate a weakness, whether financial, emotional or sexual and exploit it and this is something we have seen both Elizabeth and Philip do on multiple occasions, including now.

This is what Philip has been doing with Martha and he does it in the cruel manner he stopped himself from doing last week. Going to Martha’s means avoiding home and slipping inside another character to escape everything else, but it’s all part of the same tangled web. Philip’s a little tipsy and Martha mentions how out of character it is for him, in fact it’s bizarre to see him holding his glasses just before she walks in, as they are such a part of this persona. The last time we saw Clark was in the horrific scene with Elizabeth so this has been tainted as well. Martha hears the tape and her offer to do whatever Clark wants with surveillance work is exactly the reaction he was hoping for, but you can tell he feels awful. Philip’s inability to get hard for Martha and his decision to leave feels so much like Philip slipping through and I wonder if his encounter with Elizabeth in this disguise has resulted in a lack of libido. It could also be part of playing Clark in this moment and with Philip and Elizabeth it can be hard to distinguish what is part of the act, what they are utilizing in the moment and what is real.

Philip confronts the pastor at Paige’s church and it’s unclear exactly what his intention on entering the church was, but if the leather gloves and locking the door suggest, it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Philip asserts twice that he would do anything to protect Paige and we’ve seen this in action when he attacked the guy who came onto her in the department store. Pastor Tim doesn’t possess the same kind of threat; his is an ideological one and it’s something that goes against everything Philip and Elizabeth were raised to believe. This isn’t a confrontation that ends in violence and part of me thinks Philip shows mercy because he realizes that violence isn’t how you respond to a threat like this. While Philip isn’t there to be saved, despite his very obvious emotional turmoil, hurting Tim or turning to God is not the answer. Philip ends the episode alone and I wonder if he will continue down this path of despair or if he can learn to live with what he does in the name of his country.

Back at home Elizabeth is dealing with Paige and her sass, doing so by waking her up, giving her a responsibility lecture and a demand to clean the kitchen. The way in which Elizabeth does this very much feels like an interrogation as the lamp becomes a menacing spotlight. Elizabeth points out all of Paige’s privileged upbringing and how this counters to Philip and Elizabeth growing up with nothing – what is their American backstory? – and once again this leans on reality to inform their fake heritage. It also gives a relatively plausible explanation as to why Philip flipped to Paige and I’m guessing Paige will be rolling her eyes a little less in the future. Elizabeth can turn on the terrifying, even in a turtleneck.

Speaking of disdainful looks and Elizabeth has a hard time of hiding her contempt for all things religion during the service. This was the one point in the episode where my response was laughter.

Stan finds out the hard way that he has been missing a lot at home as Sandra is packing to go away with someone she met at EST and is even listening to sex tips while she is getting ready. The breakdown of this marriage juxtaposes the Jennings’ as they have got closer over the recent years whereas Stan and Sandy have drifted so far apart they’re like strangers now. Stan has been so focused on work and Nina that everything at home has been in the background so while they changed he didn’t even notice. I’m happy for Sandra as she deserves way more than this, sorry Stan.

At work it’s going a lot better – also in reverse to Philip and Elizabeth as while their relationship has grown, their work has become more traumatic – as he’s been given DoD access and he’s slowly piecing everything together. The couple they were pursuing at the end of last season get mentioned (the couple being Philip and Elizabeth), as Stan and Gaad figure out a way to save Gaad’s job by threatening Arkady in a rare opportunity to see someone other than Stan interacting with the Russians. We also get to see Larrick finding out what happened at the camp and that look in his eye suggests he has murderous intentions towards Philip and Elizabeth.

Now there is danger from multiple sources, with Philip’s mental state being problematic in itself. Philip needs to reconcile what he has done and go back to being a compartmentalizing pro and while that might not be the best for his overall mental well being, at the moment it is something he needs to do as everything else around them becomes even more precarious and dangerous. As I mentioned in the introduction, this is an exceptional and layered performance from Matthew Rhys as he shows Philip in a haunted state that only he can save himself from.

