Review: 'The Americans' - 'The Clock': Mission impossible?
Phillip and Elizabeth have to go to extremes to plant a bug
On "The Americans," Phillip (Michael Rhys) makes his intentions plain.
A review of tonight's "The Americans" coming up just as soon as I do something horribly masculine with reindeers and wood chopping...
"They shouldn't ask us to do impossible things." -Elizabeth
"The Americans" pilot had to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of establishing the world, these characters, the stakes, conflicts, etc., in addition to providing Phillip and Elizabeth with a mission. With all of the exposition out of the way, and with the Jennings "marriage" on more stable footing for the time being, "The Clock" is a more straightforward Mission of the Week episode — and one that suggests the series has the ability to be damned effective when in that mode.
Before the series premiered, some people asked how they could be expected to sympathize with a pair of Soviet agents, even knowing that America ultimately won the Cold War. What's impressive about "The Clock" is how it does not flinch in the slightest from the idea that we're watching our enemies, who in this case are forced to terrorize an innocent woman and come very close to murdering her innocent son, all for the sake of Mother Russia. The scenes at the housekeeper's apartment were pretty brutal in how matter of fact Phillip and Elizabeth had to be about what they were doing.
But what makes the show work is that we know that it's not so simple for them — that even though Elizabeth's loyalties are still entirely to the KGB, and Phillip's mostly are (but really are to her), they've been playing the role of American suburbanites long enough that a maneuver like this isn't easy for them. They do this because it's the mission, but they're not happy about it — both because of what they're doing to these people and because of the risk they're putting their own family at. Matthew Rhys did some excellent work at showing how much all of this was weighing on Phillip, just as Keri Russell was strong in showing Elizabeth facing the possibility of not seeing her children again for a very long time.(*)
(*) Elizabeth's discussion of how they would be treated if caught made a striking parallel to how I imagine some of America's enemies today might feel. It's hard to imagine someone doing a drama with an undercover Al Qaeda operative as the main character in 30 years — but then, I imagine if you described "The Americans" to someone in 1981, they'd be horrified by the idea.
Their placement of the bug inside Caspar Weinberger's house happens in parallel with Stan and his FBI colleagues securing a mole at the Soviet embassy, using similarly rough tactics. The stereo salesman that Stan harasses is less innately sympathetic than the housekeeper and her son, and the threat of having the secretary exiled to Siberia is harsh but feels more business-as-usual than what Mr. and Mrs. Jennings are up to. But as we saw last week when we learned about Stan's own past as a deep cover agent, the two sides have more in common than either would care to admit.
A very strong second effort.
Some other thoughts:
* In case you missed it, "The Americans" got off to a very good ratings start last week. Still miles to go before we know for sure it's a success, but after the last two FX dramas I liked ("Terriers," "Lights Out") basically failed right out of the gate, this is much more reassuring.
* The pilot opens with Elizabeth having sex on a mission, and "The Clock" returns the favor with Phillip doing so. Elizabeth's not as bothered by this as he was, but his asset seems like she'll be a big problem on her own.
* Note what a big deal it is for them to have a tiny camera to attach to the woman's bra, when this mission in 2013 would just require an iPhone — and a listening device so unobtrusive they wouldn't have needed to bother with the clock, the housekeeper, etc.
* If you're a man (or woman) of a certain age, you will be unable to hear the name of Caspar Weinberger without thinking of this "Bloom County" strip.
* I continue to enjoy the efficient brutality of those close-quarter fight scenes. It's mostly Phillip parrying his opponents' blows, but it maintains the illusion that we're watching a well-trained Soviet agent you wouldn't want to mess with.
What did everybody else think?
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February 7, 2013 at 12:21AM EST Reply to CommentWell, there's already a drama with an undercover Al Qaeda operative as a semi-sympathetic protagonist--Homeland--so that bridge has been crossed.
February 7, 2013 at 12:28AM ESTsepinwall A fair point, though for the most part, Homeland is sympathetic to that character in the sense that it says he's been brainwashed. But it's definitely more nuanced than a comparable KGB story would've been had it been made in 81, you're right.
February 7, 2013 at 12:29AM ESTJonas.Left Another significant point they made is that Brody is morally opposed to harming civilians. That's an unusual characteristic for a terrorist.
February 7, 2013 at 12:41AM ESTcgeye 'a lazy criticism made by fragile egos'... for snark posted purely anonymously, that's mighty fragile on its own.
February 7, 2013 at 3:20AM ESTkro_lin
February 7, 2013 at 12:26AM EST Reply to CommentAre there really that many people wondering how they are to sympathize with the Russian spies? Who is really concerned with this? Why? There are many characters on television that do terrible things, but we love them...how is this different? Because they are Soviet spies? That's the argument?
I feel like this narrative needs to be disregarded. It's silly and seems to be forced. If that's a person's problem with this show, I'm sure that they can find reruns of The Andy Griffith Show.
The Americans is a great show. I love it so far!
Matt in VA I was born in 1970 and considered Red Dawn a training film, and I don't struggle to sympathize with Elizabeth and Phillip. Not that big a deal.
February 7, 2013 at 12:43AM ESTprettok The trick for this series is maintaining balance. What if they had been forced to kill the boy? How often can E and P just manage to avoid doing something awful and losing the audience`s sympathy? How long before that drama starts to get repetitive? It's different for characters like Brody, Dexter, or even Tony Soprano. We knew early on where they drew the line.
February 7, 2013 at 12:57AM ESTJonas.Left I'm not sure we ever knew the line Tony Soprano wouldn't cross. He got more despicable as the show went on, peaking with his contemplation of killing Paulie just because he was sick of listening to him talk. I was kind of rooting for him to die in the finale.
February 7, 2013 at 1:15AM ESTPaul It's not a matter of sympathy for me as much as it is tension -- the stakes are high for the characters, but not that high overall, given that I know the Soviet Union is going to collapse, so whatever they do doesn't matter in the long run.
February 7, 2013 at 10:50AM ESTJimmbo ----------
February 7, 2013 at 12:46PM EST"It's not a matter of sympathy for me as much as it is tension -- the stakes are high for the characters, but not that high overall, given that I know the Soviet Union is going to collapse, so whatever they do doesn't matter in the long run."
--------------
Not necessarily so. It's tv, this can be whatever reality they choose. Remember Red Dawn.....
Geoff I really hope Walter White dies at the end.
February 7, 2013 at 2:06PM ESTJonas.Left I can't fault anybody for hating Walter White, but I'm still rooting for him.
February 7, 2013 at 6:27PM ESTDarkdoug I have trouble with caring about Philip & Elizabeth, not because of what they are doing, but because they are pretty much victims and doing this stuff in a futile cause. At least Walter White and Tony Soprano have comprehensible motives. Their choice to cross moral lines at least gives them agency.
February 8, 2013 at 2:44AM ESTPhilip & Elizabeth have been brutalized and/or indoctrinated to the point that they are unaware of any moral lines. They care but can't see, whereas Walt, Tony et al don't care, however much they pretend to. With the anti-hero protagonists on so many dramas, they are acting on their own initiative and in denial or indifferent to the evil they do. The Jennings are simply deluded into having their moral compasses flipped, so in a way, they not only lack agency, but they are really nothing more than tools of a completely unsympathetic institution.
I can't imagine this show lasting with the current paradigm, because where other unsympathetic anti-heroes are basically trying to take what they want without destroying their portion of the social compact, Philip and Elizabeth completely have the power to take what they want, and all that is holding them back is loyalty to someone or something that does not deserve it.
Nicholas Brody, for instance, has the threat of his terrorist ties over his family and American life. His conflict is about not getting caught, and to not be caught he has to do dangerous things for the terrorists. With the Jennings, the loyalty is flipped - the good thing, the prize, is threatened BY their adherence to the enemy. There is little or nothing given on the show to account for their adherence to the abstract loyalty to a regime that runs its state like a prison camp, when literally millions of their countrymen would give a great deal to have their opportunities to defect (we had to use firehoses to get Soviet prisoners of war onto the repatriation vessels after WW2).
With that kind of situation, how then can we feel anything regarding their qualms about what they did to Viola & her son? They are not doing it to preserve their family, but to preserve the thing that endangers their family. They are not doing it for a greater good, or for a homeland we can believe they love, when so many did not (even if the majority of Soviet citizens were faithful patriots, patriotism hardly weighs against actual kids, who on most TV shows, are the means used to induce characters to betray their country).
To root for anyone but the FBI agents, I'd need to see the set-up of the show change fairly drastically.
Jonas.Left DARKDOUG- I enjoyed your argument. I don't agree that they were indoctrinated and brutalized into becoming what they are. Elizabeth is a patriot in service to her country. Just because its not our country does not invalidate her choice. Phillip, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery in his motivation. Its implied in the pilot that he had a woman in his life whom he lost somehow. I think he volunteered to go undercover so he could start afresh. Hes clearly a romantic and his commitment is more to Elizabeth (as Alan noted). As far as endangering their family by not defecting, clearly they fear the reprisal that would come for betrayal. They were, after all, the instrument of such a reprisal. Also, they don't want to shatter their children's lives by revealing the truth to them.
