Doing What Needs to Be Done. Retrospective: The Americans - "The Clock"

Air Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2013, 10 pm ET/PT on FX

Rating: ★★★★★

It’s all about the missions in “The Clock.” How to get the information you need, whether you’re a Russian spy living in America, or an FBI agent, all hell bent and determined to do what they must, using every trick in the book. Just as the series premiere opened with Elizabeth (Keri Russell) having extra-marital sex for the good of the mission, so does “The Clock,” with Philip (Matthew Rhys) having sex with a young blonde woman who knows him as “Scott.”

Observations:

It’s easy to get what you want when you’re pretending to be someone you’re not. Philip, as Scott, uses Anneliese (actor uncredited), the wife of a Swedish diplomat, to take pictures of the study in the Secretary of Defense’s home with a hidden camera. While Anneliese handles the chore easily, I think Philip has bitten off more than he can chew with this woman. As we see toward the end of “The Clock,” she’s volatile, threatening to go to the police. That is, until she starts contemplating a quiet, romantic life with Scott in Sweden. I think this woman is going to cause big problems for Philip down the road. What’s interesting is Elizabeth is much less tortured by Philip and Anneliese’s relationship than Philip was last week when watching the tape of a blonde Elizabeth with her mark. I know Philip is in love with Elizabeth, more so, I believe, than she is with him. I wonder how these interludes will affect their marriage in the future. And while Elizabeth may not possess the same depth of emotion for Philip, she is just as much an expert at compartmentalizing her life as Philip.

Poor Viola can’t believe her ears, or eyes, for that matter.

To listen in on a very important conversation inside the home of the Secretary of Defense, Elizabeth and Philip concoct a plan using the Secretary’s housekeeper, Viola (Tonye Patano, “Heylia” on Weeds). I must admit, poisoning her son Grayson (Grantham Coleman) to get her to do what they need is nothing short of brilliant. They think she’ll do what they want but they don’t take into account her relationship with her employer. Of course, there’s a hiccup along the way, which doesn’t seem realistic. I mean, how can Viola think “her Lord” will protect Grayson when he’s on the verge of death, with the only antidote being in the hands of the people threatening her? What I like about this scenario is how Philip acts. Rhys uses a non-threatening demeanor, acting more like a concerned friend. That’s not to say his character doesn’t threaten Viola and pull out all the stops. He’s just very matter of fact about it, making it seem like what he’s asking of her is like a walk in the park when he knows full well it could get her thrown in jail for a very, very long time.

Philip can be very frightening when he has to.

Patano does a fine job of playing a concerned mother who has just been threatened with her only son’s life. She alternates between being calm and frightened with ease. Although Viola initially decides to lean on her religion, Patano doesn’t play her character too over the top, hitting just the right note. Of course, Adam Arkin, the director, needs to be commended for that as well.

One of the fascinating themes in “The Clock” revolves around Philip and Elizabeth’s feelings about this mission. Unlike my impression of a hardened Soviet spy, they seem to care about Viola and her family. Does that make them more likeable or is it just a means to an end—the writers making the audience connect with the main characters? Because how can we like them if the writers write them as cold-hearted killers, right? Whatever…it works for me.

In the series premiere, we saw FBI Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) become suspicious of the Jennings, when he searched the trunk of their car. In “The Clock,” Stan’s actions, as well as the ridiculousness of the mission Elizabeth and Philip are faced with, have Elizabeth pondering her children’s future. She may be a hardened Russian spy but she’s not immune to worrying about what will happen to 13-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 10-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati) should she and Philip be arrested.

Elizabeth tries hard to connect with Paige. Like most teens, Paige is dealing with such issues as her first bra, makeup, and the cute boy next door, Matthew (Daniel Flaherty). While Elizabeth succeeds by offering to pierce Paige’s ears late at night, I was a bit disturbed by how Elizabeth awakens her. I also found the blood droplet very curious. It’s a great metaphor but I’m not sure of its intent. Could it indicate something simple like the inevitability of her daughter growing up? Or could it be something deeper, darker, like the bloodletting that is sure to come during this Cold War?

Stan tries hard to make Philip like him, all the while sizing him up.

While Philip and Elizabeth are busy with Viola and her son, Stan manages to get a female informant inside the Russian Embassy. Nina (Annet Mahendru) is selling goods on the black market and Stan threatens to expose her illegal activities, activities that would surely result in Soviet exile should the Russians find out. Stan fascinates me. One minute, he’s playing good cop to his partner Chris Amador’s (Maximilano Hernández) bad cop, using Chris’ race to get what he wants from Clark (James Andrew O’Connor), Nina’s partner-in-crime, and the next, he’s doing things like playing a practical joke on his FBI team, and having expensive caviar and beer with Philip. Stan’s relationship with Philip is amusing; he’s trying to come off as a friendly next-door neighbor but it’s easy to see he doesn’t trust Philip. Of course, neither does Philip trust Stan.

Additional thoughts:

How does Philip obtain the key to Viola’s house? We never see how this happens, making it an obvious flaw in the episode.

Creepy ‘stache, don’t you think?

Why does Philip don a mustache when visiting Viola? Does he really think it will hide his identity if Viola ever has to point him out in a police lineup? I think not. And that possibility could become a reality. What’s to stop Viola—or her brother, for that matter—from going to the police once Grayson recovers?

The brutal fight scene between Philip and Viola’s brother (uncredited) is beautifully executed. With the difference in the men’s sizes, I had no idea who was going to be victorious, making it all the more stimulating, and fun, to watch. While I was quite apprehensive, what I find strange is that I was rooting for Philip!

I am invested in The Americans despite knowing how the Cold War turns out in real life. To say that after only two episodes is huge, but the acting, directing, cinematography, and choreography are all spot on. So you tell me, what’s not to like? Add in Emmy® winner Margo Martindale who enters the picture next week as Claudia, the Jennings’ handler. To say I am excited is putting it mildly. Tell me, what do you think? Will The Americans succeed where FX’s other shows, Terriers and Rubicon, didn’t? Let’s hope it achieves the same success as Sons of Anarchy and Justified!

Tune in to The Americans, Wednesdays, 10 pm ET/PT, only on FX.

LIKE The Americans on Facebook, and follow the show on Twitter. Visit the show’s official website for fun things to do, download wallpaper, and watch exclusive videos and more.

You may also want to follow the actors on Twitter: Philip @MatthewRhys, Stan Beeman @NoahEmmerich, and Chris Amador @maxitois4real (Max Hernandez).

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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!