Stan feels the brunt of honesty’s repercussions just as Philip does, as his unwanted self-discovery at EST (wherein he recalls the events of “Operation Chronicle”) leads him to admitting his infidelity to Sandra. Sandra’s initial facial reaction to Stan is pretty cheeky (“Oh, really?”), but as we’ve already seen, knowing the truth and hearing it are two different things. Schlamme counterpoints the idea of zooming as a means to empower a character by closing in on Sandra to show how the more detailed Stan’s confession becomes, the more it hurts her. Even for someone who craved honesty the way Sandra always did, the unvarnished truth can often be too much to behold.
The scene has its own counterpoint earlier in the hour, when Nina’s initial attempt to pump her cellmate for information fails miserably. Presenting a version of herself that’s a wholesale lie doesn’t endear Nina to Evi, just as Stan’s brutal honesty isn’t what’s going to win Sandra back. Linking the two by more than just a shared lack of sleep, “Dimebag”’s juxtaposition of Stan’s real life with Nina’s fake one powerfully reunites these two single, pretend-married people who were once lovers. Nina’s story has yet to align plot-wise with the rest of The Americans this season (and probably shouldn’t; it might stretch believability to connect Evi to everything else that’s going on), but thematically, her story and Stan’s are in perfect synch.
“Dimebag” skillfully interweaves its thematic and aesthetic motifs, but what it’s really staging isn’t a musical, but a shell game. You’d think falling into an F.B.I. tail last week would have put the Jennings on guard, but while Philip and Elizabeth are busy maneuvering around each other, they fail to realize that Paige has taken her fate into her own hands. With the maddeningly well-adjusted Pastor and his wife at the dinner table, Paige drops a baptismal bombshell. Philip’s ears go nearly deaf with rage when Tim explains how Paige came to the decision. Elizabeth, meanwhile, had been willing to play the part of the supporting, church-going mother, up to a point. But the prospect of her daughter being properly converted to a religious faith is too much to bear.
Schlamme visually isolates Elizabeth for a moment much the same way Philip was audibly, but the distinction matters. Both are furious about Paige’s choice and deception, but believe the surprise only further supports their point of view. “If you tell her now, this will all blowup.” “But at least she’ll know who she is,” they trade, while the sound of a flowing tap makes the thought of baptismal water an unwelcome third party. Before either can convince the other of what to do next, duty calls, as it always does on The Americans, forcing Philip to leave home and court Kimberly. It’s her favourite Yaz track that reveals what Philip wants to say to Elizabeth every time he looks back at her tonight: “Sometimes when I think of her name/ When it’s only a game/And I need you/Listen to the words that you say/It’s getting harder to stay/When I see you.”
- Stray Thoughts
-So, about that last shot…Philip and Kimberly have sex. That’s not a spoiler, just a gut-reaction to my read of the scene. The sudden dimming of the lights is a decidedly musical touch, as a fade to black in theatre often serves to save us from witnessing something truly unpleasant. I imagine we’ll be able to confirm otherwise by next week.
-Despite this being a predominantly Philip hour, the use of reflections to demarcate Elizabeth’s scenes of conflict with him at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the episode meant she had some of the more memorable shots of the night.
-Nina’s stone-face after selling Evi on her nightmare: chilling.
-It’s either a very clever bit of wordplay by episode writer Peter Ackerman, or a sign of my over-obsession with this show, but it doesn’t seem coincidence that Philip would mistake Tucson as the capital of Arizona while staring forlornly at Paige (Tuscon=too soon? Okay maybe it is just me).
-Better comic wastefulness: Jimmy unspooling an entire roll of paper towel on Monday’s Better Call Saul, or Stan tearing through the drying towel for a dead drop?
-As for Stan’s suspicions about Zinaida, it seems that her appetite might be the only thing giving her away. If the U.S.S.R. is as famine struck as she says, perhaps no one can blame her for enjoying so much American junk food, especially when under the threat of being assassinated. However, someone stressed out by a dangerous undercover op, or a suicide mission might feel it’s as good an excuse as any to overindulge. That’s what I’m loving about Svetlana Efremova’s performance thus far: I believe her affable charm, but imagine she could turn into a cold-blooded killer on a dime.
-Poor Elizabeth. Taco Night is maybe the most fun thing she’s ever thought of in her life, but Philip’s steaks dash the idea to bits.
-I’m with Philip: Stan should have taken Tori’s number. I mean, yes, it’s good Stan is doing everything he can to save his marriage. But I like Tori. She seems nice!
-Shot of the night? Shot of the night.