February 8, 2013 at 4:58AM ESTTheir moral code is not simple. They do bad things, for what they consider a noble cause (a cause, by the way, they cannot possibly know is lost). It reminds me of Jack Bauer on 24, who tried to avoid harming the innocent, but ended up time after time doing just that. He decided that the greater good was worth tarnishing his soul with terrible deeds, a gruesome form of self-sacrifice. Phillip and Elizabeth are doing these awful things for absolutely selfless reasons, country and family. It's often the case with tragic figures that they destroy what they sought to protect. The reason I'll root for them is that I hope they avoid that fate.
These two grew up in post WWII Russia. It may not yave been paradise (though I think Phillip's family is supposed to have been well off), but it would have been much better than the hell those pow's were being returned to.
These two are in a tough position and they may be making mistakes, but we are observers with nothing at stake. Its easy for us, knowing what the next three decades will bring to dismiss the Soviet cause. For them, that would mean treason and the end of a life they've spent half their lives building.
SlackerInc "These two grew up in post WWII Russia. It may not have been paradise (though I think Phillip's family is supposed to have been well off), but it would have been much better than the hell those pow's were being returned to."
February 10, 2013 at 2:51AM ESTI agree. Let's remember too that the United States of the 1940s was not such a humane place for many groups of people like African-Americans, gays and lesbians, Atheists, etc. I visited the USSR in the Gorbachev era and I found it a more humane and livable place than much of the US.
BosApollo How many people here are sympathetic with a Crystal Meth dealer? (Breaking Bad) With a Mafia Boss? (The Sopranos) With a bad cop? (the Shield) With a Serial Killer? (Dexter).
February 10, 2013 at 5:42AM ESTides
February 7, 2013 at 12:40AM EST Reply to CommentSlightly bummed that Phillip didn't dress up as Kurt Sutter again to vigilante on another pedophile, but I suppose that would get old pretty fast.
Really loving the show. A few plot shortcuts still call attention to themselves (tuning in to the bug just in time to hear about the missile shield was pretty convenient), but the characterization, acting, and action already put it above most other shows on television.
Great to see the ratings - very optimistic this won't end up like Terriers and Rubicon.
Jonas.Left They were listening to a recording. Its not a coincidence they would cue the tape to the most relevant exchange.
February 7, 2013 at 12:45AM ESTides Of course you're right. Missed the obvious on that one.
February 7, 2013 at 1:11AM ESTJonas.Left Given what a joke Star Wars turned out to be, it was kind of funny to see how mortified the Russkies were. I think there's going to be a lot of instances where 20/20 hindsight undercuts some of the tension. It makes the character work very important, since we know the Cold War amounts to nothing. The real stakes of this show are the people, not the nations.
February 7, 2013 at 2:35AM ESTKobraCola Having recently marathoned through almost all of Sons of Anarchy, that Kurt Sutter line is hilarious, cheers
February 7, 2013 at 2:51AM ESTides @ Jonas.Left - I agree completely that the character work is the most important part of the show - central to its early success. I don't think hindsight undercuts the kind of tension the show is aiming for, though, at least in this case. The stakes are real for the characters, and seeing both sides adds a layer of interest - a nice balance of pragmatism and paranoia.
February 7, 2013 at 3:42AM EST@ KobraCola - Thanks - he looked exactly like Kurt Sutter in that scene. Uncanny. Successful showrunner turned crime fighter - sounds like a winner for FX.
prettok
February 7, 2013 at 1:02AM EST Reply to CommentI predict that Philip gets blown and turned by Noah Emmerich by the end of the season.
I don't mean in the sexy way.
Jonas.Left That's how you meant it. Just admit it.
February 7, 2013 at 1:06AM ESTTmr53 Maybe not necessarily by the end of the first season, but I agree Phillip will become a double agent. That would create an intersting dynamic with Elizabeth. But I am enjoying the original setup right now. There is a lot to be explored in their characters.
February 11, 2013 at 4:26PM ESTJonas.Left
February 7, 2013 at 1:03AM EST Reply to CommentSmile, you're on candid cleavage!
I was sure Viola, her son, and brother would die. I'm not sure its realistic that they were allowed to live. I suppose Viola could be coerced again to work for the KGB, but I don't see her being that valuable. I don't think our heroes would have been happy about it, but I'm not sure what they would have done. It probably would have been too early to challenge the audience with something so appallingly evil.
Elizabeth is fascinating to me. So commited and uncompromising. Its ironic she was the one playing good cop with Viola.
Did anybody else interpret that drop of blood as a metaphor for menstruation?
prettok Casper Weinberger' s housekeeper and her entire family suddenly dying? The KGB would know that might look suspicious. It would be more effective to deposit a gift in her bank account, making her a willing accessory, thus ensuring her silence.
February 7, 2013 at 1:30AM ESTJonas.Left Good point. It would be suspicious. I don't see her ever being a willing accessory, though. The money might even backfire, reigniting her conscience. I think it would have to be blackmail or threats of violence. I wonder if they have plans to bring her back.
