The Americans [FX - Spoilers]

Kilkenny14 · 18-04-2015 12:29am

DMcL1971 wrote: »

I don't quite get why most people seem to be shocked by Philip/Clark's wig removal and are assuming that Martha is now a goner. I didn't get that feeling at all. Martha knows that he wears a wig but she had never seen him without it. He had no murderous or evil intent in his eyes when he removed it.

The impression that I got was that he did it as a gesture to show that he was willing to no longer hide anything from her. Symbolically the wig represents his deception and lies. He is now willing to show her his real self without any more deception. If it works then it should bring her closer to him and make her trust him again. If it doesn't work, then yes, she will have to go.

I'd agree with that. I'm watiing to see what Stan is going to do next? Tell Gad of his suspicions or trail Martha? Or confide in his good neighbour Stan?

The Black Oil · 18-04-2015 9:59am

Anyone know what Lisa's husband's up to?

https://twitter.com/leo_girl/status/589189763661484032

thegreengoblin · 18-04-2015 11:54pm

I think they got the wig cliffhanger spot on. It really could go either way. I don't think Philip will kill Martha but...it's the kind of show where it can easily happen and we shouldn't be surprised by it. Maybe he'll try to do it and Stan will turn up again.

Which leads me to ask this: if Philip knew Stan was at Martha's surely he could never risk going there again so why did he go back? Surely he would think the FBI now have her apartment under surveillance, despite him trying to convince Martha that they don't suspect her. But it was a fantastic reveal. I can't wait to see what happens.

On a side note, I loved hearing Vienna by Ultravox. That song has such a cold war vibe to it, the video too. It has a real eerie feel to it, it always reminded me of dark, wintry nights and I think it slotted in nicely...even if it was a very truncated version of the song!

expectationlost · 19-04-2015 12:04am

The Black Oil wrote: »

Anyone know what Lisa's husband's up to?

https://twitter.com/leo_girl/status/589189763661484032

about 10k? more in cash

MagicMarker · 19-04-2015 12:10pm

It sounds to me like Phillip does actually love Martha.... or am I way off?

zeffabelli · 19-04-2015 3:08pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

It sounds to me like Phillip does actually love Martha.... or am I way off?

I think Phillip is not as good as his wife is as compartmentalising.

Im not sure in this scene, if it is true vulnerability or of its a tactic to to reverse Martha's decision by displaying such trust.

She is definitely going to have to go. Phillip will be ordered to kill her off. I wonder if this + Paige would be enough to trigger Phillip into turning. It would be facinating, maybe impossible for the writers, to have Phillip still married to Elizabeth as a turned agent.

Black Menorca · 19-04-2015 3:57pm

I said two weeks ago that Philip go double, reporting to Stan, while still married to Elizabeth.

It would be epic next season.

expectationlost · 19-04-2015 11:18pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

It sounds to me like Phillip does actually love Martha.... or am I way off?

i think he feels sorry for her, what i wonder is what have they been doing for the last 15? years that they are just tackling these dilemmas now

expectationlost · 20-04-2015 1:32am

Black Menorca wrote: »

I said two weeks ago that Philip go double, reporting to Stan, while still married to Elizabeth.

It would be epic next season.

he would have to lose a child first.

Kirby · 20-04-2015 3:51pm

expectationlost wrote: »

he would have to lose a child first.

Everybody expects it to be Paige.....so it will be Henry. Calling it now. :P

FloatingVoter · 20-04-2015 5:04pm

Kirby wrote: »

Everybody expects it to be Paige.....so it will be Henry. Calling it now. :P

I'd nearly expect. Paige is old and wise enough to be at least discreet. If the younger dimmer lad gets half the story it would be around the playground before noon.
Were Philip's co-worker Elizabeth * to get wind of that, she might just do it.

* I'm using assignations not marriage vows here.

The Black Oil · 20-04-2015 9:39pm

Given the proper training, some field experience and a time jump, Paige could be a spy in the Clinton administration.

