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Old 05-03-2018, 06:20 AM   #101
Butter
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I was thinking about this earlier this week, that early on in the run the show was more concentrated on having this big dangerous cliffhangers from show to show... but then the focus got more on the relationships and people than the work itself, and that made it more interesting. Yeah, last season wasn't great, but it's been a great show as a whole.

Will be sad to see it go. Wondering if we are going to get that reveal where Stan realizes who his neighbors are, like we got on Breaking Bad... it would be sort of like this show to NOT do that.

But in the end, we have that Chekhov's gun... er, pill... that is surely going to come into play before we're all done, right?
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Old 05-04-2018, 08:27 PM   #102
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But in the end, we have that Chekhov's gun... er, pill... that is surely going to come into play before we're all done, right?

With the end to the most recent episode that's firmly where my mind is. Phillip is about to go join Elizabeth in Chicago on a very dangerous mission with a reasonable chance of failure. Elizabeth would 100% take the pill if needed. Phillip doesn't have one, but wouldn't anyway. Their level of understanding of what's happening in Chicago and their commitment to... everything, is going to be driving a hell of a lot over the next episode or two.

I don't think the pill has to be used, but it has to come up in conversation with Phillip to create that conflict.

Regarding Stan, I think he has to find out before we end, but we don't get a hank/walt in the garage type scene. We should get some very fine acting opportunities for Noah Emmerich very soon.


Alan Sepinwall has pointed it out a few times I think, but the dream scenario would be Stan just completely randomly stumbling upon Oleg and Phillip hanging out together. It'll never happen that way, but oh man that'd be amazing.

Last edited by Radii : 05-04-2018 at 08:27 PM.
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Old 05-04-2018, 08:33 PM   #103
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Dola,

So there's only four episodes left. If Stan is going to find out, it has to be in the next episode or two, right? Otherwise there's only going to be time for a short/explosive event as part of the resolution.

Also, there's been suspicion from the start about Stan's wife that she's a plant. Now she's looking to join the FBI. But again only 4 episodes to go. If there's a story and a reveal with her, and some action to make the reveal worthwhile, that needs to happen right now. But that could have just been a fun red herring, combined with the fact that we're learning that Stan had settled into a new life that he could actually enjoy before getting sucked back into the Russia thing and whatever fate befalls him.
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Old 05-10-2018, 06:59 AM   #104
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What an episode last night. Only 3 left, and that makes me sad.
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:02 AM   #105
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What an episode last night. Only 3 left, and that makes me sad.

Yes. That was fantastic. Shit is getting real, yo!
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Old 05-12-2018, 11:29 PM   #106
nilodor
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Over/under 1.5 positive endings for the main characters (Phillip, Elizabeth, Paige, Oleg, Stan)?
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Old 05-13-2018, 10:44 AM   #107
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I just don't get what everyone sees in this season. It's plodding, so poorly acted, predicatble, and nowhere close to any of the past seasons in terms of quality - acting, writing, and otherwise. Matthew Rhys was completely checked out the first half of the season - presumably when he was filming The Post - and no one else seemed to care, either. It's like after they finished last season, the showrunners wanted a nice long break to set up the suspense for the final season and, in that break, lost all interest in the story and characters so they just mailed it in with minimal effort based on their notes from past seasons.

As far as great television series go - and I think The Americans has been great - this season is total garbage.
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Old 05-13-2018, 05:39 PM   #108
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Over/under 1.5 positive endings for the main characters (Phillip, Elizabeth, Paige, Oleg, Stan)?

Under. I think we'll end up in such a way that's pretty easy to interpret 0 positive endings. I think Oleg and Paige are 100% to end up negative. The only possible over I see is Stan and either one of Phillip or Elizabeth but neither both, but that even those would end up very bittersweet at best. If Stan confirms that his best friend is an illegal he's going to be crushed, even though that's pretty much a "win".


As for Todzilla, I disagree w/ everything you said, but, its subjective, so it sucks that you aren't enjoying the final season of a show you'd liked before

For me last season felt pretty bad, likely b/c they were in a holding pattern to set up the endgame, but this season has been great to me.
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Old 05-13-2018, 06:29 PM   #109
Butter
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As for Todzilla, I disagree w/ everything you said, but, its subjective, so it sucks that you aren't enjoying the final season of a show you'd liked before

For me last season felt pretty bad, likely b/c they were in a holding pattern to set up the endgame, but this season has been great to me.

Yeah, I'm not sure where that's coming from. Maybe it's just not ending the way you want it to?
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Old 05-13-2018, 06:29 PM   #110
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Over/under 1.5 positive endings for the main characters (Phillip, Elizabeth, Paige, Oleg, Stan)?

