Clark’s Place

This episode was all about lifting the lid of the pressure cooker to get some air to breath. The walls have been closing in on Philip and Elizabeth all season and they managed to keep it together (not panic) and make the right moves that only seasoned spies could.

Making it through the effects of the bio-weapon was just the start. Their absence from home was noticed by Stan and it forced Paige to lie. Elizabeth’s fever dreams changed her position on Paige being able to survive Pastor Tim’s assassination. She realizes Philip is right (although his first thought was to run for it) and they come up with a rather ingenious angle devised to sway the God-fearing couple from their dangerous “we should probably tell on the spies” idea. It’s wild seeing Elizabeth and Philip try to subtly nudge Paige into thinking and acting like a spy. There’s only so much they can do and they need their daughter to further calm down Pastor Tim and keep him close. Paige is super wary about everything and I get the sense that she does feel like she’s being manipulated. Her confusion is making her not trust any adult, but her family bonds are keeping her on her parents side (as they lie to her face about not hurting anyone).

Stan is another problem that they managed to put a patch on. First, Henry is spending way too much time with him. While he’s clueless about everything, he could say something that will get Stan’s gears working. When Oleg tells Stan that Nina was killed (that was a hell of a scene) it crushes a part of Stan’s soul. With that depressing news and his anger at Philip for “seeing” his wife, Philip had to work on getting Stan back on his good side desperately. An irate FBI agent for a neighbor is not a good thing when you are a spy and the guy is already on the trail of one of their most valuable information lines: Martha. Philip finally finds the right path when talking to Stan, it seems like it diffused him a bit.

It’s amazing Martha kept it together, although that Rx is not a good sign. Even she could smell the fishing trip Stan’s pal. They have coincidental evidence on her and the “I’m seeing a married man” lie (which kinda isn’t one) Philip told her to use bought her a few steps away from the edge. The Mother Land still wants to use keep using her like nothing’s happening but Philip knocks that one right out of the air. He’s sure Martha is being watched while no one else is and insists that they slow down and find out of sure before doing anything. She’s such a mess right now she’d be a liability anyway. Philip has talked his way into some miracles, but this one is too far gone. Loved watching Philip run a Plan B when he gets tipped off from his comrade about Martha being followed. The best offense is having the best defense. He’s kept himself in the shadows and kept the FBI from being anything more than curious about Martha. A lot of close calls.