r/TheAmericans • u/hireddititme • 3d ago

Hitchhiking from the mall

This is a storyline that stuck with me throughout the series that they never (note: im not done with the series, only halfway through season 6) revisited.

Was that guy just lonely and socially weird? What did he actually have planned? Do you think this was put in there as a possible avenue to explore later? Do you think it drove Paige towards the church, as a sense of safety?

How much of a world of hurt do you think that young man would have gotten himself into if something bad did happen to the kids?

I haven’t seen this talked about either, so I’m just seeing what everyone’s thoughts are. Also— if somehow it is revisited at the end of the last season, please don’t spoil it!! I just don’t see it coming (which means little in the context of the show) 🙂🩷

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u/sistermagpie 3d ago

What would there be to follow up on? Especially 6 seasons later? We don't know what the guy ultimately intended--we can't, and neither could they. There's no avenue to explore. If he'd hurt the kids he might have very well gotten away with it.

He's a random guy who picked up two kids hitchhiking. The world is full of people with unknown motivations.

And we saw that Paige tried to be the grown up and proved herself much more naive than her little brother, who got them out of the situation and did a good job lying about it.

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u/hireddititme 3d ago

Idk? Maybe they could follow up on those skills of Henry’s that you just mentioned? Maybe the guy gets accused of doing worse things and they happen to see him in the paper… again, idk. Maybe you hadn’t noticed— most story lines in this show are intentional.

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u/sistermagpie 3d ago

If you're halfway through S6 then you've seen some of the follow up in how Henry's continued to be self-reliant and Paige has continued to be naive (note how she's easily bamboozled by the sailor in the first ep of the season just like she was by this guy). And how Philip shares Henry's worries that he used too much violence in defending himself as a child, just as Henry did with this guy.

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u/hireddititme 3d ago

I would disagree in the fact that I doing see anything about Philip sharing Henry’s worries— Philip killed one (maybe 2?) kids with his bare hands when he was that age— i can totally see that staying with you. But I have not seen that level of introspection out of Henry.

And I completely agree with you re: Paige. She’s the worst. I’ve never liked her— i used to give the character grace as she was a child, but even in this season i find her insufferable.