The Americans [FX - Spoilers]

kearneybobs

Would have liked Stan slowly bringing the clues together a little earlier in the season and where the most recent episode ends would be great if there was a couple more to get through.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

iguana

I can't get over the fact that all these years they've been conducting super secret spy business in a basement with a window! :pac:

Cloudio9

Now that Elizabeth has burnt Claudia/the centre presumably they have no extraction option back to Russia.

I’m disappointed that they decided to rehabilitate Elizabeth. Her taking out the assassin was just ridiculous. It’s a weakness of US drama writing that our lead characters are both going to end up signed up to American values.

charkee

how does henry figure in all of this?

Are they going to do a runner and leave him at his college??

We are not seeing it from his perspective at all?

Slydice

I searched a good bit but can't find anywhere to confirm..
but in Grace's latest twitch stream Q&A she mentions (around 55mins in) that the finale of The Americans is due to be an hour and a half long:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/265088136

imdb only say 44mins so I dunno

90 mins would give them a good, mini-feature film finish to the show. That would probably do the trick once they have the story figured out.

FatherTed

Yes it's scheduled to be 90 mins on FX.

Pelvis

90 including ads, more like 60,which isn't much more than usual. Last episode was 48 mins

The Black Oil

It was always going to come down to their marriage/relationship/family. Think back to that moment from Philip an episode or two ago - we do it, not them.

Have to admit I didn't recognise Tatiana lying there after Elizabeth took her out. Almost like the wig on the ground was a nod to 'do the wigs ever come off?' :pac:

I did enjoy the Stan/Oleg stuff too - a coded message to the USSR - was expecting Stan to say are you fuppin' kidding me?!

Slydice

That was Tatiana!?! :eek:

SimonTemplar

Whatever happens in the finale, I'm really going to miss this show . I can't believe it doesn't have a wider audience. The writing is on par with some of the best TV series ever and the acting by the leads is phenomenal.

It'll definitely be high on my list of shows to rewatch.

Slydice

10/10 Top Tier Series Finale.
It's not always a show can find an ending for itself like this show has.
About 20 Mins longer than usual.

Overall: Very emotional. The vibes all resigned to the conclusion.

The story:

• The FBI interrogation of the priest was solid and what they got from him. Stan putting it together, the checking and then the standoff was well done. I didn't know how that was going to go.
• Then eveything coming together and them getting out of the country was right on the money. For the audience, I think, they're expert at that by now.
• I wasn't expecting Paige to jump ship at that moment. How she did it and how they showed her later was just right. She grew up in front of us in this show and this did feel kind of like her ultimate graduation to the big leagues.
• The Oleg (and his family) and Henry (with Stan) scenes were also well done. Getting some of the impact across to the audience. Olegs family.. jeez.
• Finally, the scenes in Russia. Either they filmed there or did some good creative work. Then the conversation between Philip and Elizabeth felt like a grand ole goodbye.

The future: I think they've left the door open for something with Renee & Paige on the spy front. Henry and Stan on the American side. Paige always seemed the contender to me:

Slydice wrote: »

No word of a spin-off (Paige or otherwise) yet.

I guess it'll be up to the networks. I imagine Paige would be a more 90s / early 00s show. That vodka scene was so cool!


Extras: Looks like With or Without You was in 1987: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_or_Without_You
It worked for me. Real kinda sombre feeling at that point I think. On youtube if ya want another listen:

Well done to all who made this show!

Slydice

https://twitter.com/TheAmericansFX/status/1002029040184713218

Twitter usually uses bing translate:
https://www.bing.com/Translator

Job completed

https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%20%D0%B2%D1%8B%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BE

Mission Complete

Both work.

The Black Oil

Managed to avoid reading anything before hand. It was trending on Twitter this morning.

Fup me. That garage scene. They really pulled the rug out from under the viewer by having this well before the rest, and the intent of that writing. No traditional interrogation room BS confession, completely shifted any tempo that might have set up expectations of handcuffs, just hit us right between the eyes. Noah Emmerich's face said it all. "You made my life a joke", and did you catch Philip's voice breaking as he mentioned Henry? Even before all of that, the decision to leave him - wow!

I was a little unsure of the garage scene's tone early on. It was hard to know what Stan was going to do after things clicked on his solo run. Of course as the audience we knew what he might ask, then Elizabeth's "why are you acting like this?" So much of it down to that Stan/Philip connection. Ultimately, it was not a scene you'd really punch the air for due to uncertainty - it was nerve inducing as heck. Starting out, Paige was the only one Stan addressed by name at first. If you remember some while back, I think the s4 finale, there was the discussion of it being like a horror film. In a way, that's what we've had all along like being at a theatre - "they're right behind you..." Then the comment about Renee and her face later on too. Back at the FBI, Stan and Adherholt need only share glance to know it was vault time and the trail of devastation left by P and E hangs so much in that room.

Even Bono got a look in?! :pac::eek::cool: I did get a slight tickle out of Philip's final wig, admittedly. Passports enough to pass the smell test. Almost jumped out of my chair seeing Paige on the platform, Christ. Back at home, absolutely nothing said in the car, it wasn't needed. Do, however, say Arkady's full name. In Russian. Those were the days.

But Henry...poor, poor Henry. Stan going to talk to him really got to me.

California Dreamer

So often when tv shows get cancelled you dont get a chance for a proper goodbye but this was known 2 years ago and the writers really did get it right.

For me I was hoping for more in Russia. Possibly even a reunion with Martha.

I was disappointed with the screen time this season for Oleg.

No challenge by Stan on Renee but you know that seed is firmly planted.

I think we have all had a best friend at some stage in our lives where we might have fallen out over a woman, or a man, maybe he slept with your girlfriend but not a Russian spy. You have to feel sorry for Stan and the total shell shock that he showed in that episode.

