The Americans– “Dimebag” Retrospective. A Shocking Revelation and a Shocking Suspicion.

Season 3, Episode 4

Air Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 10 pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

“Just because you want to do nothing does not make it right…It is happening; it is just happening, Philip. And yes, I am. I am doing it—with or without you.” – Elizabeth Jennings

Strong words coming from Elizabeth (Keri Russell) about Paige’s (Holly Taylor) future in “Dimebag.” I was as surprised as Philip (Matthew Rhys) to hear Elizabeth speak with such ferocity. She certainly hasn’t kept her feelings for the spy business and Mother Russia a secret, but I was hoping Elizabeth wouldn’t take such a strong stance about Paige given how hard she’s been working towards having a loving mother/daughter relationship with Paige this season.

I hate the smug looks on Pastor Tim and Alice’s faces.

Did you find it as strange as I did that Paige chooses dinner at home with Pastor Tim (guest star Kelly AuCoin) and his wife Alice (guest star Suzy Jane Hunt) as her only gift despite Philip and Elizabeth offering to buy or do anything she wants for her birthday? Paige is a member of the religious youth group Pastor Tim runs so it’s not like she doesn’t have friends to invite. The reason becomes clear once everyone is seated at the dining room table. For spies who should see things coming from a mile away, Philip and Elizabeth certainly let Paige put one over on them. I can’t quite put my finger on it but something is different about Paige this season. She spent the entire last season being suspicious of her parents and snooping around. Now, in season three—particularly in “Dimebag”—she’s so sweet, I could almost gag. What happened to all those misgivings she had?

Nina finally has a breakthrough with Evi.

We finally learn more about Nina’s (Annet Mahendru) cellmate, Evi Sneijder (guest star Katja Herbers), who we met in episode two, “Baggage.” Nina, at the instruction of Igor Palovich (guest star Boris Lee Kruntonog)— “get her to talk”—asks Evi about her boyfriend and their activities prior to her capture. The reward for Nina’s good behavior? A lesser sentence in the hellhole she calls home these days—that’s if Nina can trust Igor. But, it’s not going to be as easy as Nina thinks. I love the way Nina uses a nightmare to reach Evi’s emotional side.

Stan (Noah Emmerich) takes Philip to another meeting of EST, the “stupid self-help group” his wife Sandra (Susan Misner) goes to. There, he is called upon to role play. Wow! I’ve never heard Stan go off like that! I don’t get what’s going on with him. To be honest, I’m tired of seeing Stan mope around. His confession to Sandra later in the episode sounds pathetic. Get over it, Stan! Sandra is already living with her boyfriend Arthur (guest star Remy Auberjonois), and since last season has made it crystal clear she wants a divorce. I see no reason why Stan doesn’t get drinks with Tori (guest star Callie Thorne), another EST member, when she asks him to. Given how short Thorne’s appearance is in “Dimebag,” I hope the writers bring her back as a love interest for Stan. She’s a wonderful actress whom I enjoyed immensely in Rescue Me and, more recently, Necessary Roughness, for which she received an Emmy® nomination.

As distracted as Stan is, emotionally speaking, I agree with his decision to bring his suspicions about Zinaida (guest star Svetlana Efremova) to Agent Gaad’s (guest star Richard Thomas) attention. Think about it—all this time, everyone has been worried about Zinaida’s safety except Zinaida. Besides, if the Russians wanted her dead for defecting, she’d be six feet under by now. But what Stan thinks Zinaida is up to will pose a huge threat to national security. I’m glad he does such a thorough search of the ladies’ bathroom in the diner although he does appear a bit manic. Let’s just hope he’s wrong in the long run, although I wouldn’t put it past the Soviets to put Zinaida up to something like this.

Other Observations

I enjoyed the bit of levity writer Peter Ackerman brings to this otherwise dramatic episode with the conversation Stan has with his waitress (guest star Barbara Winn) while dining out with Zinaida.

Stan: “How are the burgers here?”

Waitress: “Fair.”

Stan: “Well, that’s not a ringing endorsement.”

Waitress: “You want a ringing endorsement or you wanna know how the burgers are?”

***

I’ve seen product placement before but this is the third week in a row where Milky Way® bars have played prominently in the episode. This prompted me to do a little research and I learned Milky Way® bars didn’t exist in Russia in the 1980s. So, how did Zinaida come to love them as much as she does if she never ate them before? She hasn’t been in the States long enough to have such a passion for the candy. I don’t trust Zinaida. I don’t know; maybe I’m over-thinking this. What do you think?

***

Elizabeth, as her alter ego Michelle, drops in on her AA sponsor Lisa (guest star Karen Pittman), much to the consternation of Lisa’s husband Maurice (guest star Thaddeus Daniels). Elizabeth is getting closer to Lisa by befriending her and getting Lisa to talk about her troubled marriage. I don’t know about you but I don’t trust Maurice. I think he is going to pose a huge problem for either Elizabeth, Lisa, or both.

This Week’s Bits of Nostalgia

Love’s Baby Soft™ — a commercial playing up the innocent and baby soft nature of the product plays on the Jennings’ TV while Philip and Elizabeth are discussing Martha’s (Alison Wright) desire to foster a baby.
The Yaz – when Philip learns Kimberly (guest star Julia Garner), or “Kimmie” as her friends call her, is listening to the British synthpop duo from England, he buys the same album for Paige.

We’ve seen Philip and Elizabeth recruit all manner of assets but never one as young as Kimberly, who just happens to be Isaac Breland’s (Frank Deal) daughter. Remember him? We met him in “Baggage,” where we learned he’s the head of the CIA Afghan group. Philip, or Jim as he’s known for this operation, offers to get Kimmie and her friends better fake IDs than what they’re using as a means of getting closer to her. There’s quite a bit of chemistry going on between Kimmie and Philip, don’t you agree? Smoking weed can increase one’s sexual desires so Philip needs to be careful. I wonder what kind of information he hopes to get from Kimmie. Although, it’s already obvious she isn’t her father’s biggest fan.

Overall

While “Dimebag” doesn’t have the same amount of suspense and intrigue as previous episodes, it does do a good job of advancing some story lines. With Elizabeth telling Philip exactly how she feels about Paige, I wonder who’s going to have the upper hand in the long run. I don’t see Philip giving up on his dreams of a normal life for Paige. Besides, it sure doesn’t sound like Paige would be amenable to becoming a spy given the direction she’s taking. As for Nina, I’m hoping she succeeds with her mission so she can get back to doing what she does best—in America. But what I’m most anxious about is Zinaida’s story line. Is she truly here because of her disgust for Russia’s involvement with Afghanistan, or does she have something else up her sleeve?

What did you think of “Dimebag?” 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!