This is not how guys in my generation relate, man.

The end was reminiscent—maybe a deliberate callback—to the ep that ended with the group sitting in that balloon basket.  Same vibe, same theme (exploration, the heavens …).  It's that kind of unexpected gesture toward depth—never with too heavy a touch—that's starting to make this show seem something special.

Are you kidding?  He gets to rock a zippered red leather jumpsuit thing.  That's a whole lot of responsibility in itself.

Also consistently funny:  Nick's outsize admiration for older guys who seem to have it together.  "I don't know how you get a podcast, but you should look into it."

How many times has he deployed it this season?  It is never not funny.

It's Tom. TWIST!

Pass the Heinz.

Just to be clear about the Gregory thing—there are actually two references to what happened last week:  Philip early, and Claudia late, question the decision to bend orders and let Gregory orchestrate his own way out.  Which is my point—both references are procedural only, they don't carry any emotional weight and…

I think the chief problem with The Americans, and something they really need to fix next season, is the rule that's been established that EVERY GODDAMN EPISODE has to center on some spy caper (violent and/or sexy).  It's already getting repetitive—there are really only so many caper plots available.  Worse, it means…

She didn't want to defect.  Stan caught her using her diplomatic privileges to send American consumer goods back to Russia for sale.  He threatened her with exposure (and a nice stint in a labor camp) if she didn't turn double for him.

She didn't want to defect.  Stan caught her using her diplomatic privileges to send American consumer goods back to Russia for sale.  He threatened her with exposure (and a nice stint in a labor camp) if she didn't turn double for him.

No, it's just a sneezing fit.

I had the same reaction to Elizabeth's breakdown in the warehouse:  in the moment, it seemed way undermotivated.  The CIA guy's speech to trigger it ("You have blood on your hands!  Do you have a soul?  Is there anyone you love?") was embarrassingly on the nose for the episode; it had to do too much work with not…

It ain't education that makes you an intellectual.  Or lack of it that makes you not.

Any examples in particular?  This seems like something I'd be sensitive to but I can't recall getting this vibe off him.

I agree.  On a scale of 1 to flerg, it was definitely mem.

Don't know if this got mentioned in last week's review, but it seemed to me—especially with that whole "get the doomed guy a can of soda" thing—that the show was managing the scene very deliberately to reference Tony Soprano's revenge-killing of Matthew Bevilaqua (after he and that other doofus tried to kill…

Not sure I agree—he's surprised me with how much heft he has in the role, for an actor who I would've assumed going in was a lightweight.  It seems to me there's been some suggestion that his character is mainly political, not entirely respected among the agents, someone maybe who isn't able to make his…

And he's been battling the oppressor all his life.  He'd want to go out taking some cops with him.

Lots to like here.  I was a little troubled by the resolution—it's awfully hard, however he might want to give Elizabeth this one, to accept Philip agreeing to something as dicey as a suicide-by-cop plan.  Two things in particular were standouts for me:  the dynamic in the car (Philip, Elizabeth, Claudia) when they're…