The Americans: Full Series Retrospective

[@SlipMaker]

This is a reupload due to a copyright issue with background music in the original. Please show it some love!

[@zachryder3150]

I'm doing my part!

[@nittonama3]

Lol i was about to ask if it was.

[@honkeykong4049]

😎👌

[@808v1]

I'll watch it again...it was an awesome rec from youtube and I ended up binging all of your vids and sub'ing...now please get back to making more content :)

[@JudahDeNose]

I wouldn't have gone back and watched it otherwise, so in a weird way, I'm kinda glad it was.

[@SamBrickell]

The point of the old lady wasn't that she was just an "innocent person caught in the wrong time and the wrong place", the point of the old lady is she told Elizabeth the truth about herself. I'll summarize it for you: "You aren't a good person, Elizabeth. You claim that you are helping 'normal people' because of your obsession with doing anything possible to enact communism, but *I'm a normal person.* This is the story of my life: I have harmed no one, I have lived a good life, I am who you pretend to protect and care about. And yet here you come to end me because I stand in the way of that thing which you value more than human life. You are a monster."

[@rolandcooke]

My favourite scene of the whole show. Was really surprised Slip Maker just brushed it off.

[@jatuttable]

This is the best scene in all of movie history!

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

Agree. That was the best scene in the show up to now.

[@АлинаКостылева-ф2ч]

This scene is the only time I cried my eyes out watching the show

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

Agree. That episode was SO good. The actress who played the old woman, Lois Smith, is a veteran of movies and TV whose first major role was in _East of Eden_

[@oregonsenior4204]

Minority opinion: I *liked* the "Oleg and the corrupt supply chain" storyline. Recall this was just before the USSR collapsed.

[@AbelDuviant]

I enjoyed it a lot as well! It was a nice little reminder of what it's like 'back home', and the Jennings have no idea

[@Shizzle_My_Nizzle]

The acting of Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Alison Wright (Martha) was top notch

[@anthonyrocco288]

I love Keri Russell. SEXY!!!

[@jackthezombiekiller]

Watched the show on your recommendation, got instantly hooked, until Season 5, I had to drag myself through that. But that final episode, when I saw Paige off the train my heart sank.

[@kellyfroh4159]

That scene literally took my breath away.

[@omcorc]

Yeah, this show definitely suffered under its own weight toward the end. I was actually a bit disappointed. I'd hoped that the end of the series would take place in the midst of the USSR collapsing. The Jennings family would essentially be stranded in the U.S. with no guidance from their Soviet handlers. I also think that having Stan discover who they are, but no one at the FBI has any stomach for it, or perhaps they just don't believe him, would have been a similarly downer ending for him. Just like in the actual finale, the Jennings essentially get away with everything, and they then get to stay in the U.S. I'm usually not a big spinoff or sequel fan, but that would have left the door open to continue the story.

[@bannedmann4469]

Same. Fell off infact, had to get back on to finish. Hardly seemed worth it.

[@bagelhunt]

Glad I'm not the only one who has this opinion. I think the show as a whole is great but the last season is the weakest. At least they wrapped it up before it got too bad.

[@DeedlyDood]

@@bagelhunt The last season gets the most praise and awards. A hot take for sure. I suppose I can understand if you miss the "action" over a smart narrative.

[@saltandsoysauce175]

Fantastic recap of a fantastic show. But I can't believe you didn't call out how shockingly perfect a "little gray man" Phillip/Rhys was. At least 65% of the times he appeared in a fresh disguise during my initial watching of the series, I was like, "OK, who's this guy?" for at least a couple seconds. Incredible.

[@metalraygear2677]

I absolutely love this show start to finish. It is mind boggling to me that the questioned morals, loyalties, and dehumanization that almost every character faces wasn't something that you found intriguing. The entire season 5 Oleg plot was showing just how corrupt things were in Russia, how normal people try to work with in what is already broken to the best of their abilities. Season 5 may not be the most action packed but it certainly has the second most emotional weight of the series.

[@BarryGoldberg79]

Watching this recap made me realize one thing. I need to watch this series again.

[@jpmnky]

Even with all the faults of this series at certain points it’s still better than 99% of the stuff that was coming out in the 2010s. Boardwalk Empire is the only show that is better than The Americans. Just my opinion anyway.

[@arthurw8054]

Nice summation. What made the climactic confrontation in the car park work, IMHO, was the fact that Oleg had already corroborated part of what Elizabeth told Stan about the Soviet coup attempt when cornered, which - combined with all of Stan's conflicted emotions - made it believable (just barely) that he would let them pass. Of all the "New Golden Age Television", The Americans arguably has the best ending.

[@richierugs6544]

the digging of the coffin with no dialogue was incredible television, just amazing!

[@shawncdonnelly]

Fun fact: Henry Jennings ended up playing in the NHL under the name "Wayne Gretzky."

[@jdgoesham5381]

Nice

[@Jason-hv8mz]

Wait..what??

[@jpmnky]

No, no. It was Sergei Federov.

[@notsneaky5732]

Unlikely----the real Wayne Gretzky was already in the NHL at the time that Henry was a kid...!!!...

[@BrokenDarkFire]

I’m dying 😂 all the things you disliked about season 3 were my favorite parts. The old woman’s conversation with Elizabeth was one of my favorite parts of season 3. I don’t remember what I thought of season 5 but definitely remember the slowness. Season 6 was agonizing for the way it hit all the emotional climaxes. I’d like to do a full rewatch but it’s the kind of show I need to be in the headspace for, a bit like Mad Men. It’s not something I can rewatch on a whim and only pay half-attention to.

[@jengorman2246]

OMG he disliked that wonderful old lady scene? When I think back to the series, that's one of the scenes that comes to mind with how well they did it. I had to stop watching the video because he thinks Noah Emmrich's acting was one of the strong parts of the series...

[@danielsteffee7957]

Definitely disagree with his take on the old lady episode, which I thought was very moving. But definitely agree with him on Season 5; when I recommend the show to people, I tell them to straight up skip season 5, it's got so little going for it, and it's by far the worst.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@danielsteffee7957yeah but I don’t think you can just skip over it though😂😂it’s stil a solid season just worst than the rest cause the show is all time great

[@Laurala_Lala]

I love the season in the last episode of season 6 where Elizabeth has a nightmare on the train. Her sitting next to Gregory (Who she first loved in America and was the reason is dead) while smoking and saying she doesn't really want a kid. Smoking is part of the reason Stan figured her out and shows her falling apart. She then looks at the paintings on the wall then the one Erica gave her is there. Staring at her. Showing her the cold truth that she is destroyed. There is nothing left. She lost paige, Henry, her work. And her marriage is dwindled. And then Gregory dissapears. Another thing lost. Icing on the cake

[@karenlp5867]

The thing that really got me hooked on this show was how conflicted I felt about Philip and Elizabeth. Despite all the terrible things they did, I couldn’t help but like them. I kept going backwards and forwards between wanting them to get caught, and wanting them to get away with things.

[@Mallardman795]

I felt this way about Philip and not at all about Elizabeth.

[@sam-515]

At 13:42 "it'll be easy peasy lemon squeezy. No it won't it'll be difficult difficult lemon difficult" was awesome 👍😂

[@toramenor]

I loved all the seasons, including Season 5. And as a whole, it is simply superb. It is very clear that everything that happens at the beginning and the middle is important for how things turn out. It's all connected, and there are actually a LOT of payoffs - even during the "slower" sections of the show because this is essentially a family drama & not just a spy show, so the 5th season for example had a lot of family stuff that was important. I enjoyed all of it. The central performances were terrific, the writing was amazing, the show made you think & see things from a different perspective. It is absolutely worth watching and rewatching, because even when you know what's going to happen in an episode or the entire show, it is still captivating to watch. It is an internal drama of those people & it is a spy thriller. They created something truly superb.

[@JoyJacques]

Yes, exactly. That the show was a family drama hiding as a spy thriller was the point of The Americans. To approach it without that perspective dooms the reviewer to miss much of the nuance that was particularly present in S5. Otherwise, it was great fun to hear someone retrospect the show. It's one of my favorite TV series.

[@DO0O0OM69]

The only thing missing from this retrospective is a split screen shot of Stan Beeman and Marlon (The Truman Show) both walking through the front door with a six pack of beer

[@BullyG1]

This show isn't just dark and violent, its shockingly graphic for a TV show. I have a pretty strong stomach and had to look away at times! People being burned alive, throats slashed, hanged, shot point blank in the face, etc. And they show it all in graphic detail. I don't know what was worse, the decapitation of the van driver, the Russian courier traitor getting stabbed by Elizabeth directly in the throat and then hunting down his wife and slitting her throat from ear to ear. Or maybe breaking the bones on the body in the hotel room so they could smuggle it out in a suitcase. Damn, I had to look away when they started snapping the bones (and showing it!!!!) Somebody dies a horrible death in almost every episode. Don't let the kiddos watch this one........

