01x08 - Mutually Assured Destruction

Episode transcripts for the 2013 TV show "The Americans". Aired: January 2013 to May 2018*
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Two Soviet KGB officers pose as an American married couple living in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. in the 1980s, with their unsuspecting children and their neighbor, an FBI counterintelligence agent.
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01x08 - Mutually Assured Destruction

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on The Americans...

Philip: I'm gonna go and see Martha.


I want to take her some jewelry. Do you have anything?

Elizabeth: I'm sure she'll love it.

When is the right time to exfiltrate a source?

Never.

She has held up her end of the bargain.

You're worried about her safety.

I'll think about it.

I need to ask you something.

Just promise you'll say the truth.

Did something happen between you and Irina?

Philip: Nothing happened. There's only you.

It has always been you.

Woman: 1, 9, 2, 7, 8...

7, 5, 3, 4, 2.


[ Beep ]

[ Static ]

[ Click ]

You were right.

About?

The Beemans-- trouble in paradise.

He told you?

Not in so many words. He's not a gusher.

No. He's a trickler.

Yeah.

Information comes out in dribs and drabs.

He should call a plumber.

[ Dog barks in distance ]

To fix the leak.

Ohh.

No? [ Chuckles ]

No.

[ Laughs ]

I missed you.

At racquetball?

Yeah, that's why I lost.

Come on.

'Cause you were thinking about me?

I couldn't stop thinking about you.

I haven't double-faulted so much in my life.

[ Sighs ] Trouble at work.

[ Click ]

We have to stop an assassin.

Whose?

Ours.

The Centre hired a contractor to start k*lling scientists in the Americans' antiballistic m*ssile program.

The leadership changed its mind, and whatever system they were using to recall him is not working.

[ Sighs ]

We have a name?

No.

Do we have a description?

No.

Do we know when he's gonna hit the targets?

No.

Do we know who the targets are?

He was given the names of 14 scientists.

Oh, so all we have to do is find a highly trained k*ller we know nothing about before he hits any one of 14 American scientists.

But doesn't it sound fun?

I'll call the sitter.

Oh, we're having dinner with the Beemans on Wednesday.

You're supposed to bring your meatloaf.

What are you supposed to bring?

My winning personality.

[ Laughs ]

They need to straighten things out at the Centre.

Ordering hits and countermanding them.

There they are.

30 years of marriage, and they're still holding hands.

That's sweet.

Top-level scientist working on a program to save this country from nuclear weapons.

And they don't have security. Can you explain that?

They feel safe here.

Not for much longer.

[ Engine sputtering ]

Oh, no. Car won't start.

That's right.

Get out of the car! Get out of the car!

Hurry! [ Gasps ]

[ Car alarms blaring ]

Well, if that doesn't get the US government to watch its scientists' backs, I don't know what will.

[ Engine turns over ]

He's not a former mob accountant in witness protection.

Not a former n*zi hiding from the Mossad.

As far as the general public is concerned, he's a scientist specializing in navigational systems for communications satellites.

How many people know that's not true?

You. Me. A few hundred people in the US government.

The KGB?

Car bombs haven't been their MO.

If they're starting to blow people up in the middle of Washington, they're essentially declaring w*r.

We've identified every important scientist in the antiballistic m*ssile program.

We're moving them to secure locations.

Why stop there? Who knows who else they'll go after.

[ Laughing ] Oh, sure, let's protect everyone-- scientists, politicians, our most important philosophers.

They'll keep us so busy chasing our tails we won't have any time to chase them.

So, run Customs and Immigration, last three weeks, see who's going in and out of the country.

Other than the usual flags, we're looking for anyone who pulled a visa on less than two weeks' notice, and anyone entering for the first time.

They're using a false identity, my guess is it's gonna be a fresh one.

Milbank, take the lead on surveillance, get eyes on our top priorities.

Tell your wives not to wait up.

Oh, they don't see us anyway, sir.

You wanted to be an FBI agent.

[ Door opens ]

[ Sighs ]

Why would they hire a contractor and then change their mind?

Some people think it's worth any risk to stop the Americans from getting a ballistic m*ssile shield.

Others don't agree.

Who doesn't agree with that?

