The Americans - Walter Taffet - Review: "Run in the Shadows"

Previously on The Americans: Martha has placed a bug in Agent Gaad's office at the request of "Clark", Elizabeth is starting to bring Paige into the fold, and Phillip has a son (other than Henry!).

     This episode starts out with a slow pan down from the dark sky to Phillip listening to the radio in the basement. Phillip is listening in to hear the latest updates on the war in Afghanistan and, more specifically, to see if anything is said about his son's regiment. At this point, you have to feel a lot of sympathy for Phillip. He not only has the constant worry about Paige's entrance into KGB life, but he has to worry about the status of a son that he is yet to meet. It's definitely not a great position to be in!

     In the midst of all of his worry about his oldest son, the stress that Paige adds isn't getting any easier to take. Paige and Elizabeth's visit to Kenilworth (where Gregory lived) had a major effect on young Paige and this was exactly Elizabeth's main motivation for the trip and it worked incredibly well. "What made you stop believing in change and making things better?" Paige questions her father. "I still believe in those things. You just get older and other things become important and you realize there are a lot of ways to make a difference." Phillip's response is, of course, less to do with the civil rights movement and more about his job as a spy.

     The FBI's discovery of the bug that Martha planted so long ago was a really fun scene. It was a lucky find for sure, but one that is going to have a lasting impact on the show's future, more specifically, Martha's future. The writers have been moving Martha's story along ever so slowly, but this episode really took quite a leap in terms of storytelling. Martha is more suspicious of Clark than she has ever been and it all feels like a great setup for a season finale shocker. It was great that the writers allowed us to follow Martha for so long in this episode because we were able to see how she realized what a terrible position she has put herself in! If Martha continues on such a dangerous trajectory, season four of The Americans could end up without Martha. #PrayForMartha

     Also notable about this episode was the short dinner sequence with Lisa. Lisa is an incredibly likable character and it's going to be sad when Elizabeth is forced to abuse her friendship to get what she wants, but ultimately, that's the only reason she is even getting to know her. The scene was humorous, but also saddening in a fashion that only The Americans can achieve.

     My absolute favorite part of this episode was, of course, the last scene! It had the music (see title), the wigs, the action, the direction, and the acting! This episode featured Noah Emmerich in his directorial debut and, if this episode is any indication, he has a long career ahead of him in directing!

9.2 / 10 - Overall, this episode had a lot of setup involved, but still managed to keep us all on the edge of our seats. Finding the bug, telling Paige more and more, and Martha with the gun (!!) all setup for what is sure to be a great episode next week!

About the Author - Brandon Rowe

Brandon is a Computer Science major at Fresno State University and has been a SpoilerTV writer since his sophomore year in high school. He enjoys watching an extreme amount of television and movies and is currently reviewing The Americans, Falling Skies, and True Detective. Brandon also managed the "In the Hot Seat" competition here on SpoilerTV in 2012 and is planning on doing it again in early 2015. Feel free to use the Facebook, Twitter, or G+ links below to contact him.

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