A scary flash of what’s on the horizon
The show: The Americans, Season 5, Episode 1 The moment: The self-defence lesson
American teenager Paige Jennings (Holly Taylor) is losing sleep over the knowledge that her parents Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) are Soviet spies living under deep cover in the U.S. “I want to help you with your nightmares,” Elizabeth tells her.
Elizabeth takes Paige to the garage. She pushes her shoulders, hard. Paige staggers. Elizabeth pushes her again. Paige moves away. Elizabeth follows and pushes her face. “Mom!” Paige protests.
“You can’t be afraid to hit and you can’t be afraid to hit back,” Elizabeth tells her. “You don’t want to get hurt? You have to be willing to do anything to protect yourself. Make a fist.” Paige does. Elizabeth tucks in her thumb. “Like this, always,” she says.
This is a great little scene, scary not just for Paige, but for us. For four seasons, Elizabeth has been like this, always: the unwavering zealot who will do anything for Mother Russia. Here, she’s not just teaching her daughter, she’s explaining herself.
Russell is perfect for this character, a petite beauty yet hard as nails. Her face in this scene is a study. You think she might feel torn about pushing her kid around, but nope.
Suddenly we get a flash of where this season is going: if Elizabeth ever had to protect herself from Paige, would she go all the way? It’s a shivery thought.
That confrontation doesn’t happen in this episode. But another, lesser one does. Does Elizabeth make good on her word? Damn right she does. The Americans airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on FX Canada. Johanna Schneller is a media connoisseur who zeroes in on pop culture moments. She usually appears Monday through Thursday.