Is this show giving us hints about Elizabeth?

I hadn't thought of that, but it's an interesting idea. I was just sitting here thinking about the possibility of Philip or Elizabeth dying in the end because of some scenario where they throw themselves in harm's way to save Paige. Or each other.

Well. we don't know yet how things will actually end up for her and Phillip. We just know it won't likely end well..We know things are probably going to catch up with them in one way or another. There's that.

It seems to me that Elizabeth is depressed and frustrated so thus the chain smoking in the dark, but it's not about what she must do but more about the fact that the things she must do aren't working..
Several comments she has made along the way signifies that Elizabeth herself doesn't think that she'll make it out of this one alive..and whether that's the fact that she's gotten desperate and especially ruthless and reckless towards a mission that she feels may be the most imperative mission in the Soviet struggle and she'll do whatever it takes...or if it feels even more dangerous in trying to go mostly solo.
She, herself, is not expecting to make it.

If Elizabeth does not die a violent death than there are other possible outcomes that she might think are even worse..
One would be if her daughter were sacrificed because of her blind devotion..that would be tragic and ironic; another would be her being put in a position where she would be asked to sacrifice or kill Phillip (choosing between him and country..who'd you think would win?)...or if something she did would somehow deem her a traitor to Russia. I can't imagine Elizabeth doing any such thing but it's possible she could be put in a position that it were either that or her daughter...or that could happen even through just the general trick baggery of government agents.

I suppose they could give her some lingering wasting away illness...but I doubt that would be the whole of it..It would come entangled in some other ramifications like wasting away in Prison or alone in the Soviet estranged from her family.

> I think the hints point to Elizabeth having a fatal illness like the woman in the wheelchair.

I don't think so, even if for no other reason than that this would be a bad outcome for them that isn't a consequence of the main situation, character traits, goals, actions, et cetera.

OK, smoking causes cancer, so in that way it would be a consequence of her actions, but still ... Dramatically, it would be about as powerful as this scenario -- Elizabeth is constantly overworked, going with insufficient sleep; as a result, while driving one day she falls asleep at the wheel and has a fatal crash. No. If she's gonna die, it needs to be somehow a consequence of her KGB work.

I'd also add that the smoking causes cancer idea is a bit too cliched and obvious for my tastes, and I imagine it would also be for many other viewers. Sorta like a situation in a different TV series a few years ago where a pregnant woman had a miscarriage, and of course it was because she fell, and I said (on the old IMDB boards) that it was an example of TV cliche 34B; whenever a pregnant woman miscarries it's always because of a fall, and whenever a pregnant woman falls it always causes a miscarriage. If Liz gets the big C my reaction would be, "couldn't the writers think of anything better than that?"

To me, the signs point to Paige and/or Henry dying. Henry because, let's face it, since Keidrich Sellati hit puberty the writers haven't had the slightest idea what to do with Henry; and also he'd be the ideal innocent victim. But if anyone's gonna die, I think Paige is far more likely because of her own overeagerness and bad judgment. She's already demonstrated those things multiple times this season: (a) her inability to handle the horny guard who took her ID; (b) leaving her position and rushing in when Liz shot the general; (c) pursuing the intern for intel even after Liz told her she wasn't ready for that; (d) kicking the frat boys' asses in the bar fight.

I think it might be more likely that Philip and Elizabeth end up enemies and he kills her

dont know, but I wish Phillip would throw her down the stairs already.

The show is definitely giving us a person that is likeable in contrast to a person that is detestable.

The problem is, is it tied to her Soviet ideology, or simply that she is driven so completely by AN ideology.
Using her daughter as a soldier, doesn't even know her son. She's an army ant.

Stan's stupid isnt-reagan-wonderful-and-the-world-hateful thanksgiving blessing gave a nod to the obnoxiousness on the US side.

this is such a great series. the 'mericans, better call saul & vikings are my favorites.