After my recent post about the FX series “The Americans,” where a PA and writer reached—out to discuss my Landmark Forum posts, I have heard from people asking which episodes of “The Americans” features Erhard Seminars Training (EST) scenes. So I compiled a list of them, found below.
EST plays a notable role in the character development of Philip Jennings, who actually uses Werner Erhard's self-improvement seminars to (ironically) experience Authenticity and try to become centered—while at the same time being a specialized killer spy who practices deep inauthenticity: something that would probably have given Werner Erhard a breakdown. It was wild to imagine people in service of the Soviet KGB taking American self-improvement seminars while under deep cover. An interesting juxtaposition, and a credit to the writers for adding that est / Landmark angle.
So here is my list of “The Americans” episodes featuring EST or The Forum. There aren't actually that many episodes, as EST and The Forum are little side-bits which add color to each season's story arc.
1. Season 2, Episode 8: “New Car”
• This episode is the first time est is ever mentioned, almost in-passing, but I am including it anyway. Sandra reminds Stan about her est graduation.
2. Season 3, Episode 1: “EST Men”
• This episode introduces the est storyline, where Philip and Stan Beeman attend a weekend EST seminar. Stan finds the experience unappealing, while Philip (who really only went to keep tabs on Stan, or maybe be his buddy — who knows?) ends up starting to explore its concepts.
3. Season 3, Episode 4: “Dimebag”
• This episode continues the EST storyline, where Philip and Stan Beeman attend another weekend EST seminar. Stan gets called-on to share. It doesn't go well and Stan says EST is all "bullsh*t", and he gets applause for it. On an unrelated note, Philip really pulls a perfect 80s "David Koresh" look (or maybe Mitch Hedberg) as a disguise for one of his ongoing Ops.
4. Season 4, Episode 1: “Glanders”
• Phillip is in an EST (or Landmark Forum, it's unclear) seminar, going through an exercise on how he felt guilty or at effect of how he handled a situation with kid bully (in Soviet Russia, but Phillip leaves that out). It's a brief scene, but reminds the audience Phillip is continuing to attend EST (with Stan Beeman's wife, no less).
5. Season 4, Episode 8: “The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears”
• Elizabeth Jennings attends an EST session, reflecting the program’s influence on the characters’ introspection and personal conflicts. They later talk about est and have a fight when Elizabeth calls "getting it" bullsh*t. Their fight isn't really about EST so much as it is about their lives as spies, and the toll it's taking.
6. Season 4, Episode 13: “Persona Non Grata”
• Philip participates in an EST meeting, where he expresses his dissatisfaction with his covert life, highlighting his internal struggles. This may be the last-appearance of est in the series, as we're heading into the mid-80s now and any future seminar appearances will not show any "est" branding.
7. Season 5, Episode 5: “Lotus 1-2-3"
• Philip attends a Forum seminar session about how Story affects how we experience (or don't experience) love. Philiip seems to be thinking about his Russian son.
8. Season 5, Episode 10: “Darkroom"
• A montage scene with Philip jogging is juxtaposed to a recent Landmark Forum meeting he attended (by this time, the "est" aspects seem to be gone — and the overall look is that of "The Forum" which would about match the time period of Season 5).
9. Season 6, Episode 6: "Rififi"
• Philip asks Elizabeth about a sudden urgent mission she's taking, and when he tries to ask her what's going on — and they should talk, and not let things "fester". Elizabeth responds with "Why don't you take your Forum bullsh*t** and shove it up your ass". The first official acknowledgement we're in the mid-80s "The Forum", and further confirmation Elizabeth just doesn't share Philip's est / Forum learnings. Elizabeth later asks Philip for help, without trying to ask, and he heads out to save her mission. As far as I know this is the last appearance or mention of The Forum.
10. Season 6, Episode 10: "Start"
• In the series finale episode, Stan finally Philip, Elizabeth, and Paige (Henry isn't present, and still had never known his parents were spied). In the powerful scene, Philip tell Stan, "I wish you had stayed with me in EST. Then maybe you would know what to do right now." Stan makes a decision to not arrest or shoot Philip or Elizabeth. He lets the Jennings family flee, and before they do Philip tells him that Stan's second wife Renee—may also be a Russian operative.
As a side note this episode (a two-parter) triggers is a MAJOR plot arc going into episode 7, where Stan Beeman's suspicions of Philip and Elizabeth finally accelerate to a fever-pitch. Stan confronts Philip to ask "what's going on", and Stan sees through Philip's obvious story. He begins focusing on the Jennings family, working Henry for information and data points, without Henry realizing it. So episodes 6 & 7 set Stan on a sad collision-course with Philip and Elizabeth in the finale, just 3 episodes later.
All in all, I can't emphasize how great this show was. It could've left out any of the EST or Forum material, and it would have still been every bit the amazing show it was; but that stuff just added extra color to such interesting story arcs. The Americans was a 10/10 for me—well-worth binging all 6 seasons, IMHO. And ignore people who say Season 5 is a quiet boring season — it's got a lot of cool stuff, too. One of the best series I ever watched, self-help siliness, or no.
