The Americans on FX

And obviously, she would have cracked pretty easily under questioning. Taking Paige was also necessary in part to protect themselves until they got out of the U.S. and into Canada, which from DC isn't exactly a quick trip.

According to Google Maps, Washington D.C. to Pittsburg, New Hampshire (which is near the Quebec border) is about an 11-hour drive, and that's with 2018 interstates and bypasses. Not sure how long a drive it would have been in 1987.

 

I'm not sure what her "cracking" would mean, however.

FBI is on to them at this point. There's no information at this point Paige can provide that will help. Paige will say, "They told me when I was 16. They're gone now.'' And that's pretty much it.

 

I’m not sure what Stan would have said if he called it in. “My neighbors are at their daughter’s apartment, get over here now.” They weren’t really suspects except in Stan’s mind.

I was surprised when Philip realized it was pointless to keep trying to convince Stan they were just normal people he didn’t offer to defect.

 

That's what I thought, too. She has little to offer that endangers them, and they have no loyalty to the KGB anymore.
But I guess, although they don't care about KGB leadership, they still have some loyalty to fellow agents, recruits and assets.
Paige would and will endanger any of the recruits and assets with whom she worked during her training.
She will also reveal what she learned about trade craft, which could endanger other agents.

 

A good read: http://www.vulture.com/2018/05/the-americans-series-finale-oral-history.html

Noah Emmerich on Stan letting them go ...

 

It was to protect Paige as much as themselves.

Really think the daughter of two spies who started spy training would be allowed to resume normal life with a slap on the back? In 87?

 

Even though Elizabeth originally said "head to New Hampshire," that changed when they didn't need to pick up Henry. They crossed at Rouses Point, NY.

 

Good catch, but it's still a long drive from Washington, D.C., particularly making as many stops as they did (burying the evidence, calling Henry, getting takeout at McDonald's, changing cars at least once). There would be time for Paige to be arrested and interrogated and spill it that they're headed for Canada.

By the way, the Paige "reveal" continues to stand out in my mind.

You see only Elizabeth's face at first, reacting in horror to something, perhaps the feds storming the train platform. And then you see Paige standing outside.

It's just magnificently shot.

 

Then you add in "With or Without You" ramping back up with Bono's wailing.

Fantastic scene.

 

And apparently, they had only one take to get it right. All those expressions.

Producers said "With or Without You" was almost too perfect. They like lyrics to fit the scene, but not so explicitly.

I guess they could strip Paige of her U.S. citizenship. That's what Canada did to the kids of two spies arrested in 2010 (the inspiration for this show). Hell, they could still do that to Henry. The two real-life kids of spies were just as clueless as Henry about mom and dad.

Come to think of it . . . Philip and Elizabeth likely would have been involved in a spy swap. So the outcome was going to be the same either way. Entire family was going to be sent to Soviet Union. So the season finale was not even needed. Oh, well.

 

I almost completely blanked out the music in that scene. I was too busy yelling "PAIGE!!! NO!!!!"

The only scene more brutal to watch for me than that was their last call to Henry. You could just feel Phillip and Elizabeth struggling through that, barely getting out what they wanted to say without giving anything anyway. And when Paige said "I can't" ... yeah, me too, girl.

Also, Renee? Totally a spy, right?

 

I thought it was going to be Stan on the platform talking to the border guard, having changed his mind