February 7, 2013 at 2:44AM ESTKobraCola "Did anybody else interpret that drop of blood as a metaphor for menstruation?"
February 7, 2013 at 2:52AM ESTNot until you said it, but not a bad thought. I sincerely doubt they have plans to bring back Viola. They almost gave her a heart attack this time around, it seems.
Jonas.Left Kobracola, I should have been more specific. I meant if the writers plan to bring her back. If I were her, I'd quit and move. No job is worth that. It mightnot be an option for her, though.
February 7, 2013 at 6:00AM ESTddben I noticed the drop of blood, and it could be construed either as a rite of passage into womanhood, and or a shared experience bonding mother and daughter together, kinda like "blood brothers".
February 7, 2013 at 10:42AM ESTBernardo63 I believe the drop of blood forecast the blood-letting to come, either of the mother or the daughter.
February 7, 2013 at 11:08AM ESTRob I think that the drop of blood was one of the more metaphorically rich tv moments I've seen in a long long time. And that it happened on the second episode... Yeesh!
February 7, 2013 at 12:10PM ESTI read it simultaneously as the following:
1)the bloodletting to come
2)The darkness of the spies against the cleanliness of the suburban life.
3) the inevitability of the kids growing up.
4) the pain that the parents bring on the children.
I practically gave the show a standing ovation at that moment.
Matt in VA Yeah, I also came to the conclusion that killing off Viola's family all at once would be too suspicious. Even if they've already gotten what they wanted from the bug at Cap Weinberger's, letting the American powers-that-be find out about it might bring unwelcome consequences.
February 7, 2013 at 5:38PM ESTOn the other hand, letting them live indefinitely also seems unwise. Tragic accident in a few months' time? Perhaps. More likely, the bug is found in a later episode, it's traced back to Viola, and she and her family become the only Americans alive who can identify the mysterious Directorate S couple on sight.
SlackerInc I too immediately took it as a metaphor for menstruation.
February 10, 2013 at 2:57AM ESTI think at this point they are safe to assume Viola will keep her mouth shut rather than risk her family's lives. Nice to see Heylia from Weeds back on TV.
GarySF
February 7, 2013 at 1:34AM EST Reply to CommentWhile I mostly enjoyed episode 2, it really strained credibility. Philip's gambit was extremely risky. His disguise was terrible, and Liz had no disguise at all. They had no reliable way to ensure Viola's silence after curing her son other than "we will always be able to find you and your family." They expect that threat to work for the rest of her life? Plus, the boy's uncle has to stay silent too. Come on, the whole premise of the show is that the Jennings must live full-time in our society. They aren't operatives sent in for this particular mission, only to be whisked away afterward. This was a high-risk maneuver with A LOT of chance of exposure, and they could have gone back to their handlers and told them that, no matter how imperative the mission. Yeah, it makes for good drama, but at the cost of losing credibility.
TK Based on them commenting that it should've been a 6 month mission, they didn't have time for it not to be a little sloppy. Do you honestly believe that they have any say with their handlers? The chance of exposure just adds to their peril. There is already a narrative of them dying and leaving their kids behind. You obviously didn't do much reflecting before posting, at the cost of losing your credibility.
February 7, 2013 at 2:18AM ESTcgeye No personal attacks, right? Our credibility in commenting doesn't excuse or explain this show's holes in characterization.
February 7, 2013 at 4:09AM ESTI don't give a good goddamn whether these spies get caught or killed, because *they* don't care. If they did, they'd defect, so every time the zealot wife says Nyet, I look at her and see Jax refusing to kill Clay, consider it yet another character with a FX-built Achilles heel, and move on. So the couple begins to draw closer because they've bonded by a death of a rapist. Haven't we seen this somewhere before?
Viola ticked me off *precisely* because I'm used to stereotypical characters being changed up in other FX shows. Threatening to kill herself, threatening to kill her son herself, lying down and dying with him, being a spy for another nation reporting in -- anything not to be as formulaic as the spies threatening her. She's not as bad as Neeta, the nanny who doesn't say 'boo' about all the guns waved about on Sons of Anarchy, but she's damn close, especially for someone who's supposed to carry the emotional weight of this episode.
I started muting during Stan's scenes, then Viola's, because I could mouth the dialogue without hearing it. The Spy!Couple domestic rhythms, yes, are interesting -- they start out adulterous, murderous and alienated, but move toward intimacy -- but the routine dialogue everywhere else doesn't match that.
