Look at just how much ground it covers and how many tone changes it undergoes.

Martha is seen off to a plane by Philip and Gabriel within the mostly dialog-less cold open.

Philip experiences the same existential crisis that all working fathers do after losing a job.

Philip and Elizabeth get into a long overdue screaming match about infidelity and EST.

Gad loses his job.

Elizabeth hangs out with Young-Hee, seesThe Outsidersand kills an old agent of hers.

Ad content continues below

Good God a lot happens in this episode.

The scale of The Magic of David Copperfield V is relatively staggering forThe Americans.

But its also at times strangely quiet and intimate.

And by all appearances, it looks like hes done an excellent job.

Instead of responding, Philip just wordlessly holds the book jacket cover above the couch for Elizabeth to see.

Its helping me realize some things, he responds.

Like he wants to start playing hockey again.

The little vignette is a wonderful example of writing and directing capturing an unable-to-be-articulated life experience.

Its not hard to see how the tensions eventually boil over.

  • They say editing is the soul of cinema.

And thats never been clearer than here.

Instead, the way it is cut together creates a cohesive and fully-realized 50 minute story with real soul.

The Magic of David Copperfield V is more than just cohesive.

So much of that comes down to the editing and post production decision-making.

I mentioned earlier that the cold open features almost no dialog.

Dont be alone, Clark, alright?

That wordless melancholy then extends to the next scenes of Philip shuffling around the house as a wordless zombie.

In fact, there isnt any noticeable soundtrack played until one of the episodes final climactic scenes.

It also makes the explosion, when it comes, that much more devastating.

Elizabeth attends her first EST meeting like she promised Philip she would.

The theme of that weeks meeting pretty accurately sums up the entirety of this season thus far.

You feel like youre stuck in a box that you cant get out of, the EST speaker says.

Well who made the box.

Well, Ive got news for you.

You love the prison youve made for yourself.

When she gets back and tries to tell Philip her thoughts on EST, it all goes to hell.

At first she tries to be diplomatic, saying she sees what he gets out of it.

But then throws out an important disclaimer.

They seem to only be after the adherents money.

Its all very American, she says.

You dont get it, Philip responds, deflated.

Then everything comes tumbling out of them.

Elizabeth resents Philip for caring so much about Martha.

She has to work harder to get in with Pastor Tim and Alice.

When Elizabeth shows up to she and Philips rendezvous with Gabriel bloodied, Gabriel has finally seen enough.

He puts them on vacation.

An emerging theme of this season is the powers that be ignoring the human element.

Its refreshing to see thatThe Americanshas not, however.

Given that this is only halfway through the fourth season, however, there is a big but.

And its that Paige looks like she will not have the same luxury.

Rating:

5 out of 5