Parts Unknown

Baby Talk

Alert Type: Sacred Promise Alert.

Issue: Back in 1966, Leanne had a new baby and only one friend she could trust: Elizabeth. So she's written a letter for Jared, her son, to read in the event that anything happens to Leanne and her husband, Emmett, that will let him know exactly who his parents were; she she wants Elizabeth to promise that she'll give it to him.

Complicating Factors: Leanne and Elizabeth are spies. So if Leanne were to die and leave Elizabeth to fulfill her promise, that could potentially be very bad for Elizabeth.

Resolution: Elizabeth gets the letter from Emmett and Leanne's house, and then goes to see Jared with the family that's taken him in since the murder of his family -- people he has babysat for -- so that she can assure herself that he's okay and present herself as a child advocate he can contact if he needs anything.

Spoiler: Leanne maybe should have given that letter to someone else.

From Artillery To Secret Au Pairs, The Center Has It All!

Philip and Elizabeth chat about their next assignment while putting ointment on her bullet wound scar, as you do.

Keep Watching The Skies

The Symbol: Henry's star wheel.

The Scene: Henry sent away for a cheap star chart from the back of a comic book, and can't put it together properly, so Philip does it for him.

The Meaning: Henry has big dreams, but he still needs a parent's guidance.

The Shiny

The Symbol: Paige's lip gloss.

The Scene: Elizabeth calls Paige over to tell her, very kindly and sweetly, to wipe some off because she's wearing too much: "You're so beautiful. You don't need it."

The Meaning: Elizabeth is not ready for Paige to grow up.

est!

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Baby Talk II

Maybe it was seeing Leanne enjoy motherhood so much, or maybe it's that interfering in the Vietnam conflict gives her hot pants, but one fateful day in 1967, Elizabeth tells Philip, "I'm ready." Philip's like

It's not that hot. But it's for Mother Russia or whatever, so maybe they just have to get into it by putting on some huge fur hats.

Tab!

Whether you're pulling over on the middle of a road trip for a refreshingly metallic diet soda or looking to retrieve some hidden ID badges, this "well-seasoned" Tab machine has got you covered! Reach for a Tab if you want bold soda flavour and only a slight risk of cancer that will probably be debunked in twenty years anyway!

Bus Buddies!

Having heard from her parents that they might be late home from work, Paige takes the opportunity to tell Henry to cover for her after school while she goes "to Georgetown" to "shop for jeans," and then to blow off school and get on a bus to Harrisburg so she can go see what this Aunt Helen Elizabeth spent so much time nursing is all about. And what do you know, she's not the only teenaged girl on the bus!

Facts About Bruce Dameran Stan And Gaad Have Learned

• He served in Vietnam.
• He was awarded a Purple Heart after getting a bullet in the hip.
• His pelvis was shattered.
• He spent two years at Walter Reade, which was a shithole even back then.
• Guys who spend a lot of time at that hospital become kind of institutionalized.

Facts About Gaad That Gaad Shares In A Dickish Way

• He also served in Vietnam.
• He came back with third-degree burns on both legs.
• He was in the FBI during the war but he enlisted anyway, unlike Stan.

Regrets, He's About To Have A Few

Elizabeth and Philip suit up and make their way to the facility Fred directed them to so that they can mess with the grinder and the propeller before the whole operation picks up and moves. And one overall-wearing factory employee is about to learn that curiosity does not pay.

Enhance!

Enhance!

Enhance!

Fear Factory

Oh, Derek. You must have thought you were doing the right thing by checking in with a tiny woman while she messed around in crates she clearly had no business messing around in. But then, before you knew it, she was making veiled threats and her colleague was marching you over to the propeller blades because the grinder they're actually looking for has already moved to the new location. By the time this day is over, the guy will have taken spyphone photos of the blade specs, and the lady will have taken a photo of your youngest child so that you know even if she doesn't do anything to Danny today, you had better live in constant terror of the day she decides she should.

Auntagonism

Situation: Paige has followed her hunch that there's something wrong with Elizabeth's story about being away nursing a sick Aunt Helen, so she's journeyed to Harrisburg to investigate.

What Makes It Awkward? After fully letting herself into Aunt Helen's house (and clocking a lot of family photos, including one of a younger Elizabeth holding a baby), she runs into Aunt Helen herself -- who's excited to see her, but then says she's made up "your room," and calls her Shelley. So she's not going to be much use in fact-checking Elizabeth's story.

How is order restored? Paige immediately returns to D.C., but while she's in transit, Philip gets a call from "Aunt Helen" informing him that Paige had paid her a visit. Philip icily busts Paige on lying, telling her how lucky she is to have the family that he and Elizabeth have made for her, and she seems like his fury has scared her straight...at least for now.

Stan vs. Dameran

Stan's discreet surveillance of Dameran brings him to Dameran's office, where he asks the guy's boss about him and rolls by his desk, which is weirdly empty considering that he's been there for six months. Curious, he returns to Boss to ask what the deal is -- and, having noticed Boss's patent leather dress shoes and learned about a big World Bank event that Boss will be attending that night, asks where it is. What do you know, it's at the Marquee Hotel...which happens to be right across the street from the laundromat where Dameran has been spending so many hours "doing laundry"! And Dameran called in sick today! Long story short: Stan hoofs it to the laundromat and finds Dameran on the roof with a sniper rifle, about to start picking off the World Bank executives that ruin life for ordinary people. As he rants on, he and his rifle turn, very slowly, toward Stan, ignoring Stan's orders not to move the gun, and then Dameran's fully drawn on Stan, forcing Stan to save his own life by shooting Dameran to death.

Winner: Stan and Stan's nice shooting.

A Hero's Welcome

When next we see Stan, he's with Nina, after; she says she heard about the shooting and is glad he's safe, and he humble brags that they want to give him a medal. Nina says she's heard bad shit about Americans her whole life, but that knowing Stan has changed her view, and that she's proud of him. And then he says he loves her! She doesn't say it back! She kisses him, though!

As Nina types up her latest report and looks happy at the memory of Stan's declaration, Oleg comes in with hockey tickets! She doesn't care, so he leaves her one, tells her to scalp it if she doesn't want to go, and then...explains what scalping is! If she pockets the money, he won't tell!

In her child-advocate drag, Elizabeth tells Jared about his rights, but he shocks her by saying that the day of the murder, he'd had an ear infection, and Leanne didn't want him to swim, but he did it anyway, and maybe if he hadn't gone to the pool.... He starts sobbing, and Elizabeth tells him it's not his fault, and holds him, even though it obviously makes her uncomfortable to be this close to someone else's emotional outburst!

Arkady reviews Nina's report and marvels that Stan might get a medal! He had just wanted Stan to chalk up a win that would make him feel more indebted to Nina! "Funny how these things go!" And too bad for Dameran the patsy!

Paige calls Kelli from the bus and then sneaks out to go meet her! Probably totally innocent stuff and I bet Kelli isn't from The Center at all!

Philip develops his photos of the propeller blade thing!

Henry gets frustrated trying to find Polaris with his star wheel and birthday telescope, before giving up and shoving his shitty star wheel in the trash!

And at an abandoned shipyard or something, Elizabeth sets fire to her dear, dead friend's letter and watches it burn! Good thing she wasn't Jared's godmother, I guess!!!!!