[@puppylove2493]

grow a couple

[@BullyG1]

@@puppylove2493 Nobody asked you so shut your pie hole..........

[@gbrown932]

@Don Gorleone balls is what I think they mean

[@s_1408]

I cringed when Elizabeth blew the AIr Force General's head off!

[@pipermccool]

I couldn’t watch the suitcase scene, could barely stand to listen.

[@randyeaddy2373]

I watched the series in real time, and have rewatched most episodes several times. Even so, I really enjoyed your video, because I never watched any reviews or analyses before now. It’s interesting to see how an expert assessed the show. Many thanks for doing this. 👍🏾👏🏾

[@rolandcooke]

Seconded!

[@twopintsofmilk]

Every so often Martha used to crack the most infectious smile. Great vid

[@thethesaxman23]

I also have to agree with the music choice. I thought they did a stellar job of choosing a combination of hits and deep tracks that made it feel more organic and less like a nostalgia trip. One song I really wish they used at some point was the original Tears for Fears version of Mad World. I think it would’ve fit nicely with the tone of the show and been on the nose lyrically.

[@largegroupofmales]

12:23 I love his delivery here, it feels straight out of something like smiling friends lmao

[@jamesgatz5301]

Thank you so much for this. I started the show because of this and was even more impressed than I expected!

[@DAZEYGHOST]

I checked this show out after enjoying a few of your other reviews, and it honestly floored me. Some of my favorite television on earth. Some day I'll make that Season 5 edit for you.

[@NeverSaySandwich1]

I'm still in the middle of this series, on season 3, so I'll come back to watch this in full. Thanks for making this!

[@cj-hw3pv]

Enjoy!!

[@ramanjindal8669]

@@cj-hw3pv can u suggest other show like the Americans

[@ScottNewhouse1]

Great retrospective! Just finished the series and it went out perfectly. Season 5 was rough to get through but the first and last seasons were incredible.

[@followme8238]

I loved the series and loved this recap and commentary. Now I’ll ease into a complete rewatching!

[@AlejandraSegura1]

Hello, I wanted to tell you that you have done an excellent job analyzing this series. Like you, I was also lucky enough to be born in the golden age of television, and somehow it always bothered me that The Americans remained a hidden gem. I think that, throughout your video, thanks to your apt analysis and juxtaposition with other series, you managed to convey exactly what it feels like to watch the series, even at times taking me to the height of conmotion.

[@spurzo4spurzo]

One of my favourite shows of all-time. Unique series perspective as the protagonists are Russian spies but it's also a compelling family drama. Throw in a solid dose of nostalgia and it's truly one of a kind.

[@carloscarmona1523]

This is my favorite video of yours, it's good you don't have to delete it completely or something.

[@simwish6921]

This reupload is a good excuse to rewatch the video that got me into this channel

[@tequilasunset811]

Started the show after watching this video, perfect time to rewatch it having finished it.

[@Bootmahoy88]

Your comments are very well thought out, very well articulated. I commend you for that. Thank you. It's your experience. My experience of the show was quite different, but I think that's marvelous. I've watched it through its entirety twice, and there are so many details that fly by. It's highly nuanced, and I really dig that.

[@brittnis7294]

Appreciate the video! just finished the series and theres hardly any analysis videos compared to what you see for other shows. I think the show was ahead of its time and im glad i only recently discovered it. I definitely hold this show among the greats like sopranos and breaking bad. I love Oleg and his final scene with Stan encapsulated everything i loved about the show. Agree about the amazing soundtrack and LOL to the comment about watching this at night with the lights off.. how i watched every episode!! One thing i love about the americans and the amazing acting is how much silent communication/ body language is used. Incredible stuff

[@johnthegreat97]

I dont know why but I was really hoping this was another full series recap for this under recognized show. Still left a like.

[@EddyTheMartian]

Now I can comment having watched the show. Definitely one of the best ever IMO, with one of the best endings. I agree with a lot of what you said, S4 and 6 being the best, S3 already being kinda slow and S5 taking it too far, though I don’t think S5 is that weak. Another show with barn burner of a finale is The Shield which I hope you check out if you haven’t already, one of the best ever IMO. Great video as always!

