- Just when Philip and Elizabeth think they have a quiet road ahead, an old friend returns to complicate things. Not only do they have to intercept a target who could prove valuable to the Soviet Union, but they also have to take on an important rogue mission without the support of the Centre. Divisions inside the Rezidentura deepen between Oleg and Arkady, and there's an upheaval at the FBI as the chickens come home to roost for Agent Gaad. Meanwhile, Martha's frustrations threaten to blow Philip's cover.
- The Jennings are dismayed to hear that a classmate lured Paige to a 'cool' church, in Elizabeth's eyes capitalist indoctrination, for Philip probably just a silly teenager phase. Philip's ploy to leave 'angrily' because Martha systematically wastes their time together on the phone with her mother backfires dangerously. Nomenclatura prince Oleg pulls rank on his embassy KGB superior to overrule Moscow's initial dismissal of immigrant scientist Anton Baklanov as recruiting target. Claudia is back, out for vengeance on the sleeper killers, and recruits the couple for a mission behind Moscow's back. Elisabeth must seduce brilliant, sensitive Navy cadet Brad Mullin to get the secret Annapolis Academy file of a NavySEAL instructor, the gay suspected spy-killer.—KGF Vissers
- Previously on 'The Americans': Stan stopped a would-be assassin after a tip from Nina that the man had tried to meet with Soviet officials. He's falling in love with her. Paige secretly visit her great aunt, ditching school, but Philip found out and told her lying would "not be tolerated." On her trip, she met another girl named Kelly and seems to want to share her thoughts and feelings with her. Philip and Elizabeth met up with another spy couple, old friends named Emmett and Leanne, who also had two teenage children. Emmett, Leanne and their daughter were killed in a hotel room and Philip and Elizabeth are now concerned for their safety and their family.
'A Little Night Music': Philip, in disguise, attends a speech by a Jewish physicist named Anton Baklanov who was once "trapped in the Soviet Union," as the man introducing him says. Baklanov describes Jews in the Soviet Union as "unseen," and that he found freedom for himself, his wife and his son.
Kelli brings Paige to a youth church group.
Philip is putting together a message with codes in a brown paper bag in the laundry room when Elizabeth comes in, turns off his music and kisses him. He reports that Baklanov is not recruitable and "never will be."
Paige sneaks into the house and is surprised by her parents coming up from the laundry room. She tells a story about being with her friend Emily, but they just ask her to call if she's going to be late.
Philip tosses the brown paper bag into a pile in an abandoned area. Elizabeth asks him about Henry spilling the beans about him wanting to buy a new car. She says they don't need one. Soon, they're interrupted when Claudia crosses the street in front of them. She gets into the car and says she's glad they're alive. "It's terrible time, we need to talk," she says.
In the parked car, Claudia admits she "didn't know what to do" after hearing about Emmett and Leanne. They have questions about their exposure, but Claudia says no one knows. She says Moscow is "scared" and "won't do what it takes to find out what really happened." She says she can't live with that. She tells Elizabeth she knows it's been hard between them, but they want the same thing now. She asks them to help her find Emmett and Leanne's killer. Elizabeth is surprised to hear that she wants personal help without The Center knowing about it. She offers a list of a few people who might have done it, including a man named Andrew Larik, former special operations in Vietnam. They believe he's involved in starting a special unit in the Navy SEALS. He's gay and Emmett and Leanne were blackmailing him. She says they'll need "an airtight cover" to get to him, and tells them about a man named Brad Mullin, a seaman recruit. Claudia tells Elizabeth she's thought about her a lot.
Stan is up for a commendation, but another man comes in and says the would-be assassin has resulted in a joint inquiry of the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Later, Philip is trying to talk Elizabeth into helping Claudia. She's reluctant to help Claudia, but wants to find Emmett and Leanne's killer anyway. They start talking about Brad Mullin. Philip wants to handle Mullin, but Elizabeth wants to do to.
At the Soviet embassy, Oleg is trying to Arkady that Baklanov is a bigger fish than The Center seems to think he is, having easily dropped its pursuit of him. Arkady says The Center's orders were explicit and when Oleg asks to see them, Arkady tells him his security clearance isn't high enough. Oleg doesn't seem pleased. He heads over to another desk and picks up the phone.
Back at the FBI, Gaad tells Stan that he (Gaad) is being "layered," bureaucratic-speak for pushed aside. They're bringing another person in over Gaad to shield him.
In Virginia Beach, Elizabeth runs into Brad Mullin at a record store. She starts to chat him up about classical music -- something he's known to enjoy. She offers to join him in a listening booth to hear some Mozart.
Philip and Stan talk at a bar and Stan tells Philip about shooting the would-be assassin. Stan admits to Philip that he has killed someone before. After some chit-chat, Stan reveals to Philip that he's having an affair. He says he's never done such a thing in all the years of his marriage. Philip empathizes with him and says he and Elizabeth are "solid now, I think." Stan says he and Sandra hardly spend any time together and that his job takes a toll and there is a lot he can't share with her. He thought moving to D.C. would help, but "it's actually gotten worse." He says he met a woman at work who "understands what I do." Stan tells Philip he's lucky to be a travel agent, helping "happy people going on on vacations." He says when he's with this woman, "something just" and trails off before finishing. Stan says there's no way he could ever be with her. Philip asks why not and Stan says she's married.
"We're doomed," he says.
Oleg drops into Arkady's office and Arkady congratulates him on his new security clearance, handing him a folder. Oleg tells Arkady he didn't want to undermine him or his office. Arkady tells Oleg he doesn't blame him for using his family connections, adding it's "very western." He says he's always surprised at how many officers pick up "American values." Oleg recommends a forced repatriation for Baklanov, which Arkady says is already underway.
