# The Americans on FX



## Scott Kocourek

The series premier was last night January 30, 2013. Did anyone watch this? I hope to get to it tonight.

http://www.fxnetworks.com/theamericans


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## Steve

Recorded, but not watched yet.

Here's what one reviewer had to say about it:

http://tv.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/ar...icans-fx-series-about-russian-spies.html?_r=0


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## Scott Kocourek

This may sound odd but I really want this show to be good, there seems like there are so many possibilities and story lines. 

Fingers crossed.


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## Sixto

Recorded it, figured I'd wait to see if people like it. 

Hate to add another series commitment, but always looking for something different if it's better then whats' already queued up.

So far sticking with Continuum and The Following, but not certain about either.


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## oldschoolecw

Recorded it and will watch it sometime today


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## TMan

This is shaping up to be the third brand-new series in January 2013 for my wife & me to try out.

While I haven't watched the premiere of The Americans yet, I have higher expectations for it than I do The Following and Banshee.


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## Henry

Sixto said:


> Recorded it, figured I'd wait to see if people like it.
> 
> Hate to add another series commitment, but always looking for something different if it's better then whats' already queued up.
> 
> So far sticking with Continuum and The Following, but not certain about either.


I recorded it, too.

We also watch _Continuum_ and _The Following_. While we are pleased with _The Following_, our enthusiasm for_ Continuum_ is waning a bit. We'll give _Continuum_ a few more episodes before we decide one way of another.


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## RunnerFL

Recorded it, definitely looking forward to it and I'll probably watch it tonight.


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## Steve

IMHO, story and acting are first-rate. Mrs. and I give it two thumbs up!


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## RunnerFL

Steve said:


> IMHO, story and acting are first-rate. Mrs. and I give it two thumbs up!


Each?


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## Steve

RunnerFL said:


> Each?


Yes. 4 thumbs! :lol:


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## oldschoolecw

Steve said:


> Yes. 4 thumbs! :lol:


That's good, because other wise it looks like you 2 are hitchhiking


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## Steve

oldschoolecw said:


> That's good, because other wise it looks like you 2 are hitchhiking


:lol:

I'm actually looking forward to next week's episode, so I guess that's a good thing!


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## phrelin

We recorded and watched it last night. Excellent beginning to a show that my wife and I began watching with high expectations. It's a strong pilot.


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## lugnutathome

Great to hear the positive comments! I too recorded last night but was catching up from earlier in the week's fare. Hopefully tonight will allow me to watch it.

Don "this one holds so much promise" Bolton



phrelin said:


> We recorded and watched it last night. Excellent beginning to a show that my wife and I began watching with high expectations. It's a strong pilot.


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## sacalait

Watching right now. Half way through. Good twists so far, just set my DVR to record the series.


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## Sixto

Just watched it. A keeper for now. Is that John Boy.


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## sacalait

Sixto said:


> Just watched it. A keeper for now. Is that John Boy.


Haha, I had to back it up to be sure. Yes it was.


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## 1953

Watched it tonight. We both really enjoyed the show. It's a keeper.


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## dsw2112

Just finished it. This looks to be a good one


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## Starchild

Both the wife and I loved the show. I was pumped to hear the booming version of Fleetwood Macs "Tusk". Added to the heart pounding scenes immensely.


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## FYRPLG

Really liked the show. Good acting Good plot filled in the characters from the 60's and their reasons for being here. Did single record but after viewing setup SP.


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## armophob

There was one song they played that really ticked me off.

Crocket and Tubbs get to own that scene for all time. For this new untested show to try to capitalize on that moment in tv history with "In the air tonight" was way too presumptuous.

I will keep watching, but I really got a bad feeling they are reaching at that moment.


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## Scott Kocourek

Well I ended up working too late to try and watch this last night so maybe tonight is the big night. I'm glad to hear you all are liking it so far.


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## Supramom2000

Loved it!! The acting was superb. The musical selection was really good.


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## elinsner

I'm waiting to see if it's cancelled before I start watching it.  I hate falling in love with shows only to see them cancelled after 1 season (or less!).


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## RunnerFL

elinsner said:


> I'm waiting to see if it's cancelled before I start watching it. I hate falling in love with shows only to see them cancelled after 1 season (or less!).


FX doesn't cancel shows mid-season so we'll at least get 1 season out of it. Based on critics and viewer reaction I'd say it will be around a while. I haven't seen actual numbers though. Based on buzz I bet next week's episode has higher numbers even.


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## Steve

RunnerFL said:


> Based on buzz I bet next week's episode has higher numbers even.


Ya. I know I told a couple of folks about it who weren't aware of it. They're re-airing the pilot Tuesday night, for those that missed it.


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## oldschoolecw

RunnerFL said:


> FX doesn't cancel shows mid-season so we'll at least get 1 season out of it. Based on critics and viewer reaction I'd say it will be around a while. I haven't seen actual numbers though. Based on buzz I bet next week's episode has higher numbers even.


'The Americans' Premiere Draws 4.7 Million Total Viewers Wednesday Night

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/20...million-total-viewers-wednesday-night/167495/



> "We're very happy with premiere ratings for The Americans and, just as importantly, we're proud of the widespread critical acclaim the show has received," said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX. "We have no doubt that when we get the Live+7 time-shifted ratings from last night, The Americans will rank among the best series debuts ever on FX. We're grateful to Executive Producers Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields, Graham Yost, and to our outstanding cast led by Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich, as well as the entire team behind this great show."


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## klang

Based on this thread I have added a timer and will record the re-air of the pilot. No idea when I'll get around to watching.


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## Galaxie6411

Looks like yet another FX keeper, FX is right up there with USA in production of shows I like. Loved the music selection and I have had a thing for Keri Russell since I was a kid. Also a huge fan of Tusk.


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## TomCat

Starchild said:


> Both the wife and I loved the show. I was pumped to hear the booming version of Fleetwood Macs "Tusk". Added to the heart pounding scenes immensely.


Oh, is that what that was? I guess that did sound a little "fleetwoody" (I was a big fan in the Bob Welch era, but not really in the Lyndsey Buckingham era). At the time I just thought it was a real interesting choice for background music to such a dramatic scene, and hey, that first 12 minutes was pretty compelling anyway. It seemed like the production values and the music choices were outstanding for this show, and complemented the 1981 milieu without hitting us over the head with hair band music and obvious choices.

I really liked this, and I think we have a real winner here. I think FX will have another large jewel to place in the crown right next to _Justified_.