Overall for me its a 9/10! Its one show I will miss.


https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-americans-podcast/id962741924?mt=2

If you haven't heard it yet the podcast is quite good.

Walter Bishop

A great, satisfying ending to probably the best drama on TV the last few years.

thetimeisnow

Is this show worth a watch.I don't want to read much of this thread to avoid spoilers. On episode 1 . The only thing I know about it is that it has the guy from the wine shoe in it 😅

Walter Bishop

Yes it is, it's been criminally underwatched. That said if you are looking for constant action etc. forget it, this is a slow burner.

FatherTed

Such a great finale. Some were expecting a blood bath or at least someone to die or take the pill. But Phillip's and Elizabeth's sentence is now being apart from their kids which is the worst a parent can take. That parking garage scene, wow. And then the surprise of Paige leaving the train. I could see how she timed it for then as Phillip and Elizabeth would have no chance to jump off or even back track as the next stop was Montreal. Clever inclusion of Brothers in Arms and With or Without You. I'll have to rewatch it again tonight just for those 4 great scenes - the parking garage, the call to Henry, the train and the final scene.

California Dreamer

Listened to the podcast while stuck in traffic. Well worth checking out although Matthew Rhys's welsh accent takes some getting used to.

The Black Oil

They shot the Paige train scene in one take...

DMcL1971

A perfect ending for this show. Emotional and understated. It didn’t need a big chase or a shoot out. The tension was palpable the whole way through and you could feel the pain each character was experiencing. A heartbreak for everyone.

Stan knows he has been fooled, lost his best friend and Rene may not be what he thinks.

Henry has also been fooled and now abandoned.

Paige has chosen to leave her parents and stay in the states but what kind of life will she have. The FBI will be watching her and Claudia was not at the safe house. It is doubtful to me that she can ever become a spy now, even if the FBI can’t prove anything the daughter of known spies will never be able to be trusted.

How will Philip and Elizabeth readjust to life in Russia, knowing no one and without their children.

If Rene is a spy Stan will now catch her.

Oleg will spend many years in jail. His parents have lost another son and his wife and kid are left alone.

Aderholt is about the only person coming out of this situation without their life ruined.

The dream sequence of Elizabeth with Gregory took me by surprise.

Slydice

DMcL1971 wrote: »

The dream sequence of Elizabeth with Gregory took me by surprise.

Yes! That was just so well done!

Shane St.

Great ending to a great series. I might just pester my friends to start it again. I am the only one I know who watches it. Criminally underwatched

SimonTemplar

Well that was absolutely heartbreaking. The line that really got me was when Stan said to Phillip that he was his best friend and Phillip said the same. Despite all the fake relationships the Jennings cultivated over the years, Phillip's friendship with Stan was real and genuine, and they were both there for each other during some of the most difficult parts of their lives. I can't imagine how betrayed Stan felt.

For me, that garage scene was actually more powerful than the scene in Hank's garage in Breaking Bad. Hank was angry, confused and even dazed, but I wouldn't say he was heartbroken. Stan was though, completely heartbroken.

Looking back over the series, it is interesting that the showrunners developed their real friendship. Stan could have been just another mission for the Jennings. But their friendship certainly paid off in this episode.

In terms of Renee, I don't know. I think that little subplot about her joining the FBI is probably a major hint. I doubt a KGB alias would pass a background check, and even if it did, it would seem like too much work for what would be a fairly low level position.

Henry, although devastated, will be OK. Stan will look after him. Paige's future is the most uncertain. Although, that final shot of her does paint a fairly bleak picture. She's smart though, which is a huge asset, so my guess is that she'll be OK in some form. She's still a minor and can claim a certain amount of brainwashing or intimidation by her parents and she doesn't need to divelge how much she knows.

And of course Phillip and Elizabeth spending the rest of the lives without their children is the cruelest punishment of all. It is funny, objectively they are the bad guys. They have killed and manipulated dozens of people. They deserve all the punishment. But also, they are not "bad guys". They were indoctrinated at an early age and were genuinely trying to make their country a better place and believed in the greater good. It is therefore tough not to feel for their loss.

What a stellar series!! I'll really miss it. The only two dips in quality are the prolonged Pastor Tim plot (I never believed the KGB would keep him alive. Far too much of a risk), and the slower than average pace of last season. Overall though, the writing has been incredible and the performances by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were some of the best I've ever seen on TV. I hope it will find a larger audience in the future. It deserves it.

Спасибо и до свидания

Cloudio9

Brothers in Arms and With or Without You. Brilliant choices and two of the greatest rock ballads of the 80's.

Nicely done but I didn't want it to end.

As the real life version of the Americans showed, the kids would not have been allowed just live their American lives. The government would have tried to revoke their citizenship and deport them.

SimonTemplar

Cloudio9 wrote: »

Brothers in Arms and With or Without You. Brilliant choices and two of the greatest rock ballads of the 80's.

Nicely done but I didn't want it to end.

As the real life version of the Americans showed, the kids would not have been allowed just live their American lives. The government would have tried to revoke their citizenship and deport them.

Would you have a link to that story. The kids are technically americans because they were born there.

SimonTemplar

For a moment, I thought that Elizabeth would be caught on the train and would be left behind bars in American while Phillip and Paige made it to Russia. This would have seemed to balance out the killing rampage she went on this season. I was wrong obviously but was right that one of them would be separated.

Cloudio9

SimonTemplar wrote: »

Would you have a link to that story. The kids are technically americans because they were born there.

It’s based on a Canadian case which is ongoing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5778329/Son-Russian-spies-fights-Canadian-citizenship.html

Cloudio9

And one other thing. The final scene treated us to one last image of Elizabeth wearing a polo neck. ðŸ‘