The Americans - S6E5 - The Great Patriotic War

Previously on The Americans, “Mr. and Mrs. Teacup” 

“You Need to Keep a Clear Head”

Elizabeth is coming apart at the seams and she’s been slipping up all season (usually at the expense of someone’s life). Her inability to pull off any of her missions and the looming cyanide Albatross around her neck is causing her to make mistakes she can ill afford. In this episode she gets angry at Paige (for getting angry) and heads off to get Gennadi. Her frustration at Paige (and at life) leads her to act without thinking. She kills both Gennadi and Sofia before she notices Sofia’s son. Sad trombone for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth’s desperation has consequences for Philip. She seduces (?) her husband and asks him to get invited on Kimmy’s Greece trip. So they can arrest Kimmy in Bulgaria and hold her ransom. The fact that this is even brought up as an idea shows Elizabeth’s level of anxiety. Yet Philip, still fuzzy-headed from the after-morning afterglow agrees. Then Philip does the one thing we were all terrified he would do since he started seeing Kimmy. He sleeps with her. She’s now technically an adult, but this was still the most cringe-worthy scene of the six seasons. Philip’s face shows he agrees. He gets invited. Then his buddy Stan comes over for a beer and shares his job woes. Philip realizes it was Elizabeth who killed a couple and left a child orphaned and scarred for life. He calls things off with Kimmy and warns her. Elizabeth v. Philip has escalated.

Philip’s questionable choices don’t end at Kimmy. He goes to Paige’s pad to fight. Physically. He pins her against the wall, ostensibly to show her she isn’t invincible and there are stakes in her actions. This kind of tough love is hard to watch. But not as hard as the sex scene with Kimmy.

In espionage, it helps if you are not human.

Round and Round We Go

Elizabeth tailing Stan led her to Gennadi and Sofia. Will finding their killer – that killer being Elizabeth – keep Stan in the game?

Tatiana confronts Oleg and they both insist they are honest people. They aren’t honest people and now the FBI isn’t the only one after Oleg.

Stray Rounds

• Stan might be able to get Rene an non-agent job (and a paycut) at the FBI. Oh goody. Thanks Stan.
• Don’t call Paige a bitch. She takes after her mother
• Claudia and Elizabeth get Paige drunk and Elizabeth tells Paige about the first time she didn’t have sex (thank goodness).
• Sexy times for Elizabeth and Philip, but did she sleep with him just to get him to along with Plan Abduct Kimmy?
• Art lessons continue and Elizabeth is forced to confront life. “There is someone in there that knows how to see. But you have to put in the time. That’s what time is for.”
• Erica isn’t the only one running out of time.

This episode shoved the plot forward and raised the stakes. There was a lot of action (some of it which I can’t un-see) and wonderful performances all around. It was hard to watch and I’m unlikely to watch it again, but it was a very intense hour of television. We’re halfway through and I’m intrigued to see how this all plays out. Mission accomplished (sorry Elizabeth).