Philip Jennings's History
Philip Martin Jennings' marriage to Elizabeth Jennings was initially only part of their KGB cover, but they later officially marry on their own terms. Together they had two children, Paige and Henry Jennings. Philip is a former undercover KGB Directorate S agent, but later quits to assume his cover job full time at Dupont Circle Travel as a travel agent.
Much like his early marriage, Philip strikes up a friendship with Stan Beeman, his FBI neighbor, entirely as part of his job. He later forms a deep and real bond with Stan and comes to regard him as his best friend.
Gabriel remarks that Philip is one of the best KGB agents ever produced, especially because of his ability to understand and think like the Americans �?? a skill that is both useful and harmful to Philip over the years. He takes his missions seriously, although his loyalty lies more with his family and their well-being than with the Communist Manifesto. His eventual personal moral dilemmas regarding his work and a deteriorating trust in the KGB leads him to quit the spy business; Philip eventually learns, however, that a life full of American Capitalism proves to have its own flaws, as well.
At times appearing cold on the outside, Philip has an undeniable compassion for human life. He questions the morality and purpose of his work, and the large number of innocent bystanders Philip must kill in order to do his job weighs heavily on him. He sometimes prioritizes people's welfare over the success of a mission. Philip develops a deeper understanding of Americans and their culture than Elizabeth does, and is better able to predict their actions and motivations than she is.
More so than Elizabeth, Philip is able to enjoy his life in America, and seems to connect with those around him on a personal level. He likes having friends, and at one point tells William that if he did not have to do his job, he'd simply "be normal." Philip is more open to new ideas than Elizabeth; their job makes him feel guiltier than she does, but not as anxious. Of the two, Philip is the angrier, at times taking it out on his children (whereas Elizabeth's rage spills over more into her job). He is also the more affectionate with his children, often seen kissing Paige or Henry on the forehead or gently putting his hand on a shoulder. According to Elizabeth, Philip is given to ruminating excessively on his actions, replaying them over in his mind, trying to figure out what he could have done differently.
Philip sometimes finds dark humor in his work, joking with Elizabeth when a transmission cuts out that now they will never learn what refreshments were served, or whispering "that's about to change" before blowing up the car of scientists whom Elizabeth claimed felt safe. He uses humor to calm the fears of a co-worker before they fight with a defector in the Pilot, and when they later miss the hand-off, he snarks "Why is everyone in this business so punctual?" Philip reacts with sarcasm when given an impossible mission to track down an unknown assassin with multiple targets. He jokes with Henry about how awesome he is, and when Elizabeth asks what he's supposed to bring to a party, he replies "my winning personality." He plays a game with his children in the Pilot, which ends with him pushing an ice cream cone in their faces, and he and Paige are shown having a contest where they try to catch grapes in their mouths.
Philip is competitive; when Stan jokes Philip won their racquetball game only because Stan got called away to work, Philip says under his breath "I'll win any way I can." He is jealous of Elizabeth's sexual manipulation of their targets, even before their relationship becomes more than a business partnership. As their marriage grows increasingly less of a sham, Philip begins to sacrifice mission safety in order to postpone or avoid entirely sexual contact between Elizabeth and anyone else. This causes tension between them, as Elizabeth recoils from the unintended implication that she isn't able to do her job. She also reacts negatively to many of Philip's other protective urges, such as him taking a more dangerous assignment away from her, or seeking revenge on a target who beat her.
Philip is excellent at his work and believes in the cause. He is loyal and willing to do everything it takes to complete his mission. However when forced to choose between his family or his country, Philip always put his family first. He loves his wife and children deeply and seems to be more affectionate and compassionate than Elizabeth.
Philip is often listens to country music and likes country line dancing. He enjoys playing Scrabble with Gabriel, despite always losing. He likes to play both racquetball and hockey.
Philip is an expert at manipulating and seducing his targets, talented at making others believe their traitorous actions are not what he wants, but rather something they decide to do against his better judgment. Philip uses many disguises as part of his spy craft. He is a skilled actor much like his wife Elizabeth, quick to discern what those around him need or want, and becoming that. He demonstrates resourcefulness when missions result in unexpected situations. Highly competent, Philip is also critical of others - particularly handlers or other Soviet agents - when perceived by him as inexperienced or inept. Philip is highly trained at hand to hand combat and is an excellent marksman.
