The Americans -- Season 5

[Troublemaker]

Last night's episode ("Crossbreed") was quintessential slow-burn prestige drama.

Nothing much happened plot-wise, but sooo much happened character development-wise and emotionally.

If you can watch last night's episode and enjoy it or even think that it was great, then you can watch The Americans. Or Better Call Saul, or other slow-burn prestige dramas.

Okay, despite what I wrote above about the "Crossbreed" episode, I must admit the two episodes since then ("Committee..." and "Immersion") have been really slow and somewhat tedious. Hopefully all the setup for this season has been completed. We need to start to see some consequences from everything that has been building. We need some high stakes, some tension going forward.

[Matches]

Okay, despite what I wrote above about the "Crossbreed" episode, I must admit the two episodes since then ("Committee..." and "Immersion") have been really slow and somewhat tedious. Hopefully all the setup for this season has been completed. We need to start to see some consequences from everything that has been building. We need some high stakes, some tension going forward.

Not sure we're going to see that this season. Seems like they're putting cards on the table for the sixth (final) season. I'm not finding it tedious at all though - really interesting to watch P&E's respective honeypotting operations going awry.

[Troublemaker]

Not sure we're going to see that this season. Seems like they're putting cards on the table for the sixth (final) season. I'm not finding it tedious at all though - really interesting to watch P&E's respective honeypotting operations going awry.

For me, that's a bit disappointing if true, since we are watching this week-to-week (and will have to wait a year for the next season) instead of binging it all at once.

That said, at least a couple of things will resolve themselves before the end of the season. The mission to make Pascha feel bad and have him and his mom return to Russia. Oleg - live or die.

Philip's going to crack eventually but that seems like a Season 6 thing.

Good episode this week. I enjoyed seeing a bunch of folks we hadn't seen in awhile.

[budwom]

Martha living the high life in Moscow with the open faced potato and onion plate. Back then the very well connected could go to the fancy DipGas (diplomatic gastronome) stores
which were pretty much like a decent western market. Regrettably, Martha didn't make the cut...even Gabriel's cheerful visit didn't do much to lift her spirits...pretty gruesome scene.

[Troublemaker]

Martha living the high life in Moscow with the open faced potato and onion plate. Back then the very well connected could go to the fancy DipGas (diplomatic gastronome) stores
which were pretty much like a decent western market. Regrettably, Martha didn't make the cut...even Gabriel's cheerful visit didn't do much to lift her spirits...pretty gruesome scene.

"I understand everything now, Gabriel. ALL of it."

THE moment of the episode, I thought. I felt so bad for Martha.

[Troublemaker]

Amazing episode last night, imo.

The wedding scene, followed by the dark room scene. Brilliant 1-2 punch.

[Troublemaker]

So, it looks like the show is ready to move into its endgame, assuming Elizabeth meant at the end that she's ready for them to retire to Russia.

I like how after all these years of Philip remaining loyal to the cause (not defecting) because of Elizabeth, it's now Elizabeth who's ready to abandon the cause in large part because of Philip, who really is done with all this spy stuff and probably is going to crack soon.

Clearly, we shouldn't expect that "the Center" will allow them to retire. And even then, it'll be really hard to tell Paige and Henry that's they're going to move to Russia. A lot of drama will be derived from those two things.

[Matches]

"I understand everything now, Gabriel. ALL of it."

THE moment of the episode, I thought. I felt so bad for Martha.

Right? On the one hand, she finally got a little agency. These people absolutely ruined her life and then act like she ought to be grateful to them for not putting a bullet in her head when they were done with her. And even at the end when she was leaving the US she's all "can you come visit sometimes?". So it's good to see her finally get the insight she was missing for all that time.

But on the other hand, her life is ruined and she can never go home or even contact her parents again. And her future is likely to be bleak, lonely and depressing.

[Troublemaker]

Right? On the one hand, she finally got a little agency. These people absolutely ruined her life and then act like she ought to be grateful to them for not putting a bullet in her head when they were done with her. And even at the end when she was leaving the US she's all "can you come visit sometimes?". So it's good to see her finally get the insight she was missing for all that time.

But on the other hand, her life is ruined and she can never go home or even contact her parents again. And her future is likely to be bleak, lonely and depressing.

Indeed. I'm interested in seeing if things turn out better for the asset that Stan and Aderholdt are running. Probably not, since she's even more hopelessly naive than Martha if she thinks she can just divulge what she's been up to with the FBI to her boyfriend (and now fiance, I guess). Pretty funny scene seeing Stan and Aderholdt react to the situation.

