The Americans is back, Season 6

[RingtheBells]

Havent watched it yet but just noticed that my Sky box had recorded it last night on ITV 4 at 10 o'clock, I'm sure it was on ITV encore last season. Looking forward to this and it's the last season so hope the end is good.

Couldn't see a thread and don't want anyone to miss it .

Yes that's true - another reason not to sympathise! Stan's 'morally shady' (ie illegal killer!) side was definitely de emphasised during series 6. Why did Stan shoot the agent - was it to avenge his partner's death (when actually it was P and E who had killed him? - my memories are also hazy now!)

I did find Elizabeth's 'conversion' in series 6 interesting - it seemed that as in real life there was no single 'see the light' moment but a number of reasons - the dying artist, the Genadi/Sofia murder while the child was there, and then Philip's 'we do it' speech seemed to get through to her. Possibly also the realisation of what it would do to Paige to be involved in 'the work'?

How can I watch previous series? Watched 1&2 then lost track of where 3 was shown.

surely didn’t Nina decide she didn’t want to help the FBI any more so she was a double agent and Stan knew that if he did anything about that their affair would be revealed? The. She was punished by the Russians for helping FBI, sent to prison, used to spy on the scientist bloke who was kidnapped from the US, got too friendly with him and was executed anyway 😉

Ah - yes I think you are right it was the Kgb who said they would forgive Nina if she managed something or other - maybe getting Stan to give some secret info? she failed, and was then sent back to Russia (because Stan wouldn't put her in witness protection?).

I suppose Stan sort of went some way towards redeeming himself later on by threatening his bosses so that they left oleg alone - but not that far really!.

The Massachusetts-based family on which this show was very loosely based was captured after a long covert FBI operation

The factual basis for the series also leaves some tantalising questions (i.e. possibilities for spin-offs). OK, one family was caught. Which leads to a reasonable assumption there were many. So did any manage to never get caught or suspected ? Or did any ever manage to make it back to the USSR ? And if they did, what happened to them and where are they now ?

I can't suggest watching S7 of Homeland interposed with this season of "The Americans" enough. It's like a musical counterpoint (even down to sharing Costa Ronin ). But there's a definite air in Homeland of "we did things that way in the past. Now we're doing them this way" ....

Other questions:

• did the US have a similar program in the USSR ? Maybe started immediately after WW2.

• did the USSR deploy illegals elsewhere - the UK ? If so, what happened to them ?

• did the illegals programme get as far as having a "Paige". A 2nd generation American that could pass detailed security checks ?

Bearing in mind we know the USSR did orchestrate a poisoned umbrella killing in London in the 70s, I defy anyone to suggest that anything is too far fetched.

Some of you might remember this story. I think it might be about the family someone upthread identified as the loosely based inspiration for The Americans
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/07/discovered-our-parents-were-russian-spies-tim-alex-foley

Since 2010, they have made a conscious decision to avoid the media. They have agreed to talk to me now, Alex explains, because they are fighting a legal battle to win back their Canadian citizenship, stripped from them six years ago. They believe it is unfair and illegal that they are expected to answer for the sins of their parents, and have decided to tell their story for the first time.

I did wonder about whether the deception of P+E made Paige and Henry non-Americans. But doesn't US citizenship also stem from being born in the US, as well as by birthline ?

British series from 1991. Can't remember it but I did watch it.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepers_(TV_series)

Deutschland "83 was very good. It centred on an East German border guard who took a dead West German's identity and infiltrated the West German army at the behest of the Stasi. They're making Deutschland '86 now, and the one after that will deal with the fall of the Wall.

That finale was utterly amazing. P&E when the train pulled out. Henry's face as Stan told him about his parents.
Perhaps there will be another series in a few years' time.

Do you think Philip and Elizabeth will adapt well? What will they do - train spies?

I think Philip is too disillusioned to be good at training spies - he would lack the motivational element! On the other hand he will need to make a living, so perhaps he'll go into that - or could he run a state owned travel agency?

I also think Philip will find it very hard to be away from Henry (Paige perhaps less so - he seemed to see her as Elizabeth's in some way). I could even see him trying to sneak back into the US to see him in secret.

I thought the last scene was suggesting that Elizabeth still loved Philip, and that they would at least try to stay together.

Elizabeth will get assassinated by 'The Center'.
Then Philip will be free to track down Martha.

ah yes, the rogue elements in the centre may be out to get Elizabeth - she did kill a KGB operative after all.

Do you think Philip cared about Martha - I thought not, as his 'marriage' to her coincided with the time when he and Elizabeth seemed to have a genuinely good relationship. But I'm sensing the thread thinks it may have been a true love story.

@Iamtheresurrection you can watch previous series on amazon prime.

Thanks @mydcaremarvel

I think Philip has more of a conscience than Elizabeth. He will at least want to see Martha to check she is OK.

I think that Philip became very fond of Martha. I also think that he was sexually attracted to her. However, I'm not sure that it was love.

It seemed to me that the penny dropped for Stan when they abandoned THE American holiday [thanksgiving] to work.

Yes I agree, Stan just couldn't see how both mother and father would leave their son when he'd come home from school for Thanksgiving. And Stan did seem inscrutable when Philip was explaining about the travel agency going under - I couldn't tell if Stan was just playing along then.

Then when Henry was talking in the car about the total absence of extended family in the car - one great aunt, who he'd never met! - Stan was obviously absorbing the implications of that.

But why, I ask again, did Father Viktor and Andrei come into the frame just now? Just coincidence I suppose. But it was that that forced E and P to leave - just the news that Father Viktor had been talking to the FBI was enough to make them pack their bags. It was odd - such an easy thing for the FBI to do, why hadn't they done it years ago?

I think they had found a connection with the guy in Chicago and a Russian orthodox priest so they then started investigating the priests in DC

I don't think Phillip loved Martha either. I think he felt really bad about her because he recognised she was a very nice, genuine person and he was getting heartily sick of what he was doing so he went the extra mile to get her to Moscow (rather than killed off).

I think Phillip will try to meet up with his (older)son (although I think Gabriel told the son his father was dead??). Elizabeth will need to keep busy. Although Perestroika was happening things were still pretty lean so Elizabeth will have to make her leather boots last - no more tailored suits for Phillip.

How did P&E manage to have their fave outfits on at the end ? (dramatic license). I liked how Stan linked back to the first episode ever when an Oldsmobile being spotted at a KGB kidnap made Stan suspicious and he poked around the garage (as Phillip had one).

Ah you've reminded me - the suit! I was sure it would play a part but it was not referred to again. What was the significance of Philip getting his new suit?
I think I hope Philip meets up with his son - has someone upthread mentioned that he's now met Philip's brother so that might be the way they meet? Though whether in the long term the son may be better off staying nc I don't know.
I think if Elizabeth isn't killed off she has a good chance of becoming a successful business woman.

Just watched the finale - amazing episode & series. Agree with others that it was criminally underrated.

I reckon that P&E will stay together in Russia as I do believe they love each other. I also think that Paige & Henry will be fine - they're bright children & will make good lives for themselves.

Hope it works out for Oleg.

I'd love a spin off series with Stan or one of the other characters.