For every FX show, there is almost always one “sex episode” per season. Whether it’s bikers and porn stars in Sons of Anarchy or Frank and prostitutes in It’s Always Sunny, FX will find an opportunity for some sexually charged moments. Where HBO often does it because they can, FX has a way of appropriating the elements for which people buy cable. Think about it. If The Americans didn’t have episodes like this, it would probably be network-friendly.

Last week, Elizabeth got a glimpse into the man Phillip is for Martha. Aroused and curious, Elizabeth decides to ask for some “wild Clark” in the bedroom. The thought of Phillip’s sex life with Martha has always been more humorous than anything. Phillip is doing what he has to. He doesn’t like it. He may even be thinking about Elizabeth the whole time. Either way, anger seems to cause that false passion rather than lust. Elizabeth pushes him too far and the result is a harrowing moment for the couple. Their marriage is the best it’s been, so why was this necessary? I point you to the prior paragraph, but there is a new conflict at play here. Now that they’re viewing one another as loving spouses, the affairs their job necessitates can provide friction against their relationship. It’s Underwood family stuff, with a moral compass.

Also learning lessons in sex and work is Lucia, a young agent we met briefly a few weeks ago. She’s courting a young aide to a Congressman. Carl is a bit of an idiot. He does cocaine at the office, for starters. Lucia doesn’t mind him and the access he provides to the Congressman’s office, but Elizabeth has to teach her how to eliminate a target she’s slept with. Lucia, despite all her confidence, is easily affected by all this. The moment is bleak, but entirely effective.

The main plot of this week’s episode is centered on the revenge plot against Emmett and Leanne’s murders. Lerrick is an interesting villain in the world of The Americans. He’s the first one to see through the Jennings’ bullshit. He’s more agile than past foes. Honestly, this is a pleasant surprise for The Americans. Other than Beeman (sort of), the Jennings don’t have any individual enemies, only entities. Entities can feel intimidating, but a face can make all the difference. Lerrick’s involvement with the murders remains to be seen, but the Jennings soon discover they will need him.

Lerrick has brought new information to the Centre. Americans are training Nicaraguan Contra on U.S. soil. Phillip and Elizabeth have been assigned to kill the field officers and expose the camps. The American public is meant to see what its government is doing, and Phillip and Elizabeth provide some clear opposition to this move. To them, our government betrays the beauty of the world when they get involved. The thought is hard to swallow, as we know the issues of our own past.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Beeman and Oleg is simmering out quickly. Nina has quickly lost her trust in Stan. Having these two so distanced from one another so easily raises some eyebrows. Oleg’s motives don’t appear clear, but at a point like episode six I don’t mind a lack of clarity. Stan’s hand is forced, though. He’s acting emotionally and everything suffers from it. Not only did he lose Nina’s trust, but he doesn’t even care that John Belushi died! (He would have been 65 this Saturday.) In “Behind the Red Door,” Stan’s luck is turning away. Agent Gad is completely out of the picture, although there still hasn’t been an episode without him. The FBI is slipping away. The world around Stan is changing and it scares him, if only a little.

The main reveal in the closing minutes tonight educated audiences on Claudia’s fragile state. Margo Martindale was always a towering presence in Season 1, so the quivering subject we have before us in Season 2 feels slightly foreign. Yet her reveal tells all. Martindale’s investment in being Will Arnett’s mother is writing itself out rather well. The Jennings will have some tough choices to make with their greatest love/hate relationship.

Paige quit volleyball this week, too. No one had a perfect day.