The Americans: Final Season

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Franz Ferdinand
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Franz Ferdinand »

I tend to leave the reviewing and pontificating to the paid professionals, but last week's episode with the Thanksgiving dinner was superb. It's going to be a wrenching final four episodes.
Kellens101
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Kellens101 »

Since we’re almost at the midpoint of this final season, I’ve decided to offer some thoughts on the season up to this point and where it all might be going.

Warning: SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED UP TO THIS POINT!


Based on four episodes, I am very content with how this season is spoiling out so far. It’s not quite up to the level of Seasons 2-4 on the level of one streak of great episodes after another, but after the show went through its most disappointing season last year, this season is almost retroactively justifying that season with its tense, doom-filled atmosphere and dread that all of this will end in painfully devastating fashion very soon.

Right from the season premiere, I’m finding this season incredibly engrossing, keeping Philip and Elizabeth at odds in various ways, which is making for some fascinating, albeit heartbreaking, drama. The whole situation with Paige and Henry, the ways in which Elizabeth can’t ipen up to Philip anymore about the aspects of her work, Philip not being able to open up about his less life-threatening but still disastrous struggles because she resents that he quit the business 3 years before, all of it is being depicted with sadness and intelligence as we watch these two richly-drawn protagonists struggle to connect after 5 years of watching their relationship flourish even amongst all the stress and murder and painful drama. It’s heart-wrenching to watch the strong bond between them sever due to what was a compassionate decision made by Elizabeth in last year’s finale to protect Philip from imploding even further. Now, it’s just made them as distant as ever, due to the lies and secrets they have to keep, Elizabeth’s bond with Paige, and the clear political differences they both share at this point. Elizabeth has always been the one more devoted to the cause, which has made the relationship occasionally difficult at times, but now it’s worse than ever. Philip wants Russia to evolve and make peace with America so the Cold War can finally end and they can all settle down, while Elizabeth still firmly believes in the cause and will take down as many people as she can before any peace is made between the two countries. I find it almost tragic that Elizabeth is still so dedicated to a mission that is slipping further and further away from her now that the Cold War is winding down to a close. This will not end well for her or the marriage at this rate.

I’m also fascinated by Paige’s arc this season. Granted, she is one of my favorite characters on the show and I think Holly Taylor’s work has been wonderful for a while now, but it is still simultaneously exciting and frightening to watch Paige get deeper and deeper into the spy world and begin to make choices of her own, even as she still fully doesn’t understand the extent to which her parents acted in their jobs. I suspect the time will come where Paige finally realizes the monstrous work her parents do/did and all that work will go down the drain. Until then, I’m strangely excited to see Paige become such a mature and interesting young woman, even as I’m dreading where these last 6 episodes will take her.

I’m curious to see where Stan’s plotline will be going now that the season is almost halfway over. The plot with the Russian defectors was one of the weakest of last year, as it seemed the writers were just killing time with pointless filler before the final season. This season, it’s become slightly more necessary as I am sure the emphasis on that couple will pay off and intersect with Philip and/or Elizabeth, but I do want to see more urgency with Stan considering the HUGE secret that is sure to come out eventually in one of the next 6 episodes. I’m dying to see how that will go and I imagine it will feel momentous considering it’s been something slowly building up for 6 seasons. I also want to see Noah Emmerich give a performance that the Emmy voters will not be able to deny this year, as I believe his subtle, unflashy work is really underappreciated in the context of the series.

I cannot see a reason why the Emmys will be able to exclude Keri Russell from the ballot, and she might even win depending on how amazing of a showcase the final episode are for her. She’s been killing it this season, episode after episode showing the huge physical and emotional toll this job is finally taking on her, even as she still is fully committing to her mission. Seeing Russell portray Elizabeth’s anger, exhaustion and frustration with all that she has to do without her partner and the ever-growing stakes of her work in 1987, is jaw-dropping and I hope she gets more showcases this year to emphasize how amazing she is as Elizabeth Jennings.

Matthew Rhys is not far behind and I really hope he also gets some incredible acting showcases in the next 6 episodes. Philip isn’t dealing with matters quite as life-threatening this year, but the stresses of his job at the travel agency, his distance from Paige and Elizabeth, and now his job working with Oleg and reporting his own wife is causing him to feel almost as bad as he did the past 5 seasons when he was slowly imploding inside at how the job was killing his conscience and soul.

So far, this season has been pretty stellar as the time jump from season 5 has showed us the drastic changes in the Jennings family dynamic after 3 years, the divide between Philip and Elizabeth, Paige’s immersion into the spy world, Philip’s struggles as a travel agent paralleling the heavy toll weighing down Elizabeth, and more. The show is setting up all these potentially destructive and disastrous situations that will surely explode in riveting ways very soon and the tense, dread-filled atmosphere of nearly every scene is palpable. I cannot wait to see where this will all be going and I will definitely check again in a few weeks.
Kellens101
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Kellens101 »

I’m dying to see the payoff to 5 seasons’ worth of anxiety-inducing tension. I assume it will be devastating and I do hope that it is hugely satisfying because the audience deserves it after that slow-burning and anticlimactic penultimate season. I am also fascinated to see what is the plan for the Laurie Holden character and, overall, with Stan. Paige has been one of my favorite characters on the show now for about 3 seasons so I am also immensely curious to see where her story goes and how it will be wrapped up. Cannot wait for the premiere.
flipp525
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by flipp525 »

I’m very interested to see what they do with the Laurie Holden character this season. She seems quite the wildcard.
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."

-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Okri
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Okri »

Big Magilla wrote:I was riveted by the first four seasons, but I couldn't watch it after the 2016 elections. It hit too close to home. Maybe I should binge watch the last two seasons and then delve into the final season.
Right there with you. I took a long time to start the fifth season and still haven't finished it.
Big Magilla
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Big Magilla »

I was riveted by the first four seasons, but I couldn't watch it after the 2016 elections. It hit too close to home. Maybe I should binge watch the last two seasons and then delve into the final season.
Kellens101
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by Kellens101 »

I am simultaneously excited and nervous for what could be a heartbreaking and intense final 10 episodes. I’m dying to see how they conclude this fantastic show. Also, I’m praying for Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell to finally win the Emmys they’ve long deserved for these roles, but I’m not getting my hopes up. I also hope Noah Emmerich and Holly Taylor get some great material this season to make their nominations a possibility.
flipp525
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Re: The Americans: Final Season

Post by flipp525 »

Yes!! I cannot wait. It’s amazing how almost newly relevant the show now is with all this Russia stuff going on. I am steeling myself for an incredible final season. I heard that this season begins with a three-year time jump to 1987.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are on Colbert tonight, by the way.
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."

-Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Kellens101
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The Americans: Final Season

Post by Kellens101 »

Is anyone here planning to watch the final season of this incredible show in a week?
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