Monthly Archives: May 2018

WTA 125- Kelly AuCoin Interview

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What can we say about the awesomeness that is our friend Kelly AuCoin? He got us started as our very first interviewee and then connected us with other with people working on The Americans! So who better to be the last of our series? Kelly shares his thoughts about Pastor Tim’s appearance this week, his place overall in The Americans, and his thoughts about the series as a whole. He also answers your questions and comments, and he talks a bit about the great arc for Dollar Bill on Season 3 of Showtime’s “Billions”!

We love to hear your thoughts about The Americans so please send them to us! You can email text or audio feedback to watchingtheamericans@gmail.com or signal us (we have replaced the operator!) at 919-907-0542. Follow us on Twitter @WatchAmericans. Please like us on our Facebook page Watching The Americans. And if you do enjoy the show, kindly rate us or better yet rate and review us in iTunes!

WTA 124- Jennings, Elizabeth Feedback

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Could we be any more tense than we were this week? Could we have yelled at the TV any more? Could Philip be The Flash in an alternate universe? Well, The Americans universe is imploding, more characters are dying, and we are freaked out and exhausted by the end of S06E09 “Jennings, Elizabeth”! The penultimate episode of the best show on television aired May 23, 2018, was written by showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg and directed by Chris Long.

This is Episode 124 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 123 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

As we wind down the show, we only have a couple of history and tech items for you.We taste some delicious Ukha with our good friend Claudia. Then we look over Stan’s shoulder as he works the FBI Automated Case Support system and finds another Philip Jennings! Can you believe it’s yet another tie for Wig of the Week? It’s Elizabeth’s big poofy do and Tatiana’s blonde locks (too bad they didn’t stay put for long!) Then you guys get to share all your terrific thoughts with us!

And we do love to hear your thoughts about The Americans so please keep sending them to us! You can email text or audio feedback to watchingtheamericans@gmail.com or signal us (we have replaced the operator!) at 919-907-0542. Follow us on Twitter @WatchAmericans. Please like us on our Facebook page Watching The Americans. And if you do enjoy the show, kindly rate us or better yet rate and review us in iTunes or Stitcher!

WTA 123- Season 6 Episode 9 Jennings, Elizabeth

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:31:12 — 52.6MB)

This is Episode 123 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 124.

Two news items await us! First up The Washington Post asks and answers what does a show about Soviet spies living in America tell us about parenting? Everything. Then we have one poignant farewell retrospective in Vanity Fair: an ode to The Americans’ most unlikely hero, the beloved FBI mailbot!

We then begin the episode with the aftermath of “The Summit”, as Elizabeth begins shadowing Nesterenko, while Philip leaves a dead drop for Oleg. Oleg picks it up, but he is in turn picked up by the FBI and interrogated by Stan. Oleg asks Stan to help save Gorbachev, and Stan seems unmoved. Meanwhile, Stan’s spidey-sense leads him to tell Dennis about his suspicions and to dig deep to find out if his hunch about the Jennings being illegals is correct. He even contacts Pastor Tim, who reveals nothing. Elizabeth eventually saves Nesterenko from assassination…by Tatiana! She confronts Claudia and reveals that she is team Gorby, devastating the old operative. Then Paige confronts Elizabeth about her encounter with a drunken Jackson who ranted about the recent honeypot. She leaves the house, bitter and enraged by her mother’s lies. Philip meets with Father Andrei, who is reveals his rival Father Victor is meeting with the FBI. Philip runs from the watching FBI and in a coded message tells Elizabeth to flee!

WTA 122- Feedback for The Summit

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The end is nigh and the deck is clearing! So this week we have some major unexpected revelations from the start! Shocking twists! A mercy killing! A not killing! Has Philip finally gotten through to the human being in Elizabeth? Are they done for? And Claudia is evil. Again! So much to digest in a super-sized episode! It’s The Americans Season 6 Episode 8 “The Summit”, which aired May 16, 2018. It was written by Joshua Brand and directed by series veteran Sylvain White.