Matthew Rhys was so good on _Brothers and Sisters _(which collapsed under its own weight after 2 or 3 good seasons and became unwatchable) that I guess it is no surprise how good he is here. Very charismatic, very compelling. The producers should be ecstatic that they got someone of his quality. Keri Russell is good too, maybe not wonderful, but even if the plot bogs down she can still hold 90% of the male audience from changing the channel. Just arch your back a little or play with your hair, Keri; we're not going anywhere.

We'll have to see how this develops, but this might be in _Homeland _territory; it even has that kind of feel to it. < spoiler alert this paragraph only > I thought they handled the rape scene very well, and showed just enough to establish Elizabeth's motivation without being gratuitous. I also liked her change of heart when she realized that her fake husband would go the extra mile for her. Very believable for such a fantastically out-there story environment.

I think this might be the best new show since this fall. _Elementary _and _Vegas _are really the only two that stand out for me from that crop, but I think this might even be better, maybe a lot better. Here's hopin'.


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## Maruuk

Wanted to like it. Trashed it after the first segment up to the first commercial. Crushingly trite and dated action spy melodramatic nonsense, unattractive female lead, same old predictable kidnapping formula. Contentless garbage.


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## brian188

Maruuk said:


> Wanted to like it. Trashed it after the first segment up to the first commercial. Crushingly trite and dated action spy melodramatic nonsense, unattractive female lead, same old predictable kidnapping formula. Contentless garbage.


Yeah, but that is what TV is now. Like it or watch one of three "Walking Dead" versions. "Walking Dead" "Revolution" and "Falling Skies" all the same show at heart. But they are huge.

Very little is really original anymore.


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## Maruuk

brian188 said:


> Yeah, but that is what TV is now. Like it or watch one of three "Walking Dead" versions. "Walking Dead" "Revolution" and "Falling Skies" all the same show at heart. But they are huge.
> 
> Very little is really original anymore.


There are still a few shows with actual stories and characters. Game of Thrones, Mad Men, Downton Abbey, House of Cards, whatever. But I couldn't agree more about Walking Dead--just re-hashed Romero and mostly, Romero did it better. And Revolution and Falling Skies, jeez what cheez! Same old formulaic tripe that was lame when The Invaders with Roy Thinnes did it in 1961!


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## RunnerFL

Maruuk said:


> Wanted to like it. Trashed it after the first segment up to the first commercial. Crushingly trite and dated action spy melodramatic nonsense, unattractive female lead, same old predictable kidnapping formula. Contentless garbage.


It's supposed to be dated, it takes place in the 80's.


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## photostudent

I'm in. Quality kind of caught me by surprise. Murderous Commie main characters may put some watchers off though! I guess we can cheer for them to slowly come over to our side.


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## Nighthawk68

I enjoyed it alot, cant wait for the next episode.


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## Maruuk

RunnerFL said:


> It's supposed to be dated, it takes place in the 80's.


I was aware of that. Thus the stultifying "Tusk" theme that they just kept looping over and over awkwardly. Worst attempt at an action TV series score I've ever heard. Sounded like the music editor cut some rough "Tusk" loops in over the scenes as a temp score and they accidentally left it all in as it was. Yikes, brutal.


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## phrelin

Maruuk said:


> Wanted to like it. Trashed it after the first segment up to the first commercial. Crushingly trite and dated action spy melodramatic nonsense, unattractive female lead, same old predictable kidnapping formula. Contentless garbage.


Wow, you made that judgement based on the first 10 minutes of the pilot.

I don't want to argue, but you think Kerri Russell of "Felicity" fame is unattractive???


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## Maruuk

Yeah. A dog. No charisma, no sex appeal. Pushing 40. See, to me, any show that could open with such an incredibly trite and lame-o 70's-style action sequence with terrible music editing and present such a middle-aged skank as the woman who was clearly being set up as the "eye candy" had zero cred. DELETE CITY.

Now some folks actually like cop chase scenes right out of CHIPS or Miami Vice or Charlie's Angels (with 40 year olds!) or whatever. Be my guest. Enjoy!


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## phrelin

Well, I will argue with you about Golden Globe winner Keri Russell. Yes, she will be an aging 37 in March and she does play the mother of a 15 year old daughter. You'd better stick to the Victoria Secrets shows, I guess. :nono:


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## Maruuk

This isn't about dating, this is about eye candy in 2D when you have a choice from the most beautiful women in existence. I can look at average-looking late 30-somethings all day long in real life. This is supposed to be a fantasy world, and I expect fantasy-level eye candy matched with top-notch acting. The Americans comes up way short on all fronts.


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## spartanstew

Thankfully, I have never evaluated a show based on the "looks" of the people in the cast, but I also don't masturbate while I watch TV shows as apparently many others do.


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## Maruuk

That would require getting it up, so I understand the limitations of some others...

I guess films and TV producers never consider the looks of the actresses to be cast. It's just kind of randomness that produces the end result. That's why the Oscars look pretty much like the crowd at my local Safeway.


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## TomCat

Maruuk said:


> Yeah. A dog. No charisma, no sex appeal...


But Keri said she thinks _you _are _really _attractive. :nono:

I'd give 20 bucks to see what you're squeezin'.


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## armophob

So..."Baywatch" good show because of pretty girls, and "Americans" bad show because of not as pretty girls.

Got it.


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## TomCat

spartanstew said:


> Thankfully, I have never evaluated a show based on the "looks" of the people in the cast, but I also don't masturbate while I watch TV shows as apparently many others do.


Where is your mind, Spart? No offense meant, but I think you may have connected dots that never were there.

And of course no role in Hollywood is ever cast with the potential appeal of the actor in mind.  This is why Gabourey Sidibe and Susan Boyle are having such great careers.

When do you, BTW?

Be sure not to fall off that high horse and hurt yourself.


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## Maruuk

Jeez, I apologize for my heterosexuality "fellows". We don't have our "Stonewall" for straight pride as you do. 

But seriously, any given bunch of guys are going to disagree about who's hot and who's not. And I'm still watching Downton Abbey, and they just killed off the only hottie in the entire series, so I'm not ALL bad. 8^>

I'll be sure to give Barbra Streisand an extra hand when she performs at Oscars this year.


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## spartanstew

TomCat said:


> Where is your mind, Spart? No offense meant, but I think you may have connected dots that never were there.


No dots to connect Tom. Some watch TV just for eye candy, some watch for story lines and acting. If the cast is hot, fine, but that's not a reason to watch or not watch IMO.



Maruuk said:


> and I expect fantasy-level eye candy


And nobody's horse is quite as high as yours TomCat, but we do appreciate your posts in this thread not being your normal novels that nobody reads.