Good penultimate episode to the season overall, although it's really hard to believe P&E would have that conversation with Pastor Tim -- what if he thought returning to Russia would be awful for Paige and Henry? Claudia put on a good face for P&E when discussing their retirement, but it's still doubtful "the Center" would allow them to leave so easily. Tuan is a maniac and Pasha is probably dead in his bathtub right now. Oleg is probably done for, too, in the season finale. Paige trashing her cross, being impressed with the KGB's ability to move Tim, and delighting in practicing her moves in the garage is somewhat unnerving (despite it all being a relief to her). She has the wrong idea about the spy game because her parents only present her the positive side of it, and she seems very honeypot-able at this point like Jared was in season 2.

[budwom]

So does Henry get to go to the fancy U.S. prep school, or State Polytechnic Institute Number Three?
Not sure the kids will love this (potential) move.
When Paige was setting up the punching bag, I thought for a moment she was about to hang herself.

[jimmymax]

I thought for a moment she was about to hang herself.

Sorry to be ugly but I would have been OK with that. Not enjoying the soap opera home-life theme that now dominates the show -- end it! In the early years, before the kids were characters, Philip and Elizabeth did spy stuff all night long with no obvious babysitting support which was humorous but contributed to continuity IMO. Now their "work" is episode filler that doesn't tie in. We all understand that P & E are conflicted and the kids are American teens, yet we are hit over the head with this info each week. And that scene with Martha in Russia...why? Is that going anywhere or is it needlessly tying up a loose end from last season? My favorite scene from last week, perhaps the whole season, was the one with Oleg and his father. Finally, I keep imagining that pastor Tim (see ya!) is Philip with yet another wig...

[Matches]

Wow, so *that's* where the line is for Elizabeth, huh? Five seasons of wondering, now we know.

[Troublemaker]

Philip, you should've thrown away the tape.

[Matches]

So something's definitely up with Stan's girlfriend, right? If she's not a Soviet plant she's CIA, yes?

[Troublemaker]

So something's definitely up with Stan's girlfriend, right? If she's not a Soviet plant she's CIA, yes?

Oh, yes. Her attempt to convince him to stay in counterintelligence was very suspicious. CIA is an interesting theory. Perhaps in Season 6 Philip will catch Breland on tape talking about the CIA's honeypot mission of Stan Beeman. But I'm betting she's Russian.

[budwom]

^ in theory the CIA can't do that stuff inside the U.S. (I know, I know). More likely (if she's on the U.S. side) she'd be FBI affiliated.

[Channing]

Other than the last little bit, Season 5 was missing the risk of P &E getting found out (think Stan in the garage, E beating up the agents, etc.). I thought the season was good ... but hopefully next season brings back some of the action. Also, totally agree with the person who said the family drama is a bit much.

[Troublemaker]

Other than the last little bit, Season 5 was missing the risk of P &E getting found out (think Stan in the garage, E beating up the agents, etc.). I thought the season was good ... but hopefully next season brings back some of the action. Also, totally agree with the person who said the family drama is a bit much.

Agreed, it was the weakest season by far. Almost purposefully, since they treated it as setup for Season 6, but that does put a lot of pressure on Season 6 to be great now. I hope they knock it out of the park.

[mr. synellinden]

Agreed, it was the weakest season by far. Almost purposefully, since they treated it as setup for Season 6, but that does put a lot of pressure on Season 6 to be great now. I hope they knock it out of the park.

I came very close to giving up on it because it was such a dull, disjointed season with very little forward moving action. It feels like they could have condensed the whole season into 2 or 3 episodes and not lost a thing. Did we need the whole Russia food angle and the wheat story and Oleg's investigation into the corruption in Russia. The whole Pasha/Tuan thing was largely uninteresting and out of nowhere they bring the Kimmy thing back. It felt a little like the last few seasons of Lost.

I was bored most episodes.

[gus]

I came very close to giving up on it because it was such a dull, disjointed season with very little forward moving action. It feels like they could have condensed the whole season into 2 or 3 episodes and not lost a thing. Did we need the whole Russia food angle and the wheat story and Oleg's investigation into the corruption in Russia. The whole Pasha/Tuan thing was largely uninteresting and out of nowhere they bring the Kimmy thing back. It felt a little like the last few seasons of Lost.

I was bored most episodes.

I'm only hanging on hoping they finally get caught.