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The Americans - S3 of the KGB spy drama - Keri Russell & Matthew Rhys - Wed on FX

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- NY Times review
- Variety interview with Matthew Rhys


Bonus screencap:

WYP8Phq.png
 
Excellent episode to start this season off. I think it does a great job at setting up a lot of interesting and promising storylines for the rest of the season:

-the fallout from the opening incident with Agent Gaad getting a clear look at Elizabeth and the subsequent sketch art
-Paige's future and the conflict it creates not just with the Rezidentura but between Elizabeth and Philip.(I'm not terribly surprised that Elizabeth is more open to the idea of turning Paige because she has always been more dedicated to the cause than Philip)
-Elizabeth and her dying mother (The one thing I always wanted to learn more of was the childhood and upbringing of Elizabeth/Phillip. So I'm actually really intrigued by the nature of Elizabeth's relationship with her mother. I also like how this and Paige's storyline appears to establish a mother/daughter or parent/child motiff for this season)
-Martha taking shooting lessons with Stan Beeman (like Niraj said in this thread, Clark better watch himself :p)

There is also Frank Langella's Gabriel and his past/present relationship with Elizabeth and Phillip, Nina's fate in Russia after her guilty verdict, and Russia's war in Afghanistan which appears to be the major focus this season.

I'm excited to see how this season unfolds.

Bonus screencap:

WYP8Phq.png

also this amazing screencap lol
 
A bit disappointed by that episode to be honest. It set up a lot of little things but I'm not sure what the compelling thread tying everything together is just yet. Found it pretty slow, too. Loved the addition of Langella; Nina's absence hurt.
 
Good return. Set up to me at least that whilst Paige's future is very important, Elizabeth and Philip's present is likely to be in much more jeopardy than ever before. They've run into some serious issues: her slipup with Gad getting a good look at her and Annalise foolishing revealing the game she's playing and "Scott" having to show his face to Yusef.

Sooner than later Beeman is going to have to really start moving forward on putting two and two together about who this shorter blonde woman is. There was the season one sketch and another one tonight with the added detail of injuries. Though Elizabeth was showing a shoulder injury and didn't let him know her jaw was hurt.

I'm happy that things won't be as easy for them mission wise. A few bumps in the road make it even more of a challenge.
 

IronRinn

Member
Good return. Set up to me at least that whilst Paige's future is very important, Elizabeth and Philip's present is likely to be in much more jeopardy than ever before. They've run into some serious issues: her slipup with Gad getting a good look at her and Annalise foolishing revealing the game she's playing and "Scott" having to show his face to Yusef.

Sooner than later Beeman is going to have to really start moving forward on putting two and two together about who this shorter blonde woman is. There was the season one sketch and another one tonight with the added detail of injuries. Though Elizabeth was showing a shoulder injury and didn't let him know her jaw was hurt.

I'm happy that things won't be as easy for them mission wise. A few bumps in the road make it even more of a challenge.

My thoughts as well, the same I had regarding Hank on Breaking Bad, really. If you drag it out too long the characters begin to seem incompetent.

They didn't show the sketch this episode right?


Phillip just used and left Anneliese for dead like it was nothing.

I think he was just in the moment, taking care of a problem. Probably be some actual reaction to it next episode. Or he could just not give a shit I suppose, but that seems a bit out of character.
 

Grifter

Member
We could use a new spy macguffin besides the list of covert names, and I could use a tub of that Swedish ice cream. That scene made me so hungry.

Does anyone recall who or what Annalyse thought she was working for?
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
We could use a new spy macguffin besides the list of covert names, and I could use a tub of that Swedish ice cream. That scene made me so hungry.

Does anyone recall who or what Annalyse thought she was working for?

If I remember correctly, that disguise of Phillip's was a Swedish intelligence officer.
 
Pretty soon the son is going to look older than Paige and it's going to make the whole recruitment plot less interesting because he will look like a more viable candidate.
 
