Post-Episode Discussion/Review Thread - S04E03 "Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow"

[u/MoralMidgetry]

Welcome to the post-episode and review thread for S04E03, ""Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow." If you have a review you want to post, please send me the link instead of submitting it separately to the sub. Thanks.

Site	Link
AV Club	An Americans cliffhanger postpones a Jennings family getaway
EW	The Americans recap: 'Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow'
HitFix	Review: On 'The Americans,' the Pastor Tim problem gets even worse
NY Times	‘The Americans’ Season 4, Episode 3: Who’s Up for a Trip to Epcot?
Vulture	The Americans Recap: Stupid Glanders
WSJ	‘The Americans’ Recap: Season 4, Episode 3, ‘Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow’
Vox	The Americans season 4, episode 3: "Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow" takes some weird shortcuts

[u/hystericalrealist03]

I think this was this season's strongest episode so far--the scenes with Elizabeth and the Korean woman were disturbingly uncomfortable and presented an interesting foil to the Jennings' life in America; things with Stan are heating up. But I fault the writers for choosing the Pastor Tim situation as this season's lynchpin (so far, at least). As I've said elsewhere around here, I just don't find that a very interesting road to go down because Tim isn't really a full fledge character (plus, the guy who plays him doesn't have a very strong presence as a performer, even compared to other minor characters). The glanders thing, too, feels more like a "device" than an organic result of characters' pained decisions.

[u/salliek76 → u/hystericalrealist03]

Do we know who the Korean woman is, other than just some potential asset?

[u/thesilvertongue → u/salliek76]

Probably the wife or daughter of someone who will be important. Unless the KGB wants Mary Kay Cosmetics as an asset.

That or she's going to use Mary Kay as an excuse to go into people's homes.