[@anijeepa]

The Shield is so underrated

[@paullesniak3791]

Yea Shield was awsome.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@paullesniak3791the shield and the Americans both make my top ten shows list

[@preahko]

Great recap! And I laughed so hard at "rescuing children from an orphanage fire started by Reagan"...

[@bennyleeofcharlotte]

I loved the original, surprised to see it re-uploaded

[@UnwrittenNoise]

Haven’t watched this video yet, but very exciting to see people talk about the Americans, such an under appreciated gem of a show.

[@jeffsims8270]

14:40 - The choice of tunes throughout the series are hands down my fav from ANY tv series! I'm still pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of TALKING HEADS' 'Listening Wind' in the opening to the final season. Not just cuz it's my fav song by said band, but the fact it's such a deep cut! The Americans NEVER dissapoints with the dope choices of 80's music!!!!

[@ditroia2777]

This is the only show I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched a few that the ending stayed with me for quite while. I immediately wanted to rewatch it but waited a year and enjoyed it again.

[@raymondsims7042]

Have you ever watched six feet under? In my opinion that’s the best finale ever

[@ditroia2777]

@@raymondsims7042 I watched it when it aired but not consistently, I have heard the ending is very good.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@ditroia2777 yeah man if you get some free time check it out top three show and the best finale ever and it’s not close in my opinion.

[@raymondsims7042]

@@ditroia2777aww man you’ve got to watch it!! Show us absolutely incredible top three in my opinion and yeah the ending is the best I’ve ever seen

[@TheBKchannel]

Loved The Americans, and loved this retrospective. Also love a sneaky bit of Ratchet and Clank at 54:02

[@katyatheruski]

I myself am a Russian immigrant, and my entire life has been spent attempting to "fit in" to American culture and escape the prejudices that come with my origins. The emotions of this show is like a dramatized and espionage-itized version of what myself, and many other immigrants feel when required to give up or identity in favour of the American identity.

[@nur.md.akib.1996]

Watched the show on your recommendation, got instantly hooked

[@whoup1438]

i was so excited to see this pop up in my recommended - the americans is severely underrated

[@Omegazer0]

I was watching the ending scenes again and stumbled across this video. Thanks for the excellent analysis!

[@Johnkik212]

Awesome video! It's great to see a underrated show get the attention it deserves. Could you make a retrospective on the TV show Mr Robot. It's my favorite show of all time. It's a masterpiece and season 3 and 4 went criminally under the radar. When it was the best parts of the show.

[@da3m0nic_79]

Best show ever. Season 3 especially, it’s probably the best season of television I’ve ever watched.

[@KhaosAdmiral]

And just like that you got your wish

[@KhaosAdmiral]

And just like that you got your wish

[@KhaosAdmiral]

And just like that you got your wish

[@KhaosAdmiral]

And just like that you got your wish

[@mieshonwalker8635]

Glad this is available again!

[@ZargX76]

Pantheon show for me, currently sharing a rewatch with my dad.

[@Eamonshort1]

God when you said "easy peasy..." I was hoping youd play that clip. Thank you for continuing to have my exact taste EDIT: fuck and a Russian terminator ref, coming in clutch with the deep cuts

[@arksuren_]

Your video actually made me watch the show, i'm on season 5 right now so i'll be back when i finish it

[@hdhshdhs5503]

Are you back yet?

[@anastasiagrinberg7500]

I'm watching the Americans right now. My second try, but I'm glad I was able to push through the first few episodes and I'm now enjoying it tremendously. Very mixed feelings since I was born in the Soviet Union in the late 70's and USSR falling apart is real to me. I remember watching Reagan and Gorbachyov in the news vividly. The Soviet Union being dissolved the way it did brought chaos, poverty, unimaginable crime levels. Our 90's were your 20's. Gorbachyov is hailed as a hero in the West, but he is one of the most hated historic figures in our history though. Right after Stalin. Your video is awesome. It's interesting to see your prospective as a person who analyzed the show and as an American (no pun intended). Thank you.

[@savd6885]

I wonder if Philip was able to meet and connect with his other son in Russia after the finale

[@jdgoesham5381]

Oh yeah! I forgot about the son.

[@mcap5222]

Some of my favorite scenes throughout the show were those between Stan and Oleg. Those two guyss really clicked.