Her soundtrack would have to change, naturally.

FloatingVoter · 20-04-2015 9:51pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Given the proper training, some field experience and a time jump, Paige could be a spy in the Clinton administration.

Her soundtrack would have to change, naturally.

Buy her a blue dress and give her a field name - Monica for example.

squonk · 21-04-2015 10:11am

Aw poor Paige. I actually really feel sorry for her. Holly Taylor is doing a fantastic job this season. She's a sweet young girl who's trying to find herself and what she believes and suddenly has the most insane revalation every just land in her lap. It's not helped by the fact her mother is a cold, hard-ass bítch intent on having her follow in her footsteps. I'm hoping that she sides with Philip.

I can see Henry getting into trouble though. He's awfully close to Beeman and if he hears something he shouldn't, it mightn't be beyond the bounds of possibility that the information could make it's way to Stan. I think the show is really getting into some fascinating terriroty at this point.

The Black Oil · 21-04-2015 7:38pm

I don't think they've developed Henry enough beyond some light relief, his porn collection, etc.

Checking out some podcasts based around the show. One's called Watching The Americans, the other, Rise Comrades. :pac:

DMcL1971 · 21-04-2015 9:32pm

The Black Oil wrote: »

Checking out some podcasts based around the show. One's called Watching The Americans, the other, Rise Comrades. :pac:

I have been listening to both of these this season. Watching The Americans, in my opinion, is the better of the two. They release an episode each week covering that weeks episode. They are pretty quick about getting the episodes out, whereas Rise Comrades are nearly two weeks behind at this stage. Watching The Americans also cover what was going on in the news at the time the episode was set and fills in some back story of the politics and technology. Also in the last couple of weeks they have had interviews with Kelly AuCoin (Pastor Tim) and Alison Wright (Martha Hanson).

The two guys on Rise Comrades tend to go off on tangents and end up chatting to each other about off topic stuff. Also they don't seem to understand any of the politics. They got particularly mixed up about apartheid.

The official podcast is the one at Slate TV Club Insider. This is also great. Unfortunately it is a bit short but they have had interviews with the creators, writers, stunt people, hair and makeup. Also all the main actors.

The Black Oil · 21-04-2015 9:44pm

Yeah, I listened to one episode of Rise Comrades on the bus today. There's a bit of waffle and they discuss the episode as it plays in the background. Some dissection as they go along. Not the most in depth analysis around, but hey. Is it worth going back through the archives of the other one, or indeed the Slate one?

Can't wait for the finale. Confident they'll maintain the quality of previous ones.

DMcL1971 · 21-04-2015 10:27pm

I would definitely recommend going through all the Slate ones as they are very good and only about 20 minutes each. You could try a couple of the 'Watching The Americans' ones too although they are about 90 minutes each.

http://theamericans.audio.slate.com/

DMcL1971 · 21-04-2015 10:41pm

Podcast Episode 2 has an interesting breakdown of how they shot the scene of folding Annelise's body into the suitcase using a combination of the real actress, a body double, a contortionist and a puppet.

Episode 5 has an interview with Matthew Rhys.
Episode 6 has an interview with Keri Russell.
Episode 7 has an interview with Noah Emmerich about the episode that he directed.
Episode 8 has an interview with Alison Wright and with the stunt co-ordinator about how the did the tyre burn of Venter.
Episode 9 has an interview with costume people.
Episode 10 has an interview with Holly Taylor which unfortunately gets cut very short.
Episode 12 has an interview with hair and makeup people with plenty of wig talk.

Black Menorca · 22-04-2015 7:47pm

Alison Wright is a Geordie lass, well from Sunderland but you know what I mean. What a shock to hear her real accent.

DMcL1971 · 22-04-2015 7:53pm

Yes, that took me by surprise and I wasn't aware that Matthew Rhys is Welsh. They both make very convincing Americans (or Russians pretending to be Americans!).

