The Americans sixth and final season approaches...

Reading his list, I really can't find fault with anything he says.

 

How about Candy cigarettes?
A Russian code book?
Page’s cross?
Replica Jennings hockey jersey?

 

It wasn't the listening to the tape. It was Claudia's response. She felt betrayed. This isn't what she has been fighting for, sacrificing for. She's been 100% committed to the cause.
The Center went rogue. So yeah, I can totally buy into the change. It was not a moral change.

1 They absolutely could not stay in the US and 2 it's their home (or was) - them getting into Russia is not really key to the story. We don't know that the powers that be know what happened state side. Also, not everyone was in on the coupe.

The family unit was destroyed. Nobody has a "home" like they did before. We don't know what happens to her than her life was ruined and life will suck.
It doesn't need to be spelled out.
Endings like this allow for imagination. Does everything have to be explicitly spelled out and for the rest of their lives?

He didn't try to arrest them. It's not as simple as "getting talked" into letting them live. They validated what Oleg said. Stan says that he doesn't care, but he ultimately he's mart enough to see how serious the situation is. He also spares Henry by letting them go. Let's face it. Life sucks for Henry in many ways, but he comes out the best. Stan will help him.

On top of everything else the Soviet Union officially collapses a few years later and in reality began (or accelerated) its decent once it went into Afghanistan.

 

I was wondering if any potential sequel could take place during the collapse of the Soviet Union, or even in the few years after. Could be interesting.

 

Speaking of Hockey Jerseys. There have been some made. A couple months ago I picked up this Americans season 5 Hockey jersey made for the series sound crew. My memento of the show.

 

Fantastic dialogue on that show -- the sound mixes often had a lot of subtlety and nuance. That's great work, especially for TV and knowing the number of wires going on in a single scene. Great from day one on.

 

Vidiot, I agree with your accolades for the sound on the show. Just to be clear, I'm just a fan of the show who picked up this jersey on ebay a few months ago.
Is the making/giving items like this typical for all tv shows? Figured you probably know about this practice and whether it is common or not.

 

Yeah, "swag" like jackets and T-shirts and caps are very typical. I went through a period of time where I think 80% of my clothes were from horrible TV shows nobody saw and fewer remembered. My cat still loves a blanket I got from Oh Baby (a shortlived Lifetime show) and a soft wool jacket I got from Boston Common (a 2-season NBC series). I can't throw them away because she likes them too much.

 

Did Elizabeth have any scenes with Henry this last season? I can’t recall any because she was away at thanksgiving when he came home and that was when Philip last saw him when he had to run off to Chicago and left Stan with the task of taking him back to school. I also think it might’ve been better in the finale episode to have the last shot of Stan knocking on the partition at the hockey rink to get Henry’s attention rather than showing him and the boy talking on the bleachers.

 

they had a conversation just after he arrives home and catches her smoking. very good scene, the complete absence of a maternal bond was striking.

 

Yes, I think he asked her for a cig. lol

 

http://www.vulture.com/2018/05/the-americans-series-finale-oral-history.html

 

movie plot:

paige is in 100% of the spy life, she is in trouble with the american authorities (sleeping with big time politicos) and phillip and elizabeth have to come back to rescue her.........henry works with stan in the FBI and is the lead agent in chasing paige (he has no idea what she does, in fact, the share a home together.

 

so there is a definitive answer to the Renee question. now i'm really going to have to re-watch it.

if renee was a spy, did elizabeth know?

 

In some articles they were calling her Stan’s wife. Thought she was just his live in girlfriend??

 

I read some other article from the links earlier that the show runners said that no, there was no answer to the question, it was their intention for it to be completely up in the air. In the show, neither E nor P know.

I think yes, she is a spy, that Stan comes into the KGB's radar with the Nina affair and his failed marriage and see that this is a lonely guy looking for companionship and easily manipulated. And thus target him with a woman. If there is a direct hint that the writers put in the show, I think it would be how Stan can't believe his luck at finding this woman, the speed in which the relationship moves, the whole "I don't know what she sees in me!".

 

In the last season (after the time jump) they were married.

 

But Renee did nothing. Nothing. She encouraged Stan to stick it out at the FBI. Well, that worked out well. Stan very nearly made P&E, got a lot closer than anyone else at the FBI? Even a heads up to P&E as to Stan being on the case? Nope. Or she was there to monitor P&E is the other line people have thrown out. Again, what happened there. Please tell me what g-d bit of difference Renee's presence made at all. Philip gets pulled out of retirement for Chicago, two agents die there, P&E leave the country, the whole Gorby soap opera, please tell me what set of circumstances are necessary for Renee to take any action whatsoever, or gather even one bit of intel.

 

In all due respect, it's been explained to you several times. Some spies never get anything. Zero Intel. Bupkis. Having them there, just is case, is good enough.

Have you ever heard of the Duquesne Spy Ring in the USA during WWII? 33 German spies were convicted of espionage. So you care to guess how valuable their intel was to ze fazerland? Scheisse! 33 of them for nothing!

It's not a wasted resource in the spy game if the potential to hit the motherload is there.

Do you ever wonder why they never showed the Jennings in the '70s? Because they were probably bored off their asses.

Now, can you tell me the track list you have coming out for the new Prince album early next year?

 

in the article linked above, the actress playing Renee says that there is a definitive answer, she was told what it is, and that there are some subtle clues.

 

You are correct, but there are other articles where show insiders say otherwise, that there was purposely no answer. So again it cuts both ways. Again I vote yes, and what is more, if she was a spy she may have not known about the Jennings being spies.

 

It seemed to me that if Renee was a spy, her long term objective was to get inside the FBI, which she was on her way to doing. She didn't have anything to do with what Philip & Elizabeth were up to other than that the Soviets probably zeroed in on Stan because of his relationship with them.

 

Well said.

That's what made the garage scene powerful, heartbreaking, and realistic (for the show's universe). This finale falls straight down the middle of The Sopranos ridiculously abrupt ending with Breaking Bad's cathartic one.

 

Well, Emmy nominations, and The Americans is again up for:

• Best Dramatic Series
• Lead Actor
• Lead Actress

Also the series finale was up for Best Writing.

Disappointed to see no nominations for "Stan" in a supporting role and no directing nominations - I thought a couple eps this season were worthy.

One more nomination that I clearly do not understand. It's up for "Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series" along with Jay Leno's Garage, Anthony Bourdain, Top Chef and The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
Nonfiction ? Reality ?

 

It's not for the show itself, it's for some kind of accompanying material online. Not the sort of thing that usually gets awards, I would have thought, but it's not like I follow that category regularly...

Here's a story about those categories:
Apple's 'Carpool Karaoke' Nabs Shortform Emmy Nomination