If we start k*lling scientists on US soil, who knows where it leads?

At best, the secret w*r escalates.

At worst...

[ Vehicle passes ]

The contractor is from West Germany.

There's a strong suspicion he'll use this weapons contact in Baltimore.

Okay.

[ Sighs ] Elizabeth.

I know there's bad blood between us.

But... believe it or not, I feel a camaraderie with you.

A camaraderie?

Yes. [ Laughs ]

You have a funny way of showing that.

[ Chuckles ]

This isn't an easy life we've chosen.

But there's no way to get through it without the truth.

What "truth" exactly are we talking about?

In New York, Philip was with the woman we assigned him to.

I can think of five different reasons you'd poison our life.

Ask Philip, then.

I did.

You believe him?

If you start to think of your marriage as real, it doesn't work.

The men don't think of them that way.

It was an arrangement.

Do you understand that?

I understand who you are.

I understand what you just did to us.

Better to live in reality, Elizabeth.

Better for you.

Better for us, too.

Even after this...

I trust you.

I know you'd throw yourself on a fire for the Motherland.

Him?

I'm not so sure.

How long have you been there?

Not long.

Mmm, drinking me in?

Right.

Did, uh... did grannie have anything to say about the contractor?

Yeah.

Did you restrain yourself from k*lling her?

I'm starting to get over the urge.

Why's that?

She's just doing her job.

Like the rest of us.

Amador: That's it for Customs.

How many came through New York?

[ Door opens ]

What do we got, sir?

The rest of the East Coast.

If that doesn't pan out, we check the Midwest and Canada.

Couldn't we just nuke the Russians and get this over with?

As soon as we get a full list of international arrivals, we might even be able to make a few phone calls, Amador, find out what hotels anyone suspicious is staying at.

Beeman.

You're a responsible man, aren't you, Beeman?

[ Door closes ] Well, my father always said so.

Except for the time I wrecked his Bonneville.

[ Chuckles ]

It's an apartment near Eastern Market-- a studio with a back entrance off an alley.

It's time you and your source started having your meetings in a safe house.

Okay.

It's not a car but, uh... don't wreck it.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

Can I help you?

Is your dad home, honey?

[ Footsteps approach ]

Yeah?

I know who you are, what you do.

I know you usually get references before you talk to people.

But we need to discuss a few matters.

Go up to your room, sweetheart.

I don't know who you think I am.

I understand you rely on confidentiality, and I'm going to ask you to violate that.

The alternative is bringing people down on you who will destroy your business.

You're making a serious mistake, lady.

Someone came to purchase expl*sives from you in the last 72 hours.

I need to know everything you know abo-- [ g*n cocks ]

Lady, don't come into my house and start ordering me around.

All right, just take it easy, little girl, okay?

Do I look like a little girl?

Thank you.

Aah!

Don't you hurt her!

Easy, easy. Nice henchman.

Okay, take it easy. It's all right, Lana.

Lana? You want to go sit down, watch some TV?

You'll be able to see dad from there, hmm?

Everything's gonna be fine.

Go.

We better keep an eye on her.

[ TV turns on ] We're not going to hurt her or you.

We just need to know what we need to know.

Clients-- I talk about 'em, they come back and make sure I can't talk again.

This one won't. We come from the same people.

We just need to find him.

[ TV chatter ]

[ Sighs ]

He's about 6'4", light skin, a little chubby.

Friendly guy, actually.

Always the friendly ones, right?

You want to see a picture?

Do you have a picture?

Got pictures of you, too.

Can't be too careful... these days.

State-of-the-art.

♪ Let me call you sometime ♪

I-I need to ask you something, and--

Well, can't we just...

What?

[ Sighs ] Nothing.

It's been a tough time at the office.

I don't want to talk about work, Clark.

We always talk about work.

♪ I don't know what's the matter ♪

I'm-- I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

No, no, no. No, no, no. No.

Sorry.

I'm-- I'm sorry.

♪ I went to see my doctor ♪
♪ my troubles he couldn't tell ♪
♪ he said, "young man, you might get better" ♪

I can't see a thing without them, and I need to see you.

[ Moans ]

[ Clattering ]

[ Moaning ]

Do you have any protection?