Black Menorca · 22-04-2015 7:57pm

Matthew has a heavy Welsh accent, I'd say he's a native Welsh speaker too. Yes excellent voice coaching.

The Black Oil · 22-04-2015 8:14pm

Got through 2 more episodes of the Rise Comrades podcast, I'll drop it for now. Am about half way through one of WTA - those folks seem more confident in their presentation style.

Kirby · 23-04-2015 8:57am

Looks like Pastor Tim will get to meet his maker in next years premiere.

I hate the long wait....

DMcL1971 · 23-04-2015 9:04am

That was a fantastic season finale! It's gonna be a long wait to see where things go next.

Kilkenny14 · 23-04-2015 9:29am

Great finale. Philip came really close to telling Elizabeth he is at breaking point, but she couldn't drop her focus away from Reagan to see it.

Matthew Rhys deserves an Emmy for his acting this season, but everyone on the show has been killing it.

It's going to be a long wait, but I am really glad there is a season 4.

snubbleste · 23-04-2015 9:39am

It's almost like the Dallas cliffhanger of old.
Excellent show

DMcL1971 · 23-04-2015 10:01am

Beware season finale spoiler below!!!

A model for a great season finale, every characters plotline was addressed and they all took a step forward and a twist at the same time. Very satisfying and really sets things up well for the next season.

I really didn't see it coming that Philip would kill the FBI IT guy and stage it as a suicide. That should get Martha off the hook. But as Elizabeth correctly points out there is no way of knwing how Martha might react to this. I'm sure she will be relieveved that the FBI won't be looking at her anymore, but she is going to feel enormous guilt over her causing a death. Also, in her eyes Clarke (Philip) has now gone from a liar to a murderer. Considering how badly she has taken the fact that she was lied to, god only kows how she will react to this. Her world has really fallen apart in such a short time. She has gone from thinking she was doing a noble thing in helping Clarke, to finding out that she was unwittingly commiting treason and it now responsible for a murder.

Stan had a great episode. He thought he did the right thing. Then was crushed by Gaad's reaction and thought his career was over. Then it all turned around for him and he gets to be the hero. It is s a shame though that he couldn't help Nina. He now seems to be the golden boy in Gaad's superiors eyes. This may encourage him to follow up on any other hunches he might have like, why is Martha acting strange. Also he won't have to take any more suspicion from Aderholt. Then to cap it all off he has a new buddy in Henry to keep him company.

Elizabeth got to see her mother. She seems to think that things went really well with Paige and that she is on the right track for her future budding spy career. However, Paige breaks down and spills the beans to Pastor Tim. This could mean that Pastor Tim tells the authorities or he confronts Philip and Elizabeth, which would sign his own death warrant or he keeps it to himself and it ticks like a time bomb thoughout season 4 or no doubt something much cleverer that the writers can come up with.

Poor Nina, I can't tell for sure anymore whether she is being honest or lying to save herself. Even when she tells the truth I can't tell whether she is really opening up or just trying to win over somenes trust in order to take advantage of them.

Philip, wow, he is really close to cracking. It has been a slow built but Gabriel has been treating him badly, he was straining from the Kimmy situation, he was pressured over Paige, pressured over Martha. Everywhere there is pressure and he is constantly being forced to do things he doesn't want to do. Killing the innocent IT guy might just be the final straw. He then finds himself going to EST meetings because he is not happy and doesn't know why and is looking for answers. EST then teaches about being true to yourself and doing what you want and what is right for yourself rather than others. All this is pushing him over the edge.

This show just gets better and better. In my opinion it is right up there with the greats like The Wire or Breaking Bad. If they can keep up this level of quality writing I hope it continues for a few more seasons.

Fred Swanson · 23-04-2015 12:08pm

This post has been deleted.

FloatingVoter · 23-04-2015 12:21pm

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

...I was remembering how the games were so much better back then. Nice to see them really blowing the budget on the trip to Europe.

The Americans [FX - Spoilers]

Comments