As if their lives aren’t dangerous enough, Soviet spies Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) must deal with an extremely potent bioweapon on “Glanders,” the Season 4 premiere of “The Americans” on FX.
Glanders, an infectious disease typically spread from horses to humans, has been weaponized by William (Dylan Baker), a turncoat scientist in Washington, D.C.
“I’m very sorry,” KGB handler Gabriel (Frank Langella) apologizes to Philip and Elizabeth before vaccinating them against meningitis. “I tried to keep you out of it.”
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Coming into contact with glanders could prove fatal. And coming into contact with William, who’s under FBI surveillance, could get Philip and Elizabeth imprisoned for life. That’s why they turn back two times before intercepting William on his evening stroll.
While handing over a small vial encased in a box, William dismisses any hope that the spies are protected by their vaccine.
“This is to meningitis what bubonic plague is to a runny nose,” William sneers.
When they arrive home, Philip and Elizabeth are approached by their FBI neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich). He supposedly wants a private “boy talk” with Philip, who slips the vial into his coat.
Instead of a friendly chat, however, Philip is accused of being “very intimate” with Stan’s estranged spouse, Sandra (Susan Misner).
“Are you screwing my wife?” Stan yells at Philip, shoving him against a wall.
Philip vehemently denies having an affair. But his biggest worry is that Stan cracked that fragile vial. Fortunately for Philip, the bioweapon remains intact.
Philip also has a tense exchange with his second wife, FBI secretary Martha Hanson (Alison Wright).
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Zac Barnett of American Authors is seen on set for a video shoot on Oct. 26, 2014, in Dickson, Tenn. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images)
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Extras acting in the HBO series “Game of Thrones” leave the bullring on Oct. 22, 2014, as film crews began shooting part of the fifth season in the southern Spanish city of Osuna. (CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP/Getty Images)
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Indira Varma is on the set of “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19, 2014, in Seville, Spain. (Europa Press / Europa Press via Getty Images)
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Actors film “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19, 2014, in Seville, Spain. (Europa Press / Europa Press via Getty Images)
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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is on the set of “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19 in Seville, Spain. (Europa Press / Europa Press via Getty Images)
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Sylvester Stallone poses with his puppet as he takes part in the TV show “Le Grand Journal” at the Cannes Film Festival. (LOIC VENANCE / AFP/Getty Images)
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Jamie Foxx filming “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” on April 21, 2013, in New York City. (Aby Baker/Getty Images)
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Actor Andrew Garfield, center left, is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City with his stunt double William Spencer, right, and a second stunt double. (Raymond Hall/ WireImage/Getty Images)
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, rehearses a scene with his stunt double William Spencer on the “The Amazing Spiderman 2” movie set in Madison Square Park in New York.
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, his stunt double William Spencer, center, and a second stunt double are seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City. (Raymond Hall/ WireImage/Getty Images)
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Jamie Foxx filming on location for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” on April 21, 2013, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone filming “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” on location in New York City. (Aby Baker/Getty Images)
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Jamie Foxx as Electro/Max Dillon in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” on location in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, his stunt double William Spencer, center, and a second stunt double are seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City. (Raymond Hall/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Actor Paul Giamatti films a scene at the “The Amazing Spiderman 2” movie set in Madison Square Park on June 22, 2013, in New York City. (Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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Actor Andrew Garfield is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City. (Raymond Hall/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Actor Paul Giamatti is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City. (Raymond Hall/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Actor Paul Giamatti on the set of “The Amazing Spiderman 2” in New York City’s Madison Square Park. (Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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Jamie Foxx on location for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in New York City. (Bobby Bank/ WireImage/Getty Images)
