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Anyone got a midge-swatter? We need one this week for The Americans Season 5 Episode 3 “The Midges” that aired March 21, 2017! It was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and directed by Stefan Schwartz.

This is Episode 77 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 78.

Two news items stand out this week! KPCC has a cool interview with the J’s and reveal that they are vowing not to put a young KGB-era Putin in the series! Then The Washington Post takes a look and finds that the insect warfare on ‘The Americans’ isn’t all that outlandish!

Then it’s time for the show! It’s just another run of the mill day in Jennings world. The Eckerts go bowling with their new besties, the Morozovs and we hear more about terrible Soviet Union. Tuan continues being a little whiner and ticks off Elizabeth. Matthew shows genuine concern for Paige, who tests her new technique to lie to him about how she is feeling and finds it effective. Oleg digs into his investigation on corruption in the Soviet food world, and is later confronted by the CIA. He hears a tape of a conversation with Stan implicating him as a traitor. Miscah makes it to a mule in Yugoslavia who takes money from him menacingly. Gabriel tells Philip and Elizabeth that there are bugs in a lab in Oklahoma City that they need to investigate. They go to Oklahoma, have cowboy sex, and then hit the lab. They meet lab supervisor Randy Chilton, whom they scare and then promptly kill. Philip wonders if they should tell Paige.

Oh, and by the way. MARTHA IN A SUPERMARKET!

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