SummaryElizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) are KGB agents posing as married Americans just outside of Washington D.C. during the 1980s.
SummaryElizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) are KGB agents posing as married Americans just outside of Washington D.C. during the 1980s.
Fortunately, The Americans’ fifth season succeeds in addressing our current world by being its assiduously careful self. This is still a show about how, beyond politics, beyond economics, beyond nationalism, people are people. How beautiful, and how terrifying.
By now, it feels like we know Philip and Elizabeth, but there are shades to these characters that the writers and actors are still exploring, still developing, and still revealing to viewers. They are two of the richest characters not just on TV now, but in the history of the medium. And they still have more stories to tell.
My wife and I love this show and have been watching together since we started dating. I think it is the best show on TV of its era, there is nothing else like it. The story, premise, themes and feelings are really innovative and unique compared to most television shows. Parts of it are Shakespearean while being suspenseful. With that said I have been kind of disappointed with Season 5 for the first few episodes because there seems to be not as much kinetic energy as the other seasons. Then I remember that this show never disappoints and this season is trying something new. All the best shows try something new every season and this season is a slow burner in every best way. Its a ticking bomb and everything is set up to explode and unravel by the end of it, leading us directly into a mayhem packed sixth and final season. With the extended cuts and internal conflicts only visible in the eyes, this season is slowing the show down, giving room for us to breath while embracing the remaining characters and their emotions before we witness their fate. I would recommend seeing this season after it all comes out so you can binge, the weekly watching of this "build-up season" makes you really want to see more as soon as possible. Get ready for the roller-coaster drop and an end of an era.
You really can't review "The Americans" as traditional television "entertainment". In terms of acting; photography; writing and the seemingly modest musical score this is the best show to have ever appeared on television. For emotional impact and overall aesthetics (writing; directing; use of light imagery) only a few of the episodes from the original "Roots" and more recently "The Sopranos" come even close to equaling it. But really that misses the point. "The Americans" exists in a political and "moral " universe so different than anything else each individual viewer must come to his/her own conclusion. It is the television equivalent, in some sense, of "Five Easy Pieces"; an illustrated novel rather than a film or in this case a T.V. series. Anyone think I'm reading too much into the fact that the speedometer on the car Phillip and Elizabeth were using to deliver their kidnap victim for "ex-filtration" in Episode 1 read "666"? "The Possessed" by Dostoevsky ?
Unparalleled depth can be felt throughout thanks to this careful layering, and Season 5 so far effortlessly captures a complex range of emotions that proves more enriching with every extra minute of consideration.
Well, after watching the first three episodes of the new season, I’m here to tell you that it’s still true [it's one of the finest experiences on television].
Season 5 of The Americans almost assuredly will round into form after a rather sluggish start compared to previous returns. In the initial three hours, the plot both thickens and sometimes congeals.
Episode one spends an awful lot of time on digging a huge hole in the ground with fairly predictable results. And in episode two there’s a lot of wandering around a greenhouse buzzing with insects that’s supposed to be ominous but instead comes off like a homage to “The X-Files.” ... The third episode moves all the stories forward at a better clip.
'The Americans' continues to prove that it is one of the most thrilling dramas on television. Not only is the element of surprise quite endearing but also the way the narrative flows is absolutely marvelous.
A série The Americans é uma obra - prima? Sem dúvidas, mas ao decorrer das seasons, você percebe que a série não precisa repetir fórmulas anteriores para prender a atenção do espectador.É uma série de que nem tudo que é vitorioso possa ser vista como um fracasso. É de se reerguer e ver novas possibilidades para o futuro.Contudo,se a próxima season se torna mais dramática do que essa season, veremos a queda da série.
The first seasons were really good, especially Philip's existential struggles . In season 5, any pretense of realism has been thrown out of the window. Just another show you prayed would have gracefully found a satisfying ending but has, instead, extended its welcome.
Vastly overrated at this point