Uh, no. I-I-I didn't want to presume this was--

From my last boyfriend.

He was a jerk.

Well, then he didn't deserve you.

You deserve...

A prince.

I've been waiting for you, Clark.

[ Moans ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

That was wonderful, Martha.

Oh, ditto.

It's nice to feel close to someone.

It's been awhile.

[ Sighs ] Mm.

I really needed this.

[ Sighs ] Me too, Clark.

I've been so stressed lately.

I've been thinking about you a lot.

I just...

What's wrong?

Mm.

It's just work things. And you are right.

We should talk about other things.

No. You know what? Go ahead.

That's what I'm here for.

Well, the department's gotten very competitive.

Our new boss was in the Marines.

So, if you don't deliver, you are out.

That's awful.

I think I'm okay, but I-I get worried sometimes.

And right now, with this attempted assassination-- this scientist-- do you know about that?

Of course.

So none of the agencies are working together to share the information.

Each one wants to be a hero, so nothing is getting solved.

And our boss is blaming us, 'cause we're oversight.

But it's like-- I'm sorry.

Do we have any control over the divisions?

And now he's saying if we don't come up with something, he's gonna bring in a new team.

He can't do that.

He's done it before.

But the crazy thing is, Martha, all of the information is out there.

It just needs to be put together.

And people like-- [ Sighs ] sorry, no offense-- your boss, who I actually think is a good guy, they're afraid of what might happen to their careers if they don't play the same game everyone else is.

Anyway...

Well, is there anything I can do to help?

[ Sighs ]

Just getting it off my chest has been a help.

That's sweet.

But you know I could get anything that Agent Gaad has.

If you could solve this thing, maybe you'd be the hero.

Maybe even get a promotion. Show that Marine who's boss.

[ Knock on door ]

[ Speaking Russian ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Speaking Russian ]

[ Laughs ]

[ Speaking Russian ]

Yes, I like.

They thought we should have a regular place to meet.

Somewhere secure.

Is that what you told them?

A place to "debrief" your agent?

It's true. It was their idea, actually.

The other day... I was drunk and... you were upset.

Whatever happened...

I am the one who kissed you, remember?

I do. [ Chuckles ]

[ Moaning ]

Thank you for getting a place for us to meet.

It's safer for me.

Good.

Things are tense at work.

Arkady is worried.

About what?

Something. I don't know.

For two days now, he's very serious.

Has there been extra cable traffic back and forth to Moscow?

No.

Anything unusual in the diplomatic pouches?

Not that I see.

Have arkady or anybody been going out for meetings?

Not more than before.

Hmm.

You are worried.

Like Arkady.

Is something going on?

I don't think I should have gotten you into this.

So now guilt?

I had a job to do, Nina.

Just think how you will feel looking at me dead one day.

No.

That's-- we can get you out, Nina.

I wasn't bullshitting about that.

It takes some time, and they have to feel like they've gotten enough to make it worth it.

I do everything for you.

I am trying my best.

That's not...

You're not here because...

I am here because this is where I want to be.
[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Soft music plays ]

[ Russian accent ] Would you care for a drink?

You buying?

I am.

So, what's your thing?

My thing?

Oral? a**l? Ecclesiastical?

Oh. [ Laughs ]

I am much kinkier than that.

I'm really glad you guys were able to make it.

And this is truly fantastic. What is the secret?

Horseradish. Right?

Oh, you cook, Phil?

He watches.

Ah.

I can relate to that.

Well, it's got a real nice kick to it.

Good. - You don't usually like things too spicy, Stan.

I don't.

But I guess I do. [ Chuckles ]

You want some more Brussels sprouts, Paige?

No, thanks.

How about you, Henry?

Henry: No thanks. I already had some.

I bet you want some more of those mashed potatoes, though.

They're kind of cheesy.

Henry.

No, I-I meant cheesy, not cheesy.

No, it's fine.

Well, it's not fine to be impolite.

I didn't mean to be rude. I'm really sorry.

It's just that you're so good at it.

Shut up! [ Chuckles ]

Guys.

Is everyone ready for dessert?

I think so.

Paige, why don't you help clear?

No, it's okay. I got it.

Finished?

What do you think?

