Anyone watch the FX series The Americans

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by kwadguy, Jan 31, 2013.

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  1. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    I watched the pilot episode of this show last night. Thought it was pretty good, and I'm definitely in for a season pass on my DVR. Kerri Russell did a good job playing against type as the hardened female mole. I liked her husband, too, as well as the FBI agent.

    It was also interesting to hear for the first time (that I know of) Fleetwood Mac's Tusk on a soundtrack :)

    The Wikipedia entry:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Americans_(2013_TV_series)
     
    thgord likes this.
  2. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    Missed it last night, but plan to set the DVR to hit the re-run of the first episode that will inevitably be coming in the next few days. Glad to hear it started well...
     
  3. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    I'm in for the first season. Kinda hated a lot of the music, and it moved a lot slower than it needed to. Keri's fight scene in the garage was unconvincing and the sex scenes were practicaly G-rated so, lots of teasing and little showing. The scripts are definitely going to have to make up for the production for me to get enthusiastic. To much of it just seemed predicable. I audably groaned when the big oversized tough guy made a crude comment at KGB guy's daughter 'cause, let's face it, who doesn't know what's coming next? Ditto the sexual assault on Keri in training - it seemed to only be there so her husband could take revenge in the next act. I'm giving it some leeway because it IS just the pilot, but they're gonna have to introduce some subtelty at some point before I lose patience. Curious why John Boy Walton is in this - I can only assume he'll play a larger part later.

    Just based on the pilot, I'm betting it won't ever be as good as 'Homeland', but possibly better than 'Hunted.' Which, seeing as how there isn't anything else on Wednesday night, is probably good enough.
     
  4. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    While watching, I kept thinking that in some ways this reminded me of the movie Arlington Road.
     
  5. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Not bad. More violent than I expected. I'll watch another episode.
     
  6. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    I thought it was OK. Looking forward to see how it develops. I was hooked at "Tusk.":) The drums were extended forever, but I was sure it had to be that track.
     
  7. inaptitude

    inaptitude Forum Resident

    I also thought it was just "ok". I found it odd that they made the husband already want to defect so strongly in the first episode. Seems the sort of plot point that would get dragged out for half of the first season at least (though no doubt it will crop up quite frequently). And having the FBI agent move in next door was a giant GROANER for me. Is that really the best they could do to raise the tension?

    I did like that it was set in the 80s and found the wardrobe and set design pretty spot on. The use of Phil Collins music was oddly appropriate.
     
  8. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    The music is the element i like the least. . . wish they would do an orchestral score instead. Not a fan of 'eighties music.
     
  9. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    Time-appropriate, maybe, but did they have to pick something so quintissentially British? Were there no American songs available?

    The context of that whole scene was awkward, though. She has sex with her husband, even though she clearly can't stand him, because he came to her rescue and killed the guy who didn't protect her from being raped back in her training days when she was unable to go through with it? Do they really want us to see her as the damsel in distress and her husband as her knight in shining armor? 'Cause, even for 1981, that's offensively regressive. I'm not sure there's anything in Phil Collins's early-80s oeuvre that matches that. Maybe Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding Out For A Hero'? - But that was still a couple of years away.
     
  10. rogertheshrubber

    rogertheshrubber Senior Member

    Location:
    Freehold, NJ, USA!
    Thought it was good--have set up a season pass on DVR for this--
     
  11. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    Thought the second episode was good, but it's clear they're still just setting up the characters and showing their motivations. Laying track.

    The scenes in the stereo store were weak, though. You could tell this is a cable show (not a movie) with a cable budget by how cheaply that store was put together. A real stereo store would have a lot more merchandise, and the posters they had up were kind of silly. But to properly re-create a stereo store from the early '80s would be expensive.
     
  12. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    I liked how they used Tusk as well. I originally thought they had something that sounded kinda like Tusk but then it morphed into the real deal. I'm not sure if it was some sort of remix or what, but it never quite sounded like the album version.
     
  13. VicB

    VicB Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portsmouth, RI USA
    Maybe it's me, but the husband reminds me so much of Lindsey Buckingham.
     
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  14. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Reminds me of a leaner, meaner Dallas Roberts
    [​IMG]
     
  15. MAYBEIMAMAZED

    MAYBEIMAMAZED Don't think Twice it's alright

    Location:
    DFW TEXAS
    Yes I checked it out I will probably watch it more.
     
  16. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Regarding the use of "In The Air Tonight"...

    Phil may be British, but I don't think of him or the song as "quintissentially British". That song was huge in the US. Remember how it was used to great effect in the Miami Vice pilot so many years ago?

    ??? That's a bit much. Besides, I think its clear she was rewarding him to encourage him to stay on mission. She's manipulating him with sex, just as she does a mark. He seems to view their relationship and their life very differently that she does. He talks of them abandoning their role as spies and having a life. I'll bet she'd cut his throat if she thought it was needed to maintain her cover.

    Yeah, I see that too. And I don't think it was just the use of "Tusk".
     
  17. Blair G.

    Blair G. Senior Member

    Location:
    Delta, BC, Canada
    I wanted to watch but my satellite provider doesn't carry this channel :(
     
  18. etzeppy

    etzeppy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas, US
    I thought so too. That with a hint of John Ritter.
     
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  19. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    I was so sure the song was from 1984, I cried foul when I saw the first episode of The Americans... and then I found out it was, in fact, released in 1981. I associate it so much with Miami Vice (in 1984), I thought for sure that was when the song came out!

    I think this was some weird kind of soundalike or something -- that did not sound like Fleetwood Mac's vocals on the track. The instruments sounded legit. Can it be that they got the raw instrumental tracks and tossed out the vocals to save money? Or would they care? I'm actually puzzled by this.

    I thought the show was so-so, but had some moments. The Russian wife reminded me a lot of the foul-mouthed sister in Dexter: – cute, but spunky, and with quite a temper.
     
  20. I noticed that too. When I saw that episode and heard 'Tusk' I immmediately thought that is not Fleetwood Mac singing. If it was Fleetwood Mac it was certainly not a version of 'Tusk' I have heard before. The show is currently screening here in New Zealand and I'm enjoying it so far.
     
  21. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Yeah, I thought it was a cover too. Not sure who did it. It was faithful, but didn't sound like the "Tusk" I know.
     
  22. You and me both.

    I did enjoy The Americans. The fact that Graham Youst (Justified) is involved is a big plus although I hope it doesn't impact the quality of that show having him spread out.

    There wasn't as uh tension as I thought there would be but they did have to give us back story I suppose.

    Loved the use of Tusk. Nice touch the way they used it to build some tension.
     
  23. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I guess I'm in the minority but I really didn't like the use of Tusk, and the music on the show is my one big complaint. (Not really a fan of pop music in tv shows and really didn't like or listen to pop much in the 'eighties). I'm not crazy about the show, but I'm still watching it.
     
  24. junk

    junk Hellion

    Location:
    St. Louis
    I been watching it some. Got the series set to be DVRd. I kinda like the tunes. I too wondered about that version of Tusk. It was cool to hear the Quaterflash tune. I heard Harden My Heart a few days later on the radio. I wonder what them peeps are up to these days?
     
  25. http://www.quarterflash.net/
     
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