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The Americans - Keri Russell & Matthew Rhys drama about KGB spies in DC - Wed on FX

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C

Cornballer

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The Americans premieres Wednesday, January 30th at 10pm on FX. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as two KGB spies posing as Americans in Washington D.C. in the 1980's. The cast also includes Noah Emmerich and Margo Martindale. Joe Weisberg is serving as showrunner with a few other EP's, including Graham Yost, helping out. The pilot, directed by Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) received very positive reviews last Fall when it was screened for a small audience. Unfortunately, production hasn't been a smooth ride so far as there was a significant delay in filming due to Hurricane Sandy, but hopefully things are back on track now.
FX said:
The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), who have two children – 13-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 10-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who know nothing about their parents’ true identity – grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate, dangerous and darkly funny relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control. Complicating their relationship further is Philip’s growing sense of affinity for America’s values and way of life. Tensions also heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent. Stan and his partner, Agent Chris Amador (Maximiliano Hernández), are members of a new division of Counterintelligence tasked with fighting against foreign agents on U.S. soil, including KGB Directorate S illegals, Russian spies posing as Americans.
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Cast:
  • Keri Russell as Elizabeth Jennings
  • Matthew Rhys as Phillip Jennings
  • Noah Emmerich as Agent Stan Beeman
  • Maximiliano Hernández as Agent Chris Amador
  • Margo Martindale as Claudia
  • Holly Taylor as Paige Jennings
  • Keidrich Sellati as Henry Jennings
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Videos

Links
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News: (some spoilers in these)

Promotional pictures: (click to enlarge)





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Reviews & Comments
Sepinwall said:
Quite liked first 2 eps, Matthew Rhys particularly.
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Tim Goodman said:
By the way, watched FX's "The Americans" last night and was really impressed.
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Todd VanDerWerff said:
The Americans. Hm. Some good, some bad, some awesome. I think I mostly liked it, but some very weird stuff in it.
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THR said:
The new spy drama, starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, left attendees enthralled by the fast-paced, well-acted and beautifully scored episode of 75 minutes.
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Schedule
  • Ep 101 - Pilot - Jan 30
  • Ep 102 - The Clock - Feb 6
  • Ep 103 - Gregory - Feb 13
  • Ep 104 - In Control - Feb 20
  • Ep 105 - Comint - Feb 27
  • Ep 106 - Trust Me - Mar 6
  • Ep 107 - Duty and Honor - Mar 13
  • Ep 108 - Mutually Assured Destruction - Mar 20
  • Ep 109 - Mar 27
  • Ep 110 - Apr 3
  • Ep 111 - Apr 10
  • Ep 112 - Apr 17
  • Ep 113 - Apr 24

Episode 1 | Series Premiere - Pilot

The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War. Tensions heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI agent.
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C

Cornballer

Member
- Tim Goodman's review for THR
Comparisons with Homeland are inevitable, but the pacing and nuance driving FX's look at enemies among us might have real staying power.

...

Rhys and Russell are superb, giving eye-popping performances in which they convince as both sublimely ordinary parents and dangerous spies. It's thrilling to watch them navigate the nuanced pace, and the show's placement during the 1980s makes for a fresh period piece.
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S

Snake

Member
I like the premise (and love Keri Russell) but the commercials don't really make this look all that interesting. I'm definitely going to check it out, but hopefully it's better than its marketing would hint (just referring to the ads. that promo pic is okay).
 
C

Cornballer

Member
A couple more reviews:

- Entertainment Weekly print edition
EW said:
An absorbing spy thriller. Grade: A-
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- Las Vegas Weekly
As a spy drama, The Americans isn’t always successful; Philip’s and Elizabeth’s missions are sometimes unclear, and the storylines involving the FBI’s efforts to root out Soviet sleeper agents are a little dull. But as a character-driven drama about people living conflicted double lives, the show is fantastic. Rhys and especially Russell capture all of the complex emotions that Philip and Elizabeth experience after living the comfortable American life for more than a decade, trying to hold onto their devotion to the motherland while raising their kids in what they perceive as a foreign, hostile environment (even though the kids just perceive it as home). 3.5 out of 5 stars
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EDIT: Big thanks to 3N16MA for letting me use some of his graphics for the OP.
 
G

GQman2121

Banned
Yeah, I'm for this one. I hope they don't go the Homeland route and portray the governments--as well as treat the audience--like morons.
 
BFIB

BFIB

Member
Will be watching for sure. FX has almost supplanted AMC as my go to network for shows. Justfied, Sons of Anarchy, Archer and now The Americans.
 
E

Empty

Member
sounds interesting, like the show i wish homeland was crossed with the bbc miniseries 'cambridge spies'.

don't care for the title sequence though.
 
L

lamaroo

Unconfirmed Member
Snake said:
I like the premise (and love Keri Russell) but the commercials don't really make this look all that interesting. I'm definitely going to check it out, but hopefully it's better than its marketing would hint (just referring to the ads. that promo pic is okay).
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I'm in the same boat, the commercials look like they're made for some crappy network drama, but I trust Sepinwall and he seems to like it.
 
H

Hindle

Banned
I'll wait a few years before I get into it. That way if the show becomes stupid like Homeland then I know not to bother.
 
IISANDERII

IISANDERII

Member
margo-martindale-04.jpg


Margo Martindale? I hope she's not playing the 'behind the counter helper' character again. I remember her from early Dexter seasons playing an archivist[?]and right this moment watching her in Persons of Interest doing something extremely similar.
What a role to be typecasted into!

Yes I can very well imagine her playing many other roles. But I just can't imagine it.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
The pilot is scheduled for a 90-min timeslot next Wednesday, so it looks like we're getting more or less the full version of it. There will be two encores immediately following the premiere.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
- Denver Post: FX drama "The Americans" imagines a couple of KGB spies in the suburbs
"The Americans" doesn't go in for rom-com cuteness or sitcom gags. A tense drama re-creating a paranoid time in our history, it's more interested in wiretapping, hidden cameras and poison. The drama is a deadly serious consideration of the political, social and marital challenges of being spies in enemy territory, namely the Washington, D.C., suburbs in the 1980s. Clearly this is rich territory: There's a reason the International Spy Museum is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the nation's capital.
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