The Americans [FX - Spoilers]

expectationlost

forgot to mention

the americans podcast via slate/panopoly podcasts

its high quality, detailed

its hosted by The American's script supervisor, with people who made the show talking about how they made each ep

https://soundcloud.com/panoply so already 7 eps, use ctrl f to find them

kn

More than half way through the 13 episodes of the series they have lots of threads hanging in the air with no obvious means of hanging them together into a season ending. Lots of things have to happen in the next few episodes - Martha has to meet her end, Philip's son to die in Afghan, Philip shagging the 15 year old, the young SA agent to come back and bite them, and the Centre to take the decision on Paige out of the hands of Philip and Elizabeth.

That's what I am guessing.

As for the longevity of the series I notice the last episode had a 1983 calendar so I am guessing they are planning to take the programme upto at least the destruction of the USSR and the ending of the KGB with Philip and Elizabeth living in America without the assistance of the KGB financially etc and their probable ressurection as agents with the FSB in the 90's, their discovery through the technology of the time, and their eventual deportation to Russia as part of a prisoner swap (emulating real life in that case)?

kn

PS I note on its wikipage it says that ITV have dropped the series and are not taking season 3!

JohnK

kn wrote: »

More than half way through the 13 episodes of the series they have lots of threads hanging in the air with no obvious means of hanging them together into a season ending. Lots of things have to happen in the next few episodes - Martha has to meet her end, Philip's son to die in Afghan, Philip shagging the 15 year old, the young SA agent to come back and bite them, and the Centre to take the decision on Paige out of the hands of Philip and Elizabeth.

That's what I am guessing.

As for the longevity of the series I notice the last episode had a 1983 calendar so I am guessing they are planning to take the programme upto at least the destruction of the USSR and the ending of the KGB with Philip and Elizabeth living in America without the assistance of the KGB financially etc and their probable ressurection as agents with the FSB in the 90's, their discovery through the technology of the time, and their eventual deportation to Russia as part of a prisoner swap (emulating real life in that case)?

I wonder if they'll try and resolve the "Philip shagging the 15 year old" and the Paige situation at the same time by recruiting Paige fully and having her befriend that girl and then have Paige use her access to change out the recording device in the house. Of course given the burning event in the latest episode they might be more likely to go with the unpalatable/more shocking route and have Philip actually go through with shagging the girl.

FloatingVoter

JohnK wrote: »

I wonder if they'll try and resolve the "Philip shagging the 15 year old" and the Paige situation at the same time by recruiting Paige fully and having her befriend that girl and then have Paige use her access to change out the recording device in the house. Of course given the burning event in the latest episode they might be more likely to go with the unpalatable/more shocking route and have Philip actually go through with shagging the girl.

Even if Paige were to sign up to be a full-time spy, she's years away from that level of deviousness and the risk involved in changing tapes. I reckon he'll have to go through with it.....or if they're squeamish about it, they can always have dad find out that there's an older guy sniffing around her. He'll just assume "pervert" not "spy" and send junior off to boarding school.

iguana

Did anyone else notice the look that flickered across Stan's face when Martha dismissed her distractedness with claims of a bad lunch. He's still too wrapped up in himself to realise it but he knows on some level that Martha is a serious suspect for bugging Gaad's office. Just as he doesn't consciously realise that he has seen her stealing files from mailbot. That will come to a head in a bad way for Philip as if Stan sees Clark, he will quickly recognise his 'best bud.'

They are going such an interesting route with Martha. First off having her immediately face the fact that Clark isn't legitimate last week and now having her (temporarily, I'm guessing) accept that Clark is probably a bad guy but he loves her and sticking with him may well be her best bet for self preservation.When she confronted Clark I assumed that either her Ladysmith would come in to play or that he'd come up with a far fetched story that legitimised him and she'd be desperate to believe. I didn't think he'd basically admit that her worst fears were correct and then play on those fears with the subtle threat of her needing the protection of his love. Philip is a master manipulator.

Lastly it's so frustrating that nobody is watching this excellent show. If someone had been necklaced on Breaking Bad my whole Facebook feed would have been full of comments about it for days. But when it happens on The Americans it might as well have never happened.