Great premiere, it seems like a lot of things are going to come to a head this season. I really don't see Martha and Beeman still being clueless by the time the season finale gets here.
 
if only paige walked in on that somehow

I sometimes find myself thinking about stupid things like that. Like how far is Martha's place from their home? And where is their travel agency in relation to those two spots? How much driving does Philip have to do on a daily basis?
 
A few quotes from the reviews and some quick thoughts from me. Let's talk more about the episode and where things go from here.

The Atlantic said:
There was plenty more to like in the episode as well: the easy camaraderie between Oleg and Arkady; the look of sincere concern on Philip’s face when he sees that Elizabeth’s been hurt; the profound awfulness of the EST group leader (did he remind anyone else of Frank T.J. Mackey?) and the way Weisberg seems to be setting him up to be a thematic twin of Pastor Tim; the cruel pairing of the scene of “Clark” and Martha kama sutra-ing the night away while Stan furtively hits a porn shop alone. (Also, what are we to make of the scene with Stan helping Martha with her marksmanship? Please tell me this isn't going to turn into another illicit romance. Stan is so much better when he’s celibate—and capable—than when when he’s mooning over someone.)

Finally, did it strike anyone else as odd that there was no mention of last season’s final twist, in which it was revealed that the other pair of married-couple Illegals were killed not by the Americans but by their own son, recently recruited to espionage? Given that it looks like the question of whether or not to recruit Paige will be central to the season, this seems like a data point that would be at the front of Elizabeth and Philip’s minds.
I also noticed that Oleg and Arkady seemed pretty close this episode.

They're not alone in wanting more from Stan. I think at this point we need him to be a little more savvy and aware in his situation. A few people in the thread mentioned this, as well.

Good point regarding the culmination of last season, as well. Have to figure that'll come up more explicitly rather than thematically at some point.
Onion A|V Club review said:
“EST Men”’s final service as a season premiere, however, is to remind us that for all their growth, for all their acceptance of roles they never anticipated, the Jennings remain dangerous. Following Scott William Winters’ advice about not waiting for things to happen, tonight’s episode is bookended by scenes of the Jennings taking control in frightening fashion. Elizabeth doesn’t wait for the FBI agents to fully identify themselves, she just unloads. (And let’s be honest ourselves here: Gaad and that smug face of his had this coming for two seasons.) Sensing that Annelise is going rogue, Philip puts her in a pernicious spot—then uses her death as leverage over Yousaf the ISI agent.

Annelise’s death is a devastating note to hit at the end of “EST Men,” one that sheds new light on the Jennings’ personal imperfections. People are used in spy games all the time on this show, but Philip intentionally put Annelise in harm’s way, a pawn sacrificed in order to capture a knight. In doing so, he calls into question all of his convictions regarding Paige’s future in espionage. There is no “but she’s my daughter” anymore, because let’s face it: Annelise was somebody’s daughter, too. This is a score for Philip the spy; for Philip the father, it’s an error.
The Annelise sequence was disturbing bcause a lot of the episode put us in the headspace of Philip as the one continuing to be less lethal and more oriented towards the West, but this is a cold reminder that he's still a trained spy after all.
Sepinwall said:
I asked Joel Fields whether Elizabeth and Gaad actually crossed paths in the season 1 episode where Stan threw a housewarming — and, therefore, whether the idea was that her disguise was enough to fool him given their brief, old encounter, or if he had simply never laid eyes on her before. Fields wrote, "While I don't believe we actually saw them in the same room at Stan's BBQ that day, in our heads they met in passing there, and -- yes -- the idea is that the disguise would be enough (more than enough) for a quick exchange like this at night on a dark street. According to our resident disguise expert, Joe, such a disguise would hold for a quick interaction during the day, too. This is why intelligence agencies use and trust disguise. Strange thing is, even though we've been working with Keri and Matthew for three seasons now, and we know to expect the disguises having written them into the stories, we are still surprised when we sometimes walk right past them on set. The damned things work!"
Fair enough. There have been a lot of hints at Elizabeth and Philip's identities as far as the FBI is concerned, so I'm curious what the time table is for those getting blown open by either Gaad or Stan. At that point they either have to kill whoever figures it out or completely change the structure of the show if they're on the lam, but I don't see the latter happening anytime soon.
NY Times said:
Are these new characters going to stick around?