If Viola were valuable as an asset, they wouldn't threaten her son, and if she isn't, they should have killed her. If they have drugs to make a man die precisely in 72 hours, they have drugs to make Viola and her brother's death look like heart attacks. Even the crazee stalkerish asset babe feels more developed as a character, and she's less central to the plot. I daresay that if this show were being made in the 1980s, showrunners were fashionably liberal enough to do the groundwork to make such characters count, because audiences noticed when such characters transcended mere tokenism. One step forward, five steps back.
Also, one dead black maid, in Washington DC, in 1980, would immediately result in a want ad being placed. The mission was so hurried that they risked their mole dying of a heart attack, Spy!Hubby dying because some fool brother couldn't fire a gun to wound, then call the cops, or Viola simply refusing to betray her country, and consider her son's death, pillow-generated or not, as God's will. That's the main problem: Even if the Spy!Couple win, it's meaningless -- power flows away from the noble to those who know how to bribe well.
Jonas.Left TK's right, they clearly set up the fact that the mission was too risky. As far as the disguises go, I didn't recognize Kerri Russell, initially. They dont need Mission Impossible style masks, just subtle changes that casual observers would be fooled by.
February 7, 2013 at 6:35AM ESTCGEYE, no offense, but your expectations don't seem realistic. Viola is introduced in the midst of a very busy plot. They can't take an hour to do the Viola origin story. If she was portrayed in a limited way its because she was in an extreme situation, designed to control her. And a loving mother who apparently almost lost her son to a prior illness spontaneously killing him for god only knows why-That's your idea of solid characterization?
As far as them not caring if they're caught, the exact opposite is demonstrated throughout the show. Elizabeth cares so much about it she's ready to die, instead. The ear piercing scene clearly shows that she wants to be with her daughter while she can, because their future is so uncertain.
About the rape bringing them closer. I'm guessing you're referring to SOA season two. As I recall it did not bring Gemma and Clay closer, it reconciled Clay with Jax and the rest of the club, after the revelation that Clay ordered Opie's death (killing his wife, instead). That dynamic is nowhere near the dynamic on this show.
Darden The maid's religiousity is certainly enough to call her one-note or simplistic but are we really thinking that she is going to be a recurring character?
February 7, 2013 at 10:36AM ESTGirl Detective Killing rapist to make couple closer could be Alan's hated Landry and Tyra of S2 on FNL.
February 7, 2013 at 1:40PM ESTJonas.Left I never watched FNL. All the Landry jokes made on the Breaking Bad reviews went right over my head.
February 7, 2013 at 6:30PM ESTyoungjt80 @GarySF: You might want to watch the episode again. It sounds like you missed some key points. Almost all of your arguments are touched on in the episode.
February 7, 2013 at 8:20PM ESTcgeye I guess FX has so many rapes to avenge that it's hard to tell them apart... I meant Jax's murder of Tara's stalker rapist, not Clay's murder of anyone for Gemma's rape, nor Tommy's rehab after raping his wife... details.
February 8, 2013 at 5:03AM ESTAnd, in any case, FX specializes in vivid characterizations that are unrealistic, from biting tongues to visiting ghosts to vicious bisexual DEA turncoats to even minor characters who surprise. Yes, The Americans is a different type of show, but in not changing up what good, solid, pious Viola did, they let us know that they don't care about their minor characters as much as Justified, SoA, Terriers, even fricking AHS, especially when said character was the basis of the episode's plot. Not a good sign, and not incidentally a sign of maturity.
And if you want to hear me complain, get me started on how we've got the Anti-Hank Shrader, supercop, incomparably intuitive about Russkie spies, slimy and insinuating and mean, back when we used to believe in habeas corpus, the Miranda rule and due process. We know he's right, and everyone will believe him when the time comes... yawn. But, then again, I hate Columbo.
Jonas.Left CGEYE "I guess FX has so many rapes to avenge that its hard to tell them apart..." I had a good laugh at that.
February 8, 2013 at 5:17AM ESTJaxemer11 It's a freaking TV show. There is no TV show on the planet that is completely believable. You have to be able to suspend your disbelief at least a little to get any enjoyment out of any of it. Stop nitpicking and just let yourself be entertained.
February 9, 2013 at 3:15AM ESTSlackerInc "back when we used to believe in habeas corpus, the Miranda rule and due process."
February 10, 2013 at 3:07AM ESTUnder Reagan? Really? Do you remember his Attorney General, Ed Meese?
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-10-10/news/8503090279_1_gen-edwin-meese-ed-meese-terry-eastland
I always hate it when TV cops (or RL ones) shred the Bill of Rights, but that TV trope has been around a looong time.
Elevation
February 7, 2013 at 2:33AM EST Reply to CommentIs that "the" Adam Arkin that appears in the opening credits as a producer?
February 7, 2013 at 3:08AM ESTJonas.Left FX seems very fond of Adam Arkin. A great part on SOA, a recurring role on Justified, directing gigs. I wonder if he'll ever get a show of his own.
