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"I understand everything now, Gabriel. All of it. You can go. And please, don't come back again." Martha

IHOP is the ninth episode of Season Five of The Americans on FX, and the sixty-first episode overall.

Synopsis[]

Philip and Elizabeth are thrown off balance when things with Tuan take an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, Henry makes a startling proposition and Stan has a disturbing encounter with Frank Gaad's widow.

Plot[]

At the CIA, Isaac Breland is handed a file. Furrowing his brow, he asks "Muj?" and noting all the blood in the photos, he says he's never seen anything like it. The recording device in his briefcase captures the conversation. "James" later changes the tape when he brings Kimmy a cake for her 17th birthday. (♫ Matthew Rhys - Forever Young ♫) Seeing his melancholy, Kimmie comments on "James" missing his son. At Dupont Circle Travel, Stavos makes a reservation for a client and greets Philip. In their office, Philip and Elizabeth discuss Henry's super report card and that Tuan is lonely. Elizabeth plans to surprise Tuan with dinner. Interrupted by Stavos that they have a call, it's Joan from the Clandestine call center who sets up a meeting with one of Gabriel's contacts.



IHOP Episode Kimberly birthday
Come on, blow them out.
At the FBI, Agent Wolfe tells Stan an intercept from Thailand showing travel for a group of KGB officers in the country at the same time Agent Gaad was murdered. He asks Stan to reconsider his stance on blackmailing Oleg to prevent more murders. Disguised as "Dee", Elizabeth arrives with dinner for Tuan but he's not there. Philip listens to the Breland tape. After waiting hours and calling Evgheniya to see if Tuan is with Pasha, Elizabeth searches Tuan's room. Philip hears about the deaths of the Mujahideen caused by hemorrhagic fever. Elizabeth arrives home past 3am and tells Philip that Tuan is missing. He relates what he heard on the tape and believes The Center lied to them why they wanted the Lassa virus.



The Americans - 509 - IHOP
It's a hell of a coincidence.
In disguise, Philip goes to a hospital to meet Gabriel's contact, Father Andrei. Not knowing if his information is important or not, he tells Philip about the activities of Father Viktor. Philip says he won't be able to meet him again and that Andrei's new handler will arrive in a few months. Stan visits Frank Gaad's widow, Linh, who remarks that he's the first person from the FBI to drop by. Relating that the FBI believes the KGB murdered Frank, Stan doesn't believe he would have wanted revenge. Linh contradicts Stan and says Frank would want it. Arriving home, Henry surprises his parents with plans to go to St. Edward's, a boarding school in New Hampshire. They're distressed to hear he's already applied and he makes a pitch about the academics, that he can get a scholarship and that Chris is helping him get accepted.



IHOP Episode Henry
It's really prestigious.
In Moscow, Martha cooks in her one room apartment. (♫ Plaine, ma plaine ♫) Hearing a knock, she's surprised to see Gabriel. He asks about the people taking care of her, if her Russian is improving and that they'll find a job for her translating. Saying she's been introduced to a few men, but none were suitable, Gabriel speaks about the phone call he had with her mother and that "Clark" wanted to give her a letter. Not believing his concern, Martha tells Gabriel to leave and not come back. Norm and Marilyn surveil Tuan eating at a pizzeria. Discussing St. Edward's, Philip doesn't think Henry knows what he's getting into and doubts he'll react well to the demands there but Elizabeth wants him to go. They're interrupted by a phone call alerting them to Tuan's movements.



IHOP Episode Martha
What's best for me?
At the OBKhSS, Captain Staponov escorts Oleg to Directorate K headquarters at Yasanevo. At a bus station, Norm and a disguised Elizabeth watch Tuan board a bus. At Yasanevo, Major Kuznetsov and Staponov ask Oleg for the name of every person he talked to in the USA. Relating that he can't remember everyone, he speaks about Stan, the operation the Rezidentura ran against him and his meetings with Stan afterward which Oleg lies was a continued effort to recruit Stan. When discussing Nina, Oleg admits they were lovers, that he's still angry that she was executed but couldn't do anything about it. A disguised Philip joins the crew following Tuan where he gets off a bus in Harrisburg, PA.



IHOP Episode Oleg
How often do these operations work?
Oleg arrives home to find Yelena and Igor arguing about his work. She leaves the room and Oleg reveals that he knows Yelena was in a prison camp. Igor speaks of considering suicide when she was arrested, that this happened to every family and that many relationships were destroyed by the arrests. However, he waited for Yelena and married her, even though the camp totally changed her. He can't bring himself to speak about what Yelena did to survive. Wondering why he was never told about it, Oleg says he wanted his sons to have the life they do now. However, Oleg knows that as a KGB officer, he's working for the organization responsible for sending his mother to a prison camp.



IHOP Episode Igor Burov
I don't want to think about it.
The crew follows Tuan to an International House of Pancakes (IHOP) restaurant which he enters and Elizabeth stakes out. Oleg visits Dmitri in prison and brings him an apple. Dmitri speaks of how powerful the people he works for are, that they control the entire country's food and everyone needs them. Oleg tells Dmitri about his brother's death in the Afghan War and the impact on his family. Given that Dmitri's son is fighting in the war, Oleg says the KGB is more powerful than the people he's protecting, as they can get his son out. Dmitri caves and gives the name of his contact, Lydia Formina.



IHOP Episode Dimitri apple
You're worried about the wrong things.
When Tuan arrives back home, "Brad" and "Dee" are waiting for him. Philip slams him up against a wall while Elizabeth points a gun at him. He tells them his little brother from his adoptive family in Seattle is terminally ill and he's been going out of state to contact him by phone. Noticing their surveillance, he didn't make the call, but ate at IHOP and returned home. He tells them when got the signal for this mission, he just disappeared on his former family. He begs them not to put this incident in their reports. Driving home, Elizabeth says she believes Tuan's story. She wonders that if they put what Tuan did in their report, if he'll get sent back to Vietnam. Philip thinks that on some level, Tuan may want to not be a spy but Elizabeth says that's not who he is.



IHOP Episode Tuan
It's not what you think!

Notes[]

  • Tuan has a poster of the 1982 movie Tron on his bedroom wall.
  • Paige does not appear in this episode.
  • "Previously on The Americans" voice: Henry.

Music[]

Song Title Performer(s)
Forever Young Matthew Rhys
Plaine, ma plaine Alexandrov Ensemble & Boris Alexandrov

Videos[]


Season Five
#501 "Amber Waves" #508 "Immersion"
#502 "Pests" #509 "IHOP"
#503 "The Midges" #510 "Darkroom"
#504 "What's the Matter with Kansas?" #511 "Dyatkovo"
#505 "Lotus 1-2-3" #512 "The World Council of Churches"
#506 "Crossbreed" #513 "The Soviet Division"
#507 "The Committee on Human Rights"
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