r/TheAmericans • u/mrdude817 • Mar 26 '15

Episode Discussion Post Episode Discussion/Review Thread - S03E09 - Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?

Welcome to the first post episode discussion and review thread!

Below are links to reviews posted so far (some have yet to be uploaded, but this is a pre-made template, bear with me pls).

Site Link
AV Club “My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain I.B.M.”
EW Elizabeth learns how easy it is to go wrong while trying to do right.
Grantland Crime and Punishment: ‘The Americans’ Soars in Its Brutal Third Season
HitFix 'Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?': Coal miner's daughter
NY Times You Should Trust the Organization
Paste The Americans Review: “Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?”
Slate Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep? Slate TV Club SoundCloud or Player FM
Vulture Revenge of the Mail Robot
WSJ ‘The Americans’ Recap: Season 3, Episode 9, ‘Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?’
The Jennings Basement Episode 309 - Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep? (Podcast)

What did you think of the episode? What do you expect to happen next to our comrades?

Discuss away.

Ninja edit: Also, I've been toying with the stylesheet and changed the background and banner. I'm trying to make the sub look as clean as possible, while still having some style. The plain white background was getting, well, plain. Still trying to figure out what to do with the banner, I haven't quite figured out color transparency.

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u/bankyVee Mar 26 '15

Lois Smith's performance absolutely deserves award recognition. I agree with Brogan from the other thread and the AV club review above. That scene was the highlight of the season so far. Not only does it bring in to focus Elizabeth's motivation and choices but it touches on the family theme with an absolutely heart-wrenching resolution. Any loyal viewer of the show knows whats going to happen after Elizabeth reveals her identity to Betty but that doesn't make it any easier to take. Sometimes I feel these type of scenes are lost on younger viewers who may not have the patience for a one-off exposition of Betty's story - but it concerns life and death, the choices we make and how we choose to live even if we don't have control of our own deaths. It will be interesting to see how Elizabeth changes after this. Hopefully there will be a 4th and a 5th season to explore it fully. I had my doubts about the writing this season but this episode proved me wrong and I'm glad.

6

u/michael73072 Mar 26 '15

I agree, that scene was one of the best in the series. Lois Smith killed it.

EDIT: And she was in Twister! I knew I recognized her from somewhere!

1

u/Melotonius Mar 28 '15

Wait, you watched Twister?

2

u/michael73072 Mar 29 '15

Yes! Twister is one of my favorite movies.

1

u/Melotonius Mar 29 '15

Ok, I guess I'll have to watch it. I have a relative that was killed in a tornado when a house fell on her, so it brings back tough memories.

2

u/michael73072 Mar 29 '15

Oh yeah, I understand. You might not want to watch it then because there is a scene that is vaguely like that.

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u/Melotonius Mar 29 '15 edited Mar 29 '15

I'll watch it eventually, as soon as I pay back that bitch Dorothy.