A thread for The Americans on FX

Yeah, that hit him very hard. I've just no clue what consequences it will have. I'm guessing the inevitable (right?) meeting with Mischa will shake things up even more.

Are we to understand that ultimately Gabriel/The center botched this up, giving Philip and Elizabeth a completely wrong lead in pursuing these plant people? Or is "no I'm trying to SAVE the world from famine"-dude just oblivous to the fact that his research will be mis-used by higher powers? Is this story line dead now?

In Phillip's flashback of post-war misery this week, it looked like they were eating kiln baked lumps of dung, surely the cats have already been skinned and cannibalism will be the next stage!

:D Yeah that was a bit on the nose.

Or is "no I'm trying to SAVE the world from famine"-dude just oblivous to the fact that his research will be mis-used by higher powers? Is this story line dead now?

Nah, there's no way they're going to double back on that plot switcheroo. The whole point is to emphasize that Russia's problems with providing for its people are of its own making.

The whole point was to make Philip and Elizabeth realise they snapped a guy's spine on the basis of, at best, a misconception and at worst an outright lie. Very difficult to see Philip accepting whatever mission they're given next. Soviet agricultural policy is probably secondary to the drama here.

Couldn't work out whether the post-coital chat about Lotus Notes was meant to be funny or if they're going somewhere with that character being very emotionally distanced.

I def thought the latter tbh

This season spends so much time just simmering instead of boiling that it's hard to really talk about specific moments, but this was probably the most emotionally pulling one so far. Elizabeth at Young Hee's old house. Philip learning about his father. Paige meeting Gabriel (!!).

Yeah, you nailed it. I saw it yesterday and while it doesn't any immediate 'action' talking points, again I really enjoyed it. Gabriel's such a strong character, the acting is so good. Though Paige meeting him was done equally well on both parts. Elisabeth's eye-roll after seeing the shrink made me laugh, but she did use the session to talk about something that actually happened to her. I wonder if she'll get more out of it personally, like Philip with EST.

I have no idea whatsoever how Oleg's story will unfold, in what direction, if at all.

yeah gabriel has been brilliantly portrayed throughout, that scene by the memorial was very powerful.

the themes are all subtly building, i think it's a p strong season, especially given how quiet it is compared to some of the more rollercoaster violent eps.

The look of grandfatherly affection on Gabriel's face when he met Paige was brilliantly done.

This show is so good at dropping massive moments in when you aren't expecting it - showing Martha in the supermarket, Nina's execution, and now this.

Another Henry and Stan scene this week as well, that's definitely going somewhere.

Oleg and Martha have to bump into each other at some point I'm guessing? Either that or Oleg and Gabriel later on. There's no evidence that he knows anything about Philip and Elizabeth but those stories are going to have to move closer together at some point even if they never share screen time.

And Mischa getting turned around again has to pay off in some way as well, surely?

Glad to see Character Actor Margo Martindale again, albeit briefly.

Yeah, this was def the best episode in the season.

You disappoint me, ilx. No 'woah', no 'omg', I can see that... but no thread revive at all?! Am I watching this show alone? Surely fucking not!?

Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel. Paige and Gabriel interacting and meeting was radiant. Gabriel leaving (if he indeed is) makes me sad. It just doesn't feel right. And there is a whole lot going on with Oleg's mum, for sure.

(Crazy side note: Could Gabriel actually be Philips father? Surely not, but.. It's father and son dynamics to the extreme)

This fucking show is so, so great. Don't leave me hanging here ilx.

right there with you!

Gabriel's little coquettish smile when Paige asked him whether he was a spy. Oh la la.

Great episode, but I only finished it last night right before bed and, thus, didn't immediately log on to ilx to gush.

It's been a very solid season, but nothing approaching the peaks of s4 - yet.

Yeah that was a moment, oh la la :D

xxxp

honestly I think this season is seriously overdoing the slow boil. most recent episode was a whole lotta eh in my book.

I agree. Tension is definitely building towards something, but I'm going to need a few payoffs before the end of the season.

