The Americans "Munchkins" & "Dinner for Seven" (Season 4, Episode 10&11) Review

The Americans, season 4 episodes 10 "Munchkins," and 11, "Dinner for Seven" are reviewed. Alonso Duralde (TheWrap, Linoleum Knife), and Ben Mankiewicz (Turner Classic Movies) discuss. Tell us what you think in the comments below!
The Jennings are shocked to learn that Pastor Tim has gone missing in Ethiopia. Alice is suspicious, and threatens the couple in haste. Paige is confounded by the entire situation, but is able to soothe a distressed Alice. As "Patty's" mission continues, Elizabeth finds herself conflicted about the ramifications for Young Hee's family. Philip checks in on Kimmy, finding out a disturbing new truth about her father. Paige and Matthew spend meaningful time together. After a clandestine KGB mission goes awry, Gaad is killed in Thailand.
Pastor Tim expresses remorse for his wives actions and levels with the Jennings' predicament. Elizabeth invites the pastor and Alice over for a family dinner; where an unexpected guest propels the night into discontent. "Patty's" operation is completed, to heartbreaking results for Elizabeth. Stan ends his relationship with Oleg, citing potential guilt.

[@LicoriceLain]

I honestly wasn't expect this show to get two more seasons! Fantastic news. Both eps are great, though I think "Dinner" was a bit weaker. Looking forward to the fallout from what happens at the end.

[@marcwa74]

This show operates on so many levels. The look Stan gives pastor Tim when Tim talks about protesting against nuclear armament and war is priceless.

[@akburst510]

I fucking love this show. It's criminally under-watched.

[@CalabiYauShape]

I think Henry is deliberately being hidden so it can be a shock when he tells his parents that he wants to be an FBI agent. If, for example, Stan figures things out but the Jennings manage to kill him before he can tell anyone, this would allow for them to keep their cover and possibly inspire a still-clueless Henry to try to fill Stan's shoes - leaving Paige the job of keeping close contact with her brother and gleaning important state secrets from his personal updates. Spinoff set in the present day? Pleeeeease.

[@DinosaurKale]

At some point, once the original premise and scenario are worn out, I'd like to see The Americans turn into a story about Philip and Elizabeth going AWOL and living on the run.

[@NoWay1969]

Love that this show is getting an actual ending. It deserves it.

[@KainErrow]

Glad to see you guys got this uploaded, been waiting. :)

[@3tobin]

The Patty operation really didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. So much could have gone wrong there. This seemed like a rare moment in The Americans where they sacrificed plausibility for dramatic tension.

[@Indigocell]

Maybe. It could also be that the flaws in these plans are intentional, and part of what makes Phillip and Elizabeth lose their faith in the mission, and their leaders in general.

[@brunoadministrator8923]

Believe it or not, on the official podcast they interviewed a spy expert who said the Russians did this basic operation several times, with success.

[@ICavalcadeI]

Damn, I think Alonso might be on to something about Henry. The shoe always makes a point to tell us where he is, like we actually give a fuck, or that we would assume he could be anywhere but his room, or Stan's house. They're definitely setting him up for something in particular and may be using him exactly as he said.

[@ICavalcadeI]

The show*

[@ChrisOliver4307]

Definitely, although in a minor anachronism note, Henry's haircut is totally 2016.

[@ozziebattler6732]

Stan killed Vlad in season 1 ("Safe House") in retaliation for Amador's death (at Philip's hand). Vlad also featured in Stan's dream in the season two finale ("Echo"), greeting Stan at the FBI office and making love to Stan's wife Sandra. That same dream showed Martha stealing documents from the mail robot. Stan's unconcious mind is very perceptive, and his conciousness is only now catching up. ("Foreshadowing: the sign of quality literature")

[@sinosleep007]

"Henry, you poor dumb son of a bitch" Everyone's collective thoughts on Henry summed up so eloquently.

[@Blackonblackicemin]

On this episode....(spoiler) Gaad dies and I'm glad Paige asked about telling Henry about the spy thing.

[@tattoo576]

why Paige always lookin like somebody killed her puppy lol

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Wait, either Elizabeth or Phillip said in a previous episode that they had listened to the tape and it had nothing incriminating on it.

[@Indigocell]

Yes, that is my question as well. I recall Phillip saying that they didn't have to worry about the tape, or that there was no tape. It was probably just a bluff on Alice's part. The weird thing was that Elizabeth chose to lie about it to Paige, and you could see from the look on Phllip's face that this was a decision she made in the moment, and he just went along with it. My guess is she wanted to impress upon Paige how precarious their situation is and basically used it against her, not sure how I feel about it.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Indigocell Elizabeth is much more strident than Phillip and tough as nails. She doesn't think like a parent first, she's a soviet and she's not taking any shit from a 16 year old who almost blew their cover. She's old country.

[@dianegoodreads]

The tape Philip listened to was the bug on paster tim's phone. Alice never called her lawyer, so the assumption is that there is no tape.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

Diane W Thanks, that clears it up.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

bouncyshak Why would they tell Paige that? They're spies, they're not going to confide in a 16-year-old.

[@KceeKit]

Great job....

[@lesleynoelle7337]

Remember Henry smashing a beer bottle over that guy's head in season one? Henry didn't just "feed the ducks".

[@shellbacksclub]

they should switch the tape with Death Metal songs.

[@QuickenedSand]

Guys... the tape DOESN'T exist. Phillip told Elizabeth that when he went to check up on the presumed "tape," there was no recording or even a lawyer involved. Alice was simply bluffing.

[@Blackonblackicemin]

Paige sees Elizabeth's violence this episode.

[@QuickenedSand]

So sad... especially since she was basically admitting to her mom that she was ready to spy on Stan by using his son. Any chance of that happening now is out the window.

[@FrancesFarmer7]

The Stan dynamic is very similar to the Hank story on Breaking Bad. I think it will be just as heartbreaking when he finds out

[@anon8568]

what of the russians set up the attack to speed things up with paige?