After tiptoeing around what exactly must be done with Paige, “Born Again” forces The Americans to expedite her integration process. Nothing that Elizabeth says to her daughter on that bench at the end of the episode is explicit about the kind of work that Elizabeth and Philip do. But after being challenged by Gabriel, who doubts whether or not Elizabeth is really going to go through with bringing in Paige, Elizabeth makes the first tangible step in that direction. Not only is the scene a satisfying payoff in an episode heavily featuring Paige and both her parents trying to give her advice, but it finally alleviates some of the staleness that was beginning to build around the subject over the course of the first half of this season. Paige has remained a compelling part of the story being told in The Americans this year, but the things she believes she’s learned will…
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