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## Maruuk

The classic straw dog syndrome. I led with terrible writing, bad directing, awful music, and finally zero eye candy. But the only attack point was the desire for an attractive female lead. Fair and balanced?

I appreciate and respect you folks who worship older actresses like Cher and Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler. Can't we all get along?


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## spartanstew

Maruuk said:


> I led with terrible writing, bad directing, awful music, and finally zero eye candy.


Exactly. eye candy shouldn't even enter the equation. You make it sound as if you could get by on terrible writing, bad acting and awful music as long as it had eye candy. I know this is a geek board and most get off on that stuff, based on years spent in Moms basement, but come on, you don't watch a show like The Americans expecting any "eye candy"


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## Maruuk

The Americans is a spy show. If this was a film it'd star the young version of Angelia Jolie (she's too old now) and the hottest guys they could find. In other words, it'd be a major male/female babefest. But this being a cheapasz FX show the best they could do was Keri Whatzherface, not exactly major box office any more. Not my cup of tea but you older folks enjoy! I mean, if EYE CANDY didn't matter here, why didn't they cast Melissa McCarthy??

Gossip Girl got my attention with babes but it was really the fantastic character of Chuck Bass that held my attention. Downton is in trouble plotwise precisely because they have no sexual tension left to drive their Jane Austen-esque plot--they pulled the "Friends" jump-the-shark trick by marrying off or killing the 2 cute girls.

A TV show doesn't make it or break solely on the cute girl quotient for me, but it sure helps! Film is a totally different thing. I mean, who's hot in the Bicycle Thief or Cinema Paradiso? Though I admit to being a big fan of Ludivine Sagnier! I do kind of follow her films for her.

Now you take "Don't Trust the B..." Super hot lead, but also very creative and funny premises and writing! It's great when you have a win-win situation!


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## 1953

"The Americans" is a show set in 1981 with flashbacks to the 1960's. The plot is not centered around T&A and as with ALL televison shows it has a flaw or two.


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## phrelin

Maruuk said:


> The Americans is a spy show.


That's your first mistake. You might know better if you saw the whole first episode through to the ending - it was near the ending of the first episode that we saw the main overarching story arc laid out.

But don't take my word for it. Read about it from the FX show site (_*emphasis*_ added):


> _*The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President.*_ The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), who have two children - 13-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 10-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who know nothing about their parents' true identity - grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. Complicating their relationship further is Philip's growing sense of affinity for America's values and way of life. Tensions also heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent. Stan and his partner, Agent Chris Amador (Maximiliano Hernández), are members of a new division of Counterintelligence tasked with fighting against foreign agents on U.S. soil, including KGB Directorate S illegals, Russian spies posing as Americans.


You derived assumptions about the show, maybe from its trailers which I guess you're expressing frustration about...


> If this was a film it'd star the young version of Angelia Jolie (she's too old now) and the hottest guys they could find. In other words, it'd be a major male/female babefest. But this being a cheapasz FX show the best they could do was Keri Whatzherface, not exactly major box office any more. Not my cup of tea but you older folks enjoy....


 The description of the show is not some wild fiction with gorgeous female and male model types running around in fantastic sports cars chasing and killing each other.

"The Americans" sounds a bit like this ABC story dated Jan. 15, 2013:


> A married pair of alleged 'sleeper' spies went on trial in Germany Tuesday, accused of spying for Russia for more than two decades while living a quiet middle-class life and raising a daughter who had no idea of her parents' true identities.
> 
> ... In a page out of a cold war novel, the Russian couple moved to West Germany in the late 1980s posing as Austrian nationals of Latin American descent. They are accused of transferring information on NATO, European and German security policies to the Soviet and then Russian intelligence service. As part of their alleged cover, Andreas, who claimed to be in his early 50s, worked as an engineer and Heidrun, in her late 40s, played tennis with local women. They collected an alleged 100,000 Euros in year in salary from the Russian government.
> 
> Their last alleged caper was the recruitment of a Dutch Foreign Ministry official, who reportedly sold them secret documents on NATO operations for $96,500, according to the German newspaper Die Welt.


Or much closer to home is the Anna Chapman sleeper spy ring arrested by the FBI in June 2010 and swapped a few days later for four Russian double agents. Read this NY Post story How many spies remain?. Or maybe the story Russian Sleeper Agent Allegedly Tried to Recruit Son Into Spy Business which tells us:


> A Russian spy who was kicked out of the U.S. has now been accused of trying to recruit his son into the espionage business. And the son reportedly went along with the plan.
> 
> According to anonymous U.S. officials cited by the Wall Street Journal's Devlin Barrett, the plot stemmed from a group of infamous Russian sleeper spies who were unmasked and deported back to Moscow two years ago. Before they were kicked out, they allegedly attempted to use their children as intelligence agents to bypass security clearances. Peter Krupp, the attorney who represented one of the accused spies, declined to answer the accusations on-the-record. But he told the Journal that his client said the U.S. officials are "crap." The attorney relayed that his client would never have taken the risk of revealing his secret identity.
> 
> The story focuses heavily on one alleged spy kid, Tim Foley. According to the Journal, his parents revealed to him sometime before their June 2010 arrest by the FBI that they were spies. Foley then agreed to join his parents in their pursuit of espionage. U.S. officials said Foley then "stood up and saluted 'Mother Russia,'" and said he was willing to return to Russia for spy training, Barrett writes. This moment was reportedly captured by federal agents who had bugged their home.


 Yeah, I'm old. When I was an undergraduate student I loved the Bond books - male romance novels. But by the time I graduated people were being killed in Vietnam as the Cold War continued to be hot.

If you want movies about spies see _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy_ and _Zero Dark Thirty_ not a Bourne or Bond movie. Or better yet, read all the John le Carré novels.

Sorry, but for what this story is about Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were excellent choices. For what you want, watch reruns of "I Spy" with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby like us old folks did before we learned about life.


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## Maruuk

_"That's your first mistake."_

Nope, that was yours. I had researched the premise thoroughly, that's the only reason I was watching it. But when you see a production so weak and sloppy with hackneyed writing and bad casting and so many substandard executions of basic production values in the first 15 minutes--ya gotta bail or be a masochist. It's just uninspired tripe from beginning to end.

I used to watch "I Spy" but only because there were basically no other choices back then. It was a pretty awful show even in its day! But you can't fault anybody back then for the lack of choice. Today, hell, watching crap is a mortal sin given all the possibilities.

Bottom line: some folks like the show, others don't. Same as it ever was.


