Despite her suspicions about the meeting with Colonel Rennhull (Victor Slezak), Elizabeth agrees to go ahead with the meeting anyway. However, Philip decides he should take the meeting and she should pick up the tape from the Weinberger house. What neither of them know is the trap being set for them isn't with the meeting with the colonel - it's where Elizabeth is going to pick up the tape. Tipped off by Nina that something is going to happen (though he doesn't know what exactly, because neither does she), Arkady sends out an abort signal, and when Philip sees this and he and Claudia realize Elizabeth is walking into a trap, Philip picks her up just in time. However, in the ensuing chase, she gets shot in the stomach, and they have to lay low while Claudia gets a surgeon to take the bullet out. As a consequence, Elizabeth and Philip reconcile, and she asks him to come home.
Elsewhere, Stan tries to reconcile with Sandra as well, but she refuses (though they both agree to watch over Paige and Henry), and Paige starts to get suspicious of her parents.
This episode provides examples of:
- All That Glitters: Col. Rennhull tells Philip the "plans" he's sent along about the missile defense shield are about 50 years ahead of what scientists in the U.S. are actually capable of building, and it's either wishful thinking, a ploy to bankrupt the Soviet Union by getting them to spend more money on defense than they can possibly afford, or maybe a combination of the two.
- Apology Gift: Stan tries to offer Sandra a trip to Jamaica (that Philip arranged) to make up for what he's put her through. It doesn't work.
- Covert Distress Code: Arkady sends a number of cars towards the meeting with the Colonel with the "abort" signal sprayed on them to get the message the meeting is a trap. When Claudia sees one of them driving by, she immediately realizes what it means.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Gaad and Stan talk about Sanford, who's still under arrest:Gaad: He wants immunity and 500 grand.
Stan: For what?
Gaad: We'll find out when he gets immunity and 500 grand. - Dramatic Irony: In a reversal of what happened before, Philip asks Stan, the person who shot his wife, to take of Paige and Henry while Elizabeth recovers from being shot.
- Foreshadowing: At one point, Elizabeth sits in the laundry room, listening to a tape from her mother (in Russian). That relationship, Claudia getting reassigned (so she's no longer Elizabeth and Philip's handler) and Paige's growing suspicions about her parents all become important in the following seasons.
- The Immodest Orgasm: Martha has a particularly loud one with "Clark" near the beginning of the episode.
- It's Personal: Claudia ends up killing Patterson himself for what he did to Zhukov, and shows a picture of Zhukov to Patterson before he dies.
- Montage Out: In which we see Martha coming home and wearing her wedding ring, Philip sitting at Elizabeth's bedside, Gaad doing an interrogation, Nina giving Arkady a file on Stan, and the Beemans having dinner with Paige and Henry.
- Put on a Bus: Discussed; Elizabeth tells Claudia she and Philip have asked for Claudia to be reassigned so she's no longer their handler, and Arkady confirms she's been reassigned when the two of them meet.
- Shout-Out: Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers" plays during the Montage Out at the end.
- Slashed Throat: How Claudia ends up killing Patterson.
- Spy Speak: The password Philip gives to Col. Rennhull is, "Future's bright, don't you think?" The colonel chuckles and says he can't believe he insisted on using that particular phrase as a password.
- Static Stun Gun: Claudia subdues Patterson with a taser.
- Wham Shot: When we see Elizabeth has been shot by Stan.
