"I can't tell you how much better I feel just dealing with murderers, drug dealers, and corrupt politicians." ― Stan
Tchaikovsky is the second episode of the final season of The Americans on FX, and the sixty-seventh episode overall.
Synopsis[]
Elizabeth targets an old source who could tip the balance of the upcoming summit, as Philip deals with business at the travel agency. Stan learns an old friend is back in town.
Plot[]
| Philip watches Elizabeth come downstairs and immediately head outside to smoke, having not been able to tell her that Oleg has asked him to spy on her. At the FBI, now working in the Criminal Investigations department, Stan discusses a case with Agent Delluva and Pederson. Called by Agent Aderholt, Stan meets him in the Counter-Intelligence department, where Aderholt is now the director. Stan is still running "Teacup," Gennadi's cover name, who wants to meet with him. Aderholt also tells him that Oleg is in town, seemingly to take a university course and that he's been out of the KGB for three years. Aderholt asks Stan to visit Oleg and see what he's up to. At Dupont Circle Travel, Philip does the books and looks worried.
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| Posing as "Meaghan", a State Department official, Elizabeth plans a "run-in" with Patrick McCleesh, who works for the CIA. She learns who in the CIA support the arms summit agenda and McCleesh proposes they meet for lunch in the State Department cafeteria. Elizabeth agrees, even though she doesn't have access. Stan learns from Gennadi that his wife Sofia has kicked him out. Commiserating with him, Stan tells him everything will be OK and reminds him there's a lot at stake with the operation Gennadi is running for the FBI. Gennadi thanks Stan and hugs him. Posing as "Stephanie," private nurse for terminally-ill Erica Haskard, wife of summit negotiator Glenn Haskard, Elizabeth overhears them discuss assisted suicide. Glenn admits to "Stephanie" that he plans to overdose Erica using morphine which "Stephanie" discourages. She does offer to kill Erica and leaves Glenn to think about it.
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| Meeting with Claudia, she reminds Elizabeth that she needs to keep Erica alive until after the summit. Elizabeth also mentions that she's meeting McCleesh in the State Department's cafeteria which concerns Claudia. Claudia then gives Elizabeth another mission, to get a lithium-based radiation sensor from General Rennhull. Elizabeth starts to speak about her death and asks Claudia to finish training Paige. Stan meets with Sofia who complains about Gennadi and says she wants a divorce. She then speaks about a co-worker at TASS named Bogdan who's giving her advice. Stan worries that Sofia will reveal her and Gennadi's operations with the FBI to him. At home, seeing Elizabeth outside smoking again, Philip unsuccessfully tries to learn what she's doing in her operation concerning the summit.
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| Stan tells Aderholt what's happening between Gennadi and Sofia and they worry she may reveal what Gennadi is doing and blow an operation with him the next day. With Marilyn and Paige running counter-surveillance, in disguise, Elizabeth runs into Rennhull. She reminds him of the meeting he had with the KGB six years earlier. Demanding a lithium-based radiation sensor from him, he refuses. She continues pressuring him and gives him a meeting place and time. With other agents, Stan ensures that Gennadi still makes a Soviet courier run with an FBI team covertly X-raying his diplomatic pouch. (♫ Talking Heads - Slippery People ♫)
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| Elizabeth goes into the State Department, disguised as a tour visitor. Philip discovers that Dupont Circle Travel has lost Jeremy, an important client of 15 years, to a budget travel agency. Elizabeth leaves the tour group and changes into her "Meaghan" disguise. However, the tour guide notices she's missing and calls security. Philip talks with Stavos about losing Jeremy which Stavos blames on Jeremy being Philip's client and him being too busy to handle him anymore. Meeting McCleesh in the cafeteria, Elizabeth sees security looking for her but she's able to convince McCleesh to go outside to eat. McCleesh discloses that Ronald Reagan is going senile. Elizabeth tells Claudia about Reagan. Paige arrives and as part of her on-going lessons on Russia, Claudia plays a Tchaikovsky record for her. (♫ Tchaikovsky - None but the Lonely Heart, Op. 6 ♫)
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| Leaving Claudia's, Paige asks Elizabeth if the KGB ever uses sex to get information, which she read about in a book. Elizabeth lies and denies it's a standard technique but then hedges and says it may happen in rare occasions when one gets close to a source or the information is important enough. With Paige and Marilyn again running counter-surveillance, in disguise, Elizabeth meets with Rennhull. He doesn't have the sensor and reminds her that their contact six years before resulted in the death of Sanford Prince. He refuses to get it so Elizabeth pushes hard and blackmails him. She gives him a new time and place to meet and leaves. At the Haskard's, Elizabeth photographs Glenn's documents he's prepared for the summit. While tending to Erica, who is in pain, Erica makes Elizabeth start drawing. Philip calls Henry at St. Edward's while working late at the agency. Philip talks about losing Jeremy and Henry agrees with Stavos that Philip should have handled Jeremy.
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| Meeting with Rennhull for a third time with Paige and Marilyn again running counter-surveillance, he immediately pulls a gun on Elizabeth. Even after threatening that the KGB will kill him if he shoots, Rennhull says he's not going to betray his country nor face going to jail by being blackmailed. Begging for her life, Elizabeth kneels and is able to jump into Rennhull under his pistol's line of fire. They struggle, Elizabeth jumps on top of him and wrestles the gun under Rennhull's jaw. It goes off, killing Rennhull and splattering blood and brains all over Elizabeth's face. Hearing the shot, Paige breaks surveillance and runs out of her car. She comes upon the blood-splattered Elizabeth who orders her several times to get back to her post.
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Notes[]
- Glenn Haskard listens to the Atlanta Braves play the San Francisco Giants on the radio. Home runs by Dale Murphy and Chili Davis are described by the sportscaster. This game occurred on Sunday October 4, 1987 with the Giants winning 5-4. (see Timeline of Historical Events)
- The Mail Robot makes an appearance. Now working in the Criminal Investigations Division, Beeman skirts around the robot when called downstairs to the Counter Intelligence Division.
- This is one of the rare episodes in which Philip doesn't wear one of his disguises.
- "Previously on The Americans" voice: Elizabeth.
Music[]
| Song Title | Performer(s) |
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| Slippery People | Talking Heads |
| None But the Lonely Heart, Op. 6 | Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky |
Videos[]
| Season Six | ||||||||||||||||||||
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