The Americans heads to Kansas this week for two wildly divergent honeypot missions
Whats the Matter with Kansas?
is a great episode ofThe Americansbecause its a weird episode ofThe Americans.
The weirdness begins with the title.
Historically, episodes ofThe Americansthat end in questions marks have performed very well.
See the all-time great Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?
Interestingly, the books was published in other English-speaking countries as Whats the Matter with America?
And just like that baby, youve got yourself a honeypot going.
Philip and Elizabeth object.
Paige is beginning to take up more and more of their time and theyre already working this Pasha angle.
Is it really time to add another iron in the fire?
So Gabriel does what handlers do.
He handles Philip and Elizabeth.
This is important and they have to do it.
The implication of the title here is whats the matter with Kansas?
as in: whats so bad about it?
You two have been to other states before.
Go and do your jobs.
There are deeper implications of the title as well.
Im drawn back to the English and Australian versions title of Mr. Franks book.
What is Wrong with America?
Well to those readers, its undoubtedly the rise of extreme conservatism.
In season five,The Americanshas spread out geographically more than ever.
We get to see Oleg venture to create a new, lasting life for himself in Russia.
This week he admits to his mother that hes being blackmailed by the CIA.
Just like she did for the five years she spent in a camp.
Do you want to be arrested?
Then there are the non-Russia U.S.S.R. countries.
Philips son Mischa escapes Ukraine in a rather brilliantly conceived way.
The helper in Mischas car builds a rapport with a border agent about a soccer match on the radio.
Philips dance card is about to be even fuller.
This expansion masterfully serves the seasons overarching themes so far.
For four seasons now the Russia that Philip and Elizabeth are fighting for has been an abstract.
We understand home as a motivator but never got to actually physically see it.
Now that we see both Russia and its sub-states compared to several U.S. states the message is clear.
This isnt about good and bad.
This is about winning and losing.
Elizabeths couldnt possibly go better.
She is tasked with seducing AgriCorp.
She stages a meet-cute in a health food store when she accidentally spills some beans onto the floor.
Philips mark on the other hand?
She likes her work.
So many characters onThe Americansare hyper-competent.
Its part of what makes the show so good.
No one wants Philip and Elizabeth to routinely be on the verge of capture because theyre hapless weirdos.
But Deirdres brand of weird is just a delight.
Deirdre is just not having that nonsense.
She loves her work and apparently dislikes attractive men flirting with her.
Do you, boo.
Does this mean Elizabeth is better at her job than Philip?
Im inclined to say no.
Philips approach is textbook and he and Elizabeths disguises are equally attractive.
will certainly close it out.
But shes just not that into him.
Thats the risk of dealing with people as part of your business.
People are strange, unpredictable beasts.
Its a lesson that Philip relearns this week with Deirdre and then again with Alexei Morozov at the bar.
One of them just figured out how to harvest and transport the fruits of it in an efficient way.
One country got a Deirdre and one country got a Ben.
Whats the matter with America?
Who cares as long as you get to eat.
Philip and Elizabeth have so much of it in their new home despite their various stressors.
Yet still they cling to the old one.
Yes, Paige is really proving herself to be cut out for this whole spy business.
In Whats the Matter with Kansas?
she babysits for Pastor Tim* and Alice.
Before he leaves, Pastor Tim gives Paige Karl Marxs book so that she may better understand her parents.
She responds to this by almost immediately snooping through Pastor Tims shit.
*Pastor Tim is another one ofThe Americans all-time great weirdos.
You know, just in case.
Paiges interest in spying reflects her parents values.
Theres nothing the matter with Kansas or America or Paige.
But the mere knowledge that she might one day connect with the real version of herself.
The version that knows she is Russian like her parents drives her like nothing else.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