I-I don't know.

I was just asking. I didn't know if you--

No, I'm done.

Okay.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Oh, excuse me.

No, Stan, we have guests.

I have a thing going at work I got to deal with.

Sure. Is everything okay?

I'm gonna help clear.

Daddy?

Thanks, honey.

[ Ringing continues ]

Beeman.

Yeah.

[ Dishes clink ]

Well, how many more files did you guys get through?

Okay, well, I'll be back in an hour, tops.

Want me to bring leftovers?

So, what's up?

I was thinking about... when we first met.

Really?

Do you remember that?

[ Sighs ] Of course I remember.

I was surprised how pretty you were.

Surprised?

[ Stammers ]

I-I wasn't surprised. I was relieved, I guess.

[ Glass thuds ]

Grannie said you slept with Irina.

I asked you--

I asked you not to lie to me.

And you told me to my face that nothing happened.

I'm sorry.

I am so sorry.

I didn't know what to say because-- because I didn't want to lose you.

I love you.

Hmm.

Love? Hmm.

I made a terrible mistake-- a terrible mistake.

And so many things have gone wrong for us.

Can we please just... try and start over?

No. We can't.

We can do our jobs.

We can fulfill our mission-- the reason we were brought together and sent to America.

But we cannot do this.

We will never do this.

[ Both moaning ]

Please, honey, please.

Oh, my God.

That's it. Come on, baby, yeah.

Wait, wait, wait.

[ Laughs ]

Oh, God.

Let's keep it going in the shower.

[ Door creaks ]

[ Shower curtain slides ]

[ Water running ]

[ Door closes ]

[ Laughter, moaning ]

[ Moaning continues ]

You like that?

Yeah!

Martha, just secure that, and then you're done.

Thanks for taking the split shift again.

Martha: Of course. It's a crisis.

[ Copier humming ]

Martha.

Oh! What?

What?

You just-- you startled me.

I'm-- I'm sorry, baby.

I'm not your baby. So don't call me that, okay?

Sorry.

It's just that, um... you have been looking very nice lately.

And I just wanted to tell you that.

That's all.

Well, okay.

And I've missed you, you know, since we broke up.

We didn't break up, Chris.

You're right.

Look, I'm just the way I am, you know?

And you got to just accept people, right?

Maybe, um... we can get a drink sometime?

No, thank you.

"No, thank you"?

That's a very polite no.

Are sure you don't want to make it an impolite "yes"?

I am.

You know, you're a sweet guy, Chris.

And you're handsome.

Deep down.

Good night.

Good night.

[ Door closes ]

[ Knock on door ]

[ Click ]

[ Pablo Cruise's "Love Will Find A Way" plays ]

Hi, Marth...

Hi.

You wore it.

Yeah.

The table looks great.

Thank you.

Someone, someone's got me wrong
you thought that your love was strong

[ Moaning ]

Clark?

Are you okay?

That was, uh... that was distracting me.

Okay.

[ Sighs ]

You're a very kind person, Martha.

Okay.

[ Moaning ]

That's all suspicious foreign nationals who've come through East Coast Immigration in the past week, correlated with where they're staying here-- hotels, with relatives, it's all there.

This is just what I needed, Martha.

That's great, honey.

Yeah.

I'm gonna count to five. One...

Man: Please, señor!

Two...

Three...


[ Indistinct conversation ]

[ Muffled TV chatter ]

[ TV chatter continues ]

[ Door closes ]

You're not here to sh**t me, I suppose, or else I would already be sh*t.

So, who sent you?

The same people who sent you.

And what are you doing here?

Your orders have been revoked.

We're here to make sure you comply.

I don't know you.

You were hired by the KGB. They've changed their mind.

We don't want to k*ll someone our own people hired.

But that's the other option.

Take a look on the back.

Directed charge.

Surprisingly quiet.

I like to think ahead.

Now, the two of you are going to put your g*ns down on the count of three.

One... two...

[ Groans ]

Ohh! Ugh!

[ expl*si*n ]

[ Ringing ]

[ Alarm ringing, sirens wailing ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Engine turns over ]

[ Horns honk ]

[ Wailing continues ]

We can get past this. It doesn't have to be like this.

