Galina and Volodya, remember?

Actually, that's right! She has her own kitchen with pretty nice kitchen cabinets and all. Nice apartment, nice cast iron skillet.

totally agree, and yummy dinner - what ever anyone says - caramelized onions and mushrooms over a baked potato - the smell alone will "kill" you :) and cast iron skillet? Treasure!

I think she wasn't just being "motherly". Calculation played a big role in it. But why not be calculating and nice at the same time? a win win :)

mix of both?

well, it was his fault, wasn't it?

I think they need Stan involved in this, because exactly as you said, they are friends or something… Otherwise, why would they ask Stan or inform him that they wanted to work Oleg from Moscow in the first place? Why would they tell him anything at all and risk him blackmailing them in any way or behaving badly in any…

I miss Rezidentura, bring it back!

I think it's not because they could do it behind his back and he would have no clue, of course they could. BUT - they are acting as if they need his consent because they DO. They want HIM to do it. IIRC, Stan mentioned many times that Oleg trusts only him, Stan, enough to possibly be open to any sort of cooperation.…

oh my, you actually made me laugh :) That is so funny!
I remember working with Peace Corps in the 90s in Ukraine, and complaints about not having peanut butter and Kraft mac'n'cheese dinners in stores gave us locals a lot of eye rolls.

Right! Caramelized onions - yummm. Didn't know about mushrooms too - that is such a killer combination! Poor dinner IT IS NOT

or jail? (Nina). Just think of a contrast - Nina's sorry little plastic baggy with 5 grams of possessions - AND Martha enjoying caramelized onions over a baked potato in a cozy kitchen (looked pretty decent, cabinets and all).

Just commented same elsewhere! How uncanny - I said the same - cast iron skillet! Caramelized onions over a baked potato -yummmm.

I know you guys have been running this poor Martha thing, but I stand by my words - she came across as defiant and not willing to take this shit any longer. She told Gabriel to take his sorry ass out of there and never come back. As she said, she understood everything now. She knows her predicament and she accepts it…

Stan is the only one who even reached out to her after Gaad's funeral. She was effectively forgotten by all - why would she go to Stan's boss (who she doesn't even know) to tell on Stan while Stan is the only one to offer any kind words to her now, albeit with his own agenda in mind?

as for Martha, she might not have "identity papers" whatever you mean by that, but for a Soviet citizen then - NO papers whatsoever were required to get a bus, a train, or an air ticket for internal travel. Just go to a ticket booth, get your couple roubles and ask for a ticket to, let's say, Chita - and voila, you…

not true. internal travel very difficult? needing papers to leave your town? I am sorry, were you there? that is not accurate what you are saying.
no and no. in the 80s? no papers needed for travel around the country

and to showcase how miserable life is back in "mother Russia" - poor Martha so embarrassed to admit that was her dinner that she called it "just a snack" …
but it is not realistic entirely, it was done for shock value.
For one, baked potato topped with caramelized onions - not bad at all (iron cast skillet all the rage…

Hansel 'n Griddle here (according to my daughter's Rutgers years)

thank you, storm! I wish i could go thru that
grrr i have a job :)