ssvfolder-1 Review of The Americans

The Americans (2013–2018)

A perfect cold war spy story

[9/10 · 12 June 2023]

This series should be a guide to modern Hollywood on how to make an amazing show. I have found it accidently and binge watch all the six seasons without stopping in less than a week. It cost me few hours of sleep, but it was worth it.

The cast is perfect! I've had some doubts about Stan's character in season 1, but happy to say that I was wrong and he had risen to occasion.

Every show has its weaker seasons, and in this case it's season 5, while season 6 is absolutely the best with a perfect finale.

This is the part where I'll dive into some theories, so spoilers.

• Philip and Elizabeth can't cope with the new reality of pre-fall soviet union. She is tough but she has devotion to her family which she lost. Philip simply wants to live as an American. I believe that their fate no longer lies within Russia, but in some capacity back in US.

• Oleg Burov, the morally best character in the show, suffers the worst fate. Eventually Gorbachev successful and hopefully hus father can oull him out into new reality. Actually what we see in the last season is a taste if things to come to Russia.

• Poor Paige. I have no idea how her life might unfold from that point on. She is no spy but a simple and likable college girl with a good snd open heart.

• One of the best parts of the show, is Stan's character development. That scene where he understands that Renee could be (and probably is) a KGB officer, he accepts it and tucks her in bed. He just lost his best friend and instead of blind loyalty to the country and possibly out of fear if losing another loved one (after Nina and Philip), he'd rather have them close instead of blindly following the rules. Hiw far he had come since shooting that kid in season 1.

I really hope they will wrap it up in a movie or do a followup.

Excellent!