Review of 'The Americans' 6.6

In The Americans 6.6, Jackson — a new mark Elizabeth is working on, as a conduit to Senator Sam Nunn (of earlier Watergate fame, in case the name sounds familiar) — anyway, Jackson says Rififi (a 1955 French movie), where Elizabeth first contrives to meet him, is the best heist movie ever made. I agree! I felt that way when I saw it as a kid in the late 1950s at a beat-up old movie theater (I think the Globe, on Pelham Parkway in the Bronx), and the movie has stayed with me to this day. Jackson was not only correct in the 1980s when he said that to Elizabeth, his appraisal is true today. The very word, "Rififi," said sotto voce in the movie, gets me in the mood for any great foreign heist movie. So far, Jackson's role hasn't materialized in The Americans, but I just wanted to make that point about Rififi.

Now as to the rest of episode: the relationship between Philip and Elizabeth has reached a critically dangerous point. Philip is not only not backing Elizabeth, he's actively working against her ... until, when she doesn't accede to his request to come home instead of going through with her dangerous mission (which I'm pretty sure he made even more dangerous), Philip decides to join her — presumably to help her — in Chicago. I say "presumably" because, though I think he genuinely wants to help her, things have gotten so bad between them that it's not 100 percent clear what he'll be doing in Chicago.

This episode was also the best we've ever seen of Henry, who has really started to grow up fast. He's very different from his sister — he, of course, does not know what his parents really do (or did), let alone work for that cause — but he's sharp as a whip in his own way.

And Stan has gone into full-fledged hunt down Soviets in America mode — which, given his relationship with Henry, not to mention Stan, is bound to have some explosive consequences.

Quite a ride still ahead. I'll be back with more next week. Before then, I'm going to see Rififi somewhere, but, don't worry, I won't review it. "Rififi!"