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Let's Talk About 'The Americans' Season 6 Episode 9 "Jennings, Elizabeth"

The 6th and final season of FX's Cold War era spy drama series The Americans continues with episode 9, "Jennings, Elizabeth". This is the second to last episode we'll ever get of the show, and I'm so torn between saying goodbye and the relief of finality.

Last week, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) discovered just how far Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) was willing to go in order to serve their country, including reporting to another high ranking informant on her actions.  Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) continues to try to get to the bottom of the Russian spies' plans.

The Americans
Incredible season 6 "The Americans" promo art courtesy of FX

If you missed what happened last week in s6e8 "The Summit", you can catch up here.

S6e9 is titled "Jennings, Elizabeth", and the synopsis reads:

"Elizabeth wrestles with competing loyalties; Philip has an encounter that turns into much more than he had bargained for."

Things that happened in s6e8: (reminder that we update live)

  • The episode starts with a 'previously on', reminding us that Stan is hot on the heels of Elizabeth, her refusal to take out a mark, and her request to meet with Philip's contact
  • Philip is out and about, signaling to Oleg
  • Stan is running a background check on one Jennings, Elizabeth and no records are found
  • He runs a search for Philip but finds nothing, and a search for the Travel company, but finds nothing
  • Elizabeth still keeping an eye on the mark she wouldn't kill previously, protecting him
  • Philip is back at the travel agency, the weight of the world on his whip thin shoulders
  • Stan comes to visit, and Philip is letting the stress get to him
  • Philip admits that he and Elizabeth had a fight and are currently not speaking
  • Stan lets the info drop that Renee is interviewing for a role at the FBI, and you see a lightbulb moment for Philip
  • Stan manages to track down Pastor Tim, starts to ask him questions
  • Oh. No.
  • The questions slant to the Jennings', and Stan tells Pastor Tim that he's speaking to him now as a law official.
  • "Is there anything I should know as an FBI agent about the Jennings family?"
  • Tim tells Stan how impressed he's always been with Paige, but that Philip and Elizabeth were never members of the church.
  • "Nothing else?" "Not really."
  • Elizabeth is having a flashback, and we see her as a young woman come across an accident, motorcycle vs horse, and a man calls out to her for help but she walks away.
  • Back at the FBI- Stan goes to talk to Alderholt, but not about anything important, the two make lunch plans
  • Stan tells Aderholt that he can't shake the feeling that Philip and Elizabeth may have something to do with the current investigation, and possibly all the other issues
  • "Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are not Russian spies," Aderholt tells him
  • Oleg gets arrested on his way to meet with Philip
  • Another flashback to Elizabeth as a young woman, she's reporting to her superior, telling her about seeing the accident and not stopping to help him
  • "We do not leave a comrade to die."
  • Stan is questioning Oleg, these two men together again
  • Oleg won't say anything with Stan's superiors listening in, but gives him a look that very much says "I'll tell you, but not them."
  • Elizabeth is tracking her mark again, and she takes out the second spy sent to take him out, protecting him
  • Back at the FBI, Oleg reveals to Stan that the KGB are trying to get rid of Gorbachev, and that he's trying to prevent the assassination
  • Oleg tells Stan to send a message for him, the one he was on his way to pick up
  • Stan shows Oleg a photo of the Jennings, and Oleg shakes his head "no"
  • Elizabeth goes to visit Claudia, admits that she stopped the hit, and says she contacted Gorbachev's 'people', and told them everything the Center was planning
  • "I had so much faith in you, even when things were bad, I never lost faith," Claudia says.
  • Elizabeth is shaken at last by the question of what's left for her, but only for a moment
  • Philip is meeting with the priest, and he admits that he's broken some of his vows to Elizabeth
  • The Priest reveals that Oleg is talking to the FBI and Philip immediately goes on high alert. He's looking at every single person on the street, trying to spot possible officers from both sides
  • He's being tailed, and starts to run.
  • He's got the lead of them, ditches his coat and adds a hat, and makes it into a taxi
  • Back at the Jennings', Paige comes to visit.
  • Man this convo is not going to go well.
  • Paige tells a story about a party her boyfriend was at, and how a drunk political intern at the party was crying and talking about sleeping with an older woman who ruined his life.
  • Paige asks straight out if the older woman was her mom, and Elizabeth denies it
  • Elizabeth keeps lying, and Paige doesn't buy it at all.
  • Paige calls her mom a whore, says that's why Philip can't stand to be around her
  • Elizabeth has created in Paige what she hates about herself- the inability to trust, the distance
  • Paige leaves, and the house has never felt more empty
  • The FBI is sending out agents to watch all garages and safe houses for Philip
  • Philip calls home, and drops a code phrase alerting her to the situation that they're more than likely made
  • She immediately goes to the garage to their stash, going through their secret compartments to get money, weapons, license plates and passports
  • The last thing she grabs is their wedding rings

***

I thought I'd have an idea by this point of how I think it'll all end, but with the build up to next week in tonight's episode, it could be anything.

Can you believe we only get one more episode of this fantastic and amazing series? Next week's s6e10 will be the series finale, and we're so thankful we've had so long with these characters.

Tune in next week for the completion of The Americans on FX on Wednesday April 30th.


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Mary Anne ButlerAbout Mary Anne Butler

Bleeding Cool News Editor Mary Anne Butler (Mab, for short) has been part of the fast-paced world of journalism since she was 15, getting her start in album reviews and live concert coverage for a nationally published (print) music magazine. She eventually transitioned to online media, writing for such sites as UGO/IGN, ComicsOnline, Geek Magazine, Ace of Geeks, Aggressive Comix (where she is still Editor-in-Chief), and most recently Bleeding Cool. 

Over the past 10 years, she’s built a presence at conventions across the globe as a cosplayer (occasionally), photographer (constantly), panelist and moderator (mostly), and reporter (always). 

 Interviews, reviews, observations, breaking news, and objective reporting are the name of the game for the founder of Harkonnen Knife Fight, a Dune-themed band with an international presence. 

 Though she be but little, she is fierce. #MabTheProfessional
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