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## RunnerFL

Maruuk said:


> The classic straw dog syndrome. I led with terrible writing, bad directing, awful music, and finally zero eye candy. But the only attack point was the desire for an attractive female lead. Fair and balanced?
> 
> I appreciate and respect you folks who worship older actresses like Cher and Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler. Can't we all get along?


You've made your point, please let it go and not ruin the thread. Thanks.


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## Carl Spock

I may watch the show. 

I'm never reading this thread again.


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## Scott Kocourek

Carl Spock said:


> I may watch the show.
> 
> I'm never reading this thread again.


We watched the show last night and really enjoyed it. Let's give those that hated the show a chance to complain and I'll close this thread and start a new one after the next episode for those that continue to watch.


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## 1980ws

Absolutely will keep watching. I was enthralled once the story started to play out. Loved the musical score. And Keri Russell? Fell for her in "August Rush", she still does it for me.


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## cdc101

I thought it was great and am going to get my wife to watch the Pilot with me this week so I can make sure she sees them all.

F/X did it (right) again, IMH(41 year old)O.


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## oldschoolecw

Scott Kocourek said:


> We watched the show last night and really enjoyed it. Let's give those that hated the show a chance to complain and I'll close this thread and start a new one after the next episode for those that continue to watch.


Same here, watched it yesterday and enjoyed it. Will continue to watch


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## Henry

oldschoolecw said:


> Same here, watched it yesterday and enjoyed it. Will continue to watch


Ditto ... it's a keeper.


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## yosoyellobo

Enjoy the show. I like the way he took care of the pervert.


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## jimmie57

yosoyellobo said:


> Enjoy the show. I like the way he took care of the pervert.


+1
and the captain when he found out what he did to his wife when she was in training.


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## larryk

We watched it last night, and it's definitely a keeper...


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## pablo

Maruuk said:


> I was aware of that. Thus the stultifying "Tusk" theme that they just kept looping over and over awkwardly. Worst attempt at an action TV series score I've ever heard. Sounded like the music editor cut some rough "Tusk" loops in over the scenes as a temp score and they accidentally left it all in as it was. Yikes, brutal.


I loved it.


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## Henry

Maruuk said:


> I was aware of that. Thus the stultifying "Tusk" theme that they just kept looping over and over awkwardly. Worst attempt at an action TV series score I've ever heard. Sounded like the music editor cut some rough "Tusk" loops in over the scenes as a temp score and they accidentally left it all in as it was. Yikes, brutal.


You mean, there was music?


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## Maruuk

Well, not score but just a badly butchered bunch of instrumental loops from the original "Tusk". It went on and on and on like an erratically skipping broken record. I shudder to think of it.


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## Henry

Maruuk said:


> Well, not score but just a badly butchered bunch of instrumental loops from the original "Tusk". It went on and on and on like an erratically skipping broken record. I shudder to think of it.


I was so engrossed with the on-screen action that I completely ignored the "music".

How can anyone forget (loosely quoted)_ "When I come back I'm gonna stick it in your heart."?_ Loved it!


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## Maruuk

I'm impressed he could even perform with that middle-aged haridan!

De gustibus non est disputandum. Guess that's why they have milf depts. on porn sites.


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## TomCat

spartanstew said:


> *No dots to connect *Tom. Some watch TV just for eye candy, some watch for story lines and acting. If the cast is hot, fine, but that's not a reason to watch or not watch IMO.
> 
> And nobody's horse is quite as high as yours TomCat, but we do appreciate your posts in this thread not being your normal novels that nobody reads.


Hmmm. Other than the fact that *you are on record as actually connecting those dots*, I can't with a straight face find much of any strong argument with any of the rest. :lol:

BTW, the novel will be out in Q1 of 2014. Pre-orders are accepted right here.

But then you might be surprised at the level of regular positive feedback my posts get (mostly in PMs because they'd be pilloried if they did that in the threads), which I'm sure you must get also . The news flash here is that I don't post for you; I post for me. Some actually read and appreciate, but that's only gravy; I use the internet as a place to organize my thoughts and hone any minimal writing chops I can muster, and that is the only reason other than to help answer people's questions. Whether lurkers with their pointy little heads read them is of zero importance, and most don't have the reading comprehension ability of a fruit bat anyway (this forum being a prime example lately). You, on the other hand, are free to have an opinion regarding the level of success there, but lots of positive opinions are already on record, so your's probably wont really amount to much.

No one cares, but just to set the record straight, I do not watch a show for eye candy (_Baywatch _was cancelled, right?), and I am a little bewildered that this has somehow hijacked the thread. It might make me watch a little longer _Cough![Continuum]Ahem!_ before jetissoning a series, though. And I can appreciate it when its there. Sue me.

**************************************

It also seems a little bush league to be knocking actresses (not Spart, BTW) in their mid-thirties just because they don't fit your particular fantasy, even if they might be better-looking than 99.999% of the rest of the women in the world. And likening them to 67-year-olds who were _never _hot; pretty weak. But then that from folks who seems to think this forum is only a good place to empty their garbage and care very little for anyone else's opinion other than it presents them an opportunity to stomp all over it (that's all we needed was one more @#$%^&*%$#@! to make the forum complete).

The secret to building credibility is to not present weak arguments that stretch the truth with too much hyperbole. Do that, and it all starts to sound like Charlie Brown's teacher, "Wah wah wah, wah wah-wah wah, wa wah." Try the opposite of that, just once.

And Taylor Swift? Apparently over the hill, about to hit the wall, right? We don't need to blur the lines between the upper limit of who's lost it and the lower limit of statutory pedophilia any more than we have, or no one at any age would be acceptable.


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## MysteryMan

This series has potential. I just want to know how the captured defector managed not to soil himself while locked inside the car trunk all that time? :sure:


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## RunnerFL

MysteryMan said:


> This series has potential. I just want to know how the captured defector managed not to soil himself while locked inside the car trunk all that time? :sure:


How do you know he didn't? lol


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## Maruuk

Just to calm the hysterics, nobody in here watches a series exclusively for eye-candy, and nobody has ever said they did. Let's just stop the straw man routine. And can different guys disagree on who's hot and who's not? That's what fuels half of all bar conversation. It doesn't need to result in hating or ad hominem attacks.

Are attractive women often utilized as a significant factor in production values by TV productions because they know it boosts ratings? Do refs blow pass interference calls in the end zone?


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## Steve

Scott Kocourek said:


> [...] Let's give those that hated the show a chance to complain and I'll close this thread and start a new one after the next episode for those that continue to watch.


Counting the hours here, Scott!