The new face at the Rezidentura, where the registered Soviet agents — the ones with diplomatic immunity — can be found, Tatiana (Vera Cherny). The heretofore unseen Tatiana is an unknown quantity. Arkady (Lev Gorn) the chief of station, cautions Oleg about shooting off his mouth about the pointlessness of fighting in Afghanistan in her presence.

That young man with a Benedict Cumberbatch-y accent in Elizabeth’s rearview mirror. From beneath the bangs of her blonde wig, Elizabeth tells him he’s “doing great” in his training with her, presumably in the art of automotive surveillance.

Paige’s potential, if almost silent, boyfriend. The bottle-blond Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin) seems to be helping Cupid along, when with a meaningful glance at Elizabeth, he summons Paige to help a lanky, curly-haired boy set out food at a church meeting.
Any thoughts on how these three are going to come into play?

I'm curious if Pastor Tim will have a larger role this year since he's well versed in Philip's darker side after their encounter last season, and he's also tied into Paige and presumably familiar with Elizabeth now.

Washington Post said:
This conflict is intensified by the arrival in the couple’s lives of Gabriel (Frank Langella), a new handler who is far more to Elizabeth’s taste than Claudia ever was, and who takes up the role in the family of a loving but highly influential grandfather. “Look at you. Still gorgeous,” Gabriel says to Elizabeth when the couple comes over for dinner. “And you look about the same,” he tells Philip, when he finally turns his attention in that direction. In a subtle sign of where he falls on the couple’s ideological and cultural divide, Gabriel asks if “Henry’s hockey [is] any better?” only for Philip to poke back, “He’s focusing more on baseball these days.” His son, Philip is telling Gabriel, is an American.

When, over dinner, Elizabeth tells Gabriel that Paige might be ready to be recruited because “A few months I started going [to church] with her. I’d say we’re closer than we ever have been. Ideologically, she’s open to the right ideas,” Philip is dismayed. Elizabeth isn’t just promising something up to the KGB that he doesn’t agree with strategically. In encouraging Gabriel to see Paige as a prospect, Elizabeth is making a decision that the couple has not yet agreed upon together.
Langella was certainly warmer with Elizabeth than Philip, so perhaps he's being set up as another wedge in between them. That being said, their conflict does come back to Paige and the larger issue of Philip considering defection whereas Elizabeth is more of the true believer. Since they have Langella signed up, he'll certainly play a large role this season. It just remains to be seen what that is. He's being portrayed as more of a grandfatherly figure in the first episode, but certainly he didn't get to where he is by being an old softie all the time.
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Re: Cornballer (don't want to quote all that)

After rewatching the majority of S2, you can see Oleg and Arkady's kind of mutual respect/friendship build up during the course of S2. Part of it was their shared experience with family members in precarious situations (Arkady's nephew is in the Russian navy and could have died in that submarine accident, and Oleg's brother is in Afghanistan). I feel like that was one of the scenes where their relationship kind of turned around, as you could tell Arkady was kind of annoyed with him initially.

In relation to Stan, I think part of their problem is that they're having issues juggling three main characters around, particularly when they spend so much time apart. You'll often have Phillip and Elizabeth going on separate missions, and as they have to focus on both of them for obvious reasons, Stan often is left with less time, and the Nina stuff felt detached from the rest (even though it kind of wasn't). I think based on the premiere, the focus for the FBI will be related to Phillip and Elizabeth, so that should help in that regard. I would like to see more of him too. In terms of awareness, it did seem like something about what Gaad said to him rang a bell, so we'll see. Keep in mind that his subconscious is much more aware of things that he seems to realize (in S2 he has a dream, part of it has Martha stealing documents which actually happened). I do wonder when he'll have that moment of realization, but more so than that, I wonder what will happen in the show at that point. There'd have to be a pretty sharp change at that point.

