"Buying a car is about feel. How does it make you feel?" ― Rich Perkins
New Car is the eighth episode of Season Two of The Americans on FX, and the twenty-first episode overall.
Synopsis[]
Philip and Elizabeth both find themselves faced with painful turns in their various missions. Stan fights to gain access to an American military program that could give him the upper hand in his battle of wills with Oleg.
Plot[]
Martha tells "Clark" she’s really happy at work, and doesn’t feel right helping his office anymore by providing recordings from the bug in Agent Gaad's office. Philip and Henry visit a Chevrolet dealer, and purchase a Camaro Z-28. At a Soviet research facility, Vasili approaches a depressed Baklanov and encourages him to eat. He says he left the United States under similar circumstances, but "Instead of a bullet in the head, I’m in charge of this facility." He then gives him the bug Philip used to copy data from the ARPANET, and tells Baklanov it contains information his American bosses wouldn’t let him see.
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Bringing the Z-28 home, Elizabeth is shocked to see it. (♫ Stray Cats - Rock This Town ♫) At the Rezidentura, Oleg explains Stealth to Arkady for a report to the Center. Hoping to change Martha's mind, Philip edits a recording made from the bug in Gaad's office, to make it sound like Gaad and co-workers are disparaging Martha’s appearance. Elizabeth believes it'll work. She and Philip discuss their material possessions but he can't get her to admit she likes them. Arriving home, Andrew Larrick is shot in the neck with a tranquilizer dart by Lucia. Before he passes out, they fight and he manages to shoot her with one as well. At home, Stan barely listens as Sandra reminds him of her EST graduation as he's looking at the surveillance logs on Oleg.
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Larrick comes to before Lucia. He ties her up and contacts Elizabeth. "Clark" arrives at Martha's and intending to play her the tape, she accidentally cuts herself. While he tends her wound, Martha apologizes for saying she doesn't want to provide the recordings of the bug in Gaad's office. "Clark" doesn't have the heart to play her the tape. At a bowling alley, Stan meets Oleg and threatens him if he gets Nina hurt. Oleg hints that there might be more requests but Stan says they're not in anything together and gives him the surveillance logs. At Larrick's, Elizabeth finds Lucia bound and gagged and an incensed Larrick demands that after he gets them into the Martial Eagle training site and lets Lucia go, he never be contacted again by the KGB.
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At the safe house, Stan tells Nina he gave the reports to Oleg. She despairs that continued blackmail will become their existence but Stan reassures her that he'll find a way out. Overjoyed that Stan would risk his career for her, she kisses him. Elizabeth agrees to Larrick's terms but once Lucia is untied, she attacks him with a corkscrew. Larrick puts her in a choke hold, telling Elizabeth: “She’s not going to stop, so you choose.” Elizabeth watches, but does not intervene, as Larrick chokes and kills Lucia. Without remorse, he throws her body to the floor and tells Elizabeth to get Lucia out of his house.
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Angry, Stan approaches Gaad and announces he's going after Oleg. Stan asks for Gaad’s help obtaining the Department of Defense's code word clearance for the Stealth Program, and when Gaad says he's been stonewalled, Stan suggests they simply kill Oleg. Gaad is aghast, and asks if he's joking. Gaad suggests making a direct request with the Department of Justice (DoJ). Bob and Christy Tanner arrive home from vacation and are startled to find Henry asleep on their couch, video game controller in his hands and a game still playing on the TV. Arkady congratulates Nina and Oleg on their operation with Stan. Pulling Nina aside, Arkady warns her to be careful with Oleg. Oleg invites Nina out to a party at a disco but she demurs.
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Philip arrives home to find the Tanners telling Elizabeth about Henry's break-in. Elizabeth tells Philip that she allowed Larrick to kill Lucia and is upset that Lucia wouldn't stop attacking him. At the FBI, Stan listens to Agent Brooks and Samuels discuss a book about betrayal in MI5 and Martha complains about files being left unsecured on the Mail Robot while retrieving a file from the DoJ for Stan. Stan is angry to find his request for access to Stealth is denied. Kate meets with Philip and says two American companies are competing in the Stealth program and gives him a file. She tells him a Soviet submarine fitted with a propeller made from the plans they stole malfunctioned, and killed all 160 aboard. False plans were planted at hundreds of places across the country, assuming they would be stolen. After their meeting, Philip stares at his new car, feeling guilty.
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Arriving home, Stan sees Philip's new car and they make plans for drinks. Pulling his old car into the garage, Stan snaps when the car door won't close and he slams it several times in frustration. Elizabeth tells Philip that Larrick sent the password and hand signal to get into the Martial Eagle camp. Wanting to kill him, Elizabeth tells Philip he's in Nicaragua. He tells her about the submarine disaster. Stan arranges a meeting directly with the Deputy Attorney General and asks him to intervene with the DoD to get him the clearance to Stealth to stop Oleg. The Jennings determine the best way into the camp is to use a septic system truck.
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They kidnap Lewis Rendell, a septic system truck driver, bring him to an isolated wooded area, and press for information about his vehicle, route and replacement driver. He is so terrified, he can hardly respond. After obtaining the information they need, the Jennings argue about whether to kill him. Philip insists on tying him up, and returning later to free him once the mission is complete. At the Rezidentura, Arkady and Oleg discuss the submarine accident. Oleg says his father told him that the Navy installed the propeller on a submarine several classes larger than it was designed for, cut the testing phase by 75% and pushed it past the red line, shattering the shaft.
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Nevertheless, Arkady tells him they sent bad plans back home and it's their responsibility, to which Oleg agrees. Worried that the plans they intend to steal on Stealth may be fakes too, Oleg assures Arkady that with Baklanov and the successes they are having with various agents, they'll be fine. Philip and Elizabeth are finally able to confront Henry, who cries, apologizes, and says he knows the difference between right and wrong. Promising not to do it again and repeating over and over that he's a good person, Philip and Elizabeth are so taken with his repentance that they say nothing.
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Notes[]
- There are numerous date references in this episode including:
- As Elizabeth tells Philip in their bedroom that she let Larrick kill Lucia, the hockey game on in the background shows the Washington Capitals playing the Vancouver Canucks. This game took place on March 17, 1982 and ended in a 6-6 tie. The Canucks would go on to play in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982 and lose to the New York Islanders.
- Stan's rejection from the Department of Defense is dated March 18, 1982.
- Just before Philip gets home from meeting with Kate, Elizabeth is shown watching US President Ronald Regan on TV. The footage was taken from his February 26, 1982 speech at a conservative political action conference dinner. (see Timeline of Historical Events)
- The Intellivision game Henry is playing when caught by the Tanners is Astrosmash.
- Mail Robot makes another appearance. Martha tells Stan that staff are leaving classified documents unsecured on top of the robot to be sent back to the records department and that she's complained about it twice before.
- Henry has many Star Wars items in his bedroom including a C-3PO figure, bedspread and a poster included in the 1977 Star Wars soundtrack double album. He also has a pictures of Buzz Aldrin saluting the US flag on the moon and Aldrin's bootprint.
- Paige does not appear in this episode.
- "Previously on The Americans" voice: Martha.
Music[]
Song Title | Performer(s) |
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Rock This Town | Stray Cats |
Videos[]
Season Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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