If there’s all this fuss over a pen, it doesn’t take a genius to realize there was a bug in it so even if no one explicitly said so, that’s no giveaway.
By the way, just for grins last night I did a “Google image search” on “The Americans”, got some amusing graphics.
I think it would depend on just what my life was like before and after the sham I was presented.
IOW, if it turned out that I was really born into a wealthy and successful family, I would probably be very happy about that. I still would not be happy about being lied to. But there is a huge diff between being born into a family that was rather impoverished versus one whose lifetime goals regarding success were to work hard and become successful as a result of my own hard work and healthy attitude.
But, tell me. What do you think? What is your opinion of a healthy attitude towards successful lifetime goals?
OK. Sorry. I have just been watching a lot of the “Gangland” TV series and I’m afreaid it has tainted my imagination and my ideas regarding goals for a happy and successful life.
However, there is still something about Keri Russel that I find amazing and attractive and I would truly love to spend some time with her and get to know her.
Oh Darn! I’m going to run out of time again in this editor. Shoot! Bah!
OK. Thank you for asking.
Lying to the police or to Federal agents can get you large prison sentences with many different kinds of names, like:
. Obstruction of Justice (that’s just lying to the police or Feds)
. Obstruction of a Peace Officer
. Obstruct Police
I think there are plenty of others too. Maybe just Obstrcution of Obstruct because we feel like being jerkoffs. I’m sorry. I know that sounds real stupid. But then again, they can indeed be real stupid and what can we do about it? Not much in many cases.
We can always post most anything to make them look real stupid. But … they can always charge us with most anything to try and scare us.
I know that sounds real hokey! But when the cops get angry with you, they can charge you with just about anything they like and you have to pay a lawyer to get you off later on. Many people don’t even realize they can get off of a bogus charge like that later on. You know and I know that it sucks but what can you do? They are the cops - unfortunately.
The scene between Paige and Elizabeth in the garage was excellent. I liked the way they set up the scene with Paige literally in the driver’s seat, a nice visual reminder that she has a lot of control in this situation. It also reveals her desire to escape from all these new complications. But at the same time, she’s just a kid, only 14 (I think?) years old. She can’t just drive away, she’s still dependent on her parents in many ways, not least emotionally.
The conversation was well played too. On one level, it seems that Elizabeth is genuinely relieved that she can be honest with Paige about her past (up to a point) and thrilled at the opportunity to tell Paige about her grandparents, their life in Russia, etc. But on another level everything she said was manipulation, trying to maintain that emotional tie that will keep Paige on her side. Paige’s final line was perfect: “How can I believe anything you say?” Indeed.
As for Paige’s disrespectful attitude? Under the circumstances, she was quite restrained IMO. Her whole world has been turned upside down. I think she’s entitled to a bit of attitude.
I was not there in 1983, but seven years later when I was there it did not seem remotely shithole-ish. But then, I had already lived in the Third World before that time. No other major country is as rich as the U.S., so almost anywhere will look poorer by comparison; but it was clear to me in so many ways that the Eastern Bloc was way beyond the developing world in technology, development, and education.
I think the Paige subplot is unrealistic, because she still hasn’t asked one of the first questions anybody in her situation would ask.
She’s asked if they were drug dealers. She’s even asked if they’re really her parents, so there’s clearly no subject she considers off limits.
But when you said the word “spy” to a kid in the 1980’s, he thought of James Bond, 007, License To Kill. And she still hasn’t asked if they have killed anybody.
If she did, they would have to lie, and she would know that they were lying. She wouldn’t believe anything else they said, and she would be horrified that they had killed people. It would be a completely untenable situation. They’d almost have to ship her off to Russia, to make sure she didn’t tell anybody.
The writers seem to be shying away from that, and it’s not realistic.
Unless someone can name a point in an episode that contradicts it, only four people are supposed to know that all the fuss is over a pen. The examiner asked Martha about pens, but he also asked her about a bunch of other things. If she had no prior knowledge, she might speculate that a pen was bugged, but she wouldn’t know it, and it would give her away to say what Clark told her to say.
Even claiming she saw the discovery through the window would be suspicious. She’s not supposed to be watching what goes on in the chief’s office, and it wouldn’t have been easy to see. It was a tiny bug, and there were two large guys standing next to the desk, very probably blocking her view, and they immediately closed the blinds when they found the bug.
Chaika, What a magnificent analysis of the conversation in the car with “Paige literally in the driver’s seat”. Wow! I have always respected your posts but that took me far beyond just normal “respect”. That was really wonderful. Congrats to you!