February 7, 2013 at 7:10AM ESTTrev Arkin also directed the fantastic season 2 of Booth at the End on Hulu.
February 8, 2013 at 3:32AM ESTcgeye
February 7, 2013 at 3:16AM EST Reply to CommentThis being showrun by an ex-CIA official, I'm somewhat convinced that this show operates on the same level as speculative fiction, to convince us just how bad Evil Empires are, with the Russkies subbing for Al-Qaeda. And Afghanistan, sooner or later will become a plot point -- OBL made his bones providing cash and materiel to freedom fighters trained by America.
(Let me know, Mr. S., once the No Politics rule is invoked, 'cause not discussing present politics is going to be hard....)
The one implausible plot point involved the colored maid. (and before anyone objects to calling her 'colored' or 'Negro', that was her plot function -- highly-religious stereotypical black maid whose brother was a specialist in violence, and yet were out-manipulated because of how predictable they were....) I know they didn't care about her as a continuing character, so there was little time to develop her, but don't you think any maid working for someone with that high of a security clearance would have been instructed to discreetly call for help, should she or her family be approached by spies?
As with the KGB secretary, since both countries' spies live to jack the others' employees up, wouldn't anyone vulnerable be briefed and briefed again, to evade such requests, or at least create opportunities for counterintelligence? If they were so effectively aggressive to make the Cold War a full-employment scheme, why is everyone so sloppy?
TK It's a fictional TV show, guy. Give that big brain of yours a rest.
February 7, 2013 at 1:57PM ESTMatt in VA I believe lots of real world spies rely every heavily on the fact that lots of the other side's people do *not* always do as they're told. Marine guards were instructed not to date Soviets, and yet you had Clayton Lonetree. Navy warrant officers were told not to sell secrets to the Soviets, and yet you had John Walker. Identifying and preying on human weakness is a big part of how the whole HUMINT thing works. So the fact that people in the show do things they were probably, at one point, told not to do, seems not the least bit incredible to me.
February 7, 2013 at 5:51PM ESTcgeye Viola did nothing but her job -- no vices, no scams -- and she was targeted, threatened, and her family almost killed. Even if she says nothing, she can resign and move away, and her church and friends will know something bad happened.
February 8, 2013 at 5:14AM ESTNow multiply that by a hundred, assuming the Cold War's so hot that many countries want to take shortcuts in developing assets. Wouldn't someone notice that their lack of support for those working for men with security clearances is a problem? Viola probably never thought she'd ever face danger working for a powerful man. In the era they're portraying, that is a problem.
And TK, please read here:
http://www.racialicious.com/2009/12/21/and-we-shall-call-this-moffs-law/
TK I am not going to waste my time because you said please. I know that it makes you happy that another human being feels the same way as you do about commenting on fiction, but it won't change my mind. You should just stick to the History Channel. Get a life, chief. Don't waste your time engaging me again. I won't be back. Good luck with all of that cynicism.
February 8, 2013 at 2:00PM ESTJonas.Left This is supposed to be for fun, guys. No need for a new Cold War.
February 8, 2013 at 6:16PM ESTKellan
February 7, 2013 at 3:18AM EST Reply to CommentAlan, think it is a possibility that the show could change history? For example, something minor like missles being fired or something as major as Russia winning the war. Anyone commented on it from the show? Thanks.
Jonas.Left Inglorious Amerikans?
February 7, 2013 at 7:05AM ESTBob7
February 7, 2013 at 3:22AM EST Reply to CommentWell, I don't think any KGB agents would be happy with murder, not if they were well adjusted normal people. Just because they're KGB doesn't make them monsters, just as this episode showed being FBI doesn't make one virtuous.
cgeye Let's unpack this.... Let's consider those who are patriotic enough to die for their country as a subset of our general population.
February 7, 2013 at 4:20AM ESTLet us speculate further that from that group, there is a smaller percentage who is willing to kill for their country. Bonus points if one can kill well, without paralyzing remorse, and with the ability to completely compartmentalize in order to complete the missions.
Then you have the group who can perform in war at peak but do so with almost perfect anonymity - only their superiors know of their skills and performance. That means no medals, no public honors, no discussion of any details with family or friends. Do you see how far that takes us from "well-adjusted, normal people"?
Normal people aren't at war, even if they work at civilian defense plants. Soldiers and spies are. People at war know their civil rights are suspended, that they live at the pleasure of the state, or of their enemy, and they are prepared to react at any moment, be it bombardment of cities or being called up to serve. War is not a normal condition, and it changes the normal people who fight it. If war is normal, the people in it are far removed from normalcy -- and if we consider war normal, then we're no longer normal, either.
