THE AMERICANS on FX -- Season 2 Finale: "Echo" ... Tonight at 10/9c

[x Buddha Bless x]

Yeah I seen Martha open the door and that just echoed through my head

The disguises are low key some of the best things about this show. Phil is just crazy with it and these disguises just make me realize how beautiful Keri Russel is in just about anything. Even in the flashbacks she some how actually looks younger.

This was another good ep. Some things just needed to happen like Stan's wife going off, almost thought she'd go the cheating route. Claudia got me drooling at the mouth man with how she tempted Stan.

Not killing that dude in the end was just dumb. He's not an idiot so letting him live still gave him some info on them. Just like with Amador. Once you got him and he seen yall faces you gonna have to die. She should've just let Phil do it or Phil should've just done it anyway.

Derrick Luke is such a good actor. My favorite scene was when Phillip and Elizabeth had their guns drawn on Gregory. Elizabeth is clearly in a situation where she's in a room with the two men that she loves...however, only one will see the next day. Also, how much of a hypocrite is she? She kicks Phillip out of the house for his cheating, but she goes on and has sex with Gregory. On top of it all, he kisses her on the head in front of Phillip before he walks out of the door. The complexity of the Phillip/Elizabeth relationship is BRILLIANT writing.

I didn't think she was a hypocrite here cuz after she caught him lying and kicked him out they were officially done and at best it would've went back to that fake relationship she thought it was in the beginning of the season and how she thought it always was and during that time I'm pretty sure she was banging Gregory the whole time. It was only until Phil put himself out there and let it be known he wanted a real loving relationship where any kind of infidelity not work related would be crossing the line. Once he ****** up Liz was free to **** whoever again. I think what they said to the kids was all a lie or just wishful thinking on Phil's part. I kinda feel despite loving him Elizabeth would've stood firm on her decision unless things changed like him being there for her and understanding in this recent ep despite their problems. It's somewhat similar to when she wanted revenge on the defecting KBG agent that raped her.

The way I've seen it is Phil was still mad about what Elizabeth said to their superiors way back during evaluations which got him tortured so with his old girl back in town he wanted to hurt her and he banged that chick but then reality hit him when this chick tried to manipulate him and he realized what he was losing.

 

[Thierry Henry]

Last night's episode proved that Elizabeth needs Phil more than she really thinks. That FBI agent was able to break her down mentally real easy.

 

[mronegative]

Just finished. That was...somethin. Too much in one episode?

I mean, it was good, but it felt like they had to squeeze. This is a show that likes to breathe, let you fill it in with your expectations, then smack you in the blindspot. This felt like a lot of buildup scenes were cut short or cut out. So instead of surprises, things just kinda happened? They dropped bombs last week...maybe have an ep where they deal with all that? Or maybe 13 eps was a little too tight for the story they wanted to tell this season.

Like Beeman's wife spazzing out is fine, but not in the same ep that Elizabeth is spazzing out. That dude was like her pops? Okay...but don't double, triple and quadruple down on the flashbacks in the same ep he dies. Do it like Gregory. Let it soak in early on, make it matter, then lay this down now. They might pull it all together, but this feels like a next season thing. That bathroom fight was serious, and her going at Granny. Prolly the weakest ep of the season to me, but maybe 5 or 6 shows are even seeing that low bar.

You know what, bunk everything I wrote. Nina.

YThe disguises are low key some of the best things about this show. Phil is just crazy with it and these disguises just make me realize how beautiful Keri Russel is in just about anything. Even in the flashbacks she some how actually looks younger.

Phil looked like Scumbag Steve would in the 80s. And I dead up went to check if my TV was ****** up, but it turned out ot be chick's fake scar.

It's wild how young Keri can look. Chick is ageless. Pharell society.

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

That scar was strategically placed. It stood out so much you couldn't help but mention that in the top things to sketch artist along with the red hair and glasses. Add in the trauma of being kidnapped I'm pretty sure he wouldn't recognize her again.

 

[mronegative]

Yea, I figured it was like Matt Damon's fake nose in that one Ocean's movie. She puttin Sydney Bristow to shame.

