The Midges

This week we move forward on the bug hunt. Alexei continues to disparage the USSR and his wife gets really angry. When they speak Russian, we find out that Alexei moved them suddenly. They had no idea he was going to defect and they one day were forced to up and leave everything behind. Alexei had a much different upbringing that his wife so he’s stuffed with way more anger about their home than she and their son are.

With an eye being kept on Alexei and Tuan working with Pasha, we’re moved on to the greater threat. The bug that Elizabeth handed off to Gabriel has come back with some results. It’s a midge that’s found in Australia and by the sound of it, it’s basically a locust. These things can chew through crops. The now focused concern is this: the US government effort is to decimate the food supply to cause a famine in the USSR. Now the question is, are they going to send the bugs over or just larva infested supplies? There are too many ways this attack could be kicked off so they have to find exactly how it’s going to happen for a chance to stop it. A lead takes Philip and Elizabeth to Oklahoma.

Before they leave, they decide to tell Paige about what they’re doing and Paige seems to be sympathetic to the cause. She has her questions but the answers look like they go over well. She doesn’t want anyone to starve. Paige also goes on a date with Will and she uses the thumb and forefinger technique they taught her when Matt asks her what’s bothering her. She pulls off a good lie and tells Elizabeth that she felt gross doing it. Elizabeth does her best to calm her down and keep her straight (it looked pretty successful to me).

In the USSR, Oleg is going about his business. He starts his investigation on where the money is going when merchants buy their food and he’s stonewalled. When he walks out the camera stays on a woman browsing the sparsely stocked shelves. It’s Martha! After that shocker, the US agent finds Oleg walking home and Oleg tells him to take a hike. Oleg didn’t go to the first meeting and the agent passes him a package, along with saying “I’m sorry.” With that unnerving line, Oleg opens the package at home and finds another map with a meeting marked and a cassette tape that’s audio proof that he’s a traitor to the USSR.

We keep rolling with the spies when we join Stan and his partner Dennis approach two men and push them for information about a company they work for. Both men don’t say a word and simply walk away.

Finally, Elizabeth and Philip break into an Oklahoma lab. Looking into the midges, shipping information grabbed the attention of home base so they have to find out what’s going there. While looking around, they see a whole lot of bugs, but not much else. Then an employee comes in…really bad timing for him. They turn on the heat to interrogate him and get some interesting info. This lab has a contract to breed this specific bug, a wheat eater, and send them out. 30,000 to 40,000 have been sent out and he insinuates that that amount isn’t much. And the company they are sending the bugs to? The same one Stan and Dennis are asking about. Since this guy has seen their faces, he’s gotta go.

Great escalation to the show with some really surprising moments. Things are being weaved together, seeing Martha was nuts (I hope that wasn’t a one off) and Mischa, Philip’s son is inching his way closer to his father. It’s going to be crazy when everyone starts running into each other.

Should we tell Paige about this?

Best show on TV.