A thread for The Americans on FX

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

I don't know what Felicity is.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_txOWjhFJODM/Sw15WL_M-WI/AAAAAAAAF0M/tKLB2P7Dfdw/s1600/felicity.jpg

A long time ago, there was a show where Keri Russell followed a boy to NYU and then discovered real life.

and then discovered real life.
--Johnny Fever

and her response to real life was to shave her head. i like to remember felicity as the only tv show ever derailed by a haircut.

you should watch felicity, it is great

I think Nina's quietly become my favourite character.

I wonder if she actually likes Oleg, or if she's just kind of playing all sides now. Probably a little of both.

That's what's great about her, you have no idea of the answers to those questions and she quite possibly doesn't either.

Wednesday's episode has a story credit by Oliver North lol

I love Keri Russell

I do 2

Not as much as I love Nina Sergeevna.

she and Oleg are both great but it's a testament to how good this season is that I didn't even miss them when they sat out this week's episode

As a side note, I like how the Russians refer to each other by both their first and surnames in the subtitles. Does everyone do that in Russia?

Yeah I love Oleg and Arkady too. But in a very different way to Nina.

This has gotten awfully awfully good this season.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/16/arts/television/oliver-north-now-in-the-service-of-tvs-kgb.html

wtf, saw the credit but thought the name was just a freaky coincidence!

Good golly its Ollie ! Christ why do I remember that early 90's campaign shit, I am not even American.

Ah but your fbi neighbour doesn't know that

Excellent episode. Thought this season dragged a bit in the middle, but it really is building up excitingly now.

I'd like it if they have a new handler each season, like Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.

NINA!

Good finale, more downbeat and subtle than I expected, and setting things up nicely for next time.

yeah was nicely subdued (in a good way)

did not see the twist of the family's killer coming at all

hope this isn't the last we see of nina

I kind of hope it is, heartbreaking as it is. Seems like the end of her story.

true, I guess I'd rather not see any more of her than some bullshit 'let's get the gang back together' contrivance

terrific character and actor though