"Paul Levinson's It's Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller...it is also an exquisite meditation on the very nature of alternate history." -- Jack Dann, The Fiction Writer's Guide to Alternate History

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The Americans Season 4 Finale: Neighborly Relations

An excellent season 4 finale to The Americans last night.  As befits this series and is the case in so many episodes, the very last moments were pure gold.

Gabriel has advised - but not commanded - Philip and Elizabeth to pack up their belongings and kids and go back home to the USSR.   William on his deathbed is babbling to Stan about Philip and Elizabeth, saying how pretty Elizabeth is and how lucky Philip is, without actually mentioning their names.   Philip and Elizabeth look nervously out the window, half or more expecting Stan to rush up with a bevy of Chevy police cars to arrest them, but instead-

Stan comes home, and realizes that Paige and Matthew have been making out.   He's laughing and winking when Philip comes over to fetch Paige, and that says it all:  William hasn't had said anything more to incriminate Philip and Elizabeth, and they can continue living as they have, right across the street from this FBI guy, and doing their business.

Whether it will be business as usual remains to be seen next year.  It's not clear that William has died when Stan comes home, so conceivably he could still divulge something else, but that's not very likely.   What is clear is that Stan's not faking - he's genuinely relaxed and amused about his son and Philip's daughter.

There was a close call earlier, when William was apprehended, and we've yet to see if Stan recognizes Philip when he sees Philip in one of his disguises.  Some are better than others, but at very least something about Philip in disguise should look familiar to Stan.

Meanwhile, Paige wants Elizabeth to teach her how to defend herself, and Elizabeth says she'll oblige.  Philip and Elizabeth have told Paige they don't want her to get involved with Matthew as a way of helping them get more information about Stan, but either Paige still thinks that's a good idea, or really cares at least a little about Matthew, or both.   Significantly, though Philip and Elizabeth would not be comfortable with Paige in Matthew's arms because she might inadvertently reveal something dangerous about them, it's their very being together that has reassured Philip and Elizabeth, and has given us two more seasons of The Americans.

Which I'm very glad about, and I'll be back with more next year.







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