This is Episode 122 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 121 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

There was so much so fast in the history lane! We brush up on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act before heading over to meet a contact at Main State. It’s a good thing we used our favorite Vidal Sassoon products to look good and fool people! Then we head to the cinema for a trifecta: The Big Heat, I Was a Male War Bride, and then we have to use subtitles for The Garage! Fortunately we convinced Elizabeth we are good guys so she doesn’t have to off us with her poison tip assassination device (maybe a Bulgarian Umbrella?)! Then another tie Wig of the Week exists between Philip’s hat and long blonde hair and Elizabeth’s blonde assassin pageboy! We then have your enthusiastic responses to this week’s show!

WTA 121- Season 6 Episode 8 The Summit

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This is Episode 121 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 122.

We have one choice news item for you, from a real-life CIA operative! It’s a piece in the The Washington Post wherein the former chief of disguise at the CIA says that ‘The Americans’ gets a lot right! And she gives a special shoutout to Matthew Rhys for how he handles guy disguises.

Then we pick up just after the past episode, and Philip confesses the Oleg operation to a stunned Elizabeth! He implores her to help save Gorby but she seems unmoved. She continues the operation with poor Jackson, who (of course) falls for her wiles. With his help she gets a key recording of Nesterenko. Stan continues closing in by visiting with a member of Gregory’s crew from Season 1. The Erica and Glenn Haskard story comes to its inevitable sad ending with Elizabeth’s help. Philip tries apologizing to Stavos. Jackson escapes certain death at the hands of Elizabeth! Claudia reveals her deep knowledge of everything Elizabeth has been working on, cementing her as a snake once and for all. Elizabeth learns from the tape that Nesterenko is a good man and refuses to follow the Centre’s orders to kill him! Claudia threatens Elizabeth, who then tells Philip that she needs to get a message to Oleg to help save Gorby!

Remember that we do love to hear your thoughts about The Americans so please keep sending them in! You can email text or audio feedback to watchingtheamericans@gmail.com or signal us (we have replaced the operator!) at 919-907-0542. Follow us on Twitter @WatchAmericans. Please like us on our Facebook page Watching The Americans. And if you do enjoy the show, kindly rate us or better yet rate and review us in iTunes!

WTA 120- Feedback for Harvest

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You knew we had to have at least one more gruesome spy thing, didn’t you? Well we sure did this week, along with Stan’s spidey-sense kicking in, Dennis’s frustration, and Elizabeth remaining winless this season! At least Philip was there to prevent an even worse outcome. Plus: Harvest meets the scythe and Marilyn meets the axe! All this and Erica, Henry and Paige too in The Americans Season 6 Episode 7 “Harvest”, which aired May 9, 2018. It was written by newcomer Sarah Nolen and directed by Stefan Schwartz.

This is Episode 120 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 119 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

We go light on history and tech to make way for feedback! We start out by adjusting our diets through food combining while listening to the incredible Patti Smith and the song “Broken Flag” on the album Wave. Such somberness makes us yearn for laughter and we get it at the Police Academy, which we reached easily using the Chicago L. Did anyone else see the emergency fire axe was missing? Then we have another tie for Wig of the Week between Philip’s shaggy cut, Elizabeth’s long dark locks, and the one that fell off poor Marilyn! Then look out for your incredible thoughts in your raucous feedback!

WTA 119- Season 6 Episode 7 Harvest

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This is Episode 119 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 120.

A couple of intriguing news items are out there this week. We start of with Vulture going on the set of the game-changing episode, ‘Harvest’ and giving us background on writer Sarah Nolen. We follow that with Mic’s think piece about the final season of ‘The Americans’ being all about the death of ideologies.

This episode begins with Philip revealing to Stan…that the business is tanking. Stan gets a bro hug and arousing suspicion. Stan drive Henry to get back to school and the conversation sets his spidey-sense to max! Philip arrives in Chicago to help Elizabeth with the extraction of Harvest. In a sequence reminiscent of Season 1, they attempt the move and it ends with resounding failure and death all around them. Dennis and Stan react to the Chicago mayhem. After dealing with the aftermath, Philip and Elizabeth head home. Which Stan did first. Erica later pushes Elizabeth to understand…something. Elizabeth then pushes Paige to commit. And Philip remembers his wedding to Elizabeth.

