Alan Sepinwall complained in his review of the episode that many of this season's ancillary storylines played as animatronic, which I can see. The Borozov storyline was more interesting for Tuan's involvement (the one especially interesting new character); I was far more interested in the thematic implications of…

Doubt this was actually an A level episode- a season of television can only indulge in so much anticlimax before it plays as shtick, and the cliffhanger, while devastating, is more set-up than anything- but it contained some of the strongest moments of this year of The Americans, especially the Yellowbrick Road…

Some Notes:
- Important that Chuck doesn't physically appear in this episode- the lack of contrast between his and Jimmy's behavior provides no justification for our protagonist's actions (which are pretty heinous here).
- Is this episode setting up Mike as a Yojimbo-esque man in the middle for the Gus and Nacho…

Yeah, I'm not buying the integrity act, Harvey. This is a film that was originally called About Ray, milquetoast transgender drama, that was then pulled and resold a year later as 3 Generations, milquetoast family ensemble piece.

Also- thrilled that an episode this low-key / absent of set-pieces currently has a universal community score of A.

This entire episode seemed to be, more than any other episode of The Americans, about the hardships of faking it, so I ended up predicted the setting of the final scene before it happened.

Somehow the best episode of this season so far ends two of the biggest ongoing plotlines (Mischa and the bugs) on anti-climax. Another way this show reminds me of The Sopranos is its refusal to employ conventionally satisfying endings.

Hope's name is Rian Johnson.

Hank's pasted half-smile and the dorky dubstep music and the schoolgirl-moaning skeletons are actually kind of freaking me out right now.

Film: Watched my first Anthony Mann film, The Naked Spur (A-). I was surprised by how much of this is basically an action film, and by how smart of an action film this is, with each set-piece and brawl asserting new character dynamics and motives. Also, James Stewart is just magnificently neurotic, and I'm glad to…

I… guess I did? Sorry, I'm much less knowledgeable about '90s superheroes created by Rob Liefeld as compared to literally any other feature of comic books.

Sorry, I misread the intent of the question. I do fear that if the show's continues at the same level of quality as I described above, people will still blame the change in creative direction for some perceived lapse in quality.

Season 1 of Jessica Jones was more honorable/fascinating than great, and sometimes was honest-to-God terrible ("1000 Cuts"?).

I'll agree she was fantastic, but I don't remember her even being a romantic interest in that film (Cruise's character is married, after all), so the older/younger dynamic shouldn't have been a problem.

Okay, I'll give you that- and the fact that the first film actually had an equal balance of male to female characters (even if it was still moderately sexist) provides me with hope.

Correct, except they're keeping Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa for the next installment, because even Hollywood higher-ups understand how awesome Rebecca Ferguson is.

Ah, c'mon, Pierce, you either did or didn't- an endrose is an endrose is an endrose.

YEAAAH!

That's right, and I think Kyle Chandler's being looked at for some future-warrior in the next one. We can't have good actors actually elevating this!

Great to hear that this indifferent sequel is going to continue that lovely tradition of Hollywood blockbusters swapping female leads between installments.