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Recap / The Americans S4E3 - Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow

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Elizabeth and Philip meet up with Pastor Tim, and try to reason with him, telling him they're working for some of the same goals (even as Philip acknowledges the religious persecution in the Soviet Union Pastor Tim brings up). However, they both become alarmed when Pastor Tim reveals he's told his wife about what Paige told him. They tell Gabriel, who tells them he will contact the Centre. When Paige finds out, she's furious, and yells at Pastor Tim. Pastor Tim replies they need to see what her parents really do, but Paige says she can't do this anymore. Gabriel tells them the Centre will arrange an "accident" to happen to Pastor Tim and his wife while Elizabeth and Philip take Paige and Henry away for the weekend. Philip objects to this, because he feels Paige will figure it out and it will destroy their relationship. However, all of that goes up in the air when Elizabeth and Philip go and visit Gabriel and discover the glanders bacteria has infected him, and they coerce William to help them help Gabriel, as well as help them, since they may be infected.

Elizabeth makes a new contact - Young-Hee Seong (Ruthie Ann Miles), who is in a course on how to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics. Young-Hee volunteers to take her along door-to-door, and they make a sale. Young-Hee also invites Elizabeth (or "Patty", which is her alias) to her family's house for dinner, and "Patty" ends up getting along with her family.

Stan tells Aderholt he's grown suspicious of Martha, especially after Gaad complains about extra copies being made on the copy machine. He wants to start putting Martha under surveillance. Aderholt doesn't believe it, but he's willing to take her to dinner.

Finally, Nina gets sentenced to death, despite the fact Baklanov wrote a letter on her behalf.

This episode contains examples of:

  • Deadpan Snarker: When "Patty" "accidentally" runs into Young-Hee at the grocery store, and asks what she's doing there, Young-Hee responds, "Tap-dancing lessons," and they both laugh.
  • Dream Sequence: Nina dreams of being in a room with Stan, who tells her he's sorry, and they seen Anton there as well.
  • Foreshadowing: Young-Hee and her husband Don (Rob Yang) will become important later in the season.
  • Get Out!: When Elizabeth and Philip go to Gabriel's house near the end, and find him on the floor, he tells them to get out immediately. William later tells them they should have listened.
  • Have You Told Anyone Else?: Philip and Elizabeth ask Pastor Tim if he's told anyone about Paige exposing their true identities. Tim admits he told his wife, making them both potential targets of the Centre.
  • Insistent Terminology: Lampshaded by Aderholt and Stan:
    Aderholt: You see this? I have been concerned by the language in some communications that have reached my desk. In particular, comments expressing that the FBI "feels". The FBI may assess, determine, consider, or claim, etcetera, but it is not appropriate to say that the FBI feels.
    Stan: Urgent memo from the director?
    Aderholt: The FBI does not "feel", Stan.
    Stan: Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago.
  • Shout-Out: Young-Hee mentions to Elizabeth about the Cabbage Patch Kids her kids have, and crave. This was around the time they were becoming a fad in the U.S.
    • Henry is seen playing Gorf at one point.
  • Title Drop: Gabriel tells Elizabeth and Philip to take Paige and Henry to the Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow, or the EPCOT Center, which had recently opened at Disneyworld.
  • Unaffected by Spice: Young-Hee's family are highly amused when "Patty" is affected by the spicy food she tries, since they're used to it.
  • Wham Shot: When Elizabeth and Philip discover Gabriel lying on the floor.

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