I've only seen 4 episodes of the current season, and so far it's a familiar nothing burger.

I'm finally caught up, and this season has been really toeing the line between slow burn and no burn. Things are finally happening, though, but I'm still not sure just what. So many people are in play. They're really dragging out Philips' mix of self-righteousness and self-loathing, but he's had more than enough indication of general Russian assholery that it seems far-fetched he'd keep bouncing back. Like the guy he killed in the lab? He's killed plenty of innocent people, most notably (iirc) the random guy on the bus he killed and left there a few seasons back. Why would this one churn his gut? Anyway, he seems so often of the verge of collapse, and then he keeps bouncing back. Interesting that this is the first season where his handlers acknowledged his erratic behavior.

My guess is since this show is so good at keeping characters in play, at some point sooner rather than later he'll be contacted or contact his other son, and things will really fall apart. Or worse, he'll learn that his Russian son has been imprisoned or killed. And I wonder how Gabriel really feels to be back in the ill-lit and poorly tended USSR after all those years in the US? Or Oleg, for that matter - does he feel like he made a mistake coming back? He seems doomed, but I can't believe the show would get rid of such a strong character, one whose choices and challenges seem much more difficult or at least more complicated than those of the leads right now. Also, are they going to lazily write Henry off the show, or do they have plans? All the stuff in this season about sons and surrogate sons (and fathers) seems to be coming to a head.

Watched the last two episodes last night. It is a slowwww burn alright. For the first time I get the feeling not even the writers know what to do with all these people? We've not seen Stan's gf (spy or not?) for more than two episodes now. Same goes for pastor Tim who was a huge part of Paige's life, but now? No idea (probably not but they've not shown a growing distance between them). Oleg indeed seems toast but even his story - despite his mum's camp past - is not really going anywhere yet; though that might change if Stan (finally, because I think he will cave) give the nod to use Oleg.

Don't think I could forgive the writers for just letting Henry off the hook not knowing anything about his true parents profession. But then this show has so much credit, I feel all will be thrilling and great. But it def needs to step up now.

the ill-lit and poorly tended USSR

Otm. They're hitting this one a bit too much on the head tbh. Yeah yeah, Russia is bleak, we get it. But changing the colors to a watery, lifeless blue/green every time we're back in the USSR is a bit much imo.

Getting Henry out of the way is probably a sensible decision at this stage.

Intrigued by the decision to bring back Martha properly at this point - like I don't know where the Russian stuff is going at all at this moment. Also we spent several episodes watching Philip's son getting to the USA and he's just been quietly sent packing.

I'm still invested in all these characters and the resolution (or not) of all these threads, but jeez...I'm less enthusiastic this year. Two final seasons may have been one too many.

i'm still interested but each ep in this season is incredibly boring this time. like it's v clear when some shows have enough plot to just keep going, but this season, signposted last season, shows a real dead end. nothing happens anymore besides character relations, which used to be great but now it's like both parents have drifted past "disturbed at repeatedly murdering innocents" into "who cares"

it would be fair to say they have lost their way a bit this season. I could still imagine it getting good again, but ffs - they are taking their time about it. When it goes off track it starts feeling like bad soap opera rather then the ace series it was

I'm a couple weeks behind - interestingly it seems like (to a much lesser degree) it's pulling a bit of a Justified, taking a quality hit in the penultimate season while setting up what I can only assume will be a corker of a final season

Except "Justified" was never boring.

Anyway, I do think they are setting things up, but I've been disappointed how little things have happened this season, a la the silly super-plant subplot. But then, maybe things are happening and they haven't told us what's happening, the same way they reintroduced the totally forgotten Henry as this silent genius while we have been focused on woe-is-me Paige. Even Philip and Elizabeth were all, who knew? Either way, the Russia stuff is the only thing catching my attention this season. Oleg is obviously key to ... something. Will he defect? Will be be executed? Will he work with the FBI because the KGB leaves him no choice? Will his parents save him? Rat him out? Will Stan exploit him, or maybe reach out somehow? Lots of things at play there.

