The Americans -- Season 5

[RPS]

Season Five trailer: https://youtu.be/HjuUkbhsI24

The Americans, from showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg is, in my view, the best show on television (more here, here, here and here) and has been since its debut episode, which I was fortunate to catch because of Andy Greenwald's glowing review for Grantland. Yet it has still managed to get better every season. Season five kicks off March 7 on FX.

Much has been made of the show's quality as well as its relative lack of viewers. Does anybody else here watch? Agree with me?

I'd like this to be a place to talk about the show if anyone is interested.

[Blue KevIL]

I've been on board since the first episode aired.
There was an amazing scene in the pilot episode that was set to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" -- had me hooked at that point.

Totally love this show. Can't wait for Season 5 to start.

[RPS]

In season three’s most powerful episode (see here), Elizabeth (one-half of the "husband and wife" Soviet spy team that is the heart of the series, deep undercover in the U.S., played by Keri Russell) rationalizes her life to a motherly older woman (played a fantastic Lois Smith -- of East of Eden (with James Dean), Fatal Attraction, Next Stop Greenwich Village, Fried Green Tomatoes, Dead Man Walking, Twister and so much more, that Lois Smith) whom she’s about to kill: she’s committing bad acts for a greater cause, she says. Smith replies, in horror, “That’s what evil people tell themselves when they do evil things.” As Andy Greenwald said of Smith, "Without ever moving from behind a creaking desk, she suffused the screen with the warmth of a life fully lived — and quickly followed it with a sharp chill of fear at the prospect of that life coming to an end."

[RPS]

There was an amazing scene in the pilot episode that was set to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" -- had me hooked at that point.

Yes! And Fleetwood Mac makes another appearance -- in season three, to provide a nice bookend.

https://youtu.be/3_onW1c-9pU

[Troublemaker]

I'm down, RPS. The Americans is definitely my favorite drama right now. Look forward to discussing season 5 with y'all when it starts up.

[WV_Iron_Duke]

Have been with the show since the beginning. However, I think last year was a significant drop off from the first two seasons.

[budwom]

have we finally jettisoned the utterly hapless Martha? I hope so...

[Gooch]

I love the show...trying to catch up since we got a late start. I love all the 90's references and remembering that time as a young kid. Thank goodness my parents didn't let me get nervous about the Russians and nuclear war!

[Troublemaker]

have we finally jettisoned the utterly hapless Martha? I hope so...

Martha's a great character, imo, played by a great actress who pulled off haplessness with strength.

[lotusland]

I love the show...trying to catch up since we got a late start. I love all the 90's references and remembering that time as a young kid. Thank goodness my parents didn't let me get nervous about the Russians and nuclear war!

Early 80s not 90s right? Reagan is president. I've only finished season 3 tho. I'm a season behind waiting on amazon prime. I love The Americans. Second best FX series behind Justified. Neat looking at Russia through Cold War lenses given current events.

[Troublemaker]

Early 80s not 90s right? Reagan is president. I've only finished season 3 tho. I'm a season behind waiting on amazon prime. I love The Americans. Second best FX series behind Justified. Neat looking at Russia through Cold War lenses given current events.

Yeah, it's the 80s. Gooch must've made a typo.

Besides the music and movies of the 80s and other pop culture references, there is also EST, which I had totally forgotten about until watching this show.

[Gooch]

Early 80s not 90s right? Reagan is president. I've only finished season 3 tho. I'm a season behind waiting on amazon prime. I love The Americans. Second best FX series behind Justified. Neat looking at Russia through Cold War lenses given current events.

Yeah mixed up the decades. I remember well I was at a Cub Scout meeting when the news came through of Reagan being shot...definitely the 80's.

Will have to check out Justified...

[budwom]

Martha's a great character, imo, played by a great actress who pulled off haplessness with strength.

She did...but watching her fawn over "Clark" was just awful...right now she's probably #4523 in line for toilet paper at Moscow Toilet Works #2.

[RPS]

If you want to read reviews of The Americans, click on the links for seasons one, two, three, four and five. As you will see, the critical consensus is that the series has gotten better each season. I agree.

[gotoguy]

I developed a huge crush on Keri Russell in the movie "Waitress." Love the show. She is such a hard*ss. I'm onboard comrades

[Troublemaker]

She did...but watching her fawn over "Clark" was just awful...right now she's probably #4523 in line for toilet paper at Moscow Toilet Works #2.

Ah, gotcha. She played her role so well, it was at times cringy -- agreed.

Yeah, I actually wouldn't mind a small segment of one episode devoted to showing what life is like for Martha in Russia. For some reason, it would be way more interesting than the segments with Nina (which did mercifully end) even though I'm supposed to want to watch the eye candy.

[Troublemaker]

Have been with the show since the beginning. However, I think last year was a significant drop off from the first two seasons.

If you want to read reviews of The Americans, click on the links for seasons one, two, three, four and five. As you will see, the critical consensus is that the series has gotten better each season. I agree.

If I were going to grade/rank the seasons, I think it was season 2 that stood out as subpar. I just didn't like how that story concluded.

But subpar for the Americans is still great. I'd probably give season 2 an 8.5/10 and the other seasons a 9.5 or 10.

[lotusland]

Yeah mixed up the decades. I remember well I was at a Cub Scout meeting when the news came through of Reagan being shot...definitely the 80's.

Will have to check out Justified...

Justified is/was 6 seasons of awesomeness. Second favorite all-time behind The Wire.

[budwom]

Ah, gotcha. She played her role so well, it was at times cringy -- agreed.

Yeah, I actually wouldn't mind a small segment of one episode devoted to showing what life is like for Martha in Russia. For some reason, it would be way more interesting than the segments with Nina (which did mercifully end) even though I'm supposed to want to watch the eye candy.

I had the opportunity to spend ten days in Moscow and St. Pete in the early 1980s, and life there was almost indescribably bleak (though I met dozens of wonderful people).
I expected something a bit scary, and it was much worse...fortunately I wasn't on a tour (difficult to arrange going there alone, believe me) and had some exceptional experiences.
In short, I doubt if Martha is living the high life.

[RPS]

The season premier will be broadcast on Fx tonight at 10pm.