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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 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!
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