Anyone else think it was funny that Twan had a Tron poster?

Tuan?

it's almost feeling like the last season of GOT, too many story threads and no clear goal.

i'm hoping henry's math nous will end in him being interested in CIA work causing a big schism.

Hadn't been posting because I've basically been a week or two behind throughout this season! Yeah, this season has not lived up to the POW opener, though they did say beforehand it'd be quieter and slower. I'm still gripped every week because of the acting and the writing and some of the chronic tension twisting in unexpected ways (the grain thing being a dead end...but also the one thing about their jobs that Paige feels a real connection to). But it's strange that they carefully introduced so many avenues of potential but are being so reluctant to actually go down any of them. We followed Mischa to America only for him to get unceremoniously sent back, what promised to be the Season Of Henry has turned out to be nothing of the sort (whether or not the private school thing is a means of writing him out or not - which I don't think it is), Oleg's storyline feels completely disconnected (esp as the only other main living character he's met is Stan - though maybe now Gabriel's in Russia this can be tied together), Paige and Philip both seem stuck in holding patterns re: their inner torments (honestly, Philip is kind of a downer every time he's on screen now - the ways in which Elizabeth may or may not be cracking are far more interesting).

Feels like both Stan's new gf and Stan/Aderholt's current project are meant to be important more for character than plot reasons, ie Renee is significant because of the paranoia she elicits in Philip, the nervous Russian mother is important because Stan can't lie to her (has gotten worse at his job?).

I do have a lot of faith in the writers to find their way eventually though - bf is frustrated with the lack of action, I'm not really yet. Each episode still has at least a couple of scenes that are minor masterpieces. (Elizabeth and Tuan calmly plotting to bully a child so badly his mother will take him out of the country, my god.) (Every time Elizabeth attempts to comfort Paige.) (Deirdre's total imperviousness to Philip, though as Elizabeth astutely realised that was about Philip slipping, not realising he had to be what Deirdre wanted rather than a reprise of Clark...)

How perfect that Pastor Tim introduced Paige to Marx. I cackled.

Nice to see Kimmie again, she's the only target whose life seems to have been improved by having Philip or Elizabeth in it rather than ruined.

Oh god, Stan going to Gaad's widow to clunkily attempt to get her to absolve him :((((

Well well well... Last night's was better than the last three combined!

"Pasha now sad, like dog someone beat with stick" :-((( The mechanics of the bullying of the kid are brutal.

Philip asking Elisabeth to 'make it official', right after EST told him how the way forward is to accept that he is a machine, we all are, makes me think Philip is over his woes and doubts - at least for the time being? Why else tie the knot? In any case it was a fabulous scene - the priests vows sounded great over the droning music too.

And then the kicker. Thought it was harsh on Paige for her parents to even ask her if she wanted Pastor Tim out of the country or not. But she delivered, didn't she? Darkroom scene was ace. Pastor fucking Tim quite otm in his writing tbh, and it's twisted that the three of them reading those notes together will cause them to only bond more. Marvelously done.

Pastor Tim as the device that ultimately brings Paige round, gosh.

Wedding scene was pretty incredible as an immersive experience tbh. All these layers - their feelings about religion, their homeland, their government, their sex work - subsumed into this pure feeling.

The bullying subplot makes me feel just as uncomfortable, if not maybe more so, as the Kimmie subplot last season :///////

Oh, and Keri Russell's face arranging itself into the appropriate expressions when Evgenia was confiding in her was a masterclass of acting a performance just enough that we know it's a performance (both of the surprise and of her alter ego) but also is completely convincing.

The more I think about Henry's subplot the more I think that him being largely ignored and underestimated but also socially aspirational and highly intelligent could really explode the entire set-up in ways we haven't really foreseen yet.

I wondered if Paige was playing them in order to get what she wants. In this instance, to get Henry into his private school. Like, she knew that they would feel really guilty after they read all that stuff about how much they've fucked her up, and she can use that to against them.

