MovieChat Forums > The Americans (2013) Discussion > Phillip and fatherhood

Phillip and fatherhood

posted 7 years ago by Popcorn Kernel (2368)
6 replies | jump to latest

Last night's episode was very focused on Phillip and his memories of his father, and on his own sons. His first son who he never met who is trying so hard to find him. His second son who he has ignored for so long that he didn't even know the kid was good at math. he tried to start a conversation with Henry, and Henry just cut him off and went back to his video game.
Both Phillip and Elizabeth don't even know Henry at all, they are strangers living in the same house.
Phillip actually spent the most time with his fake spy son Tuan, teaching him to play football in the front yard. It was all a front, but he has never done that with Henry.
And then he was at that E.S.T. session where they were talking about families and roles we play.
I think it is building up to something, we will get some kind of revelation about Phillip's own father that it seems like he has very few memories of. And how his work has robbed him of any genuine relationship with his own sons.
What do you think it's building up to?

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 7 years ago

So the big secret about Phillip's father is that he was a prison camp guard. Is that it? It seems like they've been building up so much to some big secret and this doesn't seem that big.

[–] DreamersxDisease (817) 7 years ago

His father was probably involved in some very violent stuff. I think the biggest indication wasn't Gabriel's reveal, but the flashback to the boots. The mother is cleaning them and we see blood seep out into the bucket. Coupled with Gabriel saying who knows what he got up to during that time and it was, "a different time," the common excuse people use when something horrible has happened in the past....ya gotta figure Phillip's dad was either kinda a bad guy or was forced to do some awful things to other people. Prison camp guard is still kind of vague, really.

I suppose, in a show that has its own calculated violence, it's not terribly surprising....but it's not a fun fact to learn about your parent either and probably makes Phillip reevaluate how his own life has gone and what he's done with it, especially now when he's reeling from that unnecessary murder of the lab tech. As well as you pointing out that he has two sons he doesn't even really know...sins of the father and all that, right?

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 7 years ago

They also have Gabriel sort of excusing his father by saying he was 'loyal'. This is supposedly why they recruited Phillip- because he came from a loyal family. Which just means he did evil things but he followed orders. So right now Phillip is struggling with the bad things he has done vs trying to follow orders. Even when they were killing, they thought they were doing good, but now I think that veil is being peeled back.
He told Elizabeth that he would not kill anymore, but she didn't tell Gabriel that, so the Center still thinks he is obedient. I think this season is going to build up to Phillip being ordered to kill someone and him refusing.

There was a theme in this episode about kids taking after their parents. There was that scene with the Mary Kay saleswoman coming to the door and kept stressing how Paige takes after her mother and must have inherited good genes. (coming from a loyal family) And then ended with the utterly stupid (IMO) recruitment of Paige. (she is SO not ready for this)

The Mary Kay door scene was also to remind Elizabeth of the friendship she betrayed with the Korean lady who sold Mary Kay, and how she misses that friendship. I think when the saleslady says "you can host a Mary Kay party with all your friends", it really hits home that they have no friends. Friends are a luxury they are not allowed.

[–] DreamersxDisease (817) 7 years ago

Excellent analysis, and I agree with it!

Phillip's reluctance is really coming to a head this season and I do think it will lead to him breaking from protocol and maybe even wanting to leave spy work altogether. Of course, that wouldn't settle well with The Centre and they'd be after him, which makes me wonder if he'll have to go on the run somehow or possibly give himself up to Stan in exchange for some kind of immunity.

I've always thought Phillip would either end up on the run or dead from his growing apprehensiveness. What if they asked Liz to put the hit on him? That would be so upsetting! Now my mind is just running away from me, haha....but I think, even if it wasn't shocking, learning of his father was a big, possible turning point for the character. Like you said, it's making him question his role in all of this and whether he can keep doing it and if he's just following a chain of events/traditions long set out before he was ever involved or even born. He is less and less blind to what's really going on and it's slowly eating him up.

The Paige thing, I think is dumb too. She's exhibiting signs of anxiety over this and I don't think she she'd last long before breaking or spilling her guts to someone. The girl seems like she's on the path for mental health issues more than spying. Henry...I still think has more potential for that sort of thing. He's sneaky, smart, and aware. Perfect triad for spying and he spends all his time with an FBI agent, why they're not worried about that is beyond me. He is going to be the wild card in all of this, I'm telling ya!

And yeah, seeing Liz hurt over the Korean Mary Kay lady was sad and really drove home how isolated they are.

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 7 years ago

You remember Gabriel said to Phillip: "You've seen too much"
that literally CHILLED me. Those words are usually spoken as a reason for why you have to die.
You know too much...

The only way out of this for Phillip is the grave. There is no retirement.

[–] DreamersxDisease (817) 7 years ago

Yeah, those lines were very troubling to me, I don't know how they kind of let that slide....unless Phillip is just internalizing them or just already figured. But you're right, that's the kinda shit someone says before putting a bullet between your head.

I've always been worried for Phillip after his first sign of hesitation towards this kind of work. I figured this would be his end, dude needs to get out of dodge!