Tags: "Martial Eagle", 2.09, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Comments 13 Comments
Categories The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

The Americans 2.08 “New Car” Review: “We All Serve”

17 Apr

Consequences and accountability dominate “New Car” as both Philip and Elizabeth deal with decision they have made that result in the death of someone else. While family continues to be at the heart of season 2 of The Americans, the work they are doing is taking them down some incredibly dark paths and each mission has an aspect that goes horribly wrong. As we find out in this episode even the ones that go off without a hitch (well practically), there is still a chance for devastating blow back.

Philip has been harboring a desire to get the new Camaro for weeks now and even though he tells the car salesman that he is merely looking, he succumbs to temptation. This is what Philip enjoys about his life in America; we’ve seen it in how much he likes country music and certain fashions. In fact this is the first time we have seen Philip in a flat cap and sunglasses like this; it’s like he got them to go with the car. He’s basically playing the 1982 version of the cool dad (the lesser discussed of the ‘cool’ parent trope). This is easy going Philip and it’s one we’re seeing less frequently as a result of the terrible, bad things he is doing this season in the name of his country.

The push/pull here is fascinating as the new car that he lovingly patted when he left it turns into a symbol of all that is terrible about this country when he hears about the submarine disaster. A tragedy he played a part in as he was the one who stole the defective plans. Philip’s been dealing with a lot of death recently and to add 160 more to his list takes the thrill out of his new toy. Elizabeth has always held the material benefits of America at arm’s length; yes she wears the beautiful shoes and has way more than she ever had at home, but she has never seen this world as better. So while her relationship with Philip has altered drastically since the pilot episode, how she feels about things hasn’t. These are all props that aid their cover, this is not who she is and she won’t be seduced by advertising.

With the new car, instead of blending in Philip now stands out. The color and shape are completely different to every other car we see as everyone else is still driving 70s boxy looking vehicles. Philip’s car has a futuristic vibe and Stan looks upon it with envy and when he parks his old car in his junk filled garage he lets out all of his frustrations on the car door. Philip’s life looks pretty rosy from the outside, if only Stan knew.

There is a delinquent son to address; well Henry isn’t all that bad in the grand scheme of things. Instead of dealing with Henry’s breaking into their neighbor’s house to play video games problem, this doesn’t get resolved until a day later. This is the problem when you have spy issues to deal with, the kids come second. In part this could be seen as a reason behind Henry’s misdemeanor and this does have classic cry for attention written all over it. Or he just really wanted to play that video game and this adds another tick into Elizabeth’s fear for her children in a capitalist society column. The neighbors are very understanding and this adds to Henry’s feelings of guilt. When his parents eventually talk to him about it, Henry does pretty much all the talking and this scene perfectly captures the moment when you know you’ve done something wrong and you emotionally vomit your feelings.

Incorporating teen characters into the story can be a treacherous path with cougars and hit and runs being used to spice up the story. So far I’ve been impressed with how The Americans are weaving Henry and Paige into the overall narrative and Henry’s “I’m good” breakdown could be seen as being a touch on the nose, but it also goes to illustrate the varying moral grey areas this show is working in.

We’re so used to the spy story dominating the trajectory of an episode that often features Philip and Elizabeth deciding whether someone lives or dies; Philip letting the septic truck driver live in an act of mercy that could ruin their cover, but Philip has way to much innocent blood on his hands to be swung by all of Elizabeth’s “what if” hypothesizing. So when they’re dealing with something at home, the consequences are far less but it still holds emotional weight that grounds The Americans and makes it so much more than a spy show. Henry feels terrible that his parents and the neighbors now think badly of him and while his justification as to why he kept doing it (“It seemed like no one would even know”) is pretty flimsy, I can’t help but feel for him as he works himself up into tears.

