“The Americans” is an FX series following the lives of a couple who are deep cover Soviet Union spies living in the United States during the Cold War. The popular series was created by former CIA agent Joe Weisberg. The couple came to the US in the 1960s and set up house near Washington DC. The series takes place in the 1980s height of the Cold War and Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are now parents to teenagers, Paige and Henry. The family navigates their personal lives through the parents’ role as covert USSR spies. “The Americans” continues to grow more intense and more meaningful in its fifth and apparently final season.
Here are the top 5 moments from “The Americans” season 5.
1. Wheat mission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJuPtFyupvk
The focus of the previous season was Biological warfare. This season the Jenning’s mission is to discover the United State’s intentions to poison wheat exported to the Soviet Union. While Elizabeth is steadfast in her loyalty to her mother country, Philip often expresses doubts. On a trip to Oklahoma City, as Philip notices the expansive wheat feels he wonders why the Soviet Union cannot provide wheat for their own country. Elizabeth tries to distract him, but Philip’s mind wanders back to his childhood. In fact, Philip has many flashbacks and is trying to remember who his father was.
2. Parental advice
“The Americans” often weaves the personal and professional lives of the characters. One poignant moment that demonstrates this is when Philip and Elizabeth Jennings confront their daughter Paige about her relationship with Matthew. Even if her parents weren’t KGB spies, Paige would probably have similar issues of teen angst. She is trying to find her independence from her parents. When Elizabeth tells Paige that you don’t have to reveal everything in a relationship, she is referring to the secret that the Jennings are spies, but she is means it in a more general way. It’s simply a mother’s relationship advice to her teenage daughter.
http://www.fxnetworks.com/video/900269123999
3. Despair
Episode 6 of “The Americans” has many characters in a great deal of emotional pain. Philip is particularly upset because he killed an innocent man in a mission that was pointless. He also questions Gabriel about his father and finds out he was a guard in a prison camp. Gabriel is in a great deal of emotional pain about his job despite putting on a good front. He decides to retire and return home to the USSR. Oleg Bourov has an emotional crisis when he has the incriminating tape against him. It appears he is contemplating suicide, but he burns and smashes the tape.
http://www.fxnetworks.com/video/916903491957
4. Relationships
Season 8, “Immersion” delves into the complex relationships in the world in the Jennings family and business. The episode provides a glimpse into Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship with Gabriel and how Oleg is connected to the spies. Deidre breaks up with Philip and Elizabeth encourages him to get her back. In the meantime, Elizabeth and Philip discover that their Soviet friend, Evgheniyer, who is teaching Russian to CIA members is having an affair with one of her students, they decide to use the affair to their advantage to get Evgheniyer to return to the Soviet Union even having their “son” Tuan find a way to make Evgheniyer’s son a target of a gang at school.
http://www.fxnetworks.com/video/927174723999
5. Pastor Tim’s Diary Revealed
In Episode 10, “Darkroom”, the contents of Pastor Tim’s diary is finally revealed. Paige has been trying to get the information for her parents by becoming close to Pastor Tim and his family. In his diary, Pastor Tim revealed that he was concerned about Paige’s well-being and her relationship with her parents and condemned the parents. The revelation was true. Her parents do have a major secret and it is affecting Paige and her relationships with others. However, the Pastor Tim’s accusations hit Paige’s conscience hard because she (and her parents) realize the long term affects the spy world will have on the children and the family as a whole.
https://www.shush.se/index.php?id=65&show=theamericans
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