[@ssbm_TULIP]

Love your videos! Giving this reupload some good ol algorithm juice.

[@jacksdad734]

This was really well done. Thank you.

[@imjinrat2325]

Hands down the best finale ever.

[@kingEspada5885]

I hear that goldeneye music in the background, nice touch

[@sunspots6077]

Watch very few "TV" things.. loved this.. I lived in DC in the 80s and this production nailed the times then and there. Like the mail robots, look and feeel, also myriad other little things that most people would not notice shows that someone did exhaustive research.

[@dom24363]

Except it was ALWAYS winter!

[@costeris35]

I really liked the fact that the show doesn’t feed you all the information in the first episode. I was hooked from the first “cold war film” looking image and loved having to hang on for the ride.

[@tonyclemens4213]

Most people I know that loved the show were like me, teenagers/early 20's during the height of the cold war. To this day I'm still surprised we survived the cold war.

[@brianban110]

watched the show on hulu and loved it

[@EOP02]

As a fellow smooth brain I'm right in line w your critique. I believe we love the Americans w equal measure. My step father escaped communist Era Soviet block country under the worst circumstances imaginable. At 15 I was infected by the figurative umbrella tip poison pellet of spy culture and the Cold War Era history and spy stores. And consider myself an armchair smooth brain expert on the CIA up to the early mid 90s This series was my my All. It felt so often made for someone of my cloth. Just the same.. as I mop of the indiscretions of cats and tidy the living room I am shouting my agreements and omg's as you run down one of all time favorite series. Thank you for an honest rendition. You've got a new sub Much love from way up North

[@bigblackbear4234]

Love seeing a video essay about my favorite show of all time, nice!!!!

[@raymondsims7042]

It’s definitely in my top ten as well it’s excellent

[@Abdulrahman-nj1mg]

This is the best show that I've seen in very long time. Is there a show similar to this?

[@puppylove2493]

Homeland

[@switzerlandful]

28:44 "So I tied an onion into my belt which was the style at the time.." LOOL

[@zardox78]

I feel like there should've been an actual fight between Phillip and Stan in the end. A well-choreographed fight, maybe where Phillip has a handicap of some sort but still manages to bust out those rusty skills and show Stan what he was always capable of. _Then_ there should've been the big conversation, with a defeated (yet unmaimed) Stan cuffed to the wall or something and Phillip having 0 reasons left to hide anything. That's the conversation I wanted to hear, and it couldn't happen as long as the gun was in Stan's hand.

[@HungNguyen-sy4oz]

If you ever read anything from John Le Carre, or enjoyed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, I think you'd feel right at home with this show. I was even half expecting at the very least, a casual reference to the Smiley Saga, since they both feel very similar to each other. Swear to god I saw George Smiley in Phillip and Karla somewhere in Elizabeth.

[@JackWalters696]

28:42 is the most I've laughed at a KZbin video in a long, long time. Also, the show and this retrospective kick ass.

[@zachryder3150]

Fantastic show. Except for season 5 because damn it dragged for no reason. Also you have to admit that after watching just the first 3 episodes you can almost perfectly predict what happens in the series finale. It isn't detrimental to the show and the finale is still great but it played out almost exactly as you'd expect it to.

[@EddyTheMartian]

Bruh same I totally predicted what would happen in the finale too lmao. I just thought of it from the writer’s POV, what would be the way I would end it, and while of course I couldn’t predict the ending exactly I was sure that the Jennings would (SPOILERS) lose their kids somehow.

[@jeffsims8270]

s4 is probably my favorite. Just the idea of bio-chemical warfare chills me to my core, and the lassa virus takes it all to a whole new level!

[@jpmnky]

Great video. I suggest you watch Boardwalk Empire. It had, imo, the greatest finale of any show I’ve seen to date. I got really heavy into television in 2005, so I got to see all the series you’ve mentioned. Except OZ.