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## MysteryMan

RunnerFL said:


> How do you know he didn't? lol


Because he looked too clean when they let him out of the trunk. He was also too spry for a guy who was bound and gaged and in the same position all that time. He should have had severe muscle cramps. The writers need to brush up on the human anatomy.


----------



## Scott Kocourek

:lol: I can't even remember what the show was about anymore. I would do a recap of the previous 75 posts but we would have to rate it TV MA LSV.


----------



## Steve

Scott Kocourek said:


> :lol: I can't even remember what the show was about anymore. I would do a recap of the previous 75 posts but we would have to rate it TV MA LSV.


!rolling


----------



## lugnutathome

Or the human biology for that matter. THAT long in the trunk something shouldda stunk! I thought for sure when the trunk was open and the new FBI neighbor came up it was over.

Don "still toss aside the creative license fopaws and the show was quite good" Bolton



MysteryMan said:


> Because he looked too clean when they let him out of the trunk. He was also too spry for a guy who was bound and gaged and in the same position all that time. He should have had severe muscle cramps. The writers need to brush up on the human anatomy.


----------



## RunnerFL

The show has been given a second season.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/...-season-of-the-americans-544113/20130221fx01/


----------



## Jaspear

RunnerFL said:


> The show has been given a second season.
> 
> http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/...-season-of-the-americans-544113/20130221fx01/


Nice! (But I'm not rooting for the communists.)


----------



## MysteryMan

RunnerFL said:


> The show has been given a second season.
> 
> http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/...-season-of-the-americans-544113/20130221fx01/


Good. We have something to look forward to.


----------



## phrelin

RunnerFL said:


> The show has been given a second season.
> 
> http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/...-season-of-the-americans-544113/20130221fx01/


Glad to hear this. It should keep the writers, actors, and directors at their best which IMHO has been superlative.


----------



## TomCat

Maruuk said:


> ...Let's just stop the straw man routine...


You first.


> Are attractive women often utilized as a significant factor in production values by TV productions because they know it boosts ratings? Do refs blow pass interference calls in the end zone?


And is the pope...retiring?


----------



## phrelin

One of the reasons I like this show is its historical context. The Soviets were paranoid for a reason and had reasons to disdain the American experience based on a variety of perceptions. This Smithsonian Magazine story Eleanor Roosevelt and the Soviet Sniper indicates the experiential distance between Americans of the time and the Soviet population. I would suggest reading the whole story, but here's some excerpts:


> Lyudmila Pavlichenko arrived in Washington, D.C., in late 1942 as little more than a curiosity to the press, standing awkwardly beside her translator in her Soviet Army uniform. She spoke no English, but her mission was obvious. As a battle-tested and highly decorated lieutenant in the Red Army's 25th Rifle Division, Pavlichenko had come on behalf of the Soviet High Command to drum up American support for a "second front" in Europe....
> 
> ...Eleanor Roosevelt asked the Ukranian-born officer to accompany her on a tour of the country and tell Americans of her experiences as a woman in combat. Pavlichenko was only 25, but she had been wounded four times in battle. She also happened to be the most successful and feared female sniper in history, with 309 confirmed kills to her credit-the majority German soldiers....
> 
> She graciously fielded questions from reporters. One wanted to know if Russian women could wear makeup at the front. Pavlichenko paused; just months before, she'd survived fighting on the front line during the Siege of Sevastopol, where Soviet forces suffered considerable casualties and were forced to surrender after eight months of fighting. "There is no rule against it," Pavlichenko said, "but who has time to think of her shiny nose when a battle is going on?"
> 
> ...Soon, the Soviet sniper had had enough of the press's sniping. "I wear my uniform with honor," she told Time magazine. "It has the Order of Lenin on it. It has been covered with blood in battle. It is plain to see that with American women what is important is whether they wear silk underwear under their uniforms. What the uniform stands for, they have yet to learn."


 If you read the whole piece, and it is a very good story, it helps to understand the context of the character Elizabeth Jennings played by Keri Russell and some of the other Soviet characters.

And, of course, 70+ years after Lyudmila Pavlichenko's visit we have just progressed far enough to let women have combat roles.


----------



## TomCat

I think the built-in strength of _The Americans _is that we already know the back story and how compelling that is. And I think trying to show a slice of how that might have gone down is a clever idea rich with possibilities. I was really rooting for them to hit a homer on so fat a pitch. After ep 2 I am not sure the writers are up to that task, even when given such a great platform as a jumping-off point.

And since the wall came down 24 years ago, maybe the 18-34 demo doesn't even have that context.


----------



## phrelin

Wait until you've seen episode 4. It provides at least some historical context and produces a change in the relationship that is the primary story arc. But I hope at least some in the 18-34 demo have more context.


----------



## BosFan

I look forward to this show each week, it challenges me to pay attention so I can follow the plot line. Now if I can just get the DVR to stop recording the same show twice (though I suppose a safety net in case the kids delete it on me is good).


----------



## RunnerFL

BosFan said:


> I look forward to this show each week, it challenges me to pay attention so I can follow the plot line. Now if I can just get the DVR to stop recording the same show twice (though I suppose a safety net in case the kids delete it on me is good).


Is it actually recording the same episode twice or is it recording the episode and its corresponding "Three-Minute Replay"? My Series Link is getting both the episode and the "Three-Minute Replay".


----------



## BosFan

Ah, you are correct, it is the "three minute replay", now it makes some sense.


----------



## TomCat

I kind of like that 3-minute replay thing. It keeps me in the loop. It worked for _Rescue Me _and is working for _Justified_. It would not surprise me if other networks start doing this. Of course the key is if they can sell time in it. If I were a major network I would provide this _gratis _to affiliates and let them run it as a filler whenever (and force my O&O stations to air it).


----------



## JosephB

Maruuk said:


> This isn't about dating, this is about eye candy in 2D when you have a choice from the most beautiful women in existence. I can look at average-looking late 30-somethings all day long in real life. This is supposed to be a fantasy world, and I expect fantasy-level eye candy matched with top-notch acting. The Americans comes up way short on all fronts.


Actually, it's not supposed to be a fantasy world. It's supposed to be DC in the early 80s.



Maruuk said:


> Jeez, I apologize for my heterosexuality "fellows". We don't have our "Stonewall" for straight pride as you do.
> 
> But seriously, any given bunch of guys are going to disagree about who's hot and who's not. And I'm still watching Downton Abbey, and they just killed off the only hottie in the entire series, so I'm not ALL bad. 8^>
> 
> I'll be sure to give Barbra Streisand an extra hand when she performs at Oscars this year.


