‘The Americans’ Season 4, Episode 10 Review: Spoilers Ahead

Wednesday night’s episode of “The Americans” was titled “Munchkins” and it showcased just how convoluted things can be if you are a spy for the KGB; eventually, you will have to betray people and these people can be your friends. In “Munchkins,” we see that this is taking a toll on Elizabeth when she is forced to use her friend Young Hee in order to gain access to weapons technology; something that her husband Don can provide.

Elizabeth has been working Young Hee for several episodes and as spies are often expected to do, she seduced her husband in order to gain access to said weapon. Although nothing actually happened between them, Don doesn’t know that which is why he was showing emotional turmoil during a dinner scene in “Munchkins.”

As The New York Times notes in their review of the episode, perhaps more than any other episode, “Munchkins” is the one where Elizabeth’s cold demeanor starts cracking during a mission. Her decision to ask Gabriel for a reprieve is a huge departure from her usual calm professionalism. Her request was rejected, but it shows just how much her friendship with Young Hee has affected her

At the same time, Alice accuses Elizabeth and Philipp of being involved in the disappearance of Pastor Tim who went missing while in Ethiopia. Threatening them with compelling evidence that could blow the couple’s cover, they had to consider the possibility that the whole family might need to run to Russia.

Naturally, as a review from The Young Folks emphasizes, audiences already know that the Jennings had nothing to do with Pastor Tim’s disappearance, but this did not stop Alice from suspecting them all the same. Their daughter Paige also thinks that her parents were involved, which is not surprising considering that she knows what they are. The thought of moving to Russia was not appealing to Paige either which fuelled her suspicions even more.

Season 4, Episode 11 of The Americans is on May 25 on FX.