[@ivanacvetanovic7611]

Season 3 is one of my favorites, alongside seasons 4 and 6, and the episode with the old woman was one of the best in the entire show. It also had many of my other favortie episodes and moments (not in the sense that they were nice, but in the sense that they were so strong: having to get rid of Annalise's body, the strangely intimate dentistry scene, Philip talking about his 'seduction' training with that flashback - way to unglamorize the spy job) and generally deepened the characterizations and the themes. while also having bombshell moments like Martha learning the truth about Clark, Page learning the truth and Page telling Pastor Tim. Season 5 is my least favorite of the seasons but was still really good. The episode Dyatkovo is one of my favorites due to that long scene with the woman who was forced to be a Nazi collaborator. The ending of the episode Darkroom and Philip and ELizabeth's wedding were also among the best moments of the show. I agree however that they should have made the plot stronger. But I admire the show for going to much against the usual rules of US TV. I was always impressed with how they were trying to give all the characters and various political sides and factions their due and understand their motives. And I was positively surprised to be point of being shocked with the fact they were doing actual research and tryiing to be historically and geographically accurate, which shouldn't be such a shock but is because of what I'm used to eeeing on US TV when it comes to ohter cultures. I couldn't believe when Misha's story took him to Yugoslavia, and all the actors playing the locals sounded convincing, the dialogue at the crossing border was perfectly natural and couldn've come from a movie about the 1980s Yugoslavia, and, the biggest miracle, not only did the priest look and dress like an actual Orthodox priest, they even made the Orthodox wedding accurate, with the priest singing in Church Slavic.

[@s_1408]

Correction: "With or Without You" by U2 was the last song of the series. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" would have been a good song, but "With or Without You" hit just as hard. Thanks for your summary! I really enjoyed it. I subscribed.

[@therovingeye9632]

Finished "The Americans" in June and it's become my new number one favourite TV show of all time, and it's one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever seen. That said, I still have yet to see a single episode of Mad Men, Sopranos, Fargo, Dexter, The Wire, The Shield, Boardwalk Empire, Narcos, Deadwood (even though I've had the entire series on blu-ray for over 4-5 years now), or Better Call Saul. So we'll see if I feel the same way after getting through them (assuming I live long enough to do so). But yeah, it's a hidden gem in my eyes, and I'm so glad I picked it up off an indirect recommendation I saw from a trusted source months ago. I hope more people discover it and sing its praises, because ultimately I'd say its pros far outweigh its cons. (As much as I love it, I felt vindicated hearing you lightly rag on the gravedigging scene in season 5. It succeeds at evoking the tedium of the work, but that unfortunately has the side effect of making me feel bored.) Great video!

[@raymondsims7042]

The Americans is in my top ten for sure.

[@califsherry]

Much appreciation for the retro. Not addressed here (or elsewhere that I've found) is the impact of Claudia reporting back to The Center about her last conversation with Elizabeth. What kind of reception will The Center give Philip and Elizabeth upon their return?

[@bobsmith8510]

You got me. I’ll watch it again

[@suzy.crabgrass]

Just finished the series today. I feel empty now.

[@antonioluna4538]

Same literally just finished it rn

[@MrThebigcheese75]

"Your sentence will be carried out now". Great show, a few pacing issues. Camilla from Dexter sure gets about. The couple are both in Cocaine Bear, not together though, gotta love that.

[@waverly2468]

Thanks, I didn't see every episode so you filled in the blanks. The end reminds me of the conclusion to "La Femme Nikita" with Pita Wilson, where the show steamrolls to a logical conclusion. Loose ends are taken care of, some surprising acts of courage emerge, and not everything ends happily but it ends.

[@ssj4punkrocker]

"Oh, we paid for both" damn, nice counter jab

[@DrZaius3141]

Stan being a douche in season 1 has two points to it: 1. Philip and Elizabeth are our (anti-)heroes, and when those are still new, you need a catalyst to help the audience root for them. Stan isn't really their direct nemesis, but he is a stand-in, the personification of their enemy. 2. During the Cold War, both sides did horrible things. You can't be taken seriously as a show if you try and portray US intelligence services as virtuous, because that wasn't what was happening.

[@gideon11]

it's not a show to binge imo. the gaps between episodes and seasons must help. i don't recall ever being bored

[@joogullae3456]

MY ANACONDA DONT WANT NONE UNLESS YOU GOT BUNS HUN - cut to elizabeth getting whipped LMFAO genius editing my friend

[@trumptouchesivanka]

Specially her moan afterwards 😂

[@ryanh1892]

Just watched this after finishing the series... I enjoyed the references to Veep, In the Loop, GoldenEye, and Anthony Fantano. I do wonder how Claudia's disappointment didn't come back to hurt them; how can Claudia and the Jennings both be accepted back to USSR?

[@shurik121]

Claudia was a part of the losing faction of KGB, and Phil and Liz helped to prevent the coup. If anything, they will be accepted as heroes, and Claudia would probably meet Nina's fate.

