A thread for The Americans on FX

Final episode confused me as well. It was just this huge build up to them leaving and then "omg, we have to stay!" And his son, what came of that? Nothing, right?

especially (I hope) the great Philip/Stan reckoning

This is maybe the thing I'm looking forward to most? I don't know. With this show, I feel like the writers could either go a satisfying or very unsatisfying direction.

Well, like Deadwood (for example) we know historically where it must end. So I assume it will end with Philip and/or Elizabeth disappearing, and then Philip and Stan meeting up for a beer after the fall of the wall sometime and being all, "huh, that sure was a thing, wasn't it?" The other way it can go is "The Shield," meaning a bad ending for everyone.

I admit the show has toed the line very carefully. We've seen entire families killed and lots of other tragic endings, there's no reason to think the show won't take things in that logical direction. But who knows? Most importantly I'm pretty sure they've had an ending in mind since the start and have working toward it.

And his son, what came of that? Nothing, right?

I wouldn't be surprised if that storyline recurs in S6.

I hope so! They just spent an awful amount of time on it for nothing to happen this season (same with the agricultural espionage). And next season is three years later, right?

Thinking about it later, I wonder if the writers experienced the same about-face as Philip and Elizabeth--that Season 6 initially had them returning--and then had to throw together a hasty rationale.

With the son, I assume that story will now move forward--he'll go his new school, and he may or may not be drawn into his parents' world. I found the scene where Philip changed his mind and started yelling at the son not very convincing.

No, I mean his other son!

You mean Tuan...no, you mean Mischa...They'll pick that up again, I'm sure. (A lot of time spent on that in Season 5 for very little return.)

Not sure if the irony of Elizabeth's last conversation with Tuan was intentional or not. You need a partner, presumably someone who's going to temper (comeing right after, as it does, the Pasha scheme) your ruthlessness. Elizabeth, if anything, is even more ruthless than her husband.

I have a theory that 5 is the perfect # of seasons for a modern serialized drama and that all who go past 5 end up having at least one "dip" season (or a significant amount of stuff that could have been safely excised spread across a couple of seasons) - I was hoping this would be the exception but alas

You could be onto something there. Similarly ones below 5 sometimes feel rushed - see the final season of Black Sails.

Leftovers (which I loved) felt a bit skimpy at 3 seasons as well.

Sounds plausible, although I haven't seen enough of them to compare. I thought Mad Men stayed pretty strong through seven; actually thought The Leftovers should have ended at two.

This made me laugh (from the Wikipedia summary of reaction to season 5):

...as the season progressed, it became criticized for turning "slow burn" into just "warm embers," morphing into a show about "people staring off into the distance, stirring tea, keeping their thoughts to themselves and worrying quite a lot about grain supply.

having just done a rewatch, I can imagine trimming MM down to 5 seasons without too much difficulty

Mad Men, Season 6, capsule summary: "People staring off into the distance, drinking scotch, keeping their thoughts to themselves, and worrying quite a lot about grain supply."

Did Breaking Bad have a down season? I can't remember, might have helped that it was ridiculous (in a good way) from the first episode on. The best shows (as always, like The Shield), even when they have a down season they don't lose the thread, and things set up in the first episodes continue to echo through the finale.

Hmm, I wonder if The Shield holds up years later? Just dove back into Deadwood for the first time in forever and it's still a blast, more or less.

I tried (re)watching Six Feet Under last year and realized I hated every single person on the show and gave up.

BB kept the momentum up throughout with 5 seasons, backing up the theory.

MM's sixth season was a bit rubbish.

Leftovers is an exception imo, it felt complete at 3 seasons - although there was certainly enough potential in the concept to sustain a few more.

we might want a separate thread for this tbh

I saw a play last night, and about a third of the way in, something about the lead reminded me of someone. So I look in the playbill ... and indeed, he was the guy who played Agent Gadd!

John Boy Walton!

The one and the same! He was great.

I thought Richard Thomas got better and better and better as the series progressed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8vZMlnqrB8

Ah god fucking dammit. Cant view in my country.

