A thread for The Americans on FX

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.

I'm still not sure why those Russians are in America, or why the Russians want them gone.

This has me really confused as well. Why is P&E/Rezidentura trying to push them to go back home? Just cos they dont like defectors?

The slow pace of this season has made some of those threads hard to follow, I agree. Its like "oh yeah I forgot all about that person from 2 seasons ago wait whats going on"

Holy shit. Incredible episode.

Yeah, thats more like it. I KNEW the Henry story would come to something eventually.

And jesus. is this Phillips breaking point? Actually given the ending it seems its both of theirs.

I think what E did was unforgiveable. I dont know. It sort of brings up that whole "its ok to punch Nazis" thing, but ugh.

When she gets that Terminator look on her face, it's all over. I'm kind of astonished she didn't shoot Philip. Part of me still thought that after they left the house - like her line to him might have been a test, and if he gave the wrong answer (got too excited/enthusiastic) she'd plug him in the car.

Wow. That was intense. Reaching boiling point in several story lines all of a sudden! Really enjoyed the scenes with Henry and Stan. The couple scenes at the end were really moving, both of E and P, and of the couple that got offed. Not sure what to make of Elisabeth saying she'd just rather leave. I took it that even she can be affected by her work.

Not sure if I 'get' the Russian woman Stan and Aderholt visited again this episode. She's not exactly giving them important info, and yet they are so awfully nice to her all the time.

I think what E did was unforgiveable. I dont know. It sort of brings up that whole "its ok to punch Nazis" thing, but ugh.

― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, May 18, 2017 12:21 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You mean shoot them? Thought that was inevitable as soon as they set foot in the house. It was very tough to watch.

I thought the song from the beginning was beautiful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZZHISSfHv4

I can't watch a scene with Stan and Amador without thinking about Ponch and John from CHIPS

really want them to get caught and to suffer tbh. at this point philip especially - what an asshole

That whole third act was masterfully done. I went back and forth several times on whether or not it was who the Center was saying it was, then they flipped it with what appeared to be a selfless false confession, then they flipped it AGAIN. JFC

While I still think they're re-treading familiar ground, as long as they re-tread it like the end of this episode I can be cool with it, assuming I can stand it. That was some ugly stuff. Didn't hurt/help that I just finished a book on WWII, and really understood both the horrors the Russians endured but also the horrors they vengefully inflicted on others.

hen they flipped it with what appeared to be a selfless false confession, then they flipped it AGAIN

Right! So was she a war criminal, or wasnt she? I mean I assumed she *was* after all that but dayum.

I think the final flip was that yes, she was guilty, but had done everything under duress and probably got the std's from repeatedly being raped by Nazi soldiers. Claudia had the basics of what happened, but none of the details.

Yep, the whole "nothing's that black and white" thing. And even with the steely resolve on P&E's faces, you could see the wavering of resolution dimly underneath - such fantastic acting.

Also - return of MAIL ROBOT

Claudia had the basics of what happened, but none of the details.

I wondered about this. It should have been pretty obvious, especially to two female operators, that any sexual contact would most likely have been rape. I felt this was laying on the "do you see, you are being lied to in order to make you do terrible things!" a bit thick.

Yeah, I agree. That's how I felt they were treading familiar ground. But still an incredible scene.

I have no idea how they found her in that town, though, based on a 40 year old photo and no immigration records.

They traced her through her husband, right?

But how? (Not that it matters). Like, she was obviously Russian and never claimed not to be. But she had been living under an assumed name, with no paper trail, for decades in New England. As Philip says, all they gave to go on is that she was more or less the same height and age.

Also, where are the Russian scenes filmed?

The interiors are on sets, but I think they a bit of establishing footage from actual Russia.

Wondered the same as Josh when I saw it, but figured it's one of those "oh they just found a way" things that go unexplained.

Also seemed a little weird that they'd been working for decades to track down this one random small-town Nazi collaborator.

You know what else I didn't get at the time? Philip being so troubled learning that his father was a prison guard.

I still have no idea where this is all going. Maybe it will end with Philip and Elizabeth in Russia and Oleg back in America? Oleg in America with Stan helping to bust Philip and Elizabeth?

Re: Philip's father being a KGB camp guard. I took that revelation (coming from Gabriel) as a psychologically important thing for Philip. Like, he finally heard that his dad basically did what he is now doing too. And with Paige maybe the next in line - brought to meet Gabriel the same episode iirc - it was this 'damn this work is just in our blood' feeling, at least that's what I got out of it.

No more no less. Gabriel being his sort of surrogate father, and also the one who sent Misha away when he wanted to meet his dad (this is still the weirdest plot twist for me: all those episodes covering his painstaken trip and when he finally gets within an inch of his meeting his dad, Gabriel is there to say 'sorry kiddo', and we never see him again? Hardmanning but if I had gone through such great lengths as Misha did, I'd prob think 'fuck you old man Gabriel, I'll find him myself')

I doubt this is the last of Misha.

Also, where are the Russian scenes filmed?

Brooklyn, same as everything else.

Somebody put together a Google map with locations from an early season:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NcOEvqEdbRiTOPB4gHZkfbbkNQ4&hl=en_US&ll=40.84014056939821%2C-73.78511049999997&z=10

I doubt this is the last of Misha.

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, May 20, 2017 9:21 PM (eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Me too, but I do find it odd that this story line, present in so many episodes at first, just got offed completely. All the scenes with him being smuggled over the border; why is he not having an impact on P&E now? Trust the writers enough to deal with this, but you have to admit: why hype up your audience about it and then... crickets?

xp nice

I still think it's feasible that Russia will jail/execute Misha and Philip will find out. Perhaps via Gabriel?

am not reading thred but can someone tell me whether or not i can skip a season or two? i want to go in on this show but the number of unwatched eps is daunting

Each season is pretty key imo

When you get to S5, the one currently airing, you can maybe skip past the first half.

For the love of god don't skip anything.

Yeah its hard enough to keep some of the plot straight having seen it all let alone skipping any!

Yeah, this show more than most brings back little details and characters from earlier seasons. Plus you wouldn't understand the relationships, like why they hate Claudia so much, for example.

okay you convinced me d00ds :)

A little disappointed we're all the way up to 1984 now and they've not used any Minor Threat or Bad Brains, especially since the show is centered in DC.

The Bauhaus was very unexpected!