Yeah, you'd think they'd wonder about whether the same thing could happen to Paige. Still, only been one episode, so we'll see.

Honestly though, I think it has definitely been established that Phillip is the scarier/crueler of the two (not that Elizabeth doesn't have her moments). I don't think I agree with the less lethal part. I guess it's easy to disregard it because he generally seems like the more jovial one when he's with the kids or in a public setting as Phillip. But take the first episode: not only is he the one who kills Timoshev (by breaking his neck), he also goes after that guy who hit on Paige and violently assaults him. In the dick. With a grilling fork. Yikes. I guess it works well because he does just seem like a really likeable guy, and he does seem to have a conscience, but like that pastor said to him, he's an angry dude, and that tends to supersede his conscience. I don't think I necessarily agree with their Paige extrapolation in relation to Annelise either. I don't think it's hypocritical for Phillip to not really give a shit about Annelise but feel strongly towards keeping his daughter safe.

And I see a big part of my second paragraph was already mentioned by this point. Oh well :/

Tatiana just seems like a comparison point for Nina so far, but not sure how they'll establish her. Assumedly car guy will go on a mission with them at some point, or maybe they intend to use him to follow anyone who is following them, that sort of thing. Could see the boy coming into play at some point. Maybe his existence will strengthen the bond between Elizabeth and Paige since she might talk to her about boys and such. Could lend Elizabeth more belief that her relationship with Paige is strong enough to try to recruit her.

Yeah considering their history with handlers, something will happen sooner or later :p
 

IronRinn

Member
The Atlantic said:
There was plenty more to like in the episode as well: the easy camaraderie between Oleg and Arkady; the look of sincere concern on Philip’s face when he sees that Elizabeth’s been hurt; the profound awfulness of the EST group leader (did he remind anyone else of Frank T.J. Mackey?) and the way Weisberg seems to be setting him up to be a thematic twin of Pastor Tim; the cruel pairing of the scene of “Clark” and Martha kama sutra-ing the night away while Stan furtively hits a porn shop alone. (Also, what are we to make of the scene with Stan helping Martha with her marksmanship? Please tell me this isn't going to turn into another illicit romance. Stan is so much better when he’s celibate—and capable—than when when he’s mooning over someone.)

Finally, did it strike anyone else as odd that there was no mention of last season’s final twist, in which it was revealed that the other pair of married-couple Illegals were killed not by the Americans but by their own son, recently recruited to espionage? Given that it looks like the question of whether or not to recruit Paige will be central to the season, this seems like a data point that would be at the front of Elizabeth and Philip’s minds.

I think I must have completely missed this part.
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Yeah, I didn't remember that either. Is it possible that it was in the screeners and taken out in the version we saw?
 
He goes to an all night video rental store. I think the assumption is that he was picking up a porn VHS tape.

That flew right over my head, and I ended up thinking "wow, spying on people is an incredibly mundane task." They should have put a xxx or "adults only" sign on the window.
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
He goes to an all night video rental store. I think the assumption is that he was picking up a porn VHS tape.

I must have just not been paying attention because I don't even remember that lol. I'll have to watch again.
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
Same here.

Just checked it out while I ate lunch. It was right after the Martha scene. He comes out of a place that says "Night Video Rentals" with a video in his hand. Oleg is watching him.

Thanks for pointing that out maquiladora.
 
