Along with Hannibal, The Americans has easily been my favorite new series this year. The tale of two KGB spies living in 1981 suburban America, posing as an average married couple, the show has deftly managed to blend engaging family drama with some very intense spy-thriller storylines.
I attended a screening of this coming Wednesday night's season finale of The Americans this past weekend, and am happy to report it delivers big time. The stakes are considerably high, with two huge scenarios occurring nearly simultaneously that put Phillip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) in greater danger than ever. Per usual, the finale impresses by juggling so many elements in so many engrossing ways, as we're just as worried about the Jennings' marriage as we are their cover being blown.
During the Q&A that followed, the cast and producers proved to be a very funny bunch, with Rhys cracking up the audience with stories about how Keri Russell (who couldn't be there, due to filming on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) likes to playfully slap him right before the camera rolls. Asked if she'd done much research before taking on her role as KGB handler, Claudia, Margo Martindale quipped that she'd read "Spy novels... romantic, spy murder novels."
The Americans: Annet Mahendru on Nina's Future
More seriously, creator/executive producer Joe Weisberg discussed some of the real life inspirations that show draws from - something he's very familiar with, thanks to his previous career as a CIA agent. Weisberg noted that while they don't know if it happened in America, there are many documented accounts of spies using false identities to woo and marry women in secretarial positions to men they wanted access to - just as Phillip has done with Martha on The Americans.
There was also plenty of talk about where things might pick up in Season 2, but to go into that would be to give away what happens in the finale... So this is another reminder to watch that finale on Wednesday, May 1st at 10pm ET/PT on FX. Look for my full review immediately following the east coast airing.
Source : ign[dot]com
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