Faking

The Americans - Season 01 Episode 09

When you shoot a bird… duck or pheasant, say… your dog, your retriever, picks it up in its mouth… its soft mouth.
Soft mouth is key… otherwise, the dog sinks his teeth into the bird’s flesh.
Anyway [Clears throat] your dog brings it to you and lays it at your feet.
But sometimes, when you shoot the bird, it’s not dead.
It’s just wounded.
Strange thing is, whether the bird is dead or just wounded, once the dog gets it in its mouth, the bird goes limp.
Like a rag… doesn’t move.
It acts like it’s dead.
Doesn’t struggle or scream.
It just… Goes limp.
Don’t you think that’s strange?
You know what I think it is?
Fear.
The bird’s scared out of its goddamn mind.
[ Chuckles ] Who wouldn’t be? I know I would.
Then again, maybe the bird is faking.
You know what I’m saying?
Maybe it wants you… talking about the bird now… to think it’s dead so when the dog drops it out of its soft mouth at its master’s feet, it can take off.
It works sometimes.
You wouldn’t think it does, but it does.
Not a lot.
Once in a blue moon.