After rewatching the majority of S2, you can see Oleg and Arkady's kind of mutual respect/friendship build up during the course of S2. Part of it was their shared experience with family members in precarious situations (Arkady's nephew is in the Russian navy and could have died in that submarine accident, and Oleg's brother is in Afghanistan). I feel like that was one of the scenes where their relationship kind of turned around, as you could tell Arkady was kind of annoyed with him initially.
I think we were all annoyed with Oleg at the start, but they did a good job fleshing out his character through last season. Makes it easier to believe that he and Arkady have grown closer.
In relation to Stan, I think part of their problem is that they're having issues juggling three main characters around, particularly when they spend so much time apart. You'll often have Phillip and Elizabeth going on separate missions, and as they have to focus on both of them for obvious reasons, Stan often is left with less time, and the Nina stuff felt detached from the rest (even though it kind of wasn't). I think based on the premiere, the focus for the FBI will be related to Phillip and Elizabeth, so that should help in that regard. I would like to see more of him too. In terms of awareness, it did seem like something about what Gaad said to him rang a bell, so we'll see. Keep in mind that his subconscious is much more aware of things that he seems to realize (in S2 he has a dream, part of it has Martha stealing documents which actually happened). I do wonder when he'll have that moment of realization, but more so than that, I wonder what will happen in the show at that point. There'd have to be a pretty sharp change at that point.
I've been fine with the amount of screen time that he's received thus far. Beeman is a big part of things, but it still is mostly Philip & Elizabeth's show when you get down to it. Good point regarding his dream last season. I think he'll probably figure things out by the end of the season as I don't know how much longer they can continue the status quo. It'd be good to have a worthy adversary for Philip and Elizabeth, but the nature of the show requires that whoever is against them has to either be outside the official channels (like Larrik) or not know their identities. It's a tough balancing act, but you can't string Beeman and Gaad along forever.
Honestly though, I think it has definitely been established that Phillip is the scarier/crueler of the two (not that Elizabeth doesn't have her moments). I don't think I agree with the less lethal part. I guess it's easy to disregard it because he generally seems like the more jovial one when he's with the kids or in a public setting as Phillip. But take the first episode: not only is he the one who kills Timoshev (by breaking his neck), he also goes after that guy who hit on Paige and violently assaults him. In the dick. With a grilling fork. Yikes. I guess it works well because he does just seem like a really likeable guy, and he does seem to have a conscience, but like that pastor said to him, he's an angry dude, and that tends to supersede his conscience.
I can see where you're coming from with Philip, and I perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt more often as he's a likeable guy and reacts more emotionally to a given situation. He tries to keep it all bottled up, but he his volatile at times (Timoshev, ripping up the Bible, etc...) Elizabeth is a little more by the book and her violent acts fall more into the category of just following orders/protocol.
 

IronRinn

Member
Just checked it out while I ate lunch. It was right after the Martha scene. He comes out of a place that says "Night Video Rentals" with a video in his hand. Oleg is watching him.

Thanks for pointing that out maquiladora.

OH! I remember this now. I guess I didn't notice where he was coming from, just that Oleg was tailing him.
 
Slate Radio's TV Club:

- The Americans Season 3, Ep. 1
The creators, cast, and crew of FX’s original drama The Americans reveal behind-the-scenes details about the making of each episode in Season 3. Molly Nussbaum, script coordinator for FX’s The Americans, talks with executive producers Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg about the premiere episode, “EST Men.”
~25 min podcast
 
Tatiana just seems like a comparison point for Nina so far, but not sure how they'll establish her. Assumedly car guy will go on a mission with them at some point, or maybe they intend to use him to follow anyone who is following them, that sort of thing. Could see the boy coming into play at some point. Maybe his existence will strengthen the bond between Elizabeth and Paige since she might talk to her about boys and such. Could lend Elizabeth more belief that her relationship with Paige is strong enough to try to recruit her.

Yeah considering their history with handlers, something will happen sooner or later :p

I really like this idea. I could see this happening if they're feeling the heat.
 

Linius

Member
Great set up for the new season. Lots of interesting stuff to dive into. Mostly curious to see what they have planned for Paige. And in what way it will affect Phillip and Elizabeth as a couple. Also that sex scene with Clark, fucking hell. I had the volume blasting and my dad just went to bed in the room next to me :lol

Also, just in case it wasn't 100%. Phillip is impersonating a Swedish intelligence officer named Scott who's Annelise' handler.
 

