The Americans Season 4 Episode 1: “Glanders”

Stan and Martha share a moment in copy room as the rest of the office gossips about Gene’s apparent suicide. “I guess you never really know a person, do you?” That may be an understatement in “Glanders,” the season four premiere of The Americans. Hardly any established relationship feels comfortable in the hour, which wraps up with best buds Philip and Stan nearly coming to blows because of Stan’s steaming jealousy. It’s a disturbing scene not just because of the biohazard Philip has inside of his coat but because these two characters have seemed inseparable in a story that necessitates deception but pulls off genuine human connection. Even as Philip plays Stan, the bond they share is lived in and legitimate. And now Stan doesn’t seem to know Philip at all–Philip, who can’t talk to anyone about what’s going on inside his head.

In many ways, “Glanders” is about showing the audience that it, too, doesn’t quite know Philip as well as it may look. Despite The Americans constantly capitalizing on its lead duo in Philip and Elizabeth, the series will occasionally do episodes like this in which the focus is firmly on one person. Elizabeth certainly exists and is useful and effective throughout “Glanders,” but it’s Philip’s backstory and his ability to cope with present trauma that give the premiere that special Americans quality.

Perhaps the greatest wedge between Philip and Elizabeth throughout the series run is that Philip is constantly doing his best to avoid confrontation while Elizabeth embraces it. Philip doesn’t sweep things under the rug so much as internalizes them and tries to let his body deal with them subconsciously. But even his childhood memories of what is likely the first time Philip ever killed someone surface in “Glanders” and eat away at him from the inside. When he’s pushed close to the explosion point in his EST session, he gets ahold of himself and backs down. Similarly, when Elizabeth asks him what’s going on after the two break off from a target because of a hunch, essentially, Philip grinds his teeth and shoves his outfit into the trash. For many fictional characters, this tendency to run away from conflict rather than towards it would look like a major flaw, but in Philip’s case, it’s what keeps him grounded. So much of what Philip and Elizabeth do in their job has the capability of killing the human side of them, and Philip fights against that rather admirably and with tenacity. It means that he’s almost certainly boiling under the surface most of the time, and that stress will surely have a physical impact at some point, but his self-control and cool head keeps him alive and the people around him safe.

Martha gets an unfortunate lesson in that quality of Philip’s (Clark’s) when he tells her what exactly happened to Gene. Again, she thinks she’s coming around to knowing who this guy she married really is, and then this happens. On a technical level, Alison Wright absolutely destroys that first sequence when Martha is processing what’s happening and imposing culpability on herself. It’s one of the finest acting performances in a single scene the series has done thus far, and this is with a ridiculously veteran cast, so credit must be given there. But I like the scene ever more for really understanding what the episode as a whole is trying to do with familiarity and alienation. Several characters get big surprises (Nina is caught off-guard by how much she’s affected by Anton talking about his family and his foreseeable and eventual death), and each deals with them differently. Stan gets hotheaded and goes off on Philip, but Martha–following an understandably distant initial reaction–comes around to the idea that she needs to hear these things from Clark, or else they have no chance at surviving together.

That, I think, is what “Glanders” is really getting at: not simply that we never really know a person, but that we can actively decide how to develop our thinking of someone as our relationship with that person changes, since relationships typically do. There is the easy option of operating on gut-level reaction, but the episode doesn’t hold that path in high regard. Even on the basic plot level, when Philip acts on instinct, he’s making a mistake. The harder and better option is to strive for some kind of objectivity and see a situation from outside of oneself. People lie, cheat and do all sorts of things that should negatively impact someone else’s perception of them, but it’s not always as simple as black-and-white. So much goes into decision-making, especially in a multilayered story like The Americans, that first impressions of someone should be thrown out the window. No one is who they appear to be and, more importantly, nothing is what it seems like on first glance. The considerate, careful people are the ones who come out on top in “Glanders” and have a higher chance of emotional survival.

Case Notes:

• Welcome back to TVOvermind coverage of The Americans. Now that Hannibal and Mad Men have wrapped up, I think this show has a legitimate claim to being the best series on TV (along with Rectify and The Leftovers). I’m looking forward to another strong season and hope you look forward to reading along!
• Dylan Baker joins the main cast this year, playing William, who develops weaponized chemicals, likely setting up the season-long arc. He fits right into this world perfectly.
• And Frank Langella returns as Gabriel, despite Philip not being overly enthusiastic about his role as handler.
• Paige skips the Pledge of Allegiance and doesn’t know what to do about her parents anymore other than ask simple questions. One thing is for sure: She’s put Pastor Tim in the firing line.
• Trouble at the rezidentura: Arkady doesn’t know how to handle Tatiana’s additional duties. He enlists Oleg to find out more information, but this side of the episode is a bit sparse on content.
• A note on grades: It’s too hard to judge The Americans on anything but a curve of its own. Really, every episode is a perfect five compared to the rest of television, so this year’s grades will be based on comparisons to previous episodes of the series. But it’s a big *shrug* at the end of the day, since the show is so competent each week.