The Americans [FX - Spoilers]

Temaz

Once Stan suspects his perfect neighbours the show will go into orbit.

For such a brilliantly written show as this I have no doubt the tension and cat/mouse scenarios they will come up with will make for brilliant viewing for fans.

iguana

Thought this was a great episode. I loved all the flashbacks to the 60s but what was really standout was Philip's reaction to Paige lying to him about visiting Aunt Helen.

FloatingVoter

iguana wrote: »

Thought this was a great episode. I loved all the flashbacks to the 60s but what was really standout was Philip's reaction to Paige lying to him about visiting Aunt Helen.

Yes...he's already beginning to put her in his world - "lying will not be tolerated". As conflicted with the burning of the letter. She wants them to stay American kids - he's willing to deal with reality but is the girl ?
Oh...and her convenient friend that she met on the trip (I have my suspicions).
This show is getting better and better. I'm starting to suspect our scalping friend might be working an angle as well. No wonder this lot all wound up dead or alcoholic ****ups.

The Black Oil

2.03

No way that letter could survive. Good scene, mind.

Obviously the kids were the big theme of this one. Good man, Henry - keep nerding it up. As for Paige's 'technically a hamburger', oh did I lol at that! A little bit of the paranoia that's been floating around had me thinking that her field trip would involve us seeing her being followed, but we don't need that when aunt Helen's a layer to keep things at bay. Philip can do the angry dad thing without spitting fire.

The 'Jackie' wig was a little odd, but mix it with a crow bar, I tell ya.

Stan said the 3 words. You could see the wheels turning in Nina's head.

Scalping tickets be capitalist, yo!

iguana

FloatingVoter wrote: »

I'm starting to suspect our scalping friend might be working an angle as well. No wonder this lot all wound up dead or alcoholic ****ups.

That KGB guy is working in science and technology. I'm wondering, seeing as this is 1982, if his introduction is a way of showing us the fallout of Vladimir Vetrov's betrayal of the Line X spies. I hope it is as it would be great link to a not so well known but quite important piece of recent history.

expectationlost

can the sun not figure out your supposed to keep the thing pinned togther in the center

Mc Love

Crazy fight scene at the end!

iguana

She was praying Philip praying!

expectationlost

iguana wrote: »

She was praying Philip praying!

he didn't tell her about her trip?

The Black Oil

expectationlost wrote: »

he didn't tell her about her trip?

Didn't seem like it..?

2.04

I just really like how this show works and brings its different elements together.

The Claudia and Elizabeth relationship picked up right where it left off. Obviously the fight at the end echoed Claudia's concern. The story Elizabeth told the sailor was pretty disturbing and convincing, one review mentioned that it mirrored what we heard/saw in the pilot.

Some sort of investigation into Gaad was inevitable. I like him. Meanwhile, Oleg dials up the nepotism to get access. His talk with Nina was interesting, one for the future, maybe? Remember, in Soviet Russia, you call everyone by their full name! Wonder what Martha's next move is.

The reaction to Paige's praying at dinner made me laugh. Poor Henry just can't catch a break.

expectationlost

my theory for why claudia the handler looked so ashen faced

she killed the family

Alfred Borden

This worth starting?

tunguska

Raf32 wrote: »

This worth starting?

Yeah definitely. The story lines are really strong but its the acting for me that makes it stand out. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are Brilliant. Set in 1980 so Top soundtrack too.

Alfred Borden

tunguska wrote: »

Yeah definitely. The story lines are really strong but its the acting for me that makes it stand out. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are Brilliant. Set in 1980 so Top soundtrack too.

thank you, ill give it a go later so

The Black Oil

Aren't they just great?

Alfred Borden

Well i dont regret starting this, its excellent. Cant believe i didnt start this gem of a show earlier. Back up to date now and really interested in the stan story. Some brilliant acting in there too.

Temaz

The Black Oil wrote: »

Aren't they just great?

Apparently they are getting quite close to each other on the set!

The Black Oil

2.05

Necessarily grim and unsexy at times, but very strong episode overall. Turn the screws into pretty much every character. Some self-doubt for Paige and Elizabeth adds her own extraction (and presumably sex envy!) into the mix.

Really liked Philip's scenes with the Mossad bloke (Cliff Simon, AKA, Baal in Stargate) - two opposing philosophies, without shouting or explosions. It's usually a sign of death when a character starts going on about where they grew up, etc, so it was good that the Mossad bloke wasn't killed. Think the camera closing in on Philip when he was called a monster might be telling, who knows? Maybe not. Oleg's (student of capitalism, ya see) chat with Stan was inevitable, he had to stick his head into the field at some point. Glad to see Gaad is still around equal or junior though he now is, at least he can help with the grunt work of intelligence. n00b handler, we'll see. Solid final scene, back to domestic normality with an alarm buzzer.

'Is President Reagan personally scaling our walls wearing his cowboy hat? We are better at vodka; they are better at cigarettes.' Class

The Black Oil

2.06

Um, well, I'm still shocked from the Clark scene. What are you meant to say after something like that?

The young handler provides directions/missions from the Centre whilst Claudia's role now is mostly experience, and Philip and Elizabeth's safety, right? The other young one who slept with and killed the congressman's aide seems a tad cocky and naive. That was her first blood, yeah?

Stan's in a quite corner. Not sure Nina has walked completely, seems unlikely. 'Blackmail, however, seldom leads to a happy conclusion' - quite.

Framed appearances of two Lenin and Reagan (TV, also) this week, plus Elizabeth's CIA wig and glasses were rather funky. I presume this business of the training camps is going to carry things for the next few episodes. Heavy risks there, methinks.

The FBI's got a fancy dot matrix printing!

Alfred Borden

Strange episode. was good but just found it all very strange.

JP Liz V1

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a563619/the-americans-to-be-renewed-for-third-season-says-fx-boss.html#~oB4EH5JCGx5cBT


Let's hope it is renewed

Alfred Borden

very good episode, progressing nicely now

iguana

This was probably my least favourite episode this year. I thought the description of the Arpanet likening it to Postman God was kind of terrible a lot of the rest of the episode was set up for later, which is fine but it made it a bit slower than normal.

I'm not 100% convinced that Nina passed the lie detector. We didn't see what the guy doing it actually told Stan and as Stan's a professional investigator with serious experience working undercover, it's possible he decided in advance that if Nina failed the test, he would play her.

The Black Oil

2.07

Not the best episode they've done, lacking something. The core mission remains in tact and is still mostly interesting around the edges, and with the build up and the key players.

The positives were the general geekiness and the polygraph stuff. The internet, sorry, computer handshake at the post office, hmm. I did like Philip's wig with the glasses. Even Henry got some profile here and Oleg's a gospel music nerd, who'd a thunk it?

Nina/Oleg polygraph prep in English was decent enough. They do seem to be leaving it open to interpretation as to her status. Stan's obviously got investigative creds, yet it's hard to shake the feeling he's emotionally compromised, but it did feel like there was a crumb or two there to suggest the noose isn't far from Nina.

'Squeeze your anus' - think we'll all remember that one.

Mc Love

Definitely didnt see the end scene ahem coming at all!

FloatingVoter

Lie Detectors are beatable. And anus jokes aside, it does involve manipulating your blood pressure. I think a stone in your shoe might achieve the same effect.

thegreengoblin

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a563619/the-americans-to-be-renewed-for-third-season-says-fx-boss.html#~oB4EH5JCGx5cBT


Let's hope it is renewed

Et voila! Great news.

http://uk.eonline.com/news/532555/the-americans-renewed-for-season-3-by-fx

jack presley

I wonder can they stretch it a few years till the wall comes down

iguana

Well that was a great episode. I'm really glad they are weaving in a fictionalised version of the real life consequences of the CIA counter-measures to the Farewell dossier. Philip's reaction to it was great. He went from loving his car and really enjoying the perks of living in America to being disgusted by it all.

And Henry was unexpectedly heart-rending at the end.

The Black Oil

2.08

Well, who hasn't done a little air guitar in the driveway on a winter morning?! And feckin' hell, is everyone playing computer games, even Oleg? :P He seems a tad overconfident, no?

Welcome to the stealth era and welcome back to Vasili. Mother Russia isn't easy - indeed. A rough week for the commies and emotionally for everyone, really. The submarine propellor thing was clear once Kate was upset. Harsh. You could see the contrast in Philip compared to his earlier discussion about life in America.

Poor Henry. I did feel rather sorry for him in the end. Credit to the actor for actually carrying the scene rather well without it being mawkish. Kitchen, forest and Stan's bureaucrat scenes were rather well done, too.