One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov
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Episode 11
| "One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov" | |
|---|---|
| The Americans episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 11 |
| Directed by | Andrew Bernstein |
| Written by | |
| Cinematography by | Richard Rutkowski |
| Editing by | Marnee Meyer |
| Production code | BDU311 |
| Original air date | April 8, 2015 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American period spy drama television series The Americans. It is the 37th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Stephen Schiff and story editor Tracey Scott Wilson, and directed by Andrew Bernstein. It was released on FX on April 8, 2015.
The series is set during the Cold War and follows Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB intelligence officers posing as an American married couple living in Falls Church, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., with their American-born children Paige and Henry. It also explores the conflict between Washington's FBI office and the KGB Rezidentura there, from the perspectives of agents on both sides, including the Jennings' neighbor Stan Beeman, an FBI agent working in counterintelligence. In the episode, Elizabeth receives bad news about her mother's health, while Philip helps Martha during an incoming interview with Taffet.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 1.04 million household viewers and gained a 0.3 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, pacing and themes.
Paige (Holly Taylor) starts to question many events in her life. She also asks Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) their real names, also discovering that many family trips were part of operations for them.
Philip and Elizabeth inform Gabriel (Frank Langella) about Paige's knowledge, which he deems as a good thing. Gabriel also informs Elizabeth that her mother's health is deteriorating. Despite this, Elizabeth visits Lisa (Karen Pittman), wanting to reveal more information about Northrop. Philip, meanwhile, meets with Yousaf (Rahul Khanna), who tells him that the meeting between the CIA and the Mujahideen is for the United States to sell Stinger missiles. He also asks Gabriel to get Elizabeth to visit her mother. When he declines, Philip gets annoyed that the Center cannot help them when they need them.
At the Soviet facility, Nina (Annet Mahendru) spends more time with Anton Baklanov (Michael Aronov), now mostly talking in English, raising his interest. Anton eventually opens up about his family, revealing that he misses his son, who is not aware of his current status. Nina finds letters that Anton wrote for his son; she reveals reading them, but promises not to say anything.
As Taffet (Jefferson Mays) wants to talk with her again, Martha (Alison Wright) breaks down during Philip's visit. Philip then teaches her methods in how to lie convincingly. During the interview, Taffet is convinced by her statement. At the hotel, Elizabeth seduces Neil (Bill Heck), the owner, and has sex with him so he can show her his office. While Hans (Peter Mark Kendall) distracts Neil, Elizabeth uses the computer to find the meeting room and get a key. She returns home, where she has sex with Philip. The following morning, as Philip explains that he will make sure to get Elizabeth to visit her mother, they are interrupted by Paige. They reveal their conversation. When Paige asks Elizabeth if she will visit her mother, Elizabeth replies, "No, I can't." This prompts Paige to leave the bedroom.
Production
Development
In March 2015, FX confirmed that the eleventh episode of the season would be titled "One Day in the Life of Anton Baklanov", and that it would be written by co-executive producer Stephen Schiff and story editor Tracey Scott Wilson, and directed by Andrew Bernstein. This was Schiff's fourth writing credit, Wilson's third writing credit, and Bernstein's second directing credit.[1]