Niraj

I shot people I like more for less.
I think we were all annoyed with Oleg at the start, but they did a good job fleshing out his character through last season. Makes it easier to believe that he and Arkady have grown closer.

I've been fine with the amount of screen time that he's received thus far. Beeman is a big part of things, but it still is mostly Philip & Elizabeth's show when you get down to it. Good point regarding his dream last season. I think he'll probably figure things out by the end of the season as I don't know how much longer they can continue the status quo. It'd be good to have a worthy adversary for Philip and Elizabeth, but the nature of the show requires that whoever is against them has to either be outside the official channels (like Larrik) or not know their identities. It's a tough balancing act, but you can't string Beeman and Gaad along forever.

I can see where you're coming from with Philip, and I perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt more often as he's a likeable guy and reacts more emotionally to a given situation. He tries to keep it all bottled up, but he his volatile at times (Timoshev, ripping up the Bible, etc...) Elizabeth is a little more by the book and her violent acts fall more into the category of just following orders/protocol.

lol that's true.

I think that would be a good time for him to have that moment of realization. I just don't know where they would go from that point though. You'd think he'd realize the similarities between those sketches and Phillip and Elizabeth, but would they just be able to nab them at that point? Would they just use that knowledge to keep tabs on them and figure out what the KGB was up to? I can't see them making Phillip and Elizabeth go on the run or something like that, for instance. Then again, they haven't really failed yet in terms of the writing, so I'm sure if they did do that, it would be in an intelligent manner. Kind of unrelated, but when the show first started, I did wonder whether Phillip would eventually turn, possibly as a way of protecting his kids. I don't think that this show as it is would go down that route, but it could have been interesting. I just had a fleeting thought about it again in regards to the whole Paige recruitment thing since it's putting him at odds with everyone who wants that.

Agreed on Elizabeth. Phillip is more likely to question orders while Elizabeth has a tendency to just follow them.

OH! I remember this now. I guess I didn't notice where he was coming from, just that Oleg was tailing him.

Yeah I didn't even think about it. Just saw him, saw Oleg, said "ok." lol

I really like this idea. I could see this happening if they're feeling the heat.

It would kind of be like a security blanket for them. He could also follow close and be a decoy for them in situations like that. It's really hard to extrapolate anything from that 5 minute scene though so we'll see I guess :p

Also that sex scene with Clark, fucking hell. I had the volume blasting and my dad just went to bed in the room next to me :lol

lol. Well as this show has shown repeatedly, there are more awkward things in life than that :p
 
- ‘The Americans’ Ratings: Season 3 Debut Steady With Last Year
It’s 1982, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev has died and the Cold War is getting hotter than ever on The Americans. That’s the backdrop as Season 3 of the FX series debuted last night to 1.9 million viewers and 796,000 among adults 18-49 at 10 PM last night, according to Nielsen.

That must be all good over at FX as Wednesday’s season premiere was even among total viewers with the Season 2 debut on February 26 last year with a 7% dip in the key demo. The S2 opener of the drama starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as two sleeper KGB spies in suburbia drew 1.9 million total viewers and 863,000 among adults 18-49. That was a hard 41% and 45% from what the series debut had on January 30, 2013. The May 21, 2014 Season 2 finale of The Americans had an audience of 1.28 million.

FX being FX we won’t hear anything from them about the last night’s numbers for the Joe Weisberg-created show as they only like to talk about Live + 3. And you can see why – in DVR afterlife the Season 2 debut of The Americans was higher than that of its S1 premiere episode. It was also the highest Live+3 percentage increase for a S2 premiere of any FX drama series by a significant leap. In Live + 3 ratings, the DVR friendly Americans’ S2 opener went up 72% in total viewers (3.26 million) and 81% in the key demo (1.57 million). Now that’s some heat.
 
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