 

[Ja's 2¢]

stan's wife's acting was amazing. You really felt her true disgust with her husband. The way she just flicked the glass to the right

 

[Kimchi Papi]

As this season has progressed, I've come to realize Elizabeth is reckless & she does everything out of spite. Take for example when she went to Phil's motel room with the thank you beer. You could tell she wanted to tell Phil to come home but when she learned about his apartment she stormed off. She didn't even take the ride home & instead took the bus (spite & hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn).

She should've just said look, bunk the apartment & come home. I think part of her not killing the dude was that she knew Claudia wanted her to so again partly due to spite, she didn't follow through. She said as much in the car with Claudia.

Elizabeth really needs to be careful because now that Gukov, she doesn't have the powerful ally & Claudia has years of experience on her. She's barking up the wrong tree with that one. Young punks always bark real loud, but I'd take a salty-cagey vet over a youngster any day. Plus Claudia is like death coming around every time she shows up.

O Neg-
I disagree about this ep not being as strong. I think it was was very strong & telling with regards to where the story was heading from here for this season & next. I think it laid a good foundation.

 

[shogun]

Elizabeth was expecting some make up sex but got denied . Phil surprised her that he was moving on with his life and getting his own real place.

That FBI dude had a nice grab and hold on Elizabeth's butt / taint area in the bathroom .

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

Yeah she didn't leave out of spite. She's just dumb, embarrassed and a bit prideful. She came to make up and tell him to come home. She said the actual relationship was over and went with even the family cover being over but I don't think she wanted it to go that far so she wanted to start slow and at least get that part back before she tried to patch up the actual relationship.

Seeing how the convo went she was assuming he was talking about coming home and the apt talk caught her so off guard she had to distance herself. Just a dumb move cuz she's not use to being open. Mind you Phil is pretty much doing this reluctantly and he was thinking of the kids first and foremost. He knows how Elizabeth is so he probably thought there was no turning back. You can also add in her not wanting to deal with the kids attitudes anymore for wanting Phil to comeback so they could be a family.

If anything, this ep showed me how Elizabeth despite being resolute in her own strength needs to lean on a male figure. Phil was there for her again when she wanted revenge and when she finally came to terms with the death of the old guy and there not really being one person she can blame for it all she was beginning to transition to looking to Phil to be that main guy in her life she could trust and be loyal to.

She is reckless though but that's kinda cuz she's that down for the cause. Recruiting a black guy is insanely risky

 

[percy.]

At the beginning of the season, Elizabeth looked strong and someone that wouldn't be as vulnerable as she is now. They had doubts about Phillip but he's been doing his part well.

 

[big j 33]

Another great episode.

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

At the beginning of the season, Elizabeth looked strong and someone that wouldn't be as vulnerable as she is now. They had doubts about Phillip but he's been doing his part well.

Yeah, definitely this. It's something very common you don't often see picked up on or noticed early enough.

The passionate person that seems altogether, that appears unwavering in their mission/cause is more likely to emotionally collapse/implode. Mentally there's just too much on the line for them and if they don't breakdown they're resolve begins to erode due to their environment and the ppl they're around like family and circumstance. Phil on the other hand from some early flashbacks so far seemed a bit lost but a believer but to him this was more mission than a cause and at this point he can see this more as a job more than anything. It comes with stress but he's not deeply entwined with it anymore and with that comes more prudent decisions. I bet if ol girl who tried to okey doke him ended up dead by the hand of Americans he'd be able to deal with it and not seek revenge and go as far as Elizabeth did.

 

[mastamind89]

She is reckless though but that's kinda cuz she's that down for the cause. Recruiting a black guy is insanely risky

I don't think it was just her that recruited a black guy. If I remember correctly, during an FBI briefing, once they found out who Gregory was, it was pretty much said that they were looking into the KGB recruiting Black people.

It was rather surprising how easily Elizabeth broke down. But as pointed out she has become more fragile. Granny also pointed out that she's predictable. I do wonder if that will ever be brought up again

at Stan getting aired out..

 

[mronegative]

O Neg-
I disagree about this ep not being as strong. I think it was was very strong & telling with regards to where the story was heading from here for this season & next. I think it laid a good foundation.

