The Americans – 2.03 – The Walk In – Review : Family

   The Americans continued their amazing second season last Wednesday with “The Walk In”. It was a great episode, in which we got to understand better Elizabeth and Philip's psychologies and their lives. I’m really liking this new direction for Elizabeth, she is changing, since she got shot and Keri Russell is such perfect at playing her.
   So, in “The Walk In”, there was no real walk in, it happened last week actually, but still it had to do with its consequences and it might also refer to Paige’s visit to Aunt Helen. Philip and Elizabeth had to continue Emmett’s mission, and there were some great flashbacks with Leanne, Emmett’s wife.

    Elizabeth and Leanne knew each other since 1966. I had no idea honestly. Their deaths must have being really hard for Philip and Elizabeth. In the first flashback, Elizabeth surprisingly revealed she did not really want to have kids. I’ve never thought she would have been against having children. Clearly, she changed her mind and saw Philip as a good father. She decided to have Paige and we also watched it in a flashback.
   Back to the 80’s, Philip and Elizabeth had to pursue Emmett’s mission. They travelled and wore their costumes. I love Keri Russell’s face with that wig. It’s so funny and yet realistic. The mission didn’t go as planned. Elizabeth was surprised by a cleaning guy, Derek and he revealed to her the device she was looking for was gone, shipped to Minneapolis. Too bad. It was a great scene, very tense. I didn’t know what to expect from Elizabeth. I thought she would have jumped and killed him but she didn’t. Derek was smart enough to bring he had three children. Of course, it touched Elizabeth, especially in this time. She did not kill him but took a picture of his son, so he knew he better not messed around.
   Philip and Elizabeth split so Philip could go home and watch out the kids and Elizabeth had a new mission : she had to see Jared, Emmett and Leanne’ son, the only member of the family who had survived the assassination. In another flashback, Leanne asked Elizabeth a big service. She gave her a letter, for Jared, in case something happened to them, he could know the truth about his parents in that letter. Seriously, I’m not a parent but I think it’s a stupid idea. I understand you’d want your child to know where he came from but still, to tell him his whole life, his whole existence has been a part of a secret governmental mission, his family was fake, it was all an act. It’s terrible.
   But, still Elizabeth agreed and went to see Jared. He was actually doing fine, as fine as you can be after such a tragedy I guess. I didn’t know if Elizabeth went there as an agent or as a mother. I was relieved she did not give him the letter, and just hugged him and reassured him. It was a very touching scene. Elizabeth burnt the letter so I don’t think we will see Jared again and it's for the best.

   While Elizabeth was taking care of Jared, Philip went home only to find Paige wasn’t back from school yet. Because, still being very suspicious of her parents’, she decided to skip school and took the bus to visit Aunt Helen. You know, the supposedly sick aunt Elizabeth had to take care for two months… While really recovering from her gunshot.
   On the bus, Paige got to meet Kelly, a teenager just like her skipping school d having problems with her parents. She might actually be a Russian agent sent to watch after Paige… We will see in the next episodes. When Paige arrived at Aunt Helen’s, I was very surprised to see Aunt Helen was a real person. I thought Philip and Elizabeth had only made up a name, a phone number and an address. I’ve never guessed there actually was a woman behind it. But, she was there. When I saw her, I knew she had to be a spy too.
   Aunt Helen was very good at pretending. She mistook Paige for her own dead daughter, playing the "I"m old and senile' card.  I didn’t really believe it, so I was glad when she finally called Philip to tell him about Paige’s visit. She seemed more alert on the phone. She really is a Russian spy, probably some safe house for new agents, as she asked if Paige was Sally.
    Of course, Philip was quite angry at Paige. I really loved Matthew Rhys’ face while he was speaking to Paige. It was powerful and very scary. Philip is really a good dad, of course he also was angry because he is a spy and Paige is starting to get close to his secret, but his speech was right. It was a bad moment for Paige but she had to have seen it coming. Didn’t she expect Helen to call or her school ? Anyways, now she has her new BFF, Kelly to complain to. But, if Kelly is really a Soviet agent, I think that is dangerous. Paige is already having suspicious, what if Kelly made a mistake and get caught ? I’m starting to think Paige will find out about his parents in this season.

   Stan and Nina had not much to do in the episode again. For now, the beginning of this season is really focused on the Jennings family. Still, Stan was still after Bruce, the walk in at the Rezidentura last week and it didn’t take much time for Stan to stop him. I thought Bruce’ storyline would have developed more but I was satisfied with his death. It was shocking and mostly, that victory led Stan to confess his love to Nina. It was about time. He finally spoke out, he loves her. She was so happy and satisfied.
   Of course, Arkady was very happy about it too when he read it in her report. Nina is such a stronger woman, she should have been killed for what she done but she succeeded to change her odds and she is now playing a great game of deception with Stan. I’m still afraid of what would happen when he finds out.
   Oleg only shared one scene with Nina. He is the same guy, never serious and really hitting on Nina. I can now see a love triangle between Stan Nina and Oleg. He has no idea what Nina is doing, but it’s clear he is attracted to her. And for the first time, I saw Nina was touched by his attentions. I have no idea there this could lead but I can’t wait to find out. Stan will probably shoot Oleg.

   Family was the theme of “The Walk In”. It was explored through many ways (Derek, Paige, Aunt Helen, Jared, …) and it was what actually held the episode together. The episode could have been all over the place but the concept of family and how it affects people made it a solid episode.
   Philip and Elizabeth are slowly starting to realize how much danger they put around their children. It feels like they’re started to understand what having a family means and they are getting their distances from their mission. They are still spies and they keep doing their missions, as they are told. But now, their parental instinct has kicked in and we all know what it means. Soon or later, their desire to protect their family will come against their mission and they will have to choose. I can’t wait to see Philip and Elizabeth fighting against the Rezidentura, and maybe walk in the FBI. Elizabeth never really realized what it meant to bring children into their spy game, she didn’t want kid first so it won’t surprise me if she betrays her motherland.

Spy notes :
• Stan’s wife. She is so sweet and he is just so terrible to her. He doesn’t take her seriously, he doesn’t mean it but still he does it. I don’t see them still married when the season ends.
• Baby Paige ! It was so cute to see her n her mother’s arms.
• Elizabeth and Philip have no real friends…. That is not a surprise, we all noticed it an it makes sense : how can they have real friends when they keep disappearing. But yeah, they should find some friends, just in case, for the kids…

   So, what did you think of “The Walk In” ? Are you enjoying The Americans second season for now ? Hit the comments !

About the Author - Romain Ossust

I'm 27 from France, living near Paris. I love a lot of TV shows, (this is a non exhaustive list) : Orphan Black, True Blood, Dexter, Weeds, Person of Interest, Criminal Minds, 24, Ab Fab, Carnivale, Lost, The Americans, American Horror Story, Once Upon A Time, Desperate Housewives, Glee, Ugly Betty, Scandal, Looking, Sleepy Hollow, The Walking Dead, Raising Hope, Orange is the New Black, Grey’s Anatomy, HIMYM, Girls, ...
For SpoilerTV, I'm reviewing The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Looking, Continuum, Sleepy Hollow, The Americans, True Blood & Orphan Black
Otherwise, I’m also very fond of cats, I own 6 of them. I work as an administrative assistant, in one of the greatest place to work in France. I also enjoy sunbathing, reading and having fun ; and I hate doing sports :)