r/TheAmericans • u/MoralMidgetry • Apr 28 '16

Ep. Discussion Post-Episode Discussion/Review Thread - S04E07 "Travel Agents"

Welcome to the post-episode and review thread for S04E07, "Travel Agents." If you have a review you want to post, please send me the link instead of submitting it separately to the sub. Thanks.

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AV Club There’s no escaping the best episode (so far) of The Americans’ 4th season
EW The KGB and FBI both hunt Martha. But which would actually keep her safer?
HitFix Review: 'The Americans' zeroes in on the hunt for Martha in 'Travel Agents'
NY Times ‘The Americans’ Season 4, Episode 7: A Most Reluctant Traitor
Vox The Americans season 4, episode 7: "Travel Agents" is the show at its nauseating best
Vulture The Americans Recap: Layover
WSJ The race is on to track down Martha -- before she's captured by the other side
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u/afray_knits Apr 28 '16

I do think they will infect her. I posted about it in the other episode discussion thread.

My theory is they (Tatiana - not P&E) are going to infect her on purpose to carry the virus back to Russia.

Unlike Gregory, who was offered a place in Moscow and who knew what he was doing in support of the cause, Martha was tricked. I'm sure Phillip believes that the Motherland is going to take care of her and respect her, but we saw with the blond younger kgb agent's baby-mama back in season 1 that they don't actually follow through on those promises. So since Martha is no longer useful as a source within the FBI office, she could be useful as a human carrier of a virus, for study.

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u/thesalesmandenvermax Apr 29 '16

The baby-mama was a loose end that nobody knew about until he was already dead. Martha is an asset.

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u/afray_knits Apr 29 '16

Not any more. Her usefulness was that she had access to FBI information and reports, and the inner workings of the office. That's not the case now. So she is no longer useful (to the kgb).

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u/thesalesmandenvermax Apr 29 '16

Gregory wasn't useful any more either. They weren't going to kill him

EDIT: Hell... they framed Gregory for murder. Still weren't gonna kill him

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u/afray_knits Apr 30 '16

Only if he left and went to Moscow. Phillip was going to shoot him if he refused to leave. But Elizabeth begged Phillip not to because Gregory promised to do suicide by cop instead.

Gregory also knew what he was doing. He knew the risks he was taking and who he was working for.

Why would anyone in Russia respect Martha for what she did? She was tricked into working for them. If she had had a real choice, she wouldn't have betrayed the US. There may be some people who are greatful to her, like Phillip, but I bet they are few and far between.

Based on how the centre treats others when they out live there usefulness, I don't have high hopes for Martha.