Thanks for posting. That was a great article. I obviously have no expertise, but it seemed pretty realistic to me as I was watching it. As the author pointed out, I always assumed the average "operations officer" lacked the unlimited budget or toys that James Bond has, especially those living in deep cover outside of home country. If you're in deep, the first thing that would blow your cover is some amazing tools or toys. On the disguises, we'd probably be surprised at how well a fake mustache or wig works if the target is not expecting to be spied on. Most of us day-to-day are not looking over our shoulder, and in the 80s we did not have the omni-present 4D cameras on every porch and storefront.
The thing that still blows me away is why anyone would want to leave a great life in America and return to the Soviet Union. I would assume even 15 years of propaganda would wear off after spending 20 years in another country. I guess I'm too much of a materialistic American, but I would have at best disappeared and started a clean, new life - probably relatively easy in the 80s - and at worse defected and had Uncle Sam hook me up. I thought it was cool how it was Keri Russell who wanted to leave and Matthew Rhys who wanted to stay.