SHOWS U FX IM GONNA PYRAT THE SERIES ANYWAY

Go you!

Brief synopsis of trailer for u:

Philip says to (presumably) Elizabeth "It is finally getting to you, after all these years."
Paige says to Philip "I don't think I'm the same as you, dad."
Claudia says to Elizabeth: "Stan Beaman, he has to be dealt with."
Paige, in disguise, walking down what looks like a hotel hallway.
Stan to Philip "Whatever you're doing here, don't."

Looks good! We're indeed going to get the Philip-Jennings showdown.

Paige sitting with Elizabeth saying, "I don't think I'm the same as you, dad” and being in disguise—ironic if it turns out she became the loyal soldier Elizabeth hoped just as The Cause collapsed.

lol thanku paul.

I had a thought last night: what if there ends up being one of those "spy swap" scenarios and Martha gets returned!

...not that she was a spy but you know.

As far as the FBI is concerned, she was the worst kind of spy.

Didn't realize that Holly Taylor, who plays Paige, is Canadian.

a Newfie, even!

Philip and Elizabeth are going to be upset when they find out who she really is.

Like with Mad Men's final-season debut, took me about half the show to feel my way back into things, but good start. I was distracted by something on the stove during the long opening montage, so I was a little confused at times. The bed-ridden artist--is she the wife of the guy Elizabeth is running? Music seemed more prominent tonight than ever before. Could always do without Crowded House, Fleetwood Mac good of course. Jolting reminder of Elizabeth's survival instincts.

I don't know if the series will end in a Philip v. Elizabeth showdown or if there's just tension right now that will be resolved later, but it was inevitable that they'd be pitted against each other at some point. That's just good tv.

So glad Oleg is still here and serving a purpose.

Did no one besides the two of us realize this began again last night?

I didn't much like Oleg when he first appeared (season 2?)--the character seemed kind of glib and breezy, not in sync with the tone of the show--but he's one of the best now.

Totally forgot this was back on!

First episode was great. Oleg and Philip vs. Elizabeth and Claudia (and Paige?) is gonna be something.

My wife's theory is that Renee is spying on Stan for the FBI higher-ups, not for the Russians or anyone else.

I certainly didn't realize this started again! Got it lined up for tonight, stoked.

I loved chilled out 80s line-dancing inspirational-boss sports-dad Phillip vs insane stabbing motherfuckers in the neck Elizabeth. And I have no idea what Renee’s place in all this is but it’s got to be something interesting

The line-dancing was great. I rewatched the opening montage online--spotted the guy who plays Frank Underwood's hapless VP on House of Cards for a second.

I'm going to use everything at my disposal to make sure I'm understanding all the plot intricacies this season. (I didn't fuss much over that as I watched the first five on DVD.) A couple of rundowns on the first episode:

http://tv.avclub.com/the-americans-final-season-begins-with-the-realization-1824147884
http://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/28/17166094/the-americans-season-6-premiere-dead-hand-recap-philip-elizabeth

there's no way this ends well for any of them right? i'm not ready to get my heart broken by this show. ;_;

A reminder that this is on tonight. (I'm mostly reminding myself here--remembering to tune in regularly to a TV show is a challenge these days.)

This was good - intense and bleak. I wasnt at all enamoured with the Crowded House montage - I cant stand that song - but the rest of the musical cues were utter joy. Especially the way "We do what we're told" slowly edged its way into the scene, til once the "we do what we're told, told to do" chant comes in and drowns out what the general is saying - I thought that was brilliant.

I dont know how they made Elizabeth look SO EXHAUSTED, but it worked.

Glad I'm not the only person who hates that song (and them in general).

Especially the way "We do what we're told" slowly edged its way into the scene, til once the "we do what we're told, told to do" chant comes in and drowns out what the general is saying - I thought that was brilliant.

Agreed! That's one of the best uses of outside music laid over a scene I've ever seen.

I dont know how they made Elizabeth look SO EXHAUSTED, but it worked.

At the very end? Yeah. I was like, "I've seen actors play exhausted before, but Keri Russell legit looks like she's been awake for 72 hours right now."