‘The Americans’ Recap: “Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep?”

Martha silently agrees to continue to help “Clark,” Stan works with Oleg to get Nina back, Elizabeth has a moral affliction about potential collateral damage, and Philip stands up to Gabriel in this latest episode of The Americans.

…previously on The Americans.

The KGB spy saga took a different turn in tone throughout its latest hour and, true to its title, emulated similar themes to Philip K. Dick’s science fiction staple, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Beyond the subtle, post-modern comparisons analyzing man against machine — which happens both literally with the mail robot and figuratively regarding Elizabeth’s android-like lack of empathy — this episode of The Americans allowed the true id of each of its main characters to bleed and bleed some more.

While there was relatively little bloodshed (save for poor Todd), “Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?” cut to the core of Martha, Stan, Gabriel, Philip, and Elizabeth in ways we haven’t seen since Elizabeth’s near-fatal shooting at the end of Season One that forced our notorious spy couple to take one long, hard look at each other. It’s the Jennings against the world again, however, after Philip’s temper finally boils over with Gabriel during a condescending game of Scrabble.

The mistake Gabriel made when stepping back into Philip and Elizabeth’s lives was treating them in the same, grandfatherly manner. He’s treated them not as a couple, but rather as rival siblings vying for their elder’s approval. Gabriel often manipulates Elizabeth’s dedication to the cause, knowing all too well she’ll follow any order to further KGB influence. Philip on the other hand, understands Gabriel’s motives. Philip has slowly but surely realized Gabriel is using the two of them to infiltrate the CIA through an amoral operation with Kimmy (who we haven’t seen in what feels like forever), and now he’s putting them in danger by asking them to bug the infamous mail robot while it’s under repair — and, oh yeah, Philip will need Marth’s help as the project rolls along. In-turn, Gabriel has successfully pinned husband against wife by using Martha’s loyalty as an emotional weapon towards a very jealous Elizabeth who privately acknowledges, “It’s only natural that you developed feelings for Martha, I understand.”

But she doesn’t understand. We’ve watched Elizabeth lie to herself for three seasons now about her conflicting feelings of family versus duty. Finally, it’s all but spoken aloud during her unexpected interaction with Betty (poignantly played by Lois Smith), an elderly widow who prefers working nights at her son’s machinery plant to pass the time and feel closer to her late husband. While working to bug the mail robot, Philip and Elizabeth hear clattering coming from a nearby room where Betty is busying herself filing paperwork. A reach for the phone and a flash of a pistol affirm that no, Betty is not getting out of there alive, yet it’s something she’s oddly okay with, just as long as she can pass on some hard truths to Elizabeth before she’s forced to swallow her entire bottle of heart medication.

Betty reminds Elizabeth of her own ill mother and acts as a conscience-check for the overly dedicated KGB agent who’s lost sight of what really matters regarding her family’s growth and well-being. Like South African agent Reuben Ncgobo (remember, the guy who set Eugene Venter on fire?) is fighting for the freedom of his people, Elizabeth is fighting for the advancement of hers, but Venter was right. Just before he met his brutal fate, he spouted to Ncgobo that the South African rebel movement “doesn’t give a shit about him” or what he’s sacrificed for a muddled mission of serving the greater good. And meeting Betty solidified through Elizabeth that Philip’s instincts about Gabriel are correct: the KGB doesn’t give a shit about them or their family, and now Philip is taking it upon himself to protect them because “no one else will.”

When Elizabeth breaks after Betty passes, her last questions still ring out: “Do you have children? And you do this?” The Jennings have some thinking to do.

Field notes:

1. Stan and Oleg decide to trick the defector, Zinaida, into confessing she’s spying for the Russian government. She doesn’t, but she’s certainly spooked. Now Stan and Oleg are buddies, though, bonding over a couple of brewskis and bloodied foreheads.

2. Martha has become a woman-in-full, cooking a lavish meal for Clark the night after she discovers she married a con-man. “I’m fine,” she says, and she truly means it before sitting opposite a hesitant Philip and dishing the latest FBI gossip. Yes, Martha is here to stay, and “here’s to turning the page.”

3. Helen T. Verongos of The New York Times confirmed that, no, I wasn’t hearing things when that mysterious line from Martha was spoken. “Turning the page” and the unspoken “turning the Paige” could work as a very plausible double-entendre in the very near future.

Only four episodes left, comrades! Here are more recaps:

Episode One, “EST Men”
Episode Two, “Baggage”
Episode Three, “Open House”
Episode Four, “Dimebag”
Episode Five, “Salang Pass”
Episode Six, “Born Again”
Episode Seven, “Walter Taffet”
Episode Eight, “Divestment”

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Photos: FX