The business of spying is becoming less and less interesting on The Americans.

The personal lives of the Jennings, however, managed to have a bit of oomph on The Americans Season 5 Episode 10, as Philip and Elizabeth did something quite touching before being thrust into a situation that is quite troubling.

Is their first act as husband and wife going to be to help Paige give into her teenage angst?

Before we get into that, I'm still not following along very well with what's happening anywhere on this show.

What about you guys? Are the stories of the FBI and Oleg meant to be holding our rapt attention? 

The way I see it is we're getting days in the lives, and the cases don't have a whole lot of relevance to each other or Philip and Elizabeth. 

I'm not sure that's ever been the case before, and that's why I continue bringing it up hoping that someone might have a different perspective and be oh so kind as to enlighten me down in the ever-so-empty comment section.

If there is a tie-in that I'm missing, I would appreciate the heads up. I'm much better at reading people than attempting to be a spy.

That said, I read Claudia as lying to Elizabeth and Philip about Kansas and the wheat. Nobody stole that wheat from Russia to make a strain that will withstand the harshest of environments. 

Baloney.

If they had wheat that was anywhere in the vicinity of good, they wouldn't have the food problems they have. I know, I know. Wow, Carissa, you're so bright! You probably could be a spy!

Claudia didn't even make an attempt to hide her lie, so Philip and Elizabeth didn't make a good attempt to play along. They'll need to run Stobert and pouty-face for years. That's crazy.

Claudia seems about as happy to be in her job as Gabriel was in his, so she must be getting it from her bosses much like Philip and Elizabeth get it from her. And nobody cares. They're all just done.

So done, in fact, they're throwing caution to the wind and getting hitched for real. 

I know it's not perfect, with God and everything.

Philip

• Permalink: I know it's not perfect, with God and everything.

At least I now understand the relevance of Philip meeting Father Andre. That gives me hope for the rest of the spy business. It will all tie in eventually.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was simple, yet the intimacy and the forbidden nature of it made it more special. Elizabeth doesn't even believe in God, but at that moment, she was awestruck by the man before her and the one beside her.

She never expected that to happen to her, to fall in love and marry a man she trusted and loved and much as she does Philip, but with everything against them and through an arranged marriage, it became the most important thing in her life.

Philip places some of the magic of that happening on being in America and following the American dream. Without est, he'd never have done that. He was proving he's not a machine, they are not machines. They are far more complex than any machine either country would create.

And their dreamy state was broken when Paige arrived home from another night of babysitting with her devious plan to con her parents into killing Pastor Tim.

Paige has either been watching too many movies or has not been paying attention to her parents as closely as the rest of us.

Philip has flat out told her about the toll the business takes on him. He hasn't minced words on that account. Yet Paige approached her parents under the guise of bringing home photos of Pastor Tim's diary they could use to help find him a new job far, far away loaded with pages about her family.

She's pushing her hand into the hornet's nest trying to see if she can rile them up and not just get rid of the guy, but get rid of him permanently. 

Hey, maybe it's a test on her part to see how savage her parents are and whether they've been telling her the truth about their business. Maybe she's concerned her soul has been compromised for nothing. She wants to make sure if she's going to hell, it's for the right reasons.

Or maybe she's just an angsty teenager who has been dissed by the pastor and wants him gone.

Paige is like a roller coaster of teenage hormones. A part of really wants the guy dead if you ask me.

If that is the case, and if the newlyweds consider it (which I hope to God they do not), it would be fascinating if they decided to make it her decision. Fine. You want him gone, here's what you do.

If you're so grown up you can pronounce someone to be shark bait, then be the shark little one.

I could be completely off the mark, but the way Paige was watching Philip and Elizabeth as they read the pages with eyebrows raised in anticipation, she's hoping for more than a job in South America for her friendly neighborhood Pastor.

To have delivered that assignment so near to the moment Elizabeth had her first beautiful encounter with religion may not work in Paige's favor.

If Paige were my daughter, she'd get her first lesson about you can't always get what you want even when you have a license to kill. The job isn't that arbitrary, and life is still life, even if it's one that annoys you and drives you mad.

The way Philip and Elizabeth eyed each other over the pages gives me the inkling they will go that route.

That doesn't mean this new relationship between the two is going to be smooth sailing, though. On The Americans Season 5 Episode 11, "Dyatkovo," a surprise assignment from the Centre divides Philip and Elizabeth, forcing them into a moment of profound crisis.

Meanwhile, Stan gives Henry a tour of the FBI – but will he see too much?

That sounds kind of fun. It will be good to get Henry out of the house and into the open, don't you think? Maybe Paige will be spending the week behind her bedroom door for bad behavior. 

Whether you watch The Americans online or live, make sure you come back here and drop me a comment with your thoughts on the hour. It's so lonely lately!! 

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.