The Colonel (The Americans)

Plot

After being arrested for not paying his child support, Sanford Prince (Tim Hopper) is in FBI custody. Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) tells his boss, Agent Frank Gaad (Richard Thomas), that they should leave Sanford locked up until he wants to talk.

Elizabeth (Keri Russell) meets Claudia (Margo Martindale) where she reaffirms her suspicions about the upcoming meeting with the Colonel, especially that Sanford has been moved to federal custody. She also tells Claudia about a meeting between Caspar Weinberger and James Baker — information she learned from the bug planted in Weinberger's study (which the FBI are now aware of). Claudia tells her she won't be their handler for very long after Elizabeth and Philip (Matthew Rhys) requested for her to be transferred.

Elizabeth meets Philip at their office, where she continues to question the authenticity of the Colonel. She tells Philip that if the meeting is a set-up, he needs to leave with their children, knowing that she will be identified by Stan immediately. Philip volunteers to take the mission with the Colonel, but Elizabeth declines and tells him he needs to go and collect the tape that recorded Weinberger's meeting with Baker. Meanwhile, Arkady (Lev Gorn) tells Nina (Annet Mahendru) that Moscow has decided to let her live, despite reservations that she can betray the Americans. Gaad tells his men that they will arrest the KGB agent who arrives to collect the Weinberger tape.

Philip and Elizabeth discuss their upcoming missions. Philip must be ready with the children to leave at a moment's notice — if Elizabeth's meeting with the Colonel isn't a set-up, she'll meet them, and if it is a set-up, Philip should take the children to Canada. Philip once again tries to convince Elizabeth to switch missions, but she declines. Stan tries to reconcile with his wife Sandra (Susan Misner) by offering a vacation to Jamaica, but she hasn't forgiven him for having an affair. Down in the basement, Elizabeth listens to an old tape of her mother speaking fondly about pictures she's seen of Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati).

Claudia, posing as a friend of a tenant, knocks on Richard Patterson's (Paul Fitzgerald) door and convinces him to allow her to use his phone. She uses a stun gun to disarm him, injects him with something that paralyzes his entire body, slowly cuts his jugular vein and holds up a picture of General Zhukov, telling him they were lovers as Patterson dies. Paige, awake from a nightmare, catches Elizabeth coming out of their laundry room. Elizabeth tells her she was folding clothes, but Paige is suspicious.

Claudia tries to convince Arkady to call off the meeting with the Colonel, telling him that she's responsible for the Jennings' safety, but he declines, saying that it's a risk worth taking. Stan tells Nina that at the end of the day, her exfiltration will be approved. Elizabeth receives a note from Philip, telling her that he's taking the meeting with the Colonel. Nina tells Arkady that the FBI are planning something and he assumes the meeting with the Colonel is a trap. To alert the agents, Arkady dispatches several cars with an "abort" signal (an oblong lambda) spray-painted on the side.

Philip meets the Colonel, with Claudia watching. The Colonel tells him that the schematics are 50 years away from being possible. Claudia spots a car with the abort signal and interrupts Philip's meeting with the Colonel. When no FBI agents intervene, they realize it's Elizabeth's mission that is compromised. Elizabeth makes her way towards the bugged car to collect the tape, but before she can, Philip arrives and collects her. Stan realizes that it's the couple that kidnapped Patterson and agents intervene, shooting at Philip and Elizabeth. Philip reverses the car and loses the FBI in their pursuit, stealing another car. However, Elizabeth has been shot by Stan. Stan returns to Nina, where he tells her that his mission failed and she won't be exfiltrated yet. Later, while Elizabeth is getting surgery for her gunshot wound, Philip asks Stan to take care of the children by using a cover story that Elizabeth has to take care of her sickly great-aunt, and Philip is obliged to go with her.

In a montage played to Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers", Martha (Alison Wright) happily puts on her wedding ring after coming home from work; Sanford is still in FBI custody, now talking to Gaad about the Colonel; Nina hands Arkady a file on Stan; Paige and Henry are at the Beemans' while their parents are gone.

Elizabeth wakes up, where she tells Philip to "come home" in Russian. Paige, now curious about her mother's behavior, is seen looking around the laundry room as the episode ends.

Production

The episode was written by Joel Fields and series creator Joe Weisberg and directed by Adam Arkin.

Reception

In its original American broadcast on May 1, 2013, "The Colonel" was watched by 1.74 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings.

This episode was submitted by Margo Martindale for 2013 Emmy Consideration in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.