The mid-episode marathon tail session is an exhilarating cat and mouse game set to the speed limit, especially because of how unexpected the whole thing is. An up-until-then routine bugging of a target in the Afghan Group turns on a dime once Elizabeth gets eyes on a Lincoln Versailles in her rearview mirror for the second time in as many hours. Director Thomas Schlamme lets the warranted paranoia of Philip and Elizabeth play out for a few beats, before confirming their instincts: the hunters are now the hunted, and the combined carpool of the F.B.I. and C.I.A. is right behind them.
What’s great about the setpiece is how long it spends on method, before devolving into mayhem over a split-second. Most people are better planners than they are improvisers, and the Jennings are no exception, as seen in Philip’s messy tuck-and-roll escape, and the four-car pileup needed to cover Elizabeth’s own exit. The whole sequence illustrates just why it is the Jennings have to develop on-call assets like Hans, the pretty boy prof, and why absolute surveillance of your surroundings is a tough task for even the best trained professionals.
What’s a bit concerning is the question of how many times The Americans can safely deploy a solution like tonight’s, in which the Jennings wriggle out of a jam using assets not previously introduced. It makes sense that someone would have replaced George by now as the Centre’s local operator (love the detail of the new girl doing a workout between calls), but the existence of an unknown number of other agents in the area can provide easy dramatic outs. It’s not that I’m asking for a D&D-style spreadsheet listing every tool at the K.G.B.’s disposal: part of the fun of the show is the mythic status they’ve taken on in the American intelligence community. Just check out that look Stan and Agent Anderholt share when the radio starts to go all screwy; they know they’ve already lost their lead before any of the boots on the ground do.
With a big setpiece splitting “Open House” right down the middle, the rest of the hour has to work in a number of much smaller scenes to lay some future groundwork. Agent Anderholt himself gets a proper introduction, both as a potential suitor to Martha (I ship it; she deserves only the best), and a buddy for Stan (how perfectly Stan is it to recycle that “I’ll take the beers” joke from Season 1?). Meanwhile, Zinaida’s publicity tour continues, appearing opposite Charles Duluth, a memorable asset The Americans established in Season 1, and made excellent use of in Season 2’s “Arpanet.” And Henry pops in to suggest that Stan has more than just Arthur to worry about when it comes to other men interested in his wife. A pubescent boy carrying around pictures of his neighbour in a bikini is concerning, suggesting Henry may not have fully exited his breaking and entering phase. Looking at the kid, though, what’s got me worried is how much Henry is starting to look like Jared.