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[a secret-boss]

I like how that creepy commercial at the start of the show connected to the end.

good point. I was wondering why they were focusing on that

 

[Blue Bomber]

I thought it was another good episode. I like how fast things are escalating between Elizabeth and Philip in regards to Paige. Earlier in this season Elizabeth was only considering the idea of turning Paige but now she seems fully committed and sees it as an inevitability. And with Paige wanting to get a baptism, this will most likely expedite Elizabeth's plans. There were also some interesting developments in both Stan and Nina's story lines. Stan's paranoid search for Zinaida's secrets led him to finally confess some long hidden secrets of his own to Sandra (even if things didn't work out as he had hoped). And I like how Nina has to once again play the role of the manipulative confidant if she wishes to extricate herself from her current predicament. And last but certainly not least is Philip and his new assignment which has to be a new uncomfortable low even for him.

Seriously. You could see he knew what she was doing in a really awkward, clumsy way and he knew he had to acknowledge it but he was so repulsed by the idea. The first identity we've seen him really wrestle with.

I wonder if this is the identity that finally makes Philip crack.

Yeah you could tell that he was uncomfortable with that, from the act itself and how she reminds him of Paige.

I'm sure it didn't help that Kimberly was playing her new favorite song by Yaz. Awkward...

 

[Niraj]

I thought it was another good episode. I like how fast things are escalating between Elizabeth and Philip in regards to Paige. Earlier in this season Elizabeth was only considering the idea of turning Paige but now she seems fully committed and sees it as an inevitability. And with Paige wanting to get a baptism, this will most likely expedite Elizabeth's plans. There were also some interesting developments in both Stan and Nina's story lines. Stan's paranoid search for Zinaida's secrets led him to finally confess some long hidden secrets of his own to Sandra (even if things didn't work out as he had hoped). And I like how Nina has to once again play the role of the manipulative confidant if she wishes to extricate herself from her current predicament. And last but certainly not least is Philip and his new assignment which has to be a new uncomfortable low even for him.



I wonder if this is the identity that finally makes Philip crack.



I'm sure it didn't help that Kimberly was playing her new favorite song by Yaz. Awkward...

Yeah, it was definitely more of a setup episode like episode two of this season was, but it was a good one. Gives us a better idea of where things are headed.

And yeah, probably not lol

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

I disagree about Paige finding out things by accident or being told. Yeah she's snooping around and has been weary of her parents in the past. What we've seen so far and then explicitly stated in this episode is that she's the one swerving others. She's far more in control than we've been led to believe. She played her parents like a fiddle. Whilst Philip and Elizabeth have been fighting over how to introduce the their real jobs, she's run a real good game on them. I'm legitimately impressed by how it all worked out.

Honestly, at this point, they, as in the agency themselves, would have to basically kidnap Paige and take her away. There's no way that learning her parents are spies from her parents themselves is gonna fly. In her mind it would be nothing more than scare tactics to deter her from "Christ." She'll disown both of them before believing that fact as being true.

And poor Philip. I think he's more likely to explode and wipe eveyone out. He's been pushed to the limits by everything. I think he's gonna break at some point and it'll be spectacular.

Also loved the direction and framing of many shots tonight. Really good work.

 

[Dan]

At what point does Elizabeth have to face the music and acknowledge that she's been playing with fire by aiding and encouraging Paige's church activities? That's been a poor tactical choice on her part. Short term gains within the mother-daughter relationship, long term losses on any possibility of a good outcome from revealing the truth to Paige.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

lola t the pic from avclub's review. Phillip's face sums it up..

 

[jay23]

Every time Stan visits his wife is to make her feel like shit lol. I know he's just trying to be honest but..she seems miserable whenever we see her on screen.

Another great episode, I wonder what's going to happen if Elizabeth has "the talk" with Paige and she freaks out. Maybe she confesses that to Pastor Tim or something. Would Elizabeth kill her own daughter to keep their cover? Would Philip allow that? I'm sure they're saving that for the season finale.

 

[Redd]

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Pastor Tim isn't what he seems.

 

[IronRinn]

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Pastor Tim isn't what he seems.

Highly suspicious of the pastor and, to a lesser extent, Kimmie. Mostly because her dad is CIA.

 

[Grifter]

That poor diner bathroom.

What were the two pop songs they played?

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Why do I want Yaz to be the reason, and only reason, that Paige doesn't want to betray the west?

I don't know why, but I literally laughed at "Don't Go" ending the fight between Elizabeth and Philip.

I am going to blame Teri Hatcher's performance in Tango and Cash, like I do most things.

 

[Sloane]

Loving the season so far, I'm just struggling a bit with the Paige storyline. What exactly does it mean that she wants to be baptized? Why is that so bad? I guess I'm missing something there.

 

[Mercury Fred]

That poor diner bathroom.

