"I'm not who I was." ― Nina Krilova
Pastor Tim is the second episode of Season Four of The Americans on FX, and the forty-first episode overall.
Synopsis[]
Philip tries with increasing desperation to get rid of a sensitive and dangerous package as family tensions in the Jennings house reach a boiling point when Paige shares a secret of her own.
Plot[]
After Stan slams Philip up against the garage wall, angry that he's been in a restaurant with his ex-wife Sandra, Philip rushes the sample of the Glanders virus that was in his pocket, into the house in a cooler. Elizabeth comments that Stan looked angry and they put the cooler in a secret compartment in the laundry room. Philip confesses that he's been going to EST where he ran into Sandra. She's been helping him understand the program and they were spotted at a restaurant by Tori, who told Stan and accused Philip of sleeping with her. Elizabeth is more interested in why he's going to EST which Philip has a hard time explaining. She surprises him by asking if he'd like her to go sometime.
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Philip and Elizabeth meet with Gabriel to return the Glanders sample, but he passes it back to Philip, indicating he'll need to move it out of the country. The Center wants more samples from William's lab but due to his low clearance level, Gabriel assigns the Jennings to obtain access codes for him. He then gives them a computer as a gift for their kids. At the Rezidentura, Arkady tells Oleg that his brother has died fighting in Afghanistan. Listening to the surveillance tapes from Pastor Tim's office, Elizabeth learns Paige has told him that Jennings are Soviet spies. Elizabeth insists they have to act fast to kill Pastor Tim, but Philip argues that will ruin their relationship with Paige. He then suggests trying to work him and finally says they should leave.
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At the FBI, Agent Gaad gives Stan intel the CIA has on Oleg which he suggests using to try and turn him rather than trying to blackmail him with the tape confessing his betrayal of Zinaida. Gaad leaves to meet with Gene's parents. A disguised Philip goes to the Reed Street Church at night and searches through Pastor Tim's office, discovering he uses a cabin to write sermons which he'll visit in a few days. Philip arrives home at the same time as Stan who glares at Philip. Elizabeth plans to visit the cabin to find a way Tim can die "accidentally" but Philip warns her that if he dies and Paige becomes a KGB agent, she'll figure out they killed Tim. Nina's husband Boris visits her at the Soviet research facility and the two are genuinely happy to see each other. She gives him a letter, asking him to pass it on to a mutual acquaintance who will hopefully get word to Jacob that his father is still alive.
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A disguised Philip boards an airport shuttle bus which is parked for several minutes as the driver takes a smoke break. Philip sits in the last row of the bus beside a Czech pilot who is supposed to transfer the Glanders sample out of the country. The pilot accepts it, but then shares his hesitations, including a belief that his co-pilot suspects something. He panics further when a flight security guard sits near them who notices the pilot is under duress. Philip tries to intervene but the man insists on talking to the pilot. Philip then strangles the guard, while the pilot looks on, horrified. (♫ Soft Cell - Tainted Love ♫) The few people on the bus are far enough away or listening to music that they don't notice. Philip stuffs the guard's body under a seat.
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Elizabeth visits Pastor Tim's cabin and notes he has a kerosene space heater that could be used to kill him. On the shuttle bus, the pilot departs, glancing at Philip nervously. Philip sees he's left the Glanders sample on the seat. Exasperated, he takes the sample, hides behind a seat and waits until the driver takes another smoke break before leaving the bus. Nina and Anton eat in the cafeteria where he says that although his stealth work has yielded some success, he's at the limit of what he can do. Nina advises him not to reveal this and tells him about her plan to get his son a message. He's not happy she's put herself in danger but Nina downplays the risk and says she needed to do it, not just for him.
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Oleg and Stan meet where Oleg learns there'll be no trade for Nina, as there's a CIA agent they want more. Stan expresses his sympathy regarding Oleg's brother, which Oleg dismisses and leaves. After the failed Glanders sample transfer, Philip comes home and opens up to Elizabeth about the boy he killed in Russia. He relates that EST helps him deal with tragic life events by thinking about them. Elizabeth dreams that Paige finds Pastor Tim dead in bed in the cabin, but when Paige screams, he rolls over and is actually Nikolai Timoshev, who then attempts to rape her.
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Philip meets with William who warns him against transferring the Glanders sample by a dead drop. Philip tells him they're trying to get the access code for level 4 at his lab, where the most dangerous samples are kept. William encourages Philip to fail getting him the code. Gabriel tells Elizabeth her mother has died, and that someone from their organization was with her. She spoke of Elizabeth and Paige and wanted to get a message to them that she loved them. Elizabeth questions whether any of that is actually true. Gabriel expresses concern for Elizabeth's state of mind but she doesn't respond.
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Nina is called into Vasili's office where he informs her that an ex-convict in Vladivostok turned a note over to the authorities which was intended for Anton's son. Indicating that the prosecutor will be investigating, Nina believes Vasili must be pleased, since she betrayed him years before. However, Vasili isn't vindictive and wonders why Nina took such a risk when she was so close to being freed. She smiles and simply says "I'm not who I was." At home, Elizabeth tells Paige that her mother died and they hug. She asks that Paige stay home that evening to watch Henry as her and her father have to work which Paige can't believe she's doing after hearing about her mother's death.
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Henry eats with Stan and asks him to come over and see his new computer. He also talks to Stan about a science teacher he has a crush on. Stan gives him honest advice about his crush and some of Matthew's cologne. Paige, wracked with guilt, confesses to Elizabeth that she told Pastor Tim everything. Wracked with remorse and guilt, Paige tries to explain and is sure Tim will keep their secret but Elizabeth yells at her. Citing that her parents put her in such a difficult position, Elizabeth calms down and says they'll figure it out. When Philip comes home, Elizabeth lets him know about her mother and Paige. They both agree they will not be able to kill Pastor Tim now, as Paige will know they did it. They both resign themselves to the fact they are in trouble.
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Notes[]
- Henry tells Stan that he wears Ralph Lauren cologne.
- "Previously on The Americans" voice: Elizabeth.
Music[]
Song Title | Performer(s) |
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Tainted Love | Soft Cell |
Videos[]
Season Four | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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