FX's The Americans

[Color Me Badd Fan]

What a great side plot, Phillip is forced by his job to become a pedophile with a girl his daughter's age.

The show started in 1981 and now they're in 1983. I think the show will go for six seasons and will end before the end of the Soviet Union was becoming obvious. I can't imagine that Phillip won't try defect with his kids, Keri Russell will either be tasked with going after him or will be conflicted.

[SCcoug]

The show started in 1981 and now they're in 1983. I think the show will go for six seasons and will end before the end of the Soviet Union was becoming obvious. I can't imagine that Phillip won't try defect with his kids, Keri Russell will either be tasked with going after him or will be conflicted.

1983 was jammed packed with events the show can use. Among other things it had Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech and SDI announcement, deployment of Pershing II in West Germany, false alarm of USSR early warning system (although not known outside upper USSR officials), KAL 007 shoot down, the massive Able Archer 83 NATO war games and showing of "The Day After".

[Omaha 680]

I finally caught up on this show. Phillip using a religious awakening as an excuse to avoid sleeping with an underage girl is one of the funniest parts of the show for me so far. It's weird that it is a part of the creepiest storyline.

My wife thinks Phillip will eventually start taking church seriously because his soul is so crushed and he desparatley wants to believe redemption is real.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Is everyone on Team Phillip here? I've been on Team Elizabeth for only around two minutes of this series, in particular during two really awesome scenes. But I always revert back to Team Phillip. I hope he gets away with the kids.

I have no idea if the Soviets ever had people like these two -- that essentially posed as married people and even had kids to provide deep cover -- but I have a hard time believing that someone could live in the US for over 15 years, be able to clearly compare the Soviet system to the US after extensive experience with both, and have the type of shit heaped on them like Keri Russel's character has and not start having the doubts that Phillip clearly has.

[Omaha 680]

Definitely on Team Phillip. But it also doesn't seem impossible that Elizabeth could still be so loyal to the Soviet system. She is a true believer in the worldwide revolution. True believers have a religious zeal to their work. They also tend to compare the best that communism has to offer to the worst that capitalism has to offer. So Elizabeth compares the dream of economic equality under communism to the wealth disparity she sees in the US and digs in her heels more on her commitment. Obviously, when you compare the best to the best and the worst to the worst, capitalism wins hands down. Phillip is able to do that because I don't think he ever had the level of belief in the system that Elizabeth has.

[SCcoug]

Team Phillip. I can sort of see the rational for the long-con indoctrination for Paige but that doesn't seem like what the center has in mind (it definitely wasn't what Claudia's initial orders were at the end of season 2). I don't get the logic of trusting your most important operatives' cover to the whims of a teenager who doesn't have any loyalty to the USSR. Even if she doesn't directly rat them out she's still liable to let slip enough information to someone (preacher dude, Stan, Henry) for them to figure it out.

[myboynoah]

Team America. Every episode I hope to see those commie SOBs meet a very painful end.

[frank ryan]

Is everyone on Team Phillip here? I've been on Team Elizabeth for only around two minutes of this series, in particular during two really awesome scenes. But I always revert back to Team Phillip. I hope he gets away with the kids.

I have no idea if the Soviets ever had people like these two -- that essentially posed as married people and even had kids to provide deep cover -- but I have a hard time believing that someone could live in the US for over 15 years, be able to clearly compare the Soviet system to the US after extensive experience with both, and have the type of shit heaped on them like Keri Russel's character has and not start having the doubts that Phillip clearly has.

Yes they did have spies like this. I'd guess Russia has some long term deep cover agents still.

[Green Monstah]

I know the term "illegals" is used to describe a Russian Federation spy program from the 90s and 2000s, but it seems like pulling off something like this would have been much easier during the cold war before digitization of records, etc.

[frank ryan]

I know the term "illegals" is used to describe a Russian Federation spy program from the 90s and 2000s, but it seems like pulling off something like this would have been much easier during the cold war before digitization of records, etc.

They still have fake American town where their agents are trained in American cultural immersion. And as for motivations Russia has always been driven more by a sense of nationalism than communism and Putin is all about that. I'm the US has sleeper agents in multiple countries.

[RC Vikings]

Tough way to die in last nights episode. One question, why would the Russians at this time care about apartheid.

[Omaha 680]

That was uncomfortable. Not as bad as another burning death on a different popular FX series, but still bad.

I don't think they cared as much about apartheid as they did that oppressed people are always more susceptible to their Trojan horse message of worldwide revolution. The USSR had an obvious strategy of destabilizing African regimes to make way for communist takeovers. The USA did similar stuff in Central America. I also believe the ANC were allied with Moscow and the South African Communist Party for decades before the 80s.

[SCcoug]

Hans told Elizabeth that his murder of South African dude was messy but I think Elizabeth killing the old woman was messier. Definitely more heart wrenching.

[CardiacCoug]

Hans told Elizabeth that his murder of South African dude was messy but I think Elizabeth killing the old woman was messier. Definitely more heart wrenching.

Yep the recognition by the old lady that she wasn't getting out of there (when Elizabeth said "Russia") was sad. Sure didn't seem like there was any reason for Elizabeth even to go up to the office and confront her at all.

Also sort of interesting that you could tell that Elizabeth enjoyed having a real bonding moment that didn't involve lying for once. She is messed up.

[Omaha 680]

Yep the recognition by the old lady that she wasn't getting out of there (when Elizabeth said "Russia") was sad. Sure didn't seem like there was any reason for Elizabeth even to go up to the office and confront her at all.

Also sort of interesting that you could tell that Elizabeth enjoyed having a real bonding moment that didn't involve lying for once. She is messed up.

Yeah that was twisted. She showed she was human by being disturbed at forcing an old lady to OD. I thought the lady's final words were perfect response to Elizabeth's entire world view: "that's what evil people tell themselves when they're about to do evil things."