It's how it came together. I mean, the disguises, the bathroom fight, Martha's parents, Stan and his wife, Phil's apartment, seeing Elizabeth's past... This felt like a lot of pieces of really good, interesting episodes glued together. Weak flow. And that scene when she changes her mind just didn't come out right.

Really, really interesting things are gonna happen cuz of this episode, but this episode, I don't think was so well put together. It's less than the sum of its parts to me.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

If a show is well written & acted, I don't mind an episode here & there like you mention O-Neg. The episode is the sum of of a full season so you are bound to have an episode here & there where the pacing might be off. I liked it for what it was because I think I see the sum of all the parts like you & I mention.

 

[mronegative]

Well yeah, I mean what's better than this show right now? Game of Thrones, Sherlock and Breaking Bad. I don't watch Mad Men, but you could throw that and Boardwalk in too...that's it.

Just this episode felt like they tried to cram too much. Bumrush you with Elizabeth being a human being, when you could just look at last week's on how to do that better. And a lot happened last week, but that was only half as much as this week's. And they kinda didn't bother to deal with some of that.

They just needed to focus is all, but like I said...this show's weakest is still a good episode and still better than almost anything on right now.

 

[hymen man]

Love Nina. Wood Simp.

Really enjoyed this episode. Curious on how they'll cliff it in the finale.

 

[jjs07]

A couple interesting points brought up in the Grantland recap:

When Patterson, the captured CIA "bureaucrat" (and total rockist: sure Pete Townshend is great but let Air Supply live!) said her life "is a lie," what she heard was the truth: She's never stopped lying to herself. It's pretty bad when a man wearing a blindfold can see right through you.

When Elizabeth railed to Philip about finding "the man responsible" for Zhukov's death, isn't she looking right at him? After all, if Philip hadn't spooned Martha, Amador would still be living and the escalation would have ceased. But Philip was only seeking the solace that Elizabeth had denied him. The case files at FBI headquarters and the Kremlin shouldn't be filled with suspect photos, just mirrors.

Rest of Article in Link

 

[mronegative]

Also interesting points:

Nah, but yeah...

It's pretty bad when a man wearing a blindfold can see right through you.

The case files at FBI headquarters and the Kremlin shouldn't be filled with suspect photos, just mirrors.

Those are just great lines. Really well put. Grantland stays with ti.

 

[estebii.cho]

Nina's about to put in work for the motherland next episode

 

[percy.]

Well damn, was not expecting Nina to confess like that.

 

[x Buddha Bless x]

Another strong ep.

@ sketches. I swear it's stuff like that comes back to your mind about ppl not being able to remember what you look like in certain situations that can only egg on ppl on the edge of committing crimes. Only the other sketch with the scar came close and in real life that usually the case unless you prolong traumatizing your victim and end up searing your voice or face in their brains.

I'm sure there's some nice commentary on the marriage scene and Nina trying to be a double agent just cuz whatshisname died.

Really can't wait to see how close Stan gets to Phil or Elizabeth in the finale

A couple interesting points brought up in the Grantland recap:

When Elizabeth railed to Philip about finding "the man responsible" for Zhukov's death, isn't she looking right at him? After all, if Philip hadn't spooned Martha, Amador would still be living and the escalation would have ceased. But Philip was only seeking the solace that Elizabeth had denied him. The case files at FBI headquarters and the Kremlin shouldn't be filled with suspect photos, just mirrors.

Rest of Article in Link

Banging Martha was part of the job though. In order to get inside info on what the FBI/CIA was doing I'm pretty sure he was ordered to get someone to unknowingly help them as they seem accustom to doing.

So technically, the ppl who caused Zhukov's death are the ppl they're working for at the Center.

 

[vladimir dinero]

upon further review, cia dude tried to put a finger in elizabeth's booty

good analysis from grantland

 

[T0INE]

Another good episode.

I think Nina realized that Stan was lying about killing Vlad when they met up.

That slight hesitation when she asked him that might've been a sign to her.

 

[chillbroswaggin]

Another good episode.

I think Nina realized that Stan was lying about killing Vlad when they met up.

That slight hesitation when she asked him that might've been a sign to her.

Yea I was thinking the same thing. Btw who didn't love the wedding at the end with Elizabeth being Clark's "sister"