The Strawman Argument

I find it so weird that I wasn't at all keen on this show when it started, might be the best drama series currently airing. Feels like it got considerably better each season since, it's taken things to high risk levels that I felt it wouldn't dare go near and is pulling them all off brilliantly. Really feels like FX and the showrunners are willing to treat their audience with a level of respect that few other shows seem to; hell, do many other shows with a heavy international slant even have anywhere close to the amount of subtitles that this sometimes can have?

iguana

The Strawman Argument wrote: »

I find it so weird that I wasn't at all keen on this show when it started, might be the best drama series currently airing. Feels like it got considerably better each season since, it's taken things to high risk levels that I felt it wouldn't dare go near and is pulling them all off brilliantly. Really feels like FX and the showrunners are willing to treat their audience with a level of respect that few other shows seem to; hell, do many other shows with a heavy international slant even have anywhere close to the amount of subtitles that this sometimes can have?

I didn't rate the show initially. I hated how in the pilot Stan moved into the neighbourhood and immediately suspected them. From there I thought that the show was going to be this really contrived game of cat and mouse between the Jennings and Stan. Then the next few episodes were all a bit 'mission of the week' ish, which put me off. I was on the verge of giving up when I watched the Reagan assisination episode which was interesting enough to keep me watching but it wasn't until Nina's decision to confess to Arkady that she was the mole, that I was hooked.

Looking back it has turned out that what I hated most about the pilot was actually a sign of the show's strength. Stan being suspicious in the pilot was actually the writers' way of ensuring that the obvious didn't happen. We know that Stan was right to suspect them so that tells us that he isn't stupid and has really good instincts but that he ended up dismissing his initial instincts because he thought it was his years of undercover work messing him up. And that first reaction to the Jennings and his blaming it on his own issues has allowed Philip and Stan to form a believable friendship without making Stan seem stupid for not seeing what is right under his nose.

However I do wish that the show hadn't started right on the moment that the Jennings marriage started to become real. I would have been more invested in their burgeoning relationship if we had gotten to see a couple of episodes where their marriage was just an arranged convenience. If we had seen more of how they had been for most of the previous 2 decades, Elizabeth's change of heart would have meant more.

Black Menorca

The show was recommended to my by a friend. I'd not heard of it. I started watching and like Breaking Bad, I watched the whole first season in two or three sittings.

Everything about it exudes class. It will be one of those shows that will never age. It will always be a classic. The irony being its set in the tacky 80's.

About Martha. I think her conscience will get the better of her and she will turn herself in. Then Gad, Stan and the rest of the team will see it as an opportunity to get their hands on a deep UC KGB operative. Set up a meeting between Clark and Martha and BAM. Stan and Philip come face to face in the interrogation room as the Season finalé...:)

Sugar Free

Not sure if anyone here is also an Archer fan but if so, the latest episode has a scene that completely takes the piss out of Matthew Rhys' American accent. Very funny!

Background here https://www.yahoo.com/tv/matthew-rhys-archer-the-americans-114056112355.html

expectationlost

what was that look kerri russell gave her south africa spy student when jumped down off the wall and ran across?

Sugar Free

expectationlost wrote: »

what was th at look kerri russel gave her south africa spy student when jumped down off the wall and ran across?

I assume it's because he risked having his cover blown as the younger guy could recognize him from campus or the anti-apartheid meetings.

The Black Oil

iguana wrote: »

Did anyone else notice the look that flickered across Stan's face when Martha dismissed her distractedness with claims of a bad lunch. He's still too wrapped up in himself to realise it but he knows on some level that Martha is a serious suspect for bugging Gaad's office. Just as he doesn't consciously realise that he has seen her stealing files from mailbot. That will come to a head in a bad way for Philip as if Stan sees Clark, he will quickly recognise his 'best bud.'

They are going such an interesting route with Martha. First off having her immediately face the fact that Clark isn't legitimate last week and now having her (temporarily, I'm guessing) accept that Clark is probably a bad guy but he loves her and sticking with him may well be her best bet for self preservation.When she confronted Clark I assumed that either her Ladysmith would come in to play or that he'd come up with a far fetched story that legitimised him and she'd be desperate to believe. I didn't think he'd basically admit that her worst fears were correct and then play on those fears with the subtle threat of her needing the protection of his love. Philip is a master manipulator.

