Paige loses her innocence in a bloody mission gone wrong.
Life is still a frozen sea between Philip and Elizabeth.
Now, he watches Elizabeth descend the stairs.
Credit: Patrick Harbron/FX
He has heeded her advice.
Theyre still not talking.
Back at FBI headquarters, we see Stan Beeman in his new role.
Two of their past recruits, the courier Gennadi and his wife Sofia, are having troubles.
Stan will have to help patch things up.
Hes been out of KGB for three years, Adherholt tells him.
Thats what sources in Moscow say.
Smart money, however, suggests Stan and Oleg will be crossing paths again before long.
They swap gossip about how their respective departments are perceiving these talks.
Its no secret the Russians want to deal.
They cant afford an arms race.
We are holding most of the cards, he says.
Do you think Reagan is just going soft?
This summit could end up winning us the entire cold war.
McLeesh proposes meeting her for lunch but he wants to do it at the State Department cafeteria.
You could put her in a coma or leave her brain dead, Elizabeth tells him.
I can help you.
What she really means is, I can stall you.
Just have to keep her alive through the summit, Claudia tells Elizabeth later.
Meanwhile, theres yet another mission for her.
The Center wants you to contact Lyle Rennhul youre to try and get a lithium based radiation sensor.
Apparently the Air Force has 300 of them.
Im supposed to give you the order and say its from the person you met in Mexico.
And Im not supposed to ask any questions.
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Renhull had been supplying information about the anti-ballistic missile program.
But Prince had turned FBI informant and was going to flip on Rennhull before Renhull flipped him for real.
Now, Elizabeth needs his help again.
But their first encounter is not a friendly one.
Still, he agrees to meet her later.
Back home, Elizabeth is curled up outside, smoking a cigarette.
Philip, who has spent this episode dealing with not-very-exciting travel agent business, finally comes out to talk.
Paige is pretty good at this, but she made a mistake the other night.
Got someones name wrong, Elizabeth says, straight-up lying to him.
It happened to us.
You grow into it, Philip says.
I learned fast, Elizabeth tells him.
Dont tell her we talked about this.
Back at the FBI, Stan briefs Aderholt on the Sofia-Gennadi peace talks.
Im not a marriage counselor.
He wants to keep it together, but she…Im not so sure about.
Nobodys life was on the line when I left my wife, Aderholt says.
I cant tell you how much better I feel just dealing with murderers, drug dealers and corrupt politicians.
Later, we see an example of whats at stake.
Gennadi is carrying a diplomatic package while being monitored by another Soviet agent.
All of this seems like foundation for a future story, but theres no payoff in this episode.
The tour guide is no dummy.
He kept a close count and knows exactly who is missing.
Security searches the building, but she manages to talk McLeesh into going outside before she is nabbed.
It turns out to have been worth it.
Thats shocking to Elizabeth, although we know now…its true.
At Claudias place, we get the title of this episode: Tchaikovsky.
The handler plays some for Paige, as part of her cultural education from the Motherland.
He was one of Russias great composers.
For a long time after the war it was the only music I could listen to, Claudia says.
His mother died young and his life was full of loneliness.
Elizabeth is still soft-selling the profession.
In certain circumstances, if the information is critical enough, people may cross lines sometimes.
Then that gets twisted by whoever wrote that book, she says.
Later, Elizabeth has a second meeting with Rennhull.
Last time you came to me a man ended up dead.
I still have nightmares about it, he says.
All those people I killed in Korea, and this is what I have nightmares about.
He tells her, Im not giving you the goddamn sensor or anything else.
You may think Im a traitor.
I thought I was trying to do the right thing last time.
Now I see how idiotic that was.
Thats not going to happen twice.
Bring us what we need, its over.
You retire from the air force and we have no need to come to you ever again.
We get a brief glimpse of Henry (remember him?
Philip and Elizabeths son?)
who is away at boarding school.
He talks with his father, and his father sounds…bored.
Meanwhile, at their third meeting, Paige drives Elizabeth to meet Rennhull at night and in the woods.
Rennhull hasnt brought a lithium radiation sensor.
He brought a gun.
Elizabeth goes to her knees, begging him to spare her.
But of course, shes just luring him closer so she can beat him senseless.
In the struggle, Rennhull raises the gun to shoot and blows off the top of his own head.
Elizabeth is screaming at her to leave.
In any case, Elizabeth cant make it sound so innocent anymore.
