Claudia quotes from The Americans

Claudia

I ran an agent in West Germany. He was a loner—one of these oddballs who never really learned to make a friend. So, I became his friend. Many years later, I was leaving and we didn't really need him anymore. I explained it all to him. And he thanked me for the chance to work together. He killed himself shortly thereafter. We didn't need him anymore, but he needed us.

Claudia

[to Patterson] You won't be able to move for 20 minutes... which is 10 minutes longer than you have left. Viktor Zhukov was my friend. We met in Stalingrad in 1942. He was ragged, skin and bones, same as we all were. First time I saw him, He was standing over two dead Nazis. I was surprised, after the war, that he'd survived. We found ourselves working together in what was then called the NKGB.

Claudia

Elizabeth. I know there's bad blood between us. But believe it or not, I feel a camaraderie with you.

Elizabeth Jennings

A camaraderie?

Claudia

Yes.

Elizabeth Jennings

You have a funny way of showing that.

Claudia

This isn't an easy life we've chosen. But there's no way to get through it without the truth.

Elizabeth Jennings

What "truth" exactly are we talking about?

Claudia

In New York, Philip was with the woman we assigned him to.

Elizabeth Jennings

I can think of five different reasons you'd poison our life.

Claudia

Ask Philip, then.

Elizabeth Jennings

I did.

Claudia

You believe him? If you start to think of your marriage as real, it doesn't work. The men don't think of them that way.

Claudia

I had to fill out an "officer in the field" special-request assessment form. It has 27 sections.

Elizabeth Jennings

Well, I guess your job can be dangerous, too.

Claudia

My point was, you've been in the field too long. You've lost touch with both your basic obligations and the central rules and regulations that make this organization function. It's happened before with officers in your position, and it can be remedied.

Elizabeth Jennings

I'm sure they'll send someone else to remedy it.

Claudia

Don't be sure. I've been serving faithfully much longer than you, my dear. I told them they're in danger of losing you. And whether you see it or not, I'm right.

Elizabeth Jennings

I'm surprised they gave you this job, when you have no understanding of people at all.

Claudia

I know you better than you know yourself. And you don't know me at all.

Besides, if you're wrong, we'd be giving up the greatest intelligence success since we got the atom bomb.

Claudia

That's what we always say. Right before our people die for nothing. The next thing we always say is "it was so obvious."