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Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart play mother and daughter filming on location for “Still Alice” on March 21, 2014, at Lido Beach, N.Y. (Steve Sands/Getty Images)
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Richard Gere on the set of “Time Out Of Mind” on March 26, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImages/Getty Images)
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Jeremy Renner films an action scene in Aoasta, Italy, for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”. (Photopix/Getty Images)
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Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson film on location in Pont-Saint-Martin in Aosta, Italy, for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” (Photopix/Getty Images)
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Actors are suited up for special effects on the set of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in Aosta, Italy. (Photopix/Getty Images)
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Richard Gere and Ben Vereen on the set of “Time Out Of Mind” on March 26, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Arnold Schwarzenegger performs on the set of “Despierta America” with Joe Manganiello at Univision Headquarters in Miami. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
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Donal Logue, left, and Ben McKenzie on the set of “Gotham” on March 20, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Kevin McHale, left, Chord Overstreet, Chris Colfer and Darren Chris on the set of “Glee” at Washington Square Park on March 14, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Lea Michele and Michael Lerner on the set of “Glee” on March 16, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Louie CK on the set of “Louie” on Jan. 31, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Wil Estes and Vanessa Ray on the set of “Blue Bloods” on Jan. 31, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Skyler Gisondo and Ben Stiller on the set of “Night at the Museum 3” on Feb. 6, 2014, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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George Clooney, second from left, filming “Tomorrowland” at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias on Jan. 21, 2014, in Valencia, Spain. (Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images)
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Kevin Bacon and Sprague Grayden on the set of “The Following” on Dec. 10, 2013, in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Mark Wahlberg is seen on set filming the movie ‘Transfomers 4: Age of Extinction’ on Sunday October 27,2013 in Hong Kong,China. (TPG/Getty Images)
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Mark Wahlberg performs on the set of “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in Hong Kong on Oct. 26, 2013. (Aaron Tam/ AFP/Getty Images)
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Scarlett Johansson filming a scene for her new movie, “Lucy” on Oct. 21, 2013, in Taipei, China. (TPG/Getty Images)
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Director Clint Eastwood, right, and actor John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli on the set of “Jersey Boys” in Kearny, N.J. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
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Edie Falco, left, and Julie White on the set of “Nurse Jackie” in New York City. (Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images)
In Season 3, Martha planted a KGB listening device in the office of counterintelligence supervisor Frank Gaad (Richard Thomas). After the bug was discovered, Philip shielded Martha by framing computer specialist Gene Craft (Luke Robertson).
Now Philip breaks the news that he murdered Gene and made it appear like a suicide.
“What have you done?” Martha sobs. “What have I done? It’s my fault. I killed him!” Martha eventually calms down and thanks her husband for being honest.
“I have to know everything,” she says, “even if it’s hard.”
When Martha returns to work and nervously copies surveillance reports, she’s startled by Stan.
“I know you liked Gene a lot,” Stan says.
“I guess you never really know a person,” Martha replies, “do you?”
Back at the Jennings household, daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) struggles with the revelation that her parents are spies.
Elizabeth sugarcoats her KGB missions, claiming she wants to “make the world a safer place for everyone.” Paige is fearful and confused, however, and confides in Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin).
“If people are getting hurt, we have a responsibility,” suggests Tim, who naively asks if Paige’s parents would like to speak confidentially about their Cold War activities. Not a good idea, unless Tim wants to dramatically shorten his lifespan.
“We can’t tell anybody else,” Paige exclaims. “Ever!”
Finally, former KGB agent Nina Sergeevna Krilova (Annet Mahendru) grows closer to Jewish scientist Anton Baklanov (Michael Aronov), who was repatriated to Russia and forced to develop stealth technology. His future depends on test results for a prototype aircraft wing.
“If it fails,” Anton laments to Nina, “they’re done with me. I’ll disappear into a camp.”
To Anton’s relief, the wing is nearly invisible to radar. This means Anton and Nina will continue working together. And this means Nina suddenly has leverage.
When Soviet official Vasili Nikolaevich (Peter Von Berg) tells Nina he won’t consider a request, she counters that “it’s a demand.”
“I want to see my husband,” Nina insists. Who knew she was married?
