It's 1987, and as Elizabeth had told Philip, she's handling the spy job alone, under Claudia. Claudia sends her to meet General Kovtun (Michael Khmurov) in Mexico, where the general tells her about an operation to unseat Mikhail Gorbachev, as well as a nuclear Doomsday Device the Soviet military is building. Elizabeth is also working undercover as a nurse for Erica Haskard (Miriam Shor), the bedridden artist wife of Glenn (Scott Cohen), one of the negotiators at the U.S.-Soviet arms summit meeting
. Paige, though she's a student at George Washington University, helps Elizabeth with surveillance on the negotiators. When a security officer chats Paige up and takes her (fake) ID, Elizabeth assures her it's fine, but ends up killing the officer anyway.
Philip, meanwhile, is looking and feeling better than he has in years, as he's concentrating on running the travel agency and going to visit Henry at St. Edward's, where he's a hockey star. Oleg, likewise, is working for his father at the Ministry of Transportation, and is married with an infant son. However, Oleg and Philip are brought together when Arkady, who's now the head of Directorate S, approaches Oleg and asks him to work against those who are plotting against Gorbachev. Oleg is reluctant at first, but eventually agrees, and goes back to Washington D.C., where he arranges a meeting with Philip, and asks him to spy on Elizabeth to find out what the anti-Gorbachev people are up to. After Elizabeth comes back from killing the security officer, Philip tries to tell her about what Oleg has asked him to do, but Elizabeth is in no mood to hear it.
Elsewhere, Stan and Renee are married - Aderholt is also married with a baby son - and is no longer working in counter-intelligence at the FBI.
This episode contains examples of:
- 10-Minute Retirement: Oleg and Philip, for a couple of years now, and sure enough, they get dragged back into spying. Stan will also get dragged back in upcoming episodes.
- The Bus Came Back: Arkady is back to get Oleg to work for him again.
- Call-Back: Oleg's wife Elina (Lyanka Gryu) is one of the women his father tried to set him up with before.
- Philip goes line-dancing with his colleagues, and we know from when he took Paige to the mall how much he loved dancing to country music.
- Chick Magnet: Henry apparently has become one, if the group of girls cheering him on at the game is any indication.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Elizabeth had smoked in previous seasons, but given the workload she's taken on this season, she's smoking a lot now, to show how burnt out she is.
- Cyanide Pill: General Kovtun gives Elizabeth one of these, telling her she can't be taken alive, which shakes her up somewhat.
- Dead Drop: Oleg and Philip signal each other using this.
- Foreshadowing: The summit, Glenn and Erica Haskard, and the plot against Gorbachev all play out for the rest of the season.
- Historical Domain Character: In addition to Gorbachev and the Washington Summit, at dinner, Paige argues with Stan about Robert Bork's (ultimately unsuccessful) nomination to the Supreme Court, and Stan and Philip talk about Wayne Gretzky.
- Instant Death Stab: Elizabeth stabs the security officer in the neck, immediately killing him.
- Like Father, Like Son: A Gender Flipped version, in that Paige is trying to follow in Elizabeth's footsteps by becoming a spy.
- Montage: There's one at the beginning showing what's happened to all of the major characters since the Time Skip (set to Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over").
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Margo Martindale (billed as "with Margo Martindale") as Claudia.
- Rousing Speech: Philip gives this to his staff at the travel agency, clearly inspired by his time with EST.
- Shout-Out: When Philip is driving by a movie theater at the beginning, we see posters for Less Than Zero, The Pick-Up Artist, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, and Wall Street.
- Claudia shows Elizabeth and Paige Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, one of only four Russian films to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- Peter Gabriel's "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" plays during Elizabeth's meeting with General Kovtun, as well as Elizabeth's flight back.
- Talking Heads' "Listening Wind" plays during the scene where we see Elizabeth in disguise as Erica's nurse.
- Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman" plays during the scene where Philip spots the signal Oleg has left for him.
- Spy Speak: Oleg and Philip's meeting starts out with this:Philip: I always like D.C. this time of year.
Oleg: I prefer it when the cherry blossoms are out. - Time Skip: The season starts out three years after the end of Season 5: Paige is already in college and aiding Elizabeth, while Henry got to enrole in St. Edwards. Meanwhile, Phillip quit his espionage activities and devoted himself to the travel agency.
- Title Drop: As General Kovtun explains to Elizabeth, "Dead Hand" is the name of the Doomsday Device the anti-Gorbachev faction wants to hold on to.