It is like this.

We didn't take a vow to be unhappy.

[ Door opens ]

Stan: Hey.

[ Keys jingle ]

Before you worked for Counterintelligence, Stan, what did you do?

Different things.

dr*gs? Robbers?

Some of that.

FBI. You are cops.

Policemen in your hearts.

Yes?

Hmm.

Sometimes I wonder if you understand spies.

I think I understand pretty well.

What do you want with us?

One day, with Arkady, and the others at the Rezidentura-- do you want to put them in jail?

That's how policeman thinks, not how spies think.

We want everyone to stay. Right where they are.

And bleed everything they know out of them.

Forever.

Today, Arkady called me into his office.

Asked questions. I thought, "this is the end.

They're going to send me to Moscow for trials, execution."

Hmm. Instead, it was for promotion.

I report to Arkady now.

Maybe I will see the Directorate "S" files.

Find your illegals for you.

So, you'd go into those files for us?

This is how it is.

Your boss will not let me out if I do not.

You didn't have to tell me that.

I cannot lie to everyone.

Too dangerous.

Milbank, you're late.

15 minutes. Big deal.

Shift starts when the shift starts.

My wife's gonna k*ll me.

Sorry.

How's the scientist doing?

He spent the last three hours explaining the difference between particles and waves to me.

You're in for a real treat. Tell Billings I'm in the car.

[ Sighs ]

Come on.

Whoa!

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Conversations stop ]

I got to call you back.

Leon Billings was inside, too.

He didn't survive, either.

They're gonna pay for this.

I swear to God, they'll pay.

I worked with Tom six years in CID.

Three girls, great dad.

I want to know what's gonna happen.

We've got planes and tanks. Is someone gonna use them?

I think that's the whole point.

What's the point?

Nobody wants to use them.

Even if we could prove it was KGB, we wouldn't start a w*r over this.

What are you saying, sir? We act like nothing happened?

Let's wait till tomorrow.

This administration is not going to let this happen.

[ Voice breaking ] This will--

[ Normal voice ] This will not stand.

[ Door closes ]

Woman: 8, 9, 4, 4, 1, 2, 1, 6...

3, 5, 1, 1, 3, 5, 8, 9.


[ Sighs ]

He got one of the scientists.

How?

I don't know.

And three FBI agents.

God damn it.

The Centre wants to know what happened.

What happened?

We got a sh*t mission with lousy information, and we still found him and stopped him.

No, we didn't stop him in time, Philip.

Do you know where this goes now?

This is our worst failure in 15 years.

Ours? Ours?

They hired a k*ller, then changed their mind.

It's not them. This is our job, Philip.

The Americans will assume it's us.

It was our job to stop him!

[ Sighs ]

Zhukov was right.

We can't do our jobs if we're emotional.

What happened tonight has nothing to do with emotion.

It did for me.

My head was somewhere else.

Where?

Us.

Philip, we have to stop this.

We were never married.

We had an arrangement, and it worked.

I tried.

The first time we met, I saw you were disappointed, like now, in your eyes.

I could see you were hoping for someone else.

That I would be...

[ Sighs ] someone else.

I swear, if I could change things--

You can't. We can't.

It is what it is.

[ Sighs ]

When we first came here all those years ago, we had to be married for this-- to fit in, for our cover.

But things are different now. It's a very modern country.

People get separated all the time.

You don't want to be married to me?

I don't think the Centre would even care.

[ The Siamese Twins' "The Cure" plays ]

Good night, Martha.

Sir.

Good night, Chief.

♪ I chose an eternity of this ♪
♪ like falling angels ♪
♪ the world disappeared ♪
♪ then everything falls apart ♪
♪ broken inside me ♪
♪ it falls apart ♪
♪ the walls and the ceiling move in time ♪
♪ push a blade into my hands ♪
♪ slowly up the stairs ♪
♪ and into the room ♪
♪ is it always like this? ♪
♪ dancing in my pocket ♪
♪ worms eat my skin ♪
♪ she glows and grows with arms outstretched ♪
♪ her legs around me ♪
♪ in the morning, I cried ♪
♪ laughing into the fire ♪
♪ is it always like this? ♪
♪ is it always like this? ♪
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