There’s an air of melancholy hanging over the entire episode as Elizabeth has to deal with death out in the field as Lucia proves that she runs too damn hot. For Lucia the mission with Larrick was always a means to kill him for training the police officers who tortured her father. Lucia goes too far and compromises everything they have been working towards and Elizabeth’s decision to let Larrick kill Lucia is a huge blow for Elizabeth; it shows just how vulnerable she still is post shooting. It also highlights that almost anyone can end up as collateral damage if they don’t understand what comes first and that is who they serve. Personal matters should never impact the overall objective, but that still doesn’t make it any less awful that Elizabeth had to watch Larrick choke the life out of Lucia. Philip wants to kill Larrick when he gets back from Nicaragua, it’s getting rather personal for him and this is worrying. Elizabeth’s “I let him” is heart wrenching and can we give all of the awards to Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell this season please?

When it comes to shifting blame, Oleg isn’t going to be held accountable for the submarine disaster in the same way Philip is feeling it – side note Kate was a tad too emotional about this incident and it’s hard to work out just how genuine she is being right now, maybe she knew someone on board? Oleg mentions the hasty time it took to build the sub, with little regard to testing it properly but as Arkady mentions they were the source of the original plans so they are at fault. Oleg remarks that “We all serve” and so there’s always a chance that any one of them could die for their country. There’s a glimpse at an old face with Vasili (who was sent back to Russia last season and who Arkady replaced) attempting to bond with Anton so he will reveal his scientist secrets “Mother Russia isn’t easy, she has to defend herself. But she is good in the end.”

The Stan/Nina/Oleg triangle is a rather curious one and Nina continues to be an enigma; everything she says to Stan appears to be coming from a place of honesty and in their scene together I really believe she cares for him. As soon as we cut to her playing video games with Oleg and generally larking around this changes and it’s hard to work out just where her loyalty lies when it comes to Stan. Stan is fighting a losing bureaucratic interagency battle as he keeps getting denied access to files on Anton. Anton he believes is the key to winning against Oleg and protecting Nina, but does Nina even need protecting anyway? Arkady is concerned for Nina when it comes to Oleg as his powerful family have the ability to be both cruel and kind.

Martha feels bad about spying on her colleagues who she believes are “good people” – there it is again, this notion of good – and no longer wants to do this for Clark anymore. Philip edits one of the recordings to make it seem like they were calling Martha ugly to get her back on side. It’s a pretty shitty thing and there’s apparent tension between Philip and Elizabeth when the Clark/Martha stuff is discussed. Luckily Philip doesn’t have to play it as Martha has changed her mind; however Martha is a ticking time bomb as she continues to throw up new potential issues. Oh and meatloaf and eggs for breakfast sounds like the worst, first washing her hair in the kitchen sink and now this. Come on Martha, you are better than this.

New wig alert! The pixie look really suits Keri Russell here and while I don’t think she will ever go full Felicity chop again, it works. Elizabeth showed mercy with the worker who stumbled upon them while they were stealing what turned out to be bad plans, now Philip is doing the same with this dude.

“Look at him, he’ll do anything. He doesn’t care.” As a Ronald Reagan speech about defense budget and basically being better than the Russians plays in the background, Elizabeth can’t help but utter her dismay upon hearing the news of the submarine deaths. The tuxedo Reagan is wearing only adds to this notion of them vs. us and while Elizabeth’s statement could apply to them – after all they also serve a country and do terrible things for their cause – Reagan’s speech punctuates their conversation as if he is taunting them.

Notions of goodness, like beauty can be in the eye of the beholder (though it is probably a less abstract concept) and it all depends on what side you are serving. The question of whether Philip is a monster has been raised this season and while he has done monstrous acts, he still feels things like remorse and guilt and this coupled with the job he is tasked with means he operates in the moral grey area. The same applies to Elizabeth and the look she shares with Philip as Henry is purging his soul suggests they want to believe they are good people too, but can they ever really be when they have committed such awful and criminal acts even if it is in the name of Mother Russia?

Tags: "New Car", 2.08, Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Review, The Americans

Comments 6 Comments
Categories Review, The Americans
Author Emma Fraser

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