Just because every waking moment of a man's life isn't dedicated to the next woman he can see doesn't mean that he isn't secure, or proud, or whatever in his sexuality. It just means at some point he grew up. I think maybe you're looking for Playboy or Spice. they're a little further up the dial from FX.


----------



## mrro82

I had a feeling of what was actually going on in this weeks episode but I didn't expect what happened afterwards. I really like this show. I'm really glad they picked it up for a second season already.


----------



## Drucifer

Catching up on it this weekend.

So in this series, they're going to reproduce every notorious spy event of the last 50 years, all done by this one couple. 

The show is interesting, but so far nothing that hasn't been done before.


----------



## toobs

I'm really glad that I stuck with the show. From the previews, I wasn't too sure on the show at all, but after watching the premier, I was hook.

FX does it again.


----------



## SPACEMAKER

I watched all of the available episodes via VOD (in SD-bleh) this weekend and I am pretty well hooked. Those cars remind me of my youth.


----------



## Holydoc

Drucifer said:


> Catching up on it this weekend.
> 
> So in this series, they're going to reproduce every notorious spy event of the last 50 years, all done by this one couple.
> 
> The show is interesting, but so far nothing that hasn't been done before.


Hmm... I must of missed the series where the heros of the series are KGB spies set on taking the United States government down.


----------



## Drucifer

Holydoc said:


> Hmm... I must of missed the series where the *heros of the series are KGB spies* set on taking the United States government down.


Heros?


----------



## oldschoolecw

Drucifer said:


> Heros?


Works for me,

it might be in Russian


----------



## TomCat

It seems that the fact that they are not heroes to an American audience but are the bad guys is sort of what the whole thing is based on.

Was Tony Soprano a hero?


----------



## Steve

Holydoc said:


> Hmm... I must of missed the series where the *[protagonists]* are KGB spies set on taking the United States government down.


Fixed that, I think.


----------



## Holydoc

Drucifer said:


> The show is interesting, so far [very original].


Thanks Steve. I fixed Drucifer's as well.


----------



## Michael H..

Did the editing folks forget that the show was supposed to come in at under an hour.
I recorded last night's episode only to find that it ran longer than the hour slot.
Thought the beginning may have been delayed... but no, it started on time.
Scheduled a later recording and added 15 minutes, thinking that should be enough... the guide showed that it should have been an hour.
Looks like it ran somewhere closer to 20 minutes over.
I'd b###h at DTV, but if the schedule shows an hour, not much they could have done about adjusting the recording time to record all of it.


----------



## Steve

Michael Hilley said:


> Did the editing folks forget that the show was supposed to come in at under an hour.
> I recorded last night's episode only to find that it ran longer than the hour slot.
> Thought the beginning may have been delayed... but no, it started on time.
> Scheduled a later recording and added 15 minutes, thinking that should be enough... the guide showed that it should have been an hour.
> Looks like it ran somewhere closer to 20 minutes over.
> I'd b###h at DTV, but if the schedule shows an hour, not much they could have done about adjusting the recording time to record all of it.


I saw the same thing on the 10PM EDT _Americans_. I also recorded the 12AM _Justified_, and it too shows an hour, but it looks like the first 12 minutes are the end of the 11PM _Americans_, and the end of _Justified _is missing.

Based on what I could see from the _Justified _overlap, it looks like about 2 more minutes of the _Americans _needed to be added to the 10PM recording.


----------



## MysteryMan

I have the series set to record. Last night's recording stopped where Agent Beeman shoots the Russian from behind.


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## Supramom2000

FX Media relations apologized for their error. They will run the episode online for everyone.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/04/fx-to-re-run-episode-9-of-the-americans-online/176662/


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## toobs

I thought my DVR messed up also... I just watched the last 7 minutes online and it was so good.


----------



## armophob

Thanks for the thread.
A make up episode "Safe House" is scheduled for April 11 at 12am.


I do not see a make up episode yet for the Justified episode that was affected.


----------



## toobs

armophob said:


> Thanks for the thread.
> I do not see a make up episode yet for the Justified episode that was affected.


Justified was affected also? The season finale?


----------



## armophob

toobs said:


> Justified was affected also? The season finale?


I am referring to post #105.

I have not confirmed it, but I have no reason not to believe the observation.


----------



## toobs

Justified comes on Tuesday night at 10pm. The Americans comes on Wednesday at 10pm. Maybe FC goofed up on Tuesday also? If they did, wouldn't they post something on ther site, sine it was the finale?


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## Steve

toobs said:


> Justified comes on Tuesday night at 10pm. The Americans comes on Wednesday at 10pm. Maybe FC goofed up on Tuesday also? If they did, wouldn't they post something on ther site, sine it was the finale?


I recorded _Justified _for the first time that night, since I heard it might be in 1080p. If it originally aired without an issue Tuesday night, what I recorded was likely a re-run, which would explain why there was no need for FX to apologize.

Dumb luck I recorded it, tho, because it got me the last missing minute + of _The Americans_.


----------



## lugnutathome

Just saw the ending on the web here. I really like this show! 

Don "there are no good guys" Bolton


----------



## Indiana627

Due to recording conflicts my HR24 recorded the 11PM airing which was actually the last 7 minutes of the 10PM airing which totally ruined the whole episode for us. Plus we still missed some of the episode when the recording ended at 11.


----------



## mrro82

Supramom2000 said:


> FX Media relations apologized for their error. They will run the episode online for everyone.
> 
> http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/04/04/fx-to-re-run-episode-9-of-the-americans-online/176662/


Thanks for the link. I too thought my DVR messed up.


----------



## Steve

Wondering if anyone else saw this, but this week's episode ("Only You") had a lot of digital breakups. The were in the same place on two different DVRs, so I wonder if it wasn't a problem with the original broadcast? We stopped watching it about 15 minutes in, for fear that we might miss key plot points. I've got it scheduled to re-record right after next week's new episode, so fingers-crossed that one will be OK.


----------



## gpg

My wife and I watched the 10pm et episode live. I don't recall any problems with that feed.


----------



## Steve

gpg said:


> My wife and I watched the 10pm et episode live. I don't recall any problems with that feed.


Thanks. I'm pretty sure I recorded the 10PM episode as well. Guess it was a signal issue in my neck of the woods. :shrug:


----------



## MysteryMan

gpg said:


> My wife and I watched the 10pm et episode live. I don't recall any problems with that feed.


Same with my recording. No issues.


----------



## toobs

Same here. My recording was good also.