Yeah, the whole Martha thing (pen maintenance included!) was handled very well in 3.08. I thought the camera angles were very telling. All of the scenes had close up shots on her. Chatting in the corridor, and as you say, talking to Stan. We know how scrutinised she feels. Plus, how the scene with Taffet was introduced. Initially, the camera behind her moving up to bring him into the picture and the tape recorder. It felt designed to give him the upper hand, and the nature of the responses she gave fed into things, imo. This contrasted very much with the interview with Agent Aderholt where the camera was introduced facing both him and Taffet on a more even footing. It'll be interesting to see what Taffet makes of two sets of responses. Another contrast is perhaps Martha and Nina. The latter getting somewhat of a comfort upgrade, whilst Martha's world continues to crack. Alison Wright was great, again. I think if this were most other shows it would have been a huge shout/sobfest between her and Clark.

This was very much an interrogation for all and 'trust is key' episode. Plus, Martha's 'who are you?' to Clarke sums up the show as a whole. Everyone has been playing that game since day one.

No doubt Gaad felt peeved about the remark about negligence. Also, all of those externals shots of buildings, again just a reminder of the show's subdued colour palette.

kn

Although the ratings are down on Season 2 they have been improving the last number of episodes. In the crowded US market over 1million eyeballs is not bad. I bet it does well on boxsets and eventual streaming play.

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-americans-season-three-ratings-35485/

FloatingVoter

kn wrote: »

Although the ratings are down on Season 2 they have been improving the last number of episodes. In the crowded US market over 1million eyeballs is not bad. I bet it does well on boxsets and eventual streaming play.

http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/the-americans-season-three-ratings-35485/

The showrunners / execs in charge of these shows are smart enough to realise that word of mouth and like you say, box set sales etc. will recoup revenues in time. That's time that they alone will know they have if there are further strong seasons in reserve. And hell, they have the oncoming Gorbachev / Reagan thaw to deal with. The withdrawal from Afghanistan etc. As for shenanigans in South Africa and the further African continent, both Le Carre and Forsyth went there on different levels when they ran out of paragraphs.

In simpler terms, I'm dearly hoping this gets renewed for at least two or three more seasons.

expectationlost

i didn't realise philip was using Taffet's name

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

iguana

He wasn't. He was using his job.

expectationlost

iguana wrote: »

He wasn't. He was using his job.

i was confused by that, can there not be more then one person doing his job, did she expect him to say something to her about the work she thought she was doing for them when she was finally privately interviewed by him?

Black Menorca

expectationlost wrote: »

i didn't realise philip was using Taffet's name

He wasn't.

Martha was referring to the role Clark pretended he was playing as an overseer of the Agency.

jamesoneill

love this show

Funny how they gave the new black agent a good grilling..sure wasn't he the guy who found the device lol



What about philip and martha. the best part of the show for me but seems like he's been taking a huge risk of being caught there.How does he know he's safe calling to the apartment anytime with her being a CIA employee and especially now that he knows somethings up
and considering they're so cautious(him and elizabeth) about everything else

iguana

expectationlost wrote: »

i was confused by that, can there not be more then one person doing his job, did she expect him when to say something to her about the work she thought she was doing for them when she finally privately interviewed by him.

There could be more than one person in the role but if Clark was who he said he was, Walter Taffet would be his colleague. When Martha said she met him Clark should have known who he was and why he was in her workplace. As it was, Clark should have known that the bug had been found as someone from his office was investigating it. It was bad enough that two nights in a row Clark had come home oblivious to the fact that his office was investigating his bug. When he didn't even know the name of his supposed colleague Martha's last hope that Clark was legit was quashed.

Black Menorca

Probably the most powerful 42 minutes of TV drama I've experienced.

The episode was dominated by the scenes between the old lady and Elizabeth.

The script was mesmerising. From early on, I think the lady knew her fate and once Russia was mentioned it was confirmed.

Shakespearean in its tragic aspect, the going back through her life with Gill (her late husband) brought tears to my eyes, as well as Elizabeth's.

Her ease with herself, in some ways she was 'ready' to die, rather than face some of the other less attractive alternatives.


Yet at the very end she gave it to Elizabeth between the eyes. The folly of the diatribe of The Cause making the world a better place. How could killing this frail, noble old lady contribute to this?

I think this experience will convince Elizabeth not to bring Paige into the equation.

There were lighter moments, a grumpy Stan and Oleg in the car, hilarious. They make partners.

