FX's The Americans - Episode 2.10 Yousaf
A new mission with international stakes has Philip calling on Annelise for assistance just as an old foe returns to D.C. with a vendetta. Stan makes a discovery that could put the FBI hot on the trail of Illegals.
In "Yousaf," Philip and Elizabeth are off on yet another mission that involves the gathering of intelligence from very important and powerful figures. Elsewhere, there's Stan and Larrick who are separately putting the pieces together about Philip and Elizabeth's intelligence community. Everyone is taking action. Philip and Elizabeth are trying to move on from the last mission by setting up this new contact while Stan and Larrick are slowly gathering the rug to pull out right underneath them. Things are barreling to a climactic close for the season. There's so many threads up in the air at the moment and soon they are going to be crashing together. That excitement for what's coming is so enjoyable to watch here.We see Larrick take out the communications officer that the Jennings frequently hear from. He's back in the country on a personal vendetta to discover and kill the KGB agents who've been using him. He's a very capable soldier. He's on a mission and nothing is going to stop him from completing it except his death. He discovers the guy with ease and now has Kate's number. He may not have killed Emmett and Leanne but he's on a war path to kill Philip and Elizabeth. He's so dangerous to the livelihood of those two - and yet, they aren't even aware that he is back in the country. They're worried about Annelise and their children when perhaps the biggest threat to them is close by and ready to strike.
Like Nina says to Oleg, life here is complicated and tangled. Everyone wants things to go back to being simple. Everyone has their own cause that they are fighting for. For Philip and Elizabeth, they fight for the ideals of their country and the enemy trying to take control over young Paige's mind is the worst thing in the world. To them, the Americans are trying to turn her against them. It's a lot more complicated than that. Paige doesn't understand the opinions her parents express or how they don't want her to be learning more from the outside world. The Jennings want to have their family live in a perfect little bubble where nothing bad happens to them and the kids don't act out. That's a fantasy. They always have to be looking over their shoulder because they don't know if they are safe or not. While they're worried about a physical attack, it's a psychological one that comes into their home. They demand respect and Paige just isn't giving it to them - even though she's right to point out the double standard they had when Henry broke into the neighbors' house.
These characters largely just want to be the ones in control. They all hate it when they are left in the dark or are forced into doing something because of someone else. Gaad and Arkady disagree on just about everything and yet they work together because of the mutual assured destruction that would result if they didn't. Stan was taken aback when he learned about Sandra's affair - even though he was having one too. He knew things were bad but he didn't realize how far his wife had drifted away from him. He's been reenergized at work now that he's gotten some larger access. Now, he's hot on the trail of who Emmett and Leanne really were - as well as returning to the composite sketches of Elizabeth and Philip in disguise.
Everyone has secrets on The Americans. And like most secrets, they are the things that could destroy any of the characters at any time. They do what must be done to survive. And that has been highly entertaining this season.
Some more thoughts:
- "Yousaf" was written by Stephan Schiff & Stuart Zicherman and directed by Stefan Schwartz.
- So, it's March 1982 in the show's chronology and massive snowstorms are still hitting the city. That's very reminiscent of the past winter we just had.
- Pete Townshend collaborated with series composer Nate Barr on that original song "It Must Be Done" that played as Elizabeth attacked the guy in the pool. It was pretty cool and kept in the tone of the show and its musical choices.
- I had no recollection of who Annelise was at all. She appeared in the second episode of the show's first season. It's nice that the show is expanding Philip and Elizabeth's assets but a remainder would have been nice.
- I found this episode difficult to write about - which is odd since this show usually flows naturally when crafting my reviews.
