Tchaikovsky
- Episode aired Apr 4, 2018
- TV-MA
- 47m
Elizabeth targets an old source who could tip the balance of the upcoming summit, as Philip deals with business at the travel agency. Stan learns an old friend is back in town.Elizabeth targets an old source who could tip the balance of the upcoming summit, as Philip deals with business at the travel agency. Stan learns an old friend is back in town.Elizabeth targets an old source who could tip the balance of the upcoming summit, as Philip deals with business at the travel agency. Stan learns an old friend is back in town.
- Oleg Burov
- (credit only)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe scenes in the State Department building are actually filmed at Queens Supreme Court building in Jamaica, Queens.
- GoofsElizabeth suggests to her contact in the State Department that they go outside to eat. In the next scene they're seated at a picnic table amid tall trees. No such place exists near the State Department.
- Quotes
Paige Jennings: Do our people ever use... sex to get information?
Elizabeth Jennings: What?
Paige Jennings: I'm reading a book about the organization, and it says that sex is one of the techniques.
Elizabeth Jennings: There's a lot of bullshit out there, Paige.
Paige Jennings: Doesn't sound like bullshit.
Elizabeth Jennings: Well, they can make anything sound believable. That's what sells books.
Paige Jennings: So that never happens?
Elizabeth Jennings: No.
[they walk a few steps in silence]
Elizabeth Jennings: Look, I can't speak for every officer, but those relationships could turn into something different. You get very close to people, get to know them very well, and in certain circumstances, if the information's critical enough... people may cross lines sometimes. And then that gets twisted by whoever wrote that book.
Paige Jennings: Have you heard stories of this happening?
Elizabeth Jennings: I'm cut off from everyone else. I don't hear stories. Where'd you find this book?
Paige Jennings: A used bookstore on Capitol Hill. I-I bought other books on espionage and war, so it just looks like I'm doing research. I paid with cash.
Elizabeth Jennings: Don't ever go to the library for that sort of thing.
Paige Jennings: Obviously.
Elizabeth Jennings: It's easy to see things as very black and white. But the world's complicated. And the more that you get that, the better off you'll be.
- SoundtracksSlippery People
Written by David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Tina Weymouth
Performed by Talking Heads
Airport toilet. The FBI is using a lithium-based radiation sensor to scan a Soviet diplomatic pouch.
This is a strong character focussed episode that continues to present Elizabeth's commitment to fighting the Cold War whilst underlying many scenes with her black and white thinking on the subject.
The plot shows Elizabeth very busy and visually stressed whilst continuing to perform her duties. There are a number of scenes that are awkward, uncomfortable and even difficult to watch as they present a character so utterly single minded that she and her family might be heading for nothing but tragedy.
Elizabeth's dogmatic way of justifying everything for the Soviet cause has been one of the main plot drivers throughout the entire series and been a way for the writers to explore a number of psychological themes. This episode does that quite well, particularly in her scenes with Erica and one quite painfully ironic bit of dialogue between her and Paige. The final scene of the episode goes without saying so it is very intriguing to find out what the fallout will be.
I know people with this kind mindset in their blinkered approach to a perceived duty or cause. None of them are homicidal spies (hopefully), but they do have a similar tendency to put a cause or duty like work, competition, parental ambition so far above everything because they see everything in black and white. They can justify neglecting family for work because work is most important. They can spend all hours on athletic training and doing things that will eventually destroy their body because to win is everything. They can stand on the sidelines of a children's soccer match screaming at match officials because their child must succeed. Individuals in that mindset are powerfully driven, hard to change and potentially very destructive.
Sub-plots came into focus a bit more in this episode with some intrigue into whether the newly happier lives of some characters might be about to change.
All production visuals are as strong as ever with great cinematography, editing and use of music.
Keri Russell gives another superb performance in this episode and I also thought Miriam Shor was excellent in her scenes.
For me it's an 8.5/10 but I round upwards.
- snoozejonc
- Mar 24, 2021
Details
- Runtime47 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD