The Americans (2013)

You know, I was going to give this show a look-see. I liked the set-up: a cold-war drama set in the early 1980's....but being asked to root for the Soviet Union...the KGB.....is just asking too much. No matter what mistakes the U.S. has made in its past, it never comes close to the brutality and ruthlessness of the Soviet Union. I just can't imagine "rooting" for an empire that killed 40 million of its own citizens just under Stalin alone. The cold thuggery.....the repression....how on earth could any intelligent Hollywood executive (an oxymoron I admit) think this is justifiable entertainment?

Maybe Joe McCarthy was right.

Stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and the spy drama's EPs tell reporters enough time has passed to sympathize with Soviets -- but are quick to point out that an al-Qaeda version would be "impossible."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/americans-fx-asks-viewers-root-410370

I can sympathise to an extent with brainwashed youth and young idealists/idealogues, but rooting for hard-liner scum like Yuri Andropov is another kettle of fish.

Largo's Shark wrote:

I can sympathise to an extent with brainwashed youth and young idealists/idealogues, but rooting for hard-liner scum like Yuri Andropov is another kettle of fish.

Reading some of the feedback on HR's website, particularly from Damien Roberts, makes one understand how insidious the Left has been at getting to our kids from the earliest age possible...whether it's government run kindergarten classes or college academia, the Left has an agenda, they know if they come right out with it and get in your face about it America would reject it, so they start off slowly by brainwashing the kids.

Hollywood is currently engaged in their own version of McCarthyism by attacking Kathryn Bigelow and ZERO DARK THIRTY and refusing to vote for in the Oscars because of its alleged political views on torture, but then these same ass-clowns turn around and want us to root *FOR* the KGB??? These people are sick like Stalin. I could not possibly overstate my loathing and hatred for Hollywood. If I was allowed to nuke one city, it would probably be Hollywood...Berkely would be a close second.

Communism is fun for the whole family.

I'm Russian and happily watch Russian films/TV series about the Soviet period and espionage, but I'd rather Hollywood not try to portray anything from the Soviet perspective. It usually comes out laughable. I don't see Russia producing many Cold War films from an American perspective... and why would they, when Russia has so many of its own heroes, villains, and stories?

So, has anybody seen it yet?

saint mark wrote:

So, has anybody seen it yet?

Uh, no. I'm American. I don't need to see something to condemn it as wrong. I already know this show is wrong.

But yeah, I'm going to watch it.

GeneralGogol wrote:

I'm Russian and happily watch Russian films/TV series about the Soviet period and espionage, but I'd rather Hollywood not try to portray anything from the Soviet perspective. It usually comes out laughable. I don't see Russia producing many Cold War films from an American perspective... and why would they, when Russia has so many of its own heroes, villains, and stories?

I don't mind seeing movies that portray Soviets as good people. I don't have a problem with seeing films that highlight the bad parts of Soviet history. I just have a problem with Hollywood asking me to root against a country that has done a lot of good, as if somehow there was any moral equivalency between Communism and Capitalism.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Hollywood is currently engaged in their own version of McCarthyism by attacking Kathryn Bigelow and ZERO DARK THIRTY and refusing to vote for in the Oscars because of its alleged political views on torture

Then why is it nominated for Best Picture?

I wish the US was capable of producing a solid spy-thriller series. But, they're not. Not with the way Hollywood and the media are run, always injecting some blatant political rhetoric. Subtext related to politics is interesting, but I feel with TV, especially, they feel the need to cram it down the viewers' throats.

I'm sure the mentality of (most) TV-tuning Americans has to do with it.

Saw the previews for this show, though. Doesn't look that interesting.

I recorded it last night.

I only just heard about this show 2 days ago when I was watching something else on Cable and saw the preview for it.

I haven't watched it yet.

I am one of those who grew up in the early 80's, voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984 (my first time voting at 19), benefited financially from Reaganomics, spent several years between 1984-1987 learning guerrilla warfare tactics and survivalism to get ready for the Red Bear that never came, I will watch this.

Color me impressed with the pilot. I'm a bit worried that the family mechanics will go down some kind of Homeland path -- matter of fact, I'm really hoping The Americans goes down no Homeland paths, which was something in the back of my mind during most of the episode -- but I think it has promise. Keri Russell was surprisingly good and I like the way it feels, I guess. It doesn't feel like Homeland lite, but rather has a bit more hop in its step.

As for the show asking viewers to root against Old Glory, I don't think the show is about that, or at least it never drove me personally to feel that way.

Jack Wade wrote:

Color me impressed with the pilot. I'm a bit worried that the family mechanics will go down some kind of Homeland path -- matter of fact, I'm really hoping The Americans goes down no Homeland paths, which was something in the back of my mind during most of the episode -- but I think it has promise. Keri Russell was surprisingly good and I like the way it feels, I guess. It doesn't feel like Homeland lite, but rather has a bit more hop in its step.

As for the show asking viewers to root against Old Glory, I don't think the show is about that, or at least it never drove me personally to feel that way.

