A thread for The Americans on FX

I don't think Elizabeth and Phillip know who killed their friends?

The "next time on the Americans" clip after the episode ended alluded that figuring out who killed them will be a plot line moving forward, with Claudia figuring into it.

http://images.zap2it.com/assets/p9978323_b_h3_ab/the-millers.jpg

So the American mom on this CBS show is a Russian agent on FX. Hm.

I just think it's cool that's there's no conflict there. She's a plausible link between the two shows. Oh wait, the FX show takes place 30 years ago.

after what she saw, I'm surprised she came downstairs to breakfast this morning!

I struggled to see the point of this show for the 5-6 episodes, but it got a lot, lot better -- it has this nice combination of comfort food predicatability and playful "holy shit" moments.

If one thing drags it down, it's the contrivance of the original "FBI guy next door" storyline - like it's trying to shortcut into a Hank/Walter relationship without actually doing the groundwork. That FBI actor is pretty great, though - I hope they give him more to do than mope and randomly spaz out

How many layers deep is Nina? Double or Triple agent?

It's hard to say bc I don't think she was initially a spy per se, just an office worker. The term might be "re-doubled agent"?

Right, but is she just playing the FBI to the benefit of the Russians, or is she playing the FBI to play the Russians to help the FBI?

It seems like the former, haven't seen any indication of the latter. Maybe she can be turned again, though? Wouldn't put it past them.

I hope they do something interesting with her, rather than just serve her back and forth between the two sides (then kill her off In the finale)

If one thing drags it down, it's the contrivance of the original "FBI guy next door" storyline - like it's trying to shortcut into a Hank/Walter relationship without actually doing the groundwork.

This irks me a bit as well.

Right, it seemed part of the plan at first, then halfway through the season you're like "ok, I guess it is just a massive coincidence"

Incidentally, the actress playing Martha is totally nailing whatever the hell Martha is - can't wait till she finds out

Excellent casting for her. Perfect level of attractiveness for the character.

I imdb'ed Stan's wife because she looked familiar. She's in four different shows at the same time (well, three now because I presume her run on Nashville is over).

I wasn't completely on board until the Reagan assassination attempt episode in the first season.

By the way, is anyone else who grew up during the show's timeframe finding world current events kind of nerve-wracking?

By the way, is anyone else who grew up during the show's timeframe finding world current events kind of nerve-wracking?

could you clarify? Not sure what you mean here.

Russia invading Ukraine?

Nina went from spying on the soviets to spying on the FBI when she realized that stan killed vlad.

Re: growing up in the timeline, I've been looking forward to if/how they incorporate this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83

V good acting across the board this episode. Particularly impressed with Paige.

ha my dad was involved w Able Archer

For those here who remember the early 80s does the period detail hold up? Noticed a time-traveling 90s or 00s-era Pepsi machine in the background of one scene last week lol

I didn't notice the Pepsi machine. I saw a post-81 car in one scene, but I can forgive.

I liked the subtle digital young-ifying of the two of them in the 1966-67 sequences. Also Philip's hair in the early '70s bit.

Oh, and clearly someone is a Peter Gabriel fan - that was the second episode to use one of his songs for the big dramatic montage.

Really impressed by the steady quality of this show. Season 1 ruled, and Season 2 has been fucking great so far.

s2 has been awesome so far. Very confident. Love the scoring in particular.

Walked past a used bookstore and noticed that showrunner Weisberg wrote a spy novel at some point. Anyone read it?

http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Spy-Novel-Joseph-Weisberg/dp/B005Q62MV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394769087&sr=1-1&keywords=ordinary+spy

I liked the subtle digital young-ifying of the two of them in the 1966-67 sequences.

So subtle I didn't even notice!

This season has been so much more noirish and gritty than the last, it is that excellent right now I almost expect Orson Welles to show up at some point. They seem exhausted, decadent and since the murder of the other family completely losing their bearings as a faux family but completely on track as agents. Fantastic television.

It's much better than Justified this go round, yes.

Haven't seen this week's yet but the first 5 were excellent.

between the *spoilers* fractured roleplay sex and the young woman breaking down over committing her first murder, last nights episode really got to me. harrowing stuff.

also I normally really couldn't give a shit about this sort of thing at all, but it's pretty adorable that Rhys and Russell are apparently an irl item now. d'awwww

Oh are they? cuet.

Although I wonder if that particular scene last night happened before or after they consciously coupled.

if they're a couple then that scene was two people who are in a relationship pretending to be two people who are in a relationship pretending to be two different people in a relationship pretending that they are different people in a relationship.

The little role play thing disappointed me from the beginning. He had no interest in the role if he didn't keep the glasses on.

One of the funniest bits in this series is when he crawls up from under the covers and they show he never took them off

That had to be one of the most distressing sex scenes in TV history.

really? Seemed frustrating but not that bad, just a really frustrated miscommunication of expectations

yeah but that miscommunication led to a kind of darkness you don't really get from sex on tv

idk, I watched Oz

For me it was the way we shifted so quickly from tenderness to a sense of violation, in the context of characters we know love each other. Very dissonant.

we also saw them having really loving sex and some post-coital intimacy early on in the episode which helped the latter scene along -- we were primed for a different sort of interaction and then it went to this other place.

Also that.

Even moreso when you recall her sexual assault during her training (itself already echoed in her handling of that young sailor).

I've been feeling it's a getting a bit narratively repetitive, though the most recent episode had more of a sense of things coming together and progressing.

The scene where disguised Felicity threatens the guy in the warehouse with a crowbar was the last straw for me. But you guys seem to like it so maybe I'll try again

if "disguised Felicity" is a dealbreaker for you I suspect you won't get far.

Oh like no one else is thinking that

Sometimes you are better off just ignoring the stuff you do not like calstars, all else will be fine without folk hearing about your dislikes.

I never saw felicity