"Salang Pass" is the fifth episode of
third season of the American television drama series ''
The Americans
''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX (TV channel), FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg ...
'', and the 31st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on February 25, 2015, in the United States on
FX. The title references the
Salang Pass, located in Afghanistan.
Plot
The episode opens with Philip (disguised as Clark) and Martha looking into fostering a child. Philip continues to bond with Paige, causing tension between him and Elizabeth, while at the same time working a new contact, Kimmy, the daughter of a CIA officer in the Afghanistan group who is about Paige's age. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, disguised as a recovering alcoholic, continues her friendship with Lisa as Lisa applies for a transfer to the nearby Northrop plant. Stan continues to negotiate with Oleg in an attempt to trade a suspected Soviet spy for Nina, while beginning to give up on his attempts to get back together with his wife, Sandra. Yousaf, Philip's contact in the Pakistani diplomatic mission, returns to Pakistan as the fundamentalists begin to take control. Philip and Elizabeth experience tension in their marriage as Philip struggles to manage several complicated sexual relationships, including his marriage with Martha and his liaison with Kimmy.
Production
The episode was written by
Stephen Schiff
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and directed by
Kevin Dowling.
Reception
The episode was watched by 811,000 viewers and scored 0.19 ratings in 18-49 demographics, as per
Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
.
"Salang Pass" received positive reviews. Erik Adams of ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' gave the episode a A grade.
Alan Sepinwall said Salang Pass became even stranger, and more powerful, and more uniquely "Americans," than almost anything the show has done before.
References
External links
"Salang Pass"at
FX
*
2015 American television episodes
The Americans (season 3) episodes
Television episodes written by Stephen Schiff
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