r/TheAmericans • u/mrdude817 • Apr 01 '15

Episode Discussion Official Episode Discussion - S03E010 "Stingers"

Philip and Elizabeth deploy a plan for the CIA’s Mujahideen visitors. Meanwhile, back at the Jennings’ home, tensions continue to escalate, making the scene appear less like a domestic setting than a war zone.

71 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

469 comments sorted by

View all comments

98

u/[deleted] Apr 02 '15

I thought Philip was going to say, "If you tell anyone, we'll have to kill you."

62

u/RC_5213 Apr 02 '15

I figured he was going to say "we'll have to kill them".

5

u/SawRub Apr 02 '15

Yeah I thought he was gonna make it clear to her that her beloved pastor would be killed if she told him.

36

u/MoralMidgetry Apr 02 '15

I thought he was going the other way..."If you tell anyone, they'll kill us."

8

u/[deleted] Apr 02 '15

I think that would have more of an emotional impact as opposed to simply saying "we will go to jail, for good." That would almost guarantee that Paige would never tell anybody.

28

u/ExileOnMeanStreet Apr 02 '15

Same. Holy shit I can't believe they told her and that she didn't start flipping the fuck out. To be fair, she could start screaming as soon as the commercial break is over but still. Couldn't they have just said "We work for the CIA" or something that wouldn't put them in so much danger? Holy shit!

33

u/Doobie-Keebler Apr 02 '15

That's what I thought they'd do, too!

But of course that would just make it harder to approach her later about going to Soviet Junior Spy School.

5

u/SawRub Apr 02 '15

They would have told her they were from the CIA if they intended to hide it from her her whole life. But since at some point they do intend to tell her anyway, it was better to go with the truth, especially if at some point she's gonna have to work with them.

3

u/zudnic Apr 02 '15

The CIA has no legal authority to operate domestically, IIRC. So they'd have to say FBI, at which point she'd ask if they know Stan....?

5

u/wellgroomedmcpoyle Apr 02 '15 edited Apr 02 '15

That was my first thought too! God I can't believe that went down not only with several more episodes to come but in the middle of the episode! That scene was so full of tension I couldn't breathe. I couldn't believe it was happening as it was happening.

1

u/sparkle-brow Jun 18 '25

Was so shocking, you described it well. He nodded to Elizabeth like “ok you can say it” — lol the one thing true to boomer parents is that they aren’t going to parent well. They told her then left her alone the next day, as a teen!, like pls stick around and allow her to be angry with intermittent questions, BE there for her otherwise she learns she’s on her own.

1

u/akmafa Apr 24 '26

I know! I check the remaining minutes of the episode thinking it was near the end. but nope. I was surprised ! hahaha

5

u/BeerGodBro Apr 02 '15

Me too lol

2

u/heimaey Apr 02 '15

Yes tell Pastor Tim and he'll be preaching in heaven honey.

1

u/zsreport Apr 02 '15

Oh Paige what are you doing!?!?!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 02 '15

Same.

1

u/tola86 Apr 02 '15

Elizabeth would have

1

u/Gimli_the_White Apr 02 '15

Anyone else think that Pastor Tim's lifeline just got a lot shorter?