What were the two pop songs they played?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPeQGWL7fok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3IvnHSMEvE

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

Loving the season so far, I'm just struggling a bit with the Paige storyline. What exactly does it mean that she wants to be baptized? Why is that so bad? I guess I'm missing something there.

Removal of sins (in theory) and adoption of a church. Basically she would become a member of that Church's denomination and in the grand scheme of things, a religious US American . Not exactly the best for someone who the Russian spies want.

 

[Sloane]

Removal of sins (in theory) and adoption of a church. Basically she would become a member of that Church's denomination and in the grand scheme of things, a religious US American . Not exactly the best for someone who the Russian spies want.

Thanks! And, yeah, I kind of got that. I guess it's just that she already seemed to spend all day at church (and invited her pastor and his wife to her birthday party as substitutes for her parents) that getting baptized feels pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. But I don't live in the US, so maybe baptism carries a bit more weight over there -- that's why I was asking!

That being said, I find it incredibly hard to believe that they would actually risk telling Paige the truth under those circumstances. Maybe they won't do it in the end but, I don't know, right now it feels like such a weird and risky thing for the center to ask them for.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Loving the season so far, I'm just struggling a bit with the Paige storyline. What exactly does it mean that she wants to be baptized? Why is that so bad? I guess I'm missing something there.

The Soviet Union practiced state atheism, and actively discouraged, to varying extents throughout its history, religion. Marx considered it the "Opium of the people," which Lenin agreed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist–Leninist_atheism

Look into the history of why "In God We Trust" is on American currency, or why "Under God" is in the American pledge of allegiance. Those are actually relics of the Cold War.

 

[Philippo]

Oh, Philip.

And Paige played both of them like damn fiddles.

Also, lol at Philip's face during the commercial, that and the ending shot are gif worthy.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I thought last night's episode was excellent.

 

[KingKong]

Paige is so lame

 

[Cornballer]

- Alyssa Rosenberg talking Christianity on The Americans and Vikings: How TV made Christianity radical again

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Paige is so lame

I was about to bash you because I thought we were in the wrasslin thread.

 

[a secret-boss]

Paige is so lame

She is not actually bad compared to other rebellious daughters (Banshee comes to mind)

 

[DominoKid]

man i felt for Phil at the end there. she's just a kid.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

- Alyssa Rosenberg talking Christianity on The Americans and Vikings: How TV made Christianity radical again

Good read

For a show full of twists that range from the outrageously clever to the breathtakingly grotesque, Paige’s big revelation ought to feel small. But instead, it’s a profound challenge to the beliefs of her communist, atheist parents. And it works because “The Americans,” along with the History Channel’s “Vikings,” has done something that almost nothing else in pop culture dares to attempt: It depicts Christianity as a seismic force, something capable of producing profound transformation in both individuals and society.

Often, pop culture treats Christianity as if it’s a symptom for — or at least of — something else.

Not so in “The Americans.”

It’s a profoundly disturbing concept to Philip and Elizabeth. Where most shows might suggest that behind the veil of baptism lies only human psychological needs that can be filled by religious rituals, the couple now perceive profound mysteries, a draw to something they can’t understand or divert into another channel. Paige’s faith threatens the couple as communists, as atheists and simply as parents of a teenage girl who thought they knew their daughter. By shifting the baseline perspective of their main characters, “The Americans” gives Christianity the real power it so often lacks in pop culture.

 

[Alpende]

man i felt for Phil at the end there. she's just a kid.

Yeah, his face just says 'what the hell am I doing'.

 

[grounded_dreams]

Nice to see some love for Yazoo [know as Yaz in the US due to Yazoo Records]. They are from my small town, still see the singer Alison Moyet out all the time. Top lady and really down to earth. Still has an incredible singing voice - her last solo album was fantastic.

 

[devilhawk]

Paige is a million times the better character than someone like Dana from Homeland was.

 

[maquiladora]

Really excellent episode, and I like that the 80's music is getting featured more. It feels like that's been largely missing since the very first episode.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Paige is a million times the better character than someone like Dana from Homeland was.

Any character is a million times the better character than Dana from Homeland was, to be fair.

Spoiler

paige rox tho

 

[uniform]

Really excellent episode, and I like that the 80's music is getting featured more. It feels like that's been largely missing since the very first episode.

Season one had good music peppered throughout. I can't recall how many songs the first episode used, yet I do remember In the Air Tonight. Probably my least favorite use of music in The Americans as it's quite possibly the most overplayed song in television/film to remind the audience that this is the eighties. Great song, just overdone.

Season one had Peter Gabriel, Fleetwood Mack, The Cure, Roxy Music, and others. I can't even recall the music in season 2. Did they even use any licensed music?

 

[Grizzo]

Loved the episode. Tense, creepy but also darkly humorous at times with some stellar acting and awesome music to go with.

About that, Only You by Yaz is my new current obsession. Never heard about that song from them before (but I read that it's been used many times in TV shows and movies). It was the perfect song for that last scene.