Maybe I was in the wrong mood/frame of mind but I found the wedding scene a little overlong for no real momentum? But I suppose that wasnt it's purpose.

Keri Russell's face arranging itself into the appropriate expressions

Yes! I noticed this as well. In fact I found myself wondering if thats something I do when i'm faking interest in someones dull tale hahaha.

Kimmy reappearing last week felt like an important signpost - it's a reminder that Philip is hugely guilt-stricken and reluctant at the idea of using kids as a pawn in any operation and something is going to happen along those lines that breaks him entirely. My guess is that the bullied Russian kid is going to end up killing himself and that will be it.

Structurally this season feels like kind of a mess though? Why devote all that time to Mischa and then just abandon his character halfway through?

for a while i thought paige and tuan might become a thing, don't mean romantically, though that's possible, just seems like them meeting or something could be a good plot point.

agree the series has been really meandering. martha's reappearance made me realise how her storyline was the peak of the show. brilliant actress.

Tuan is a great character, the scene between him and Elizabeth was probably one of the realest examples of a parent/child dynamic there's been

Finally, I can read this thread. Just did a sort of squinting look-up on broadcast dates for S5 to make sure that I am actually caught up (watched S1-S3 end of last year on Prime, paid for S4, and, er, am watching S5 as and when and where I can...).

It's glacial this season, but always a couple of terrific scenes. Burov's car conversation with his anti-corruption colleague: "Unless you've committed high treason" - shot from behind, head slightly bowed, slight grimace. Where are we now, timeline-wise? Late '84? Has Reagan been re-elected? I'm curious to see how the rise of Gorbachev feeds into Centre activities, if it does at all.

I was looking forward to this most recent episode, and I guess I liked its very "Godfather"-esque elements, especially the wedding and the darkroom scene. But I still think it felt like overly familiar ground from a show taking its sweet time. OMG, Philip and Elizabeth are willing to destroy families and even kids to get their way. OMG, are they destroying their own family the same way. OMG, they spend more time on their fake families than on their real families. OMG, poor Paige. OMG, where's Henry? And it more or less concludes with the same questions we've been asking from the start: are they monsters?

This is all legit and expertly made, but there seems to be an awful lot of preamble in the air with just a few episodes left this season. I guess one of this show's attributes has always been its refusal to go the cliffhanger route or drop shocking bombshells. It recognizes it has enough ingredients on hand for good drama and sort of carefully plays around with it, but sometimes I wish there was just a bit more Jennings-mentum.

BTW, the code rock that Philip dropped off, that was the rock delivered to the (almost forgotten by me) woman in the Russian embassy? Who then talked to the Russian wife that Elizabeth is playing? Was that Philip worried they were ruining the kids/family's life and trying to find a way to get them back to Russian before the Russians/Elizabeth/Tuan destroy them in America?

BTW, the code rock that Philip dropped off, that was the rock delivered to the (almost forgotten by me) woman in the Russian embassy?

There's a story about this on the podcast for this episode. In short, yes. When the scene of Philip dropping the rock was filmed, it was a real rock. Then they sent it to a special effects house in LA to have it turned into what it was turned into for the Rezidentura scenes they filmed four days later and it very nearly didn't get there in time.

But was that Philip, during his run, deciding to take matters into his own hands and get that woman a "get out" warning?

I didn't think so. I assumed it was just the carrot bit of the carrot-and-stick attempt to get her to leave.

Gotcha, that makes sense. It just seemed a lot of portent/screen time for something that didn't seem that important. (Especially because I'm still not sure why those Russians are in America, or why the Russians want them gone. If anything, that woman's closeness to all those CIA recruits makes her a valuable asset to keep in America, not chase out.) That other woman Stan and Aderholt are working on, who is she and what do they want from her? Do we know yet? Or was she just a random Russian they flipped after all those failed attempts? Where does she work? So many dangling threads I'm having trouble seeing the whole of the tapestry.