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Well that there was an episode I could've written myself after the events of last week. Well, except for the insane part about the kids getting stranger-dangered.
So at the end of the episode, the Soviets realized that there was a mole in their organization. They told Philip and everything. So this week, when Philip suddenly gets abducted by agents who are demanding he give up everything he knows about being a spy, and later when Elizabeth gets abducted and also interrogated, nobody seems to think this is maybe the KGB trying to flush out the mole. And when Claudia does show up and makes the completely unshocking revelation, the Jenningses totally fucking flip out, get their soft little American feelings hurt, and Elizabeth actually tries to murder Claudia. Afterwards, Philip realizes he got harsher treatment than Elizabeth, likely because Elizabeth had once revealed her suspicions that Philip was getting too comfortable in America. So they're both super mad at each other now.
Meanwhile, Vasili pillow-talks to Nina about there being a mole in the organization, and she goes right to Stan and begs him to be exfiltrated. The FBI isn't really in the mood to do that, of course, so instead, Stan asks Nina to photograph some confidential documents. Because he's trying to get her killed, apparently. No, in fact, it's all part of an elaborate plan to get Vasili framed for being the leak, which does get accomplished, much to Stan's outsized relief.
Also, the Jennings children accept a ride from a clearly suspicious guy, because Paige is a willful idiot, and when it goes bad, Henry clocks the guy with a beer bottle, and they run away. So ...
Want more? The full recap starts right below!Previously: Philip and Elizabeth were supposed to be smart, skilled deep-cover agents. Claudia told Philip that there was a mole within the Washington D.C. operation. Two plus two continued to equal four.
The morning after Philip's meeting with Claudia, he tells Elizabeth all about the mole. In between fielding bratty requests from Paige that they get a move on, Elizabeth laments the situation. Philip says he's going to have to lean on Martha for information. Get ready, everybody, The Wig is coming back! Elizabeth finally caves in to her awful daughter and goes to drive the kids to school. She remembers to kiss Philip goodbye and while it still seems half-obligatory and half-genuine, that second half is pretty sweet.
thing we see, Philip is all Clark'd up and calling Martha from a pay phone. He talks to her about how he can't stop thinking about her and she freaks out silently on the other end of the call, her big Beth Grant face basking in his attentions. He coaxes her into delaying work for a half hour and letting him come over for coffee, but as soon as he hangs up, goons come at him from behind, slap a hood over his face and drag him into a nearby van.
After the break, Philip is in some basement somewhere, far from the eyes and ears of anyone who could help him. He's tied to a chair, with a light shining in his face. He's playing the part of the innocent, misapprehended victim, as he should. Someone approaches him, broad-shouldered and khaki-panted and smoking a Marlboro. He couldn't read any more "AMERICAN," which should be Philip's first clue. I'm getting it out of the way right here that I think this whole episode is marred by the fact that Philip should ABSOLUTELY know that these guys are Soviets. He knows there's a mole and he even knows that there's a mole because the encryption code breach got leaked to the Americans, putting him and Elizabeth on a very short list of potential suspects. Whatever else this episode does right or wrong, it loses me at a fundamental level right here. Philip should know better. Not that he should be acting any differently, of course, but when the reveal happens, he should not be surprised.
So anyway, "Clark" is all fake tears and fear while Americano up there says they know he's Philip Jennings. He runs down Philip's personal details, including the fact that the details of his life pre-1960 are "a bit hazy." Oh, and he also removes Philip's glasses and then wig (which is NOT EVEN GLUED ON, Jesus Christ). Americano then gets in his face, telling him they know exactly who and what he is, calling him a "Commie prick." Look, I know the wig was bad, but hear him out!