[@JustinThorLPs]

This is funny. Just watching this a year later we find out the Iron Dome doesn't work either

[@honkeykong4049]

Here to show support

[@theotakucave]

That Fantano joke was hilarious

[@NeverSaySandwich1]

Finished the show last night, fantastic series finale. Overall I'd give it an 8/10. The main characters were really well done and has some effective suspense and intrigue. However, the plotlines regarding spy operations can be complicated and hard to follow. The show could also be slow at times, especially in season 5. Was looking forward to watching this video when I was fully done. Keep up the good work! Perhaps do retrospectives on The Leftovers, Legion, and Twin Peaks?

[@alcoholicgoat]

YOU RESPECT JESUS BUT NOT US

[@bipoc-alypesproductions198]

Jesus is the only way through the narrow door! Glory be to the father son and holy spirit 👏🕊

[@Sionnachsalach]

Such a good storyline, as it demonstrated she is as socially conscious as her parents. But they can’t see the potential political power to change things in her engagement with the church, just the surface ideology.

[@ScottOmaVideo]

Devastating scene but every parents gets it

[@josecabrera6391]

This is one of my favorite scenes of the show

[@jbob4996]

Philip said calmly

[@Sophnar0747]

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Oh my, what’s that noise? Oh, I know, it’s your daily reminder to COVER THE SHIELD YOU COWARD! ❤️

[@zer0gravity384]

I think the Mischa looking for Philip and being turned back because it shows they don’t have that much control over there lives.

[@Oonagh72]

I think the scene where Stan and Nina are watching the movie makes their relationship make sense. Stan has to hide everything from Sandra. Nina is the secret. He can relax and not worry about saying the wrong thing or endangering her. He could just sit and watch a movie. That is why the relationship makes sense. You don’t need anything else. Stan can relax with Nina. You could almost see it as selfish on Stan’s part because he is using her to comfort himself

[@vaporsaver]

Dont see many people talk about this show, this is nice. Still need to finish the last season though.

[@victorosong132]

One of the best shows ever

[@lern2reed]

Commenting to boost the video.

[@laurashepherd2479]

I absolutely loved the first four seasons of this show! We were watching Season 5 as it aired but lost interest somewhere along the way... By the time season 6 came out we had forgotten all that was going on, figured we should do a rewatch of the previous seasons first and at least finish the arduous Season 5, but we never did and still haven't seen the last season 😅 Maybe one day!

[@daegon1985]

Just watch season 6 and Forget about 5. 6 is so good and 5 so inconsequential since there’s a time skip that you wont regret it.

[@thethesaxman23]

I think this was a criminally underrated show. It did get a bit slow for me at times, but the desire to know what would happen next. Personally I would like to have seen the show get closer to the fall of the USSR than it did. I felt like we got a taste of what the confusion would have done, but it would have been interesting to see them get caught in the middle of the collapse and how they would have reacted to it.

[@karenwang313]

Thats what I thought the ending would be about, I was pretty surprised to hear that wasn't the case

[@thethesaxman23]

@Randy White of course I’m not denying that! When I say “underrated,” I’m saying in comparison to a show like Breaking Bad that has become imbedded in pop culture. Though it’s absolutely on that level of quality, it never really reached the same popularity.

[@TheCyberSpidey]

The show got axed, last two seasons were rushed. I think the slow bits were the actual show, it was a drama set during cold war about spies, and not really a cold war spy thriller that is a common trope. Think of it as what The Wire is to cop shows - the action sequences were rarely the highlight. The Americans suffered from lack of popularity that Breaking Bad and especially Game of Thrones enjoyed at the time, imo it's the best running show of its time due to the scope of it. It portrayed the cold war paranoia as well as the humans pitched against each other who were not too different from each other - compared to say, most popular spy cinema where it's good vs evil or all emphasis on an antihero.

[@rolandcooke]

@@TheCyberSpidey - that's really not the case. The show got seasons 5 and 6 greenlit at the same time, to allow the writers to craft the end the way they wanted. That double-greenlight might have been unprecedented, I'm not sure, a couple of other shows have replicated it since. Either way, it was a brilliant and bold decision by FX's John Landgraf.

[@Lester.M]

The best series ever.

[@raymondsims7042]

* the wire (but the Americans is definitely top ten)

[@michaelaf8698]

One of my favourite ever shows ugh I’m dying