The Americans
Has anyone been watching The Americans on FX? It takes place in Washington, D.C. in 1981. It’s the height of the Cold War; Ronald Reagan has just been elected. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as two KGB agents posing as an American couple. Their two kids — age 10 and 13 — don’t even know their parents’ true identity.
It’s a heady mix of family scenes (“Hurry up, you’ll be late for school”), espionage, steamy affairs, brutal interrogations, assassinations, you name it.
The season finale was last night. I don’t know how well The Americans did in the ratings, but FX renewed it for a second season after just a few episodes.
I didn’t start watching the show until about halfway through the season. (It started in January.) It took me a few episodes to fully grasp who’s who, all the subplots, etc. But the show was riveting from the first time I watched it, even when I was going “Huh? Who was that?”
And the disguises are brilliant. It wasn't until two or three episodes ago that I suddenly figured out that Phillip (played by Matthew Rhys) and Clark Westerfeld were the same person. Maybe it was spelled out in an earlier episode before I started watching the show, or maybe it was obvious to everyone except me. But it sure was a bolt out of the blue. That poor woman married a man who doesn’t exist — a disguised KGB agent.
Needless to say, last night’s season finale was a wicked cliffhanger. We’ll have to wait ‘til January 2014 to find out what happened.
Labels: The Americans
posted by Tom Harper @ 10:08 AM
7 Comments:
Tom,
Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like a show worth watching!
I remember seeing the preview and thinking that it looked interesting, but then I spaced out thanks to MK-ULTRA mind control rays and forgot to watch it.
Not watching it. I was born in 81, so I have lived the American life fully :) Only show I watch regularly on FX is Justified with Timothy Olyphant as the main character as a federal marshall in KY.
The Americans is a really good show. Love how it gives you a chance to see the situation through the eyes of Russians (who also loved their country).
By the way, I also watch Justified. Another excellent, thought-provoking program.
Jack: It's definitely worth checking out.
Randal: Foiled again by those damn MK-ULTRA mind control rays.
Jess, Jim: I just can't get into Justified, for some reason. I love shows about backwoods Appalachia, and Walton Goggins is great in everything I've ever seen him in. I wanted to like Justified, but somehow it just doesn't click with me.
Hey, just having the name Walton Goggins is pretty cool.
Jim: LOL. With a name like that, he was either the school dork who got his ass kicked all through school, or he got tired of his name getting laughed at and became the baddest motherfucker around.
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