A thread for The Americans on FX

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.

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.