Given that both sides lost someone last week on “The Americans,†this was an appropriately elegiac episode, made all the more sad by the loss of yet another cast member, Li ’s beloved Gregory (Derek Luke) in “Only You.†Making matters worse, there was a whole lot of lying going on throughout the episode on both sides as well, not that’s that is anything new, when you get right down to it, but I suppose that’s the nature of the game when you’re a spy- or an FBI agent, for that matter.
Still, you had to cringe as poor Stan poured his heart out, along with his beer, to the very person who killed his partner, Phil, even going so far to thank the guy as he stumbled out into the night. Lest you sympathi e too much with Stan, he did the same thing to a shaken Nina, who he promised to get to the bottom of what happened to her friend and co-worker Vlad, who Stan himself killed.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but neither side seemed too broken up about their actions, even when Nina confirmed that Vlad was one of the good guys, and had planned on retiring from the KGB to pursue a medical degree.
What’s more, Phil could hardly contain himself when Claudia instructed him to kill Gregory if necessary. That makes a bit more sense, as Li sort of glossed over the fact that she’d had a full-blown affair with the guy while Phil had a mere one-night-stand with Irina, which was what sent her into such a ti y that she had to give the guy the boot. It didn’t exactly stop Li from jumping into the sack with Gregory one last time, either.
In the end, though, Phil let Gregory go after Li couldn’t pull the trigger on him, leaving him to die at the hands of the police in a shoot-out that ensued after the Russians planted evidence pointing in his direction as the culprit behind Amador’s murder. Man, those guys work fast! Oh well, I guess we wouldn’t have much of a show if Phil got caught this soon.
Still, I didn’t entirely get why Gregory out and out refused to go to Moscow, assuming they actually intended to make good on that promise in the first place. (You’ll recall that Claudia made a similar promise before, only for the recipient to end up dead by the end of the episode.) Yes, I get that he loved Li and didn’t want to be without her, but getting shot dead in the street as a traitor to his country was a better option? To each his own, I guess.
Speaking of moving, Stan’s wife also wanted him to get out of dodge as well, as he finally let her in a bit for once, despite his protest earlier that “You can’t be married and not have secrets.†Not that he told her too much, of course, but it was clear he was really feeling the weight of his job, and she knew it, too. She all but begged him to leave the FBI and pack up and take her and their son somewhere, anywhere else, but I don’t see Stan going anywhere, at least not anytime soon- least of all with his situation with Nina.
On the plus side, Nina did seem to have forgiven him for his boorish behavior last week pretty readily. But as aforementioned, he’s lying to her just as much as he does his wife- if not more so, what with his having killed her friend and all. From the looks of things, these two may not be a secret for too much longer, as it sure seemed like Stan’s wife was mighty upset about something beyond the usual in the preview for next week. Is Stan about to get caught? Or even go so far as to leave his wife for Nina? We shall see.
As for Phil and Li , it’s hard to say if they will be able to get past their issues. Will Li take Gregory’s advice to be with someone who appreciates her for who she really is? Does Phil really make her “softâ€- or is it actually the other way around? (Or a little of both, as the case may be.) Certainly Li is not faring well with the kids, especially Paige, who clearly hates her and blames her for the entire marriage derailment. Maybe Li is the one who should move on and let Phil take the family reins.
All in all, a solid episode of “The Americans.†Definitely some good moments throughout, particularly with Gregory, whose ending was anything but happy. Indeed, it would seem as if there’s not much of a happy ending in store for anyone, but you never know. This show is nothing if not unpredictable on the whole, so it could well surprise in the end. Let’s hope someone gets a happily ever after, even if it’s just the kids.
What did you think of “The Americans†this week? Any predictions how the season will end? Only three episodes to go, but good news- the show got an early renewal! Let me know your predictions or any other thoughts you might have about the show below in the comments section!
The Americans Season 1 Review “Only You”
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