Then at the very end, Philip lashing out as Gabriel and marking his card regarding Paige. this could trigger Gabriel into taking necessary action. Eliminating Martha behind Philip's back?

Awesome television.

tricky D

Interesting and gripping stuff as expected.

What now for Hans? His action of trying to get back in the mix after his screw up in getting sighted by Todd last week seems stupid, suggesting it's just a matter of time before he ends up with a bullet, a proper one.

Martha seems back onside for the time being though how will Clark handle it in the longer term, but it's still watch this space.

Stan and Oleg's plan hasn't quite worked out as they'd hoped. Well the plan worked but the info so far gained isn't in their favour wrt getting Nina out. Well that's sure how it currently appears.

The scenes with Elizabeth and Betty Turner in the robot factory were both gripping and chilling especially when her fate was sealed. Great drama in that interaction.

What now for Phil and Gabriel seeing as Phil stuck it right into him. How will trust work or not work between them from now on?

Both Phil and Elizabeth have a lot to figure out and soul searching to do on the back of what has been said in their last 2 scenes, especially regarding Paige.

FloatingVoter

Chilling. The Jo'burg necklace incident was designed to shock the audience. Watching an old lady being forced to commit suicide really brought it home.
That line about evil always justifying itself struck a chord with Elizabeth. Some of the finest acting and writing I have ever seen. And I normally just give out about things.
Oh....and yes, Philip has awoken a sleeping monster. You don't hire Frank Langella and ask him to play chess. He runs deeper, same as the character he's playing.

jamesoneill

What's going on with Martha?

Is she crossing over to becoming a soviet spy

MagicMarker

That was utterly compelling.

nxbyveromdwjpg

Wasn't sold on the aul one topping herself. We didn't know the character, I didn't care, I just wanted her to get it over with.

Black Menorca

nm wrote: »

Wasn't sold on the aul one topping herself. We didn't know the character, I didn't care, I just wanted her to get it over with.

It was far more than a forced suicide.

This lady provided Elizabeth with a mirror into her life over the last 20 years and made her ask fundamental questions about the justifications she always made to help her live with the brutal acts she partook in.

The folly of this lady's death has made Elizabeth doubt her core beliefs. So powerful and emotional.

Kirby

Black Menorca wrote: »

It was far more than a forced suicide.

This lady provided Elizabeth with a mirror into her life over the last 20 years and made her ask fundamental questions about the justifications she always made to help her live with the brutal acts she partook in.

The folly of this lady's death has made Elizabeth doubt her core beliefs. So powerful and emotional.

The problem with this analysis is that it's ultimately hollow. Despite what happened, a couple episodes from now Elizabeth will still be committed to the cause and resume grooming Page.

As brilliant as this show is, they've pulled this kind of emotional bait and switch before. I'm hoping that we might see some change from Elizabeth after that but the likelihood is we wont.

Black Menorca

Kirby wrote: »

The problem with this analysis is that it's ultimately hollow. Despite what happened, a couple episodes from now Elizabeth will still be committed to the cause and resume grooming Page.

As brilliant as this show is, they've pulled this kind of emotional bait and switch before. I'm hoping that we might see some change from Elizabeth after that but the likelihood is we wont.

I don't remember anything that challenges Elizabeth like that scene. Not even close.

It may not stop her but future acts will result in far more guilt and self doubt.

zeffabelli

Black Menorca wrote: »

I don't remember anything that challenges Elizabeth like that scene. Not even close.

It may not stop her but future acts will result in far more guilt and self doubt.

Neither do I, but I still chalk it up to another brief moment of lucid insight into her cruelties but will easily override that insight and write off innocent victims as part of an inevtivable casualty in warfare.

I don't see any major or even not so major transformations in Elizabeth. The interior conflict is so brief, so fleeting, and the behavior that is manifest is entirely consistent with her cause. Nothing is going to change her. Having kids didn't even change her.

She's a very predicatable character. SHe is cold, ruthless, heartless, it is only for the countercasting of Russell that brings any warmth to the role.

At least she isn't a Yoko Ono like Skylar White and Carmella Soprano.

She is the true evil here. A real bad girl. Finally. Thank you FX.

The Black Oil

3.09 continued another of the show's strengths, getting a great turn from a guest star.