Henry is pitching "Intellivision" to his parents. They're not buying it.
Philip tells Elizabeth that Stan "finally" told him about his affair. Philip also tells her they're "taking the scientist." She tells him she's working on Mullin.
Arkady drops in on Nina's office and tells her that Oleg got higher security clearance and he had to give Oleg some of her reports (about her sexual exploits with Stan). Her "betrayal" from her personnel file is still secure. She thanks him for his discretion but knows that Oleg has more strings he can pull and can find out whatever he wants about her.
Philip watches Baklanov as he leaves his house.
Back in Virginia Beach, Elizabeth goes into a motel room with Mullin. He tells her he's "never done this before" and explains that he's kind of a loner. She says she is, too. He says he's struggled to find other guys in the Navy who aren't "Neanderthals." She says she's also been looking for someone, like him, who is sensitive, generous and kind. She tells him she likes him and he kisses her. She gets emotional when he starts kissing her neck, and she apologizes, saying she really likes him but she's "having a hard time." She asks if they can "take things kind of slow," and he says yes. She gets up to leave, but asks if he'll see her again. She promises she'll call him. She kisses him on the cheek and leaves.
Philip, in a wig, follows Baklanov to his office. As Baklanov is leaving, he stops at a pay phone. Philip watches the number Baklanov dials and hears him say, "It's me. So, Thursday, yes?" He also says, "I'll arrange it," before hanging up and walking away. Philip got the number traced and tells Elizabeth that night that Baklanov has a mistress.
Elizabeth tells Philip things are fine with Mullin, adding, "Piece of cake," before leaving the laundry room.
Elizabeth knocks and quickly opens Paige's bedroom door. Paige is bothered that her mom didn't wait to come in until she said, "Come in." Paige has hidden a book away and tells Elizabeth it's a book for a class about The Bible. Elizabeth knows Paige is lying and finds a pamphlet for a church inside. Paige tells Elizabeth about the youth group she's been attending with her new friend Kelli, who goes to the youth group because "she's in a messed-up family." Philip comes in and they argue a moment about privacy. Paige closes the door on her mom.
Elizabeth meets up with Mullin at a coffee shop and says she wants to get to know him. He's from Wyoming. She tells him she's "kind of from all over -- Navy brat." She says she's been doing secretarial work until she was "attacked." He's stunned when he realizes what she's describing. She tells him she was in a bar, hanging out with some SEALS. She says one of them took her to a motel like the one he took her to and he "got really mean." She describes a graphic dramatic ordeal, tearing up and she tells it. She says she tried to report it but the Navy is protecting him. Brad tells her he's sorry and wishes there was something he could do. He asks his name. She tells him it's Andrew Larik. Brad says he knows where Larik's files are. He says he can copy them.
Martha is on the phone with her mom, telling her about her "lazy, romantic morning" with "Clark" (Philip). She fiddles with the device Philip asked her to keep in her purse and casually pulls out the receiver before hiding it when Philip comes into the room all dressed and ready to leave. He pretends to be angry about Martha ruining their romantic morning by calling her mom. Martha protests by pointing out her mother called her. He starts to get angry about random things, such as her washing her hair in the kitchen sink, in order to provoke a fight. Martha suggests he just wants to leave, like he always does. She angrily tells him to leave. He does.
Elizabeth meets with Claudia, who warns her that Andrew Larik won't be as easy to handle as Brad Mullin. Claudia tells Elizabeth she doesn't know if she's ready to handle it and thinks she is still not recovered from her near-death experience. Elizabeth senses there's also something wrong with Claudia, and Claudia touches Elizabeth's arm and says, "I don't want to lose anyone else."
Elizabeth meets Brad in a car, and he confesses he has not copied the files, saying he keeps chickening out. She's disappointed and he apologizes, but says it's OK. She says she's seen "too many movies -- you meet a guy and you think you've found your hero." He says he's "tense," and she offers to help him with that, and does.
Oleg tells Nina he's been reading her reports about Stan and that he admires what she does. He says he's being genuine and that he sympathizes with what she's doing for the mission. She asks if she seems like she needs sympathy. He tells her it's easy to deceive with their eyes and such, but harder with the parts of the body that "want to tell the truth." He says it's hard on the soul. She says her soul is fine and asks him about his before she walks away.
Paige silently prays before dinner. Everyone waits for an awkward moment until she says, "Amen. Please pass the chicken."
Martha comes home at night to a dark, quiet house and takes out a recording device and ponders it. She calls "Clark" and leaves a message saying they "need to talk." Then she looks at her federal employment application.
Elizabeth and Philip are on a stakeout and Elizabeth says she's worried about Paige's sudden interest in religion -- and lying. She worries they haven't been paying enough attention. She says their kids don't have values and says they're failing them by not keeping them from the distractions of consumerism. Finally, they see Baklanov walking into a building with his mistress.
Martha calls and leaves another message for Clark. She says she's not going to "perjure" herself by not listing him as her husband on the application.
Philip waits for Baklanov as he leaves his mistress' house. He sneaks up on him, grabs him, covers his mouth while Elizabeth pulls the car up and opens the trunk. They stuff him inside, but are ambushed by the mistress and another big, tough guy -- one of them with a gun. As it turns out, Philip ends up taking care of the mistress while Elizabeth bashes the other guy's head into the car window during the struggle. The guy fights back and gets some good punches in on Elizabeth, but she overcomes him again and smashes his hands with the trunk repeatedly. Philip subdues the mistress with a chokehold. Philip takes the gun and is stunned to see Elizabeth still smashing the man's hands with the trunk. The mistress regains consciousness (or was faking being knocked out in the first place) and while Philip is focused on Elizabeth, the mistress gets into the car and drives away with Baklanov in the trunk, leaving Philip and Elizabeth stranded.
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