SlackerInc, when you said, “it was clear to me in so many ways that the Eastern Bloc was way beyond the developing world in technology, development, and education”, I just want to be clear what you meant by the Eastern Bloc and the “developing world”. I’m guessing that by the “Eastern Bloc” you meant Russia, East Germany, Poland, Hungary and all other countries controlled by the USSR and when you said “developing world” you meant primarily countries in Africa like Niger, Chad, The Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Egypt and Algeria. Please correct me if I am mistaken? I think that I get what you mean but I’d like to know for certain. In any case, that was another brilliant analysis. Truly excellent analysis there. Really nicely done.
TonySinclair, I’d like to ask how you can be so certain that if she asked if they had killed anyone and they said “no”, how could you be so certain she would know they were lying? I really can’t imagine how you would know she would be certain about that and I’d really like to know.
However, I think all three of you have done a truly beautiful job with those posts. Really and truly well done! A very fine job!
The reason we’re where we are is that she can tell when they’re lying. For trained spies who play multiple roles as part of their “job,” they have been remarkably inept at hiding things from her, especially when she directly confronts them.
Hey Chaika - yep, a great call on the drivers seat. I have shamelessly used it, I’m afraid 
Fleshed out the ideas in the epi blog post - if last week is anything to go by I’ll wake up tomorrow and re-eidt with a flea from Charlie Wayne in my ear for being too boring 
https://clevertelly.wordpress.com/
They’ve told her they help with information. That’s okay for now because Paige has bigger issues she wants to talk about.
I’m sure she will get back to job specs but, right now, she wants to know if they are her real parents, if Henry is really her brother, and a lot more. I think it’s realistic to think stuff like that is a priority for 14-year old girls.
I think it’s realistic that people sometimes don’t ask questions they don’t want to know the answer to.
Yes she was. She saw the bug fall out which is why she rushed off to the ladies room to dismantle the recorder.
Serious shit? Hah! It might be like the start of WW3! Wow!
Unfortunately, I don’t think the writers would waste such a big development into a single episode. I think intstead, the could spend an entire season dealing with this event. But it would be magnificent for sure!
I just hope Paige is more astute than to blurt this out to Stan at her dinner table. There is so much work to be done before she would tell Stan about her parents. At least, that is what I think should happen.
You’ll never have to worry about that so long as you keep on using great words that I have to look up to increase my vocabulary.
UTJ, A few remarks about your blog.
Damn! That title just knocked me right on my ass. I fell down laughing. However, I think I’d change it slightly by inserting the word “OR” as in:
S3E11 ‘One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov’ … or … Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Also, the word “downcast” … I looked up both one word and two words in Dictionary.com and there is no entry for a two word version i.e. “Down Cast”. Sorry to be so picky. But I thought you might like to know and change it.
As far as “Real Granny” being sick and dying, that is not bad at all for her trip to America. In fact, I think it works well for the trip. After all, once she meets Paige, the sooner she dies, the better. I’m sorry to be so cruel. But in terms of the plot as between Paige and Granny, the less time there is, the better. The less time there is for Paige to discover Granny is a phoney, the better.
Oh that Paige … Damn her eyes! If she is given too much time with a Fake Granny, she is bound to discover Granny is indeed a fake. So, best to have that part of the plot end right quick. Bring in Fake Granny. Introduce her to Paige and then let her die - Granny on the spot! Right on the spot and then get her out of there right quick so that Paige doesn’t have enough time to discover that she is indeed a fake.
Thanks for your comments of grammar and spelling. Sometimes I let things slide at the end of a long day so I really do appreciate you helping me out!
Yeah, I quite like the whole Fake Granny vs. Real Granny thing - it’s kind of Beatles or Stones
Anyway, thanks again Charlie.
I agree here with Tony Sinclair…about the storyline in general, but also in regards to the specific question issue. Don’t know about anyone else, but if it were me, the “have you killed anyone” would be the first question I would ask. I’ve been saying all along that if Paige finds out the details of her parents’ work, she’ll be real hard to convert.
I also think the stuff E is trying to feed Paige is a bunch of crap. Her number one goal right now is to recruit Paige, and she’ll do or say anything to do it…after all we are talking about Elizabeth Jennings here.
Kudos to Chaika as well regarding Paige being in the driver’s seat…the significance slipped by me at the time, but it does echo as my previous thought that Paige has almost the ultimate leverage over her mom and pop.
It would be the first question that Paige would think to ask, but Paige doesn’t really want to know the answer to that question. And the more she thinks about it, the more she will understand that there are consequences to having knowledge.
Called that one! Except is was the USFL.