I was impressed with the show as well, but would like to see them show more of the 80's. It looks like the pilot had a limited budget and they may invest more in the series if the pilot is successful. But at no time did I feel transported to the 80's, nor to Washington D.C. The pilot episode was quite good, but now it's time to open the show up a bit. Give it some money. Do some location shooting. Get more cars on the road from the 80's. Get more fashions from the 80's. And couldn't the show have afforded just a little bit of de-aging f/x technology for Keri Russell? She looked in 1980 exactly like she did in 1960.

Show was well directed; had an interesting vibe to it. Sort of moody and hard to define. I put in my DVR as a regular series to record. We'll see where it goes from here.

The pilot was interesting, but I wonder how long they will be able to maintain this tone.
It's somewhere in the middle between campy fun and a serious spy drama.
At one point or another, they will need to fully commit either way and run with it.

I completely lost interest in this after binging on House of Cards. Gotta catch up.

Picked up for a second season:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-americans/fx-orders-second-season-of-the-americans/487767751286830

I'm on episode three. Now that the ball seems to be rolling a little bit now, I can dig it again. Episode two bored me to tears.

Salomé wrote:

The pilot was interesting, but I wonder how long they will be able to maintain this tone.
It's somewhere in the middle between campy fun and a serious spy drama.
At one point or another, they will need to fully commit either way and run with it.

I haven't detected any campiness about it at all. Quite the opposite, really. But you're right about one thing: sustainability. Why? Because this is quickly turning into one of the more complicated, conflicting, complex shows I've ever watched (which is a good thing).

There's a delicate line to walk in this show. I mean, after all, the leads ARE two KGB spies actively working *against* the United States, not to mention the somewhat brutal nature of their operations (poisoning the son of a maid; shooting a neighborhood security guard in the head; handing an operative's wife over to their controllers in what was a certain death). It's going to be hard keeping an audience watching the show week in and week out when there really is no clear-cut good-guy to root for. How do you keep an audience engaged when the heroes are essentially the villains?

And then there is the subplot about how they are a duo that has worked together for 20-something years, but do not necessarily love each other. Plus there's the cold, sort of remote detachment these characters feel and go through as they are ordered to seduce and sleep with other people, then expected to back to their "husband" or "wife" and keep up the appearance of a happily married couple with two kids (two kids who are, interestingly, because taught in school to view Russia as a threat, not knowing their parents are KBG operatives).

There is a lot to juggle for the writers and directors. So far they've done a great job and surprised me; I almost chose not to record this series based on pre-release comments by the people involved. My brain says I shouldn't root for this couple but my heart kind of feels sorry for them. I guess that means this is a good show.

The last two episodes couldn't have been more different in terms of quality.

The one where Philip assists his former lover to discredit the Polish leader was very good.

The follow-up episode was something I'd expect more from a soap opera. I really hope they won't reduce this show to a "will they, won't they" bore-fest between Elizabeth and Philip.

Salomé wrote:

The last two episodes couldn't have been more different in terms of quality.

The one where Philip assists his former lover to discredit the Polish leader was very good.

The follow-up episode was something I'd expect more from a soap opera. I really hope they won't reduce this show to a "will they, won't they" bore-fest between Elizabeth and Philip.

Me either. Like I said originally, I'm a bit worried The Americans is going to file neatly down Homeland's path with the family shit. Granted, I loved episodes six and seven, but I fear it's only a matter of time before it gets too soapy.

Jack Wade wrote:

Salomé wrote:

The last two episodes couldn't have been more different in terms of quality.

The one where Philip assists his former lover to discredit the Polish leader was very good.

The follow-up episode was something I'd expect more from a soap opera. I really hope they won't reduce this show to a "will they, won't they" bore-fest between Elizabeth and Philip.

Me either. Like I said originally, I'm a bit worried The Americans is going to file neatly down Homeland's path with the family shit. Granted, I loved episodes six and seven, but I fear it's only a matter of time before it gets too soapy.

They either need to decide if the agents are really going to be lovers or just two professionals posing as husband and wife. Both ideas could make for good TV, but they need to settle upon one of them.

The last episode is the first I would qualify as rather poor.
Characterization is central to every good show, and this was an hour in which several characters did not behave according to what we have been told about them in previous episodes. Philip - who has been presented as the cautious and most rational of the two agents - takes a huge risk and does so when it is not even remotely necessary. Stan goes from being desperate to get Nina out of harm's way one week to then squander a golden opportunity to do just that the next. A couple that made hiding in plain sight a second nature manage to betray the fact that they are no longer living together on the very first night. This is especially ludicrous in light of their many nightly escapades, none of which yielded their neighbors attention.

I loved this week's episode. The stakes are getting higher and the show is handling it with class, unlike Homeland which seemed like it jumped the shark a little bit.

I liked the episode apart from the way they handled Gregory's end.
There would have been other ways for the character to fall onto his own sword that wouldn't have included a stupid shoot-out with the police. That entire scene would have been more at place in a B-movie.

Last night's season finale was damn good. Tense yet hit all the right emotional notes. I'm very excited for season two.

A good first season.
It isn't exactly Le Carré, but it's infinitely more smart than something like "Homeland".
I didn't like Paige's suspicions though. That felt a little Homeland-y.