----------



## MysteryMan

On a side note I just read on Yahoo the U.S. Marshals Service is selling the home of real life Russian deep cover operatives Vladimir and Lydia Guryev (aka Richard and Cynthia Murphy) in Mountclair, New Jersey. The couple have two children. They were arrested in 2010 after a decade long counterintelligence probe. The couple were part of a ring that meshed into American life while engaging in clandestine activities. Their primary mission was infiltrating U.S. policy circles to learn about U.S. Diplomacy and weapons information.


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## TomCat

Steve said:


> I recorded _Justified _for the first time that night, since I heard it might be in 1080p...


Just for the record, a broadcast/DBS/cable channel can't simply offer any program in a different format than what they broadcast in, and they also can't easily change that format. Technically they could, just not easily, but it would cause a major glitch every time they went to a program segment in one format from a commercial or program segment in a different format. That glitch would burp the encoder significantly, and would also probably burp everyone's decoder, so it would really be two major glitches. It might even abort DVR recordings, or at a minimum turn a single recording into a series of short recordings, which is what happens when you lose and regain signal. No channel could afford that technical issue; there is just no graceful way to change format on the fly.

And actually, every piece of video that was originally film or 24 fps, regardless of its current format, is broadcast in 24p by virtue of the "film mode" aspect of MPEG encoding. But if the current mode had 3:2 pulldown, that is recreated in the local decoder (along with interlacing if it also had that), so you will still experience it as 1080i30 or whatever the current format is.

AFAIK, only one service broadcasts in 1080p24, and that is The NFL Channel. And most vendors rescale that to 1080i30 so that they can insert local commercials. My best guess is that they wanted to preserve the feel of their huge NFL films library, but it sort of backfired since most folks can't get it in 1080p24 anyway.

No matter, there is really no significant advantage of 24p, and it is typically offset by its disadvantages. If you have a 120 Hz or higher TV you do not have those disadvantages, but you already have the advantages of 24p for every other video format sent you, other than removal of the interlace error in 1080i.

Back OT, I am a little disappointed in what a schmuck the lead character is; he seems to be moping around about Gregory and doesn't even know how he feels about his fake wife or even why. Enough already. Noah Emerich's next-door neighbor character is much more interesting.

The story line of her starting to feel something for him is OK, but honestly, where else could they have gone? Would a story about these two not having feelings for each other be very compelling? I think not.

On the positive side, I thought they took great advantage of the Reagan shooting and told a pretty good story around that. (Oh yeah; Reagan got shot...hope that wasn't a spoiler to some of you)

Still in, just not as hopeful as I was after the premiere.


----------



## mrro82

Good season finale IMHO. I'm really glad this got renewed. It's nice having a different show type to watch.


----------



## oldschoolecw

Just watched a marathon over the past 2 days, very disappointed no major commie bastards were killed, I really don't know if I will watch a second season after this


----------



## sigma1914

oldschoolecw said:


> Just watched a marathon over the past 2 days, very disappointed no major commie bastards were killed, I really don't know if I will watch a second season after this


What about the hotel scene?


----------



## TomCat

oldschoolecw said:


> Just watched a marathon over the past 2 days, very disappointed no major commie bastards were killed, I really don't know if I will watch a second season after this


Odd that someone can immerse themselves in the series but probably still doesn't understand that "good guy" and "bad guy" are nothing more than points of view, mere opinions. That was the entire underlying premise of the series. No one expected any viewer with a clear mnd to be taking sides. That is exactly NOT what this show was about.

There are no bad guys that believe that they are not good guys. Even those moron marathon bombers thought they were doing the right thing. Scary, but realistic. Any other thinking that reduces any of us to white hats or black hats is a pretty immature and a severely limited understanding of the way the world goes around.

Folks, please, at least try to rub two brain cells together. Next we'll be hearing that the government needs to "keep their stinking hands off my free welfare check." The nerve of them taxing gasoline just so that we can pay to build roads to drive on.


----------



## 1953

We anxiously await the second season.


----------



## yosoyellobo

1953 said:


> We anxiously await the second season.


+ 1


----------



## Drucifer

I didn't see anything to get exciting about. So far, I have found it rather boring and predictable. The only thing they missed in the first season was the teenage daughter finding things.


----------



## Supramom2000

TomCat said:


> Odd that someone can immerse themselves in the series but probably still doesn't understand that "good guy" and "bad guy" are nothing more than points of view, mere opinions. That was the entire underlying premise of the series. No one expected any viewer with a clear mnd to be taking sides. That is exactly NOT what this show was about.
> 
> There are no bad guys that believe that they are not good guys. Even those moron marathon bombers thought they were doing the right thing. Scary, but realistic. Any other thinking that reduces any of us to white hats or black hats is a pretty immature and a severely limited understanding of the way the world goes around.
> 
> Folks, please, at least try to rub two brain cells together. Next we'll be hearing that the government needs to "keep their stinking hands off my free welfare check." The nerve of them taxing gasoline just so that we can pay to build roads to drive on.


Strongly disagree. Doesn't matter whether they think they are good guys. From our perspective, they are bad guys. From American history's perspective, they are bad guys. I want to see someone from the Russian side caught. That's my payoff as the viewer.

I understand making villains multi-faceted and complex. Look at Homeland! But as an American citizen, not to mention an Army veteran, I want payoff in the form of Russian Communists being busted!


----------



## MysteryMan

TomCat said:


> Odd that someone can immerse themselves in the series but probably still doesn't understand that "good guy" and "bad guy" are nothing more than points of view, mere opinions. That was the entire underlying premise of the series. No one expected any viewer with a clear mnd to be taking sides. That is exactly NOT what this show was about.
> 
> There are no bad guys that believe that they are not good guys. Even those moron marathon bombers thought they were doing the right thing. Scary, but realistic. Any other thinking that reduces any of us to white hats or black hats is a pretty immature and a severely limited understanding of the way the world goes around.
> 
> Folks, please, at least try to rub two brain cells together. Next we'll be hearing that the government needs to "keep their stinking hands off my free welfare check." The nerve of them taxing gasoline just so that we can pay to build roads to drive on.


 :nono2: ......Lieutenant Victor Ivanovich Belenko would strongly disagree with you!...... :nono2:


----------



## RunnerFL

1953 said:


> We anxiously await the second season.


Same here


----------



## oldschoolecw

Supramom2000 said:


> Strongly disagree. Doesn't matter whether they think they are good guys. From our perspective, they are bad guys. From American history's perspective, they are bad guys. I want to see someone from the Russian side caught. That's my payoff as the viewer.
> 
> I understand making villains multi-faceted and complex. Look at Homeland! But as an American citizen, not to mention an Army veteran, I want payoff in the form of Russian Communists being busted!