Under. 1 MAX
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Old 05-14-2018, 04:07 PM   #111
nilodor
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I was thinking of setting the line at 0.5, it just feels like it's going to be a big bag of sad to end this one. It's hard to imagine many of the characters even being alive at the end. It could even wind up like the departed.
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Old 05-25-2018, 05:25 PM   #112
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Finally got caught up today and wow, what a season so far.


Knew it was highly likely that it would eventually come down to Stan figuring it out, but I was hoping it wouldn't get there. Just curious how they are going to wrap it up all in one episode.
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Old 05-25-2018, 08:50 PM   #113
Radii
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The tension in the most recent episode was incredible. I cannot wait for next week.

Also on the over/under, we've pretty much resolved Oleg and Paige with negative endings right?
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Old 05-26-2018, 03:20 PM   #114
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So what's the deal with Stan's wife? That entire storyline has been a magnificent waste of time and effort. Even if she's the deus ex machina that somehow saves the Jennings because she really was a russian, omgwtf
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Old 05-26-2018, 03:44 PM   #115
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So what's the deal with Stan's wife? That entire storyline has been a magnificent waste of time and effort. Even if she's the deus ex machina that somehow saves the Jennings because she really was a russian, omgwtf

Yeah, that has been really strange. Maybe she's just a red herring to show that not everything and everyone is involved in spycraft. If she is involved in something its going to be really hard to introduce that in the series finale in a satisfying way.
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Old 05-26-2018, 04:18 PM   #116
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I really hope Stan catches/kills at least one of them. It would be too sad of an ending for a character we're supposed to like.
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Old 05-27-2018, 10:12 AM   #117
nilodor
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The only potential “happy” ending in play I see is the Jennings roll out, grab Paige and Henry and make it to Quebec before the FBI can shut down the border. The Jennings then reconnect as a family and live out their days in Toronto or something. This has stand-off at henry’s School written all over it, or at the border. I could see Stan catching up to them then Renee shooting Stan. Like anything feels in play except anyone finding real happiness.
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Old 05-27-2018, 11:26 AM   #118
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If you're one to believe in standard American story tropes, then the Jennings have to die. They've killed so many innocent people the only just way to end the series is for them to end up dead or in jail. Paige gets a pass, maybe she turns herself in or becomes a witness, Henry is so insignificant I don't think anyone - including the writes - care what happens to him; if he even gets a mention in the finale it's too much.

Stan needs to get some closure - the death of his partner(s?), the betrayal of his "best friend", etc. Maybe he gets to make the arrest, or the kill, or something. Oleg probably gets the opportunity to choose freedom but won't given his loyalty.
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Old 05-27-2018, 06:00 PM   #119
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Like anything feels in play except anyone finding real happiness.

Yeah I feel this way too, and I'm good with it. I'm sure its possible for them to screw up the ending, but it feels like it would be pretty difficult. They are set up pretty nicely so that many different things could happen and they could all make sense.
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Old 05-30-2018, 11:37 PM   #120
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Wow, some of what I was expecting, a lot I wasn’t. The big piece came way earlier than I thought. So tense. My wife and I are just wired right now.
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Old 05-31-2018, 12:30 AM   #121
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A very sad, emotional, yet satisfying finale.

The whole conversation was fantastic. The fallout was hard to watch from a "i'm invested in this family" point of view.

Stan became one of my favorite secondary characters in a show. Noah Emmerich did a really wonderful job!

Overall, im gonna miss this show. Got better and better. Enjoyed it immensely. Sad to say goodbye.
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Old 05-31-2018, 01:38 AM   #122
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The garage scene and the train scene were both incredible. Definitely one of the best shows to hit TV in awhile all while being completely under the radar for the most part.

Definitely going to misss these characters.
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Old 05-31-2018, 06:31 AM   #123
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I've been a big critic of this last season so it's no surprise that I was pretty underwhelmed by the finale. The garage scene is going to go down as one of the greatest scenes in a tv finale, however - it was stunningly well written and acted. The train scene was the only major surprise and it was exceedingly well done, too, esp. with no dialogue whatsoever. My favorite was the scene at the beginning where they make the decision to abandon Henry, another amazingly well acted scene.

However, most everything else fell completely flat. Renee? Who gives a fuck? Everything about her and her storyline going back seasons were garbage, and in the end there was no payoff, no conclusion, nothing. Oleg? Guess he's done.

But my biggest gripe is the lack of any repercussion or consequence for Elizabeth "turning" in the last few episodes. That was supposed to be a huge betrayal, right? So....what? It's like they forgot it even happened and nothing the characters did or said even hinted that it even happened.

Which ties into my main complaint about the final season - it was like a complete afterthought for the showrunners and writers. They suddenly came to the realization "holy shit, we need a finale, quick!" and they put together a beautiful 15 minutes in the garage. Everything else was back-of-the-napkin crap.
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Old 05-31-2018, 07:45 AM   #124
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It was ok. Not very dramatic but the show was always understated I guess. Garage and train scenes were the best parts. No real closure with anybody. Everybody just went their separate ways.
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Old 05-31-2018, 08:35 AM   #125
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I let out an audible gasp at the end of that train scene, which is something that I never do.

