Tag Archives: The Americans

WTA 75- Season 5 Episode 2 Pests

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What sort of creatures could be bugging Philip and Elizabeth and Soviet grain? We get a tease in this week’s The Americans Season 5 Episode 2 “Pests” that aired March 14, 2017! It was written by showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg and directed by Chris Long.

This is Episode 75 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 76.

We have a couple of cool news features for you this week! First up is one from Thrillist revealing the 9 most shocking sex scenes from The Americans. Then we have a cool visual article in Adweek that shows The Americans has the best key art of any TV show!

Then we get right into the darkness of “Pests.” Immediately following the shocking end to last week’s episode, Philip and Elizabeth bring in the virus-containing tissue cut from William’s body to Gabriel and brief him on the end of Hans. Gabriel indicates that the Centre is up in arms about grain shipments from America coming to the USSR and worries about its contamination. Paige sleeps in the closet. In Moscow, Oleg learns from the Colonel that high ranking officials are getting food that others cannot. Only their part of the KGB is untouched by corruption. As Oleg leaves work, he is clearly being tailed walking through Moscow. He is later spoken to by a CIA operative who demands a meeting, leaving him with a map and time to meet on March 9th. Stan has a very busy time. He asks out Renee who likes him and reminds him of Philip. He learns from the CIA that Oleg is safe in Moscow, then the CIA tries to get him to assist them in turning Oleg. He refuses and later asks the Assistant Attorney General for help for Oleg, and the AAG declines to do so. Elizabeth follows Morozov to Illinois and finds a greenhouse where wheat is infested with bugs. The Eckerts and son Tuan have a fun-filled dinner with the Morozovs at a Bennigan’s. Paige and Matthew continue to get close, and have a tender moment. Philip and Elizabeth begin training Paige to control her emotions.

WTA 74- Feedback for Amber Waves

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At last we have new episodes of The Americans! Season 5 has begun and what a terrific debut! Hear all about it as we dive into Season 1 Episode 1 “Amber Waves” that aired March 7, 2017. It was written by showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg and directed by Chris Long.

This is Episode 74 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments. Please check out Episode 73 to get the news and our episode breakdown and analysis.

We rock on with history and tech this week, starting with Devo and their smash “That’s Good”, then tune in the 1984 Winter Olympics with Philip and Elizabeth. We then take a break with John Irving’s The Hotel New Hampshire, and then we spy a bit on the goings on at the PGU inside the KGB! The tech of sweetness is paramount for Lipton Ice Tea which in 1984 is powered with Nutrasweet! Then y’all take the stage with terrific thoughts in our feedback segment!

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 73- Season 5 Episode 1 Amber Waves

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:11:42 — 33.2MB)

This is Episode 73 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and analysis. To hear our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback segments stay tuned for Episode 74.

Now that Russia has become such a big deal in the news in the real world, what better time to examine how things have evolved? Slate shows us Spies Then vs. Spies Now and How the Evolution of Technology Changed Espionage. Then The J’s talk with NPR On Writing the Cold War-Era Drama Amid New Russian Relations!

We begin the episode with some high schoolers who are not Americans, Tuan and Pasha. We learn that Tuan is a Vietnamese spy working with Philip and Elizabeth’s newest cover, as airline pilot and stewardess the Eckerts. Through Tuan they meet with Morozovs, defectors from Russia who are connected to the Agriculture Ministry. Oleg returns to Moscow and begins his new job with an investigative branch of the KGB that will be looking into corruption in agriculture. Stan and Philip talk girls, while Elizabeth teaches Paige rudimentary self-defense. Henry was exposed to radiation that made him a monster. Gabe and Claudia take a moment. Gabe give Philip and Elizabeth one last encounter with poor William – exhumation for the Lassa virus in his body. In an extraordinary sequence, Philip and Elizabeth and goons including poor Hans sneak into Fort Detrick and silently dig up the body. Hans falls into the hole, cuts his hand where William cut his own, and is exposed to the virus. He says he’s fine. Elizabeth shoots him!

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.

WTA 72- Kelly AuCoin Interview!

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It’s time! Time for the return of The Americans, and that means time for our friend Kelly AuCoin to officially ring in Season 5 with us! Kelly joins us via satellite from NYC and lets us know all about his latest projects, and then he deftly dodges all our questions about what to expect for Pastor Tim and Alice this season! Plus he takes on your questions too!

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 71- Season 5 Precap with Alternakat!

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It’s less than a week away – Season 5 of The Americans! After breaking down the episodes from Season 4, it’s time to pull out our crystal ball and precap what could be coming this year! And who better to join our speculations and discussion than our good friend Kathleen, aka Alternakat! We dig deep into all our characters, advance crackpot theories, and get excited about next week. Plus, Kathleen reveals “Kathleen’s Awesome 1984 Mixtape” featuring the following smash hits:

Come Back and Stay – Paul Young

Love is a Stranger – Eurythmics

Wrapped Around Your Finger – The Police

Leave It – Yes

New Year’s Day – U2

One Thing Leads to Another – The Fixx

Burning Down the House – Talking Heads

Let’s Dance – David Bowie

Mama – Genesis

Union of the Snake – Duran Duran

We also have a couple of news items! Vogue checks out the style of Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys at the Premiere of The Americans, while NPR talks with ‘The Americans’ showrunners on writing the Cold War-Era drama amid our new Russian relations!

WTA 70- The Americans Season 4 Review

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:22:59 — 38.4MB)

At long last tovarischi, the return of The Americans is upon us! And you know we have to go back to all that happened last season to be ready for the mayhem to come! We break down each and every episode of Season 4 and offer our thoughts about what we have seen and what it all means!

Plus we have a wee bit of news this week for you, starting with a listing of many of the awards that the show was up for, plus the wins! Then we have Deadline’s great interview with Keri Russell & Matthew Rhys on ‘The Americans’ Emmy-nominated 4th season, followed by Vulture’s piece on The Americans showrunners on real-life Russian spying, Donald Trump, and the new season, and we close with The Seattle Post Intelligencer revealing that The Americans’ producers love those Russian hacking jokes as much as you do.

WTA 69- Costume Designer Katie Irish Interview

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:02 — 16.9MB)

Season 5 of The Americans is coming! What will the Jennings be wearing? We know one woman knows: Katie Irish, Costume Designer for the show! Katie joins us and talks about how she got in the business, what drew her to costume design, and she gives us an in-depth behind the scenes look at what she and her team do. Plus she answers listener questions!

And in case you haven’t heard, The Americans returns Tuesday, March 7 at 10 PM on FX!

WTA 68- Kelly AuCoin Interview

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Kelly is back!

WTA 67- Vera Cherny Interview

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It has finally happened – #TeamKGB finally joins us through our friend Vera Cherny aka Tatiana Evgenyevna! Well, not exactly joins us, but sits for an interview! Vera talks about coming to America, her time at the Actor’s Studio, and her wonderful experiences on The Americans! Is Tatiana in love with Oleg? Do the folks at the Rez hang out at the bar after hours? Listen and find out! Plus as a bonus she is able to answer many of your questions!

WTA 66- The Americans Season 4 Review

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:47:52 — 49.8MB)

Well, that was an AMAZING season of TV, wasn’t it? The Americans just gets better and richer each year, and Season 4 ranks as one of the best of any TV show in recent memory! It was so good we had to break it down with the big events and our thoughts on the characters and their story arcs. It was so big we had to ask our friend Kathleen aka alternakat to join the fun!

And we do have one exciting bit of news via The Hollywood Reporter: the Television Critics Association has nominated The Americans for three awards, including best actor Keri Russell, Best Drama, and Best Program!