Totally agree and that's what the season was built upon, and the FBI is no closer to catching the couple.


----------



## phrelin

oldschoolecw said:


> Strongly disagree. Doesn't matter whether they think they are good guys. From our perspective, they are bad guys. From American history's perspective, they are bad guys. I want to see someone from the Russian side caught. That's my payoff as the viewer.
> 
> I understand making villains multi-faceted and complex. Look at Homeland! But as an American citizen, not to mention an Army veteran, I want payoff in the form of Russian Communists being busted!
> 
> 
> 
> Totally agree and that's what the season was built upon, and the FBI is no closer to catching the couple.
Click to expand...

Hmmmm. The "bad guys." Well, I wish I could see it that straightforwardly.

Yes, while in the military or in national security one has to know who is the enemy. It must be very straightforward. And in this show Elizabeth Jennings, more than Phillip, has that sense of clarity that she shares with Stan Beeman.

But American political trends do not create a very good windows through which to view history. For a time, the British were "the bad guys." You have to remember that from an American history perspective the Indians were "the bad guys" for most generations, really until WWII when we were confronted with the concept of genocide as public policy followed by Apartheid becoming public policy in 1948.

The American First Red Scare of (1919-1921) came after the end of WWI. The Second Red Scare of (1947-1957) came after WWII. Then there was the Cuban Missile Crisis. Surrounding these periods were xenophobic disinformation campaigns. so for Stan the Soviets were the enemy.

But labeling anyone in this show "the bad guys" is much harder than recognizing the concept of people being enemies.

So I don't find clarity that would make me cheer if Elizabeth or Phillip gets killed, or make me outraged if Stan were to be killed. To me they are three characters struggling to make sense of their circumstances.


----------



## Supramom2000

Sorry, I still disagree. The Russians have always been the "bad guys" and still are. Russian mafia and car theft/chop shop rings are active every where. The country of Russia still lies to us and backs China against us all the time. They seem to back whatever and whoever we disagree with when it comes to global politcis.

Regardless, I want who I view as the "bad guy" to get caught. I like how they show Elizabeth viewing us as the bad guy. I get her dedication and devotion. But the show is taking place in America, not Russia. Thus, from our prism, she is the bad guy.


----------



## phrelin

In the sense of the traditional "good guys versus bad guys" old western or WWII war movie I intellectually agree with your view.

But the Dictionary.com definition of "bad" throws me off in this show's scenario:








I'm not emotionally comfortable with defining these characters using that definition. That's why I prefer to use "enemy":








I know it's probably silly, but sometimes my gut makes these things complicated.


----------



## MysteryMan

"We will bury you", Nikita Khrushchev 18 November 1956. Red China, North Korea, the Warsaw Pact. All bi-products of Communist Russia. I still have Russian steel embedded in my hand and leg from when I was wounded in Vietnam. No doubt in my mind who the bad guys were then and still are today.


----------



## Nick

Spooks riding around in cars and walking around in parks.

The season four finale of "*The Americans - Persona Non Grata*" was a let down for me.
The so-called cliffhangers were weak, and the episode's plot was virtually non-existent,
as if the writers had run out of ideas and picked up previously rejected notes from the trash
can. Having the two dads sneak up on the smooching teens was tacky and awkward to me.

Still, I look fwd to season 5 with the hope that the producers and writers get their act together.

(I hope the absence of posts in this thread for _three years_ doesn't mean that the show has 
run the course - am I the only one left watching?)


----------



## Supramom2000

I stopped watching somewhere towards the end of the second season. I couldn't stand how the Russians spies were winning everything, and our FBI agents were stupid doofuses! It was just too depressing. My husband still watches.


----------



## MysteryMan

Nick said:


> Spooks riding around in cars and walking around in parks.
> 
> The season four finale of "*The Americans - Persona Non Grata*" was a let down for me.
> The so-called cliffhangers were weak, and the episode's plot was virtually non-existent,
> as if the writers had run out of ideas and picked up previously rejected notes from the trash
> can. Having the two dads sneak up on the smooching teens was tacky and awkward to me.
> 
> Still, I look fwd to season 5 with the hope that the producers and writers get their act together.
> 
> (I hope the absence of posts in this thread for _three years_ doesn't mean that the show has
> run the course - am I the only one left watching?)


Elizabeth and Philip told to pack their bags by Gabriel......Arkady Ivanovich Zotov told by the FBI to leave the country in 48 hrs......Oleg Igorevich Burov stating he's returning home to his family......William Crandall while near death may still spill the beans......Episode 1 of season five should prove interesting.


----------



## phrelin

Nick said:


> Spooks riding around in cars and walking around in parks.
> 
> The season four finale of "*The Americans - Persona Non Grata*" was a let down for me.
> The so-called cliffhangers were weak, and the episode's plot was virtually non-existent,
> as if the writers had run out of ideas and picked up previously rejected notes from the trash
> can. Having the two dads sneak up on the smooching teens was tacky and awkward to me.
> 
> Still, I look fwd to season 5 with the hope that the producers and writers get their act together.





Supramom2000 said:


> I stopped watching somewhere towards the end of the second season. I couldn't stand how the Russians spies were winning everything, and our FBI agents were stupid doofuses! It was just too depressing. My husband still watches.





MysteryMan said:


> Elizabeth and Philip told to pack their bags by Gabriel......Arkady Ivanovich Zotov told by the FBI to leave the country in 48 hrs......Oleg Igorevich Burov stating he's returning home to his family......William Crandall while near death may still spill the beans......Episode 1 of season five should prove interesting.


This season's ending was a "wrap up" either to move us on to different circumstances next season or end the series. IMHO it is fortunate for me that it has been given two more seasons.

This season's story arc was about the daughter, now an American teenager. Again, as I posted in 2013, this is a story about a marriage surviving in unusual circumstances that was expanded this year to include "what happens when the kids find out" making it more complex emotionally.

I find this show intriguing because it is based on truth (perhaps, loosely, perhaps not) as explained in the Wikipedia entry *Illegals Program*. If you need a little more stimulation there is an FBI website page entitled *Operation Ghost Stories: Inside the Russian Spy Case* which includes not only photos but video.

Read the Wikipedia entries to help put this complex story of people into perspective, in particular about these three couples who had kids:

_2.3 Andrey Bezrukov and Yelena Vavilova (*Donald Heathfield and Tracey Lee Ann Foley*)_
_2.4 Vladimir and Lidiya Guryev (*Richard and Cynthia Murphy*)_
_2.5 Mikhail Kutsik and Nataliya Pereverzeva (*Michael Zottoli and Patricia Mills*)_


----------