The teaser with Hans had the 'your services are no longer required' ring to it. His follow up with the killing was reflective of many fights and deaths on this show, up close and brutal. Only to be surpassed later on. Part of the Martha question gets tucked away now the adoption aspect is a no go. You could sense Clark's uncertainty through the whole scene in her place.

Mail Robot continues to be great, but if this latest bug is found Gaad'll have a fit. The ruse with the food loving defector was effective enough for fun (Oleg's disguise seemed to be slick hair and glasses) even though she wasn't rattled. Stan's playing a risky game in terms of how he is perceived at work. Did you see the look on his face when Oleg hopped into car, before they made eye contact and talked about his head? Priceless.

We've known for some time about Gabriel's serious Scrabble chops. I did love how Philip didn't hold back on his own thoughts, though.

The beauty of the scenes with the elderly bookkeeper was she very much had something relevant to say about family, war, relationships and life. I can't imagine being in that situation - being forced to take your own life, pill by pill. Since this is TV it really could have gone either way. They played it very well. It's not often we see Elizabeth under the microscope on an emotional level. and It's open to debate whether there'll be any impact, I'm leaning towards no. All things said, it was such a lonely and haunting piece of TV.

iguana

The KGB may want the bug on the mail robot to be found in order to make Gene their patsy for the bug in Gaad's office. Otherwise it is a bit pointless as no one has important conversations out in the hallway where anyone could pass. And Gabriel was a bit flippant about who would be changing the tapes, maybe because no one will.

The Black Oil

Season 4 here we come!

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/fx-renews-the-americans-for-season-4

DMcL1971

Excellent news. Hopefully it will pick up more of a following next season.

FloatingVoter

DMcL1971 wrote: »

Excellent news. Hopefully it will pick up more of a following next season.

Will everybody tell 10 of your friends. If you have no friends, sleep with their daughters, poison their loved ones, hack their mail, threaten to necklace them.....come on ... what would Phil n' Liz do if they needed something watched ?

The Black Oil

And throw them an 80s soundtrack.

Black Menorca

The Black Oil wrote: »

Season 4 here we come!

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/fx-renews-the-americans-for-season-4

Best news I've had all week.

Woop Woop!

FloatingVoter

The Black Oil wrote: »

And throw them an 80s soundtrack.

For the love of being out of it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZmlUV8muY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdvZa46xb3M

Black Menorca

I can see Martha giving Clark up to the Agency. Either voluntarily or from pressure applied by Walter Taffett. The season climax seeing Stan and Philip, head to head, in an interrogation room.

Stan offers a deal, Philip goes double and continues to work with Elizabeth, all the while reporting back to Stan.

That way he keeps his family intact.

zeffabelli

Black Menorca wrote: »

I can see Martha giving Clark up to the Agency. Either voluntarily or from pressure applied by Walter Taffett. The season climax seeing Stan and Philip, head to head, in an interrogation room.

Martha is Nina's mirror. They will find out and make her a double cross.

iguana

Woohoo! So glad this was posted last night as my first thought was 'really mean April fool?' when I saw it this morning.

The Black Oil

Season 8: Mail Robot teams up with IBM and has baby robots.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

thegreengoblin

Brilliant news about the fourth season. I had been genuinely concerned that it wouldn't last another season as the ratings were so poor so it's relief as much as anything.

As for Martha...my guess is that Elizabeth will keep pushing Philip to kill her, he makes a half-arsed attempt at it before deciding he can't do it. Then Elizabeth turns up to finish the job off and all hell breaks out between the two of them.

The Black Oil

There'll be a Martha spin off. The Tantric Years.

FloatingVoter

The Black Oil wrote: »

There'll be a Martha spin off. The Tantric Years.

.....co-starring Sting. For the sake of not scaring the wee thing, he'll go by the clever spy name of Gordon. And be a schoolteacher. Oh....ehmmm...that wouldn't require a lot of work. The sex might, but not the cover.

kn

The Black Oil wrote: »

Season 4 here we come!

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/fx-renews-the-americans-for-season-4

And going by the comments of FX's President it is going to at least Season 5.

FloatingVoter

kn wrote: »

And going by the comments of FX's President it is going to at least Season 5.

That's plenty of leeway to take us up to Gorbachev / perestroika / glasnost. At that point, relics like our heroes would be returned home or forcibly retired.