Jonas.Left So, its difficult for normal people to kill. What about shooting someone with the intent to cause a disabling but non-lethal wound? Might that be difficult for a man who isn't in any of your subsets?
February 7, 2013 at 6:45AM ESTBob7 @CGEYE: True, spies because of their situation aren't normal people. All I meant was that it would be wrong to label them or think of them as monsters just because because they're KGB agents. It would show a 1950s attitude. And there were KGB employees like clerks and secretaries who were regular people who thought of it just a job. But ye, spies are different.
February 7, 2013 at 1:40PM ESTDirtyKash
February 7, 2013 at 7:43AM EST Reply to CommentNot a bad job by Philip and Elizabeth, but Walter White was certainly more efficient when he had to plant a bug in a government official's office!
Ellen M.
February 7, 2013 at 10:07AM EST Reply to CommentI am already hooked by this show. How refreshing to be tuning into FX for Tuesdays (Justified) and Wed. night's at 10 pm. Both leads on this show are so good that empathizing with them has not been difficult at all. As others have said - Tony Soprano, Dexter, Brody - all great characters doing pretty evil things but we still identify with them because of how nuanced and human these characters have been depicted.
Really looking forward to seeing this show next week.
ddben
February 7, 2013 at 10:36AM EST Reply to CommentI am enjoying the show after the two weeks. However, I am confused by the relationship between Elizabeth and Phil. Are they supposed to be "play-acting" husband and wife, and apparently are jealous of each other's extra-marital activities which are required by their spy life? But, are their children their natural children, conceived normally and given birth by Elizabeth? Have they only had sex three (3) times (baby, baby, after killing the defector)? Yet they are so attached to their children. Apparently, they came to USA alone together, so ?WHAT? is their emotional/sexual relationship?
Girl Detective I think this was in the comments from the pilot: it's complicated, even more so than in a real marriage. And that's going to be what makes it interesting, I think.
February 7, 2013 at 1:43PM ESTBob7 Their children are theirs. They've been doing this for thirteen, fourteen years, living together, working together, so they must have developed feelings towards each other, and they love their children, and they've had sex more than the number of their kids. Remember in the pilot they had sex after they disposed of the guy's body. So they must have had many stressful situations during their spycraft and sex can relieve that well, so they must have had it a lot.
February 7, 2013 at 1:44PM ESTJaxemer11 I think you are supposed to be confused, although I think they made it pretty clear in the pilot that they have no problem sleeping together.
February 9, 2013 at 3:23AM ESTSlackerInc My impression was that their relationship was pro forma until the pilot. Philip had real feelings for Elizabeth for years, but Elizabeth only reciprocated them after he killed the KGB colonel. Before that, they may have had just enough sex to procreate, or they may have used a turkey baster or something like that.
February 10, 2013 at 3:18AM ESTI am still wondering how they faked their backgrounds, and what they tell everyone, including their children, about extended family. They are supposed to be a normal American family, but having no grandparents, uncles, aunts, or cousins is not what I'd call normal.
Dan
February 7, 2013 at 11:30AM EST Reply to CommentFew thoughts:
1. Love the show.
2. Keri Russell looks freaking amazing and doesnt' look a day over 30.
3. Doesn't it seem like the show gets away with a lot for being on cable? Some of the sexual content is pretty intense for a non HBO show. Not complaining though.
J. Walter Weatherman
February 7, 2013 at 11:55AM EST Reply to CommentAnybody else think the blood in the ear-piercing sequence was one of the clumsiest "coming-of-age" stand-ins they'd seen in a while?
Very solid episode otherwise.
nic919 I thought it was odd too. But revealing that her mother was the one to do the ear piercing when she was a kid might make her daughter clue in later on that her mother did not have a regular American upbringing. I think if mothers did approve of ear piercing they would have brought them to have it done professionally. Usually ear piercing at home was done by your friend or sibling surreptitiously.
February 7, 2013 at 12:20PM ESTprincesskaraoke
February 7, 2013 at 12:21PM EST Reply to CommentQuestion: what was the crazy blond chick's connection to Weinberger? I missed that.
Ted Her husband was an under secretary of defense I believe, so Weinberger is his boss.
February 7, 2013 at 12:43PM ESThj
February 7, 2013 at 1:20PM EST Reply to CommentOn the ear-piercing: I related it directly to the hypodermic-applied antidote that resolved(?) the primary story line. The spy/mom saved a life, then 'saved' a bond that was troubling her. Both cases revolved around ultimate intrusion of personal space, i.e., breaking through the skin. Blood drop returns us to the basic point of the series, right? Danger!
Anon
February 7, 2013 at 5:24PM EST Reply to CommentThe only thing lacking from the 2nd episode was killer music. The music on the pilot worked really well and I was hoping they'd keep that up alas they didn't.
