The Americans 3X1: ETS Men

Okay, so S3 has started off well, if you ask me.

Elizabeth is meeting with some CIA (ex CIA?) employee who is fairly disgruntled about how things went in her career. She gives Elizabeth a list of names for people who are working on certain projects. She then excuses herself to use the lady's room. However, on her way, she has a change of heart and makes a call, telling the person who answered that she did a bad thing.

Once she gets back to the table, Elizabeth knows it's time to cut and run, by the lady tries to get her to stay, but Elizabeth refuses. She tells the woman they'll meet up next wee, so I guess this is some kind of standing appointment. As soon as Elizabeth leaves, the cops show up and take down the description from the lady. Elizabeth starts trying to change her appearance as much as possible, but she in the middle of the street, without a lot of options.

She's approached by some FBI officers (one of them is Gaad, which I didn't realize as first in the dark). She lets them get close enough to her so she can attack. She puts the one who isn't Gaad (I think) out of commission pretty quickly, but it's a hard fight with Gaad. Eventually, she manages to get them in the path of an oncoming motorcycle, which allows her to get away. However, she loses the list of names.

Philip and Stan show up at the house after attending an EST meeting (now that Nina is gone, I guess he cares about his wife again 🤷‍♀️). Elizabeth has just gotten home is tending to her injuries. Philip is worried and calls it a night. Stan leaves and Elizabeth tells him her call was away too close that night.

The next day at the office, Gaad is all busted up, thanks to Elizabeth. They are checking the local hospitals and doctor offices for a woman who came in with bruises from the fight. Stan does look moderately suspicious of Elizabeth (maybe?), but he's more upset that Nina was found guilty of treason and espionage.

Elizabeth and Philip have dinner with some sort of KGB mentor guy. They discuss Paige and her recruitment. And Elizabeth claims she's been attending church and outreach stuff with Paige to try to get closer to her. Philip is outraged. He thought she was just being a good mom, but it seems like she's trying to get ready to groom her into recruitment. She claims that isn't what's happening, but Philip doesn't believe her. Neither do I. She does get a cassette recording from him though, from her mom. Turns out she's dying. And this seems like the thing that pushing her and Philip towards a bit of a reconciliation.

Swedish Philip meets up with Annalise again. He convinces her to get Yousaf to meet up with her, which she is happy to do as she loves him (not that that stops her from giving Swedish Philip a blow job in the car). She's again, having sex with him at the hotel while Swedish Philip is listening in from the following room. However, she confesses to Yousaf that she loves him when he offers to take her away to Switzerland (?). But, she also sort of tries to tell him what's going on with her, but she doesn't even get the words out before he starts choking her.

I honestly cannot tell if Philip rushed in after he heard her dead, or when he thought she was being choked. Did we wait until later because he could use this instance to get Yousaf on his side? Or was it a coincidence. Either way, Annalise is dead. And after Philip bursts into the room (he actually came in pretty calmly) Yousaf doesn't even question who he is or why he's there. He just silently get dressed. But, Philip claims he can help him out of this mess without alerting his body guards.

And Oleg and Arkady talk about trying to save Nina, but it doesn't seem like there is anything to be done. Oleg begged his dad to help, but he claimed politics shouldn't be used for personal gain. I thought Oleg used his dad's political connections to get this post in the first place?