The Americans– “Baggage” Retrospective. Looking Ahead.

Season 3, Episode 2

Air Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 10 pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“Welcome to the United States of America.” – Agent Stan Beeman

“Baggage” opens in the dark, dank confines of Nina’s (Annet Mahendru) cell inside Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. The scene then rapidly shifts to the hotel where Philip (Matthew Rhys), as Scott, is dealing with the aftermath of Yousaf (guest star Rahul Khanna) murdering Annelise (guest star Gillian Alexy) in last week’s season premiere, “EST Men.” Finally, we are taken inside Philip and Elizabeth’s (Keri Russell) kitchen where a curious Paige (Holly Taylor) discusses her father’s whereabouts with Elizabeth. All three of these plot points open the door to some very interesting scenarios, some with far-reaching consequences. As swiftly as the scenes unfold is how quickly time passes when watching this captivating episode of The Americans.

The Defector

Stan does his best to make Zinaida feel comfortable.

At Dulles Airport, Stan (Noah Emmerich) and Agent Brooks (Aaron Roman Weiner) welcome a young defector (Svetlana Efremova) from Moscow. I can’t believe the method used to get her to America safely nor can I imagine being contained like that for so long. She used to work for an institute in Moscow that is responsible for “reporting to Soviet leadership on all aspects regarding geo-political significance regarding United States and Canada.” This woman is one cool cookie with the way she handles the reporters at a press conference. I’m not sure why no one, including Tatiana (Vera Cherny) and Agent Gaad (Richard Thomas), refers to the woman by name, instead choosing “the defector” and “what’s her name.” It isn’t until the 40-minute mark of “Baggage” that we finally learn her name is Zinaida. Zinaida may think she’s safe in America but she should think twice. She’s a bit naïve if she believes the KGB is going to let her speak her mind without consequences.

It’s Harder Than it Looks

Philip calls home for help.

Philip asks for Elizabeth’s help in getting Annelise’s body out of the hotel. I know a mannequin is used for these scenes so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what a terrific job the props department does. It is amazing how realistic the body appears even as Philip, Elizabeth, and yes, Yousaf manipulate it to fit inside a suitcase, an action that gives Philip even more reason to refuse the KGB’s request. I grimaced and cringed with each broken bone.

Beer, Anyone?

Philp is stressed over the loss of the list of names of the CIA agents working on Afghanistan matters so he presses Yousaf for information about them, and asks him to arrange a private meeting with them. But Elizabeth and Philip are outsmarted when the meeting doesn’t go as planned. Instead of all the CIA agents showing up, only Isaac Breland (guest star Frank Deal) does, and he quickly spirits Yousaf away from the motel. Our favorite Russian spies are not to be outwitted, though, and finally get the information they need in a rather inspired manner. I must take a moment here to commend Allyson Morgan, who plays Jenny the waitress, for the ease and speed with which the names of what seems like more than 20 beers roll off her tongue. I wonder how many takes were necessary to get that scene right!

Elizabeth has a lot to think about.

As much as Elizabeth and Philip come together with this mission, things turn ugly when the topic of Paige’s future arises. “I don’t want her putting people into a suitcase and I don’t want her ending up in a suitcase.” It astounds me that Elizabeth doesn’t understand Philip wanting life “to be easy” for Paige. I know Elizabeth’s first priority is to her job but is this truly the kind of life she wants for Paige? Why is her devotion to the Motherland more important than the future well-being of her daughter?

Sometimes, Saying I’m Sorry Just Isn’t Enough

I feel sorry for Stan when he phones his son Matthew to say “hi and goodnight” and has to leave a message. I’ll even take it a step further and say I empathized with Stan during his conversation with Sandra (Susan Misner) after his confrontation with Oleg (Costa Ronin) in a dark alley. But on the other hand, he should have thought about the consequences of his actions when he was sleeping with Nina. I would be as shaken as Stan is too, and can even understand why he confides his innermost feelings to Sandra. But what does he expect her to do? Sandra has moved on and he hasn’t. Men can be so damn selfish when all they think about is their needs.

Nina’s Imprisonment

Nina gets a cellmate (guest star Katja Herbers) and initially refuses to talk to her. She’s a Belgian woman who professes to be innocent of whatever charges Russia has dreamed up. Nina wisely tells her, “This is not a prison for innocent people.” I know the powers that be must have a reason for bringing in a roommate for Nina, but whatever it is remains to be seen. There are no scenes between these two so I’m anxious to see where this plot point goes. But then Nina is taken to see Igor Pavlovich, the Minister of Railways, who tells her Oleg asked him to use his influence to save her. Does he? Why else would Igor be there if not? Hopefully, we’ll find out in episode three.

This Week’s Bits of Nostalgia

A standalone pay phone—I’m pretty sure they’ve gone the way of the unicorn.
President Reagan’s trip to the Soviet Embassy in Washington on the occasion of Leonid Brezhnev’s death plays on a small TV at the Rezidentura.

Overall

The writers of “Baggage” do an exceptional job of moving along the three main story lines of the season—Paige becoming a spy, the CIA involvement in Afghanistan, and Nina’s imprisonment—as well as adding a new one with Zinaida. What is the KGB so concerned about Zinaida revealing? Also, what is the purpose of putting that Belgian woman in Nina’s cell? You know there’s more to that than meets the eye. The plot point that leaves me wondering the most is what Philip and Elizabeth are going to decide about Paige’s future. Admittedly, Gabriel (Frank Langella) does a good job of pulling on Elizabeth’s heartstrings when trying to manipulate her regarding Paige. But, while Philip may understand Elizabeth’s reasoning after her speech to him, the big difference between the time Elizabeth was recruited and now is Paige’s status as an American citizen. She’s not living in Moscow like Elizabeth was, where being a spy was more commonplace and accepted. I wonder which one of them is going to give in first, or will this bone of contention be the ruin of Philip and Elizabeth’s marriage?

What did you think of “Baggage?” Leave me a comment below, or tweet me @SeasideTV. I’d love to discuss the episode with you!

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!