WTA 118- Feedback for Rififi

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It has taken almost six seasons, and now Henry finally takes center stage! Maybe the only reason he isn’t completely messed up is because the family left him alone all this time! It’s Thanksgiving and we see almost everyone left back together for a meal at the Beemans! Things are starting to look dicey for the Russians, and just when you thought they might finally be done, Philip and Elizabeth may not be! All this and more are in The Americans Season 6 Episode 6 “Rififi” which aired May 2, 2018. It was written by Stephen Schiff and Justin Weinberger, and directed by Kevin Bray.

This is Episode 118 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 117 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

It’s getting so hard to fit all the history, tech and feedback into one episode! We start out at The Key Theatre, there like Elizabeth to check out Rififi, Bob le Flambeur and one she didn’t want to see, Three Men and a Baby (we have a soft spot for Tom Selleck!). On the way home we fight over the radio and end up with Tears for Fears “Ideas as Opiates”, which would sound amazing if done by The California Raisins at an outdoor show at Walden Pond. The tech to get us there involves full-scale versions of slot car racing cars, which can only be bought using special invoices printed in invisible ink cracked with steganography. We have a tie for Wig of the Week between Elizabeth’s French film look and Marilyn’s dark curly lock! After all that, it’s time for your incredible thoughts in your awesome feedback!

WTA 117- Season 6 Episode 6 Rififi

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This is Episode 117 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 118.

There are three choice news items at the TASS bureau this week, beginning with The Washington Post showing us that before ‘The Americans’ and ‘Homeland,’ Russian TV spies were simple villains. No more. Next up we have Collider’s intimate chat with showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields on navigating the Intense, emotional final season, and we wind up with Uproxx’s Alan Sepinwall with a comment from the Js on finances and financing and Russian spies.

We pick up this week right where we ended, with Philip confronting Elizabeth about the Kimmy operation and his decision to end it! It’s Thanksgiving though, so Henry comes home and shines as the true American in the Jennings household! Dennis asks Stan to come back and help counterintelligence because that the FBI has found an illegal in Chicago and Dennis thinks they will be able to find all of them in the US and quickly! The Beemans host everyone except Elizabeth for a Thanksgiving feast along with a side of patriotic speechifying from Stan. Henry has some time with Philip, and he gets an unusual call from Elizabeth that leads Philip to offer to help her in Chicago!

WTA 116- Feedback for The Great Patriotic War

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This is probably the first time since the death of Nina that we were left completely speechless by an episode of The Americans! Things are really coming apart at the seams, in every sense in every relationship, from Gennadi and Sofia to Paige, Elizabeth and Philip. We got a surprising and bitter return of Tatiana confronting Oleg! And the turn in the Kimmy and Jim relationship was unbearable. Top that off with Philip making a stand and you have one of the most amazing episodes in six seasons! True horror and sadness are waiting for you in The Americans Season 6 Episode 5 “The Great Patriotic War” which aired April 25, 2018. It was written by Hilary Bettis and directed by Thomas Schlamme.

This is Episode 116 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 115 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

We start out with political history in the person of esteemed Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, who being a defense wonk knows all about the importance of The Battle of Stalingrad to helping turn the tide against the Nazis. He also knows the horrific level of World War II casualties, particularly the millions killed in the Soviet Union. Thank goodness we can put that out of mind and crack open a cold one to catch the hockey match and see sexiest man alive Mark Harmon in a classic 1985 Coors commercial. In an adjacent room the kids can enjoy the entertaining

“March of the Wooden Soldiers” sequence from Babes in Toyland while we use our Texas Instruments pocket calculator to try to figure out how to save our travel agency! Then you guys unleash a torrent of terrific feedback!