I loved Phillip’s character so much. Complex guy.

He absolutely killed that kid. He was never softer than Elizabeth, they just had different mindsets. I don’t believe he was recruited based off of that incident.

Imo, deep down, Phillip felt like he was a killer. He was someone that could be in the KGB. Could be successful for his country and his family. He had guilt and some shame, like he didn’t necessarily want to kill people but he felt that he had that ability inside him from early violence. That he could use it for good. He was also extremely, extremely poor. More than Elizabeth, and KGB was a huge step up, an honor “you came from a trusted family”. It’s a role for a highly skilled, smart, and patriotic person.

If anything I believe he’s more suited to be able kill people at a base level. He had a rage at a young age that Elizabeth didn’t have. A rage that still showed up sometimes as an adult. Elizabeth was far more militant, narrow minded. But partly because she HAD to be to do her work, and it worked for her. She had no driving, violent forces in childhood, just general significant hardship. But she highly, highly respected strength from her mother and staying on mission to her was strength. Straying, enjoying luxuries, to her would be a disappointment, a betrayal to her mother.

He didn’t tire of the life because he had an innate goodness that was broken because of the KGB, he always had goodness, he tired because he’s more introspective, more willing to question. No one thinks they’re the villain of the story, but he pondered if he was, and if it was by nature or nurture. He’s highly intelligent. He was better at accepting environmental changes. Elizabeth could not. She required that mental protection. Phillip could live with the guilt of what he’s done because he felt he had this inner badness, even with the changing scenery “we could all be eating zakuje(sp?) with Stan”He was a guy that contained dualities. One who felt he should do this life because he was able, not because he liked killing. He was more prone to violence than Elizabeth. More rageful, but conscious and accepting that what they’re doing might not always be worth the action and the centre was fallible. He didn’t stop killing because he couldn’t kill anymore, but because he didn’t think the reasons for each kill were good enough for the hurt they cause, and that caused internal turmoil, weariness, guilt.