Question: I am enjoying the last season of The Americans, but I am having a difficult time with Paige becoming a spy for the Soviet Union. Did I miss something that explained it? —Sharon
Matt Roush: This storyline has been brewing for quite some time, and the fact that Paige (Holly Taylor) is not a natural at the spy game adds to the tension of these final episodes. This was made frighteningly clear when Paige left her position after hearing the gunshot in the woods and stumbled upon her mother covered in the general’s blood and brains. You saw how hard-liner Elizabeth (Keri Russell) dealt with her daughter’s ineptitude and fear in the next episode. The backstory to all of this began several seasons ago when Claudia informed the Jennings that the Centre (read: KGB) had initiated a “Second Generation” illegals program to recruit the children of spies like Philip and Elizabeth. They clashed, as parents do, over how to deal with this, but Elizabeth has taken lead on training Paige and somehow convincing her that she’s doing something noble for the Motherland. I know Paige can be a polarizing character, but I find it refreshing now that she’s in the loop to see someone proving to be such a problematic protégée. For Elizabeth to willingly put her daughter in these dangerous situations is just another morally challenging aspect to this remarkable series.
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