Immediately after the garage scene I was actually a little underwhelmed, but I realized as the episode went on that it was because, like was said above, I was just really surprised at the timing of it. I'm going to watch it again with my wife tonight so I'm most looking forward to that scene again with a better perspective.
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Old 05-31-2018, 08:46 AM   #126
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However, most everything else fell completely flat. Renee? Who gives a fuck? Everything about her and her storyline going back seasons were garbage, and in the end there was no payoff, no conclusion, nothing.

Didn't she first show up last season? Either way, the "conclusion" is that Stan is conceivably going to be tormented by doubt and trust issues with her. I think the way they had Philip phrase it was perfect...having him reveal/confirm her as a spy would be overkill but this is a way to show how Stan will always be consumed by the fear that someone else will do to him what Philip had done. If she's not a spy, and she may not be, that marriage is fucked anyway.

Quote:
But my biggest gripe is the lack of any repercussion or consequence for Elizabeth "turning" in the last few episodes. That was supposed to be a huge betrayal, right? So....what? It's like they forgot it even happened and nothing the characters did or said even hinted that it even happened.

Once it became known that the Centre was effectively trying to overthrow Gorbachev, and was willing to fake its agents' reports to do it, they all got the hell out of there. Which is why Oleg getting pinched and not being able to get that message back home was a problem. The biggest point in that garage scene where Elizabeth got fired up was when Stan brought up Oleg and the dead drop and Elizabeth said that message HAD TO get back, otherwise everything they did was for nothing.
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Old 05-31-2018, 08:57 AM   #127
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I initially thought that Paige didn't want to speak to Henry on the phone because she couldn't act like all was okay, but in thinking about it more having seeing the rest, I wondered if she was already thinking ahead and didn't want to be heard as being on the run with her parents if someone was listening. Maintaining the plausible deniability as much as possible...
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Old 05-31-2018, 09:30 AM   #128
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I actually had a huge "a-ha!" moment with Renee. It doesn't matter whether she's a spy or not. Stan's marriage is completely fucked. Philip was being completely raw and honest with Stan - minus the part where they don't admit to all of the killing they did - and he drops this suspicion on Stan about his wife. To me that's the perfect ending with her. Its still ambiguous, but it doesn't matter, we know what it's going to mean for Stan and that seems to fit perfectly with all of the wondering we've done about her occasional screen time in the last hour or so.


It was an understated series finale but for this show I think it works. The tension level the entire time was extremely high, and I think enough was resolved with the spy stuff to make me happy. The cold war is almost over. Philip and Elizabeth lost their kids and are moving back home to a country that's nothing like they've been told over the years. The fact that Arkady is the one that picks them up is the sign we need that Elizabeth is likely going to get away with everything she did.

The family dynamic was always the most important part of the show, even if the spycraft was frequently the most fun. The family stuff was resolved in a devastating way, though likely in the best possible way for both of the kids. Paige is going to be really screwed up, but this was probably the best possible ending for her.
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Old 05-31-2018, 10:40 AM   #129
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I think the show was about marriage, you have two people thrust together for work, who are supposed to "love" each other as part of the job and who would up loving each other in spite of the job. I thought the final scene, them just looking out at a city the barely recognized was a perfect end, especially after Elizabeth's dream sequence. I always thought that painting she kept was a possible outcome for her, and seeing it in her dream, what it would be like to have been a spy and only a spy, being alone, it seemed like she decided to come back to Philip in that moment.

I really enjoyed the series as a whole, it's top 10 for me. It's not to the level of the wire but I found myself really caring about the characters and what happened to them and in the end, that's what I really like in a show. I thought the ending brought enough closure. Philip and Elizabeth find their love for each other and are back at the beginning, this time in Russia. Stan, while losing his best friend and likely his girlfriend gains a son that he's arguably closer with than his own son. Paige gets out from under the control of others (pastor Tim, her mom, spy life) to start her life. Oleg, put his devotion to country above himself and his family. I'd like to think he'll get out when the wall falls. This series was never going to end with a big bow, it's not about that. All their tasks were small parts of a big picture, so I think an ending without clearing up that big picture is fitting.
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Old 05-31-2018, 11:00 AM   #130
Butter
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It was definitely more about relationships than spycraft... and in that way, it turned out absolutely devastatingly for everyone involved. Except maybe Henry.
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Old 06-02-2018, 08:53 AM   #131
bryce
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The ending reminded me of The Shield's finale. In each case, the writers made the ending the one thing that would bother / hurt the main character(s) the most. In The Shield, that was Vic Macky having to be a desk cop. In The Americans, that was Elizabeth and Philip breaking up their family. In that respect, I think both were well done.
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