Careful Ned Definitely agree...I bet they splurged and spent a bunch of money on those songs for the pilot and then tightened the belt for the second episode...Here's to hoping is it a every-other-week thing instead of only using those musical sequences for the season premiere and finale
February 8, 2013 at 12:30PM ESTsplitgrille
February 7, 2013 at 6:34PM EST Reply to CommentSomeone please tell me FX will post the episodes on their website. I watched the pilot online, but the second episode is not up today. Anyone?
Girl Detective
February 7, 2013 at 9:54PM EST Reply to CommentWondering where, how and with whom do Phillip and Elizabeth train in hand to hand combat? Each other? Also, missed the great music from the pilot and hope that there's more to come.
FictionIsntReal We see some of that in the pilot episode for Elizabeth. Phillip's was presumably similar, with the exception of...
February 8, 2013 at 2:00AM ESTDarkdoug I think Girl Detective is referring to keeping up their skills. You don't train in your youth, move to another country and go through day to day life with the ability to recall at will the skills with sufficient proficiency to save your life in a fight against a larger, angry man, 20 years after your training, unless you are keeping up with it.
February 8, 2013 at 3:05AM ESTI would assume they just do exercises and maybe spar with each other when they have privacy. Maybe on rare occasions they can do it with other agents such as the guy they were working with in the pilot who died.
On the whole, however, I would assume that hand-to-hand is not a big part of the skill sets of deep cover agents who do the things they do. Their purpose is aquiring information, not getting into fights. I think that in reality, different people would be doing the kidnap-defector missions (maybe the guy who died was a wetwork specialist they were just supporting, and his death left them holding the figurative bag). The gathering of intelligence is too crucial to risk by agents getting into hand-to-hand fights. For the rough stuff, they would have other agents, who most stay out of sight, and who would not blow covers that were the result of years of work if they were seen.
Basically, Phillip & Elizabeth would probably not have an extraordinary level of hand to hand combat ability. Likely the guy Phillip fought was not well-trained either.
FictionIsntReal The importance of practice didn't even occur to me. Good point.
February 8, 2013 at 8:32PM ESTFrom what I've heard, cultivating "assets" is nearly the whole of a CIA agent's job. It's risky to send around high-security areas breaking into whatnot, there's more likely to be a weak link in an organization who already has access and would be willing to share. Come to think of it, most of Kevin Mitnick's exploits (and he was a hacker rather than spy) came from just calling people and confidently asking for passwords as if he was entitled.
TJ
February 7, 2013 at 10:13PM EST Reply to CommentWhat a crazy-strong follow-up to that pretty great pilot. Matthew Rhys performance is very quickly becoming one of my favorite things on TV.
Also, I really love where they're going with the writing of the Elizabeth character. Just a great, promising start for this show.
emma
February 9, 2013 at 1:46AM EST Reply to CommentSo far so good. And I think both Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are great in making these characters "human." I agree Rhys is great in the fight scenes.
Jaxemer11
February 9, 2013 at 3:02AM EST Reply to CommentGood episode, although I was disappointed that there wasn't any period music like there was in the pilot. I can't imagine it would be too expensive to license some good 89s tracks for this show.
SlackerInc They need to be careful, though, not to be anachronistic. It is only 1981 at this point on the show.
February 10, 2013 at 3:22AM ESTLee
February 10, 2013 at 10:15AM EST Reply to CommentIt will probably take one more episode for me to decide if I want to continue to watch. I'm really not finding the writing (dialogue) compelling or interesting at all. It is all so - well, perfunctory - it's not really thoughtful (kind of superficial to me), witty or clever. Stuff like this needs some humor and there is precious little of it. Justified uses it so smartly and the writing on that show is kind of the standard I think of these days when listening to dialogue.
I don't know - I think I probably would have enjoyed an even more period piece by going back to the early 1950s and and McCarthy era of commie boogie men. This seems drab to me and without the physical scenes, not sure what there would be to watch other than two dour people who are really pretty boring overall.
Gosh, I miss Fringe; thank goodness for Justified right now.
3Jane
March 1, 2013 at 7:28AM EST Reply to CommentIt wasn't until the third viewing that I noticed, when Phil is having sex with the blonde bombshell, he is imagining she is Elizabeth.
I love Keri Russel's delivery when Phil is developing the photos and she says, "You didn't tell me she looked like that." Phil: "Yes I did." Keri (as Elizabeth): "Not like THAT."
3Jane The other thing that makes this my favourite episode out of the first five, is Matthew Rhys' acting when he tastes the caviar. "Oh WOW. [pause] It's so salty." Then he holds Beeman's eye while he pretends not to love it.
March 1, 2013 at 7:54AM EST