 

[maquiladora]

Loved the episode. Tense, creepy but also darkly humorous at times with some stellar acting and awesome music to go with.

About that, Only You by Yaz is my new current obsession. Never heard about that song from them before (but I read that it's been used many times in TV shows and movies). It was the perfect song for that last scene.

This is another great 80s tune from Alison Moyet from Yaz. You might recognize it when you get to the chorus.

 

[Avon Barksdale]

Season one had good music peppered throughout. I can't recall how many songs the first episode used, yet I do remember In the Air Tonight. Probably my least favorite use of music in The Americans as it's quite possibly the most overplayed song in television/film to remind the audience that this is the eighties. Great song, just overdone.

Season one had Peter Gabriel, Fleetwood Mack, The Cure, Roxy Music, and others. I can't even recall the music in season 2. Did they even use any licensed music?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP05iSzpz94

It was in the Season 2 finale.

 

[Linius]

Great episode. Very uncomfortable job for Phillip. Great use of music and some nice shots. What more can I ask of this show? So good.

 

[Cornballer]

Man, this show is treading in some dark territory this season. Disturbing but very well done. I'm not quite sure where everything is going to end up when the season finishes.

- Slate podcast: Sexy Babies, Illicit Drugs, and ’80s Pop Songs in the Latest Episode of The Americans

In this installment about Episode 4, “Dimebag,” script coordinator Molly Nussbaum talks to executive producers Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg and to writer Peter Ackerman about cringe-worthy story lines, making Stan Beeman angry, and selecting the perfect 80s pop song.

 

[bodyboarder]

My only slight annoyance with the show is when the cia/fbi get close to catching one of them, they fuck it up. Every time.

Other then that it's a great show.

 

[dead souls]

My only slight annoyance with the show is when the cia/fbi get close to catching one of them, they fuck it up. Every time.

Other then that it's a great show.

Yep. All those scenes have no tension to them at all, because you know they're getting away.

 

[DominoKid]

Yep. All those scenes have no tension to them at all, because you know they're getting away.

until they don't.

 

[Cornballer]

FX video:

- The Americans – Declassified: Zinaida’s Mission

Is Stan right to question Zinaida? Go behind the scenes with the cast and crew for an inside look at the sweet, yet intense Soviet defector.

 

[bodyboarder]

until they don't.

But as soon as that happens that's the show done. Unless they do a bit with them on the run.

 

[Geist-]

But as soon as that happens that's the show done. Unless they do a bit with them on the run.

I'm kind of expecting them to get turned into double agents eventually. Hopefully not any time soon, but that's where I see it going.

 

[MisterFalcon]

I first thought 'wait, was Yazz already a thing in 1982 ?'

 

[Dominican Power]

Excellent episode.

 

[Cornballer]

- Nukethefridge interview: Joseph Weisberg and Joel Fields on Season 3

I got to speak with Joseph Weisberg, creator and writer of The Americans, and writer/producer Joel Fields before their panel for the Television Critics Association. This is a good point in the third season to talk about what’s happened so far and what’s coming up. The Americans airs Wednesday nights at 10 on FX.

 

[GreedZen]

Why do I want Yaz to be the reason, and only reason, that Paige doesn't want to betray the west?


I am going to blame Teri Hatcher's performance in Tango and Cash, like I do most things.

Mmmmm, Teri

http://youtu.be/pEtUcYgMhkw


I was thinking the same thing. She seemed more up on Yazoo than on religon. I thought she was gonna say I don't lsiten to secular music anymroe dad; but she was all I can't give up that sweet sweet synthpop.

Phil/Jim really needed that spliff at the end. Too bad for him it really did seem like it had oregano and wood chips; no getting high as a Kim distraction for you mr.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I'm kind of expecting them to get turned into double agents eventually. Hopefully not any time soon, but that's where I see it going.

Phillip maybe. Which would definitely heighten the tension.

 

[Geist-]

Phillip maybe. Which would definitely heighten the tension.

If Phillip does it I think there's a pretty good chance that Elizabeth will too. They have a strong bond and their loyalty to each other is probably just as strong as their loyalty to Russia.

 

[Cornballer]

New episode tonight:

Salang Pass

Spoiler

Philip juggles the many women in his life; Elizabeth takes drastic measures to complete a mission; Stan asserts a plan to save Nina with an unlikely ally.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I thought she was gonna say I don't lsiten to secular music anymroe dad.

I thought so too - was surprised she took the album so enthusiastically. I don't know how widespread the CCM scene was in the 80s though.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

If Phillip does it I think there's a pretty good chance that Elizabeth will too. They have a strong bond and their loyalty to each other is probably just as strong as their loyalty to Russia.

I disagree with this a bit. I think Philip has shown signs that the American way of life entices him. Elizabeth is more loyal to Mother Russia. Their difference of opinion on Paige is a definite highlight of this and a potential wedge between their bond. If Philip could use going double as a way to protect Paige I think he'd do it.