47. The Americans 3x5, ”Salang Pass,” with Mike Rensink

For The Americans Season 3 Episode 5, “Salang Pass,” your hosts John and Danielle are joined by faithful Listener Mike, author of the much-beloved and incredibly useful Dossier excel sheet. Together, these three tackle the myriad and complicated questions of children that animate this episode, from Martha’s adoption-obsession, to Philip’s moral quandary over Kimmy and the questionable parallels to Paige, and the rising tensions between Philip and Elizabeth on that matter. Both John and Mike plead the fifth as Danielle questions reality in the Dossier, with Mike adding his own questions about Zinaida to the mix. Your hosts have a blast unremembering the 80s in Borrowed Nostalgia, highlighting the nostalgic snacks, Oleg’s fashion sense, and Kimmy’s stellar music taste. In the Cave, Danielle offers a rendition of Rousseau’s Emile to think about the conditioning of children alongside the episode’s main themes. Mike also dazzles with his deep production and historical knowledge of all things Americans - enjoy!

Music by Lesfm from Pixabay