The Americans: The Complete Fourth Season

We watched the entire series of this show. We watched about four episodes per week. We came to closely identify with many of the characters and our feelings for all of them varied over time. We were very sorry to finish the last episode and even though it is been a few months since then we still feel a sense of loss at not having more to look forward to. It really was that good.

It seems so real

We cut the proverbial cable cord a couple of years ago and had a chance to pick up Season 4 of the Americans to catch up on a show that we missed.This season was all about biological weapons. Per the treaty neither the US nor the Soviets were allowed to develop weapons of mass destruction based on biological warfare. Yet somehow the US has various strains that they do research on supposedly under the guise of developing an antidote.The show revolves around two Soviet spies who at an early age were trained in Russia to talk perfect English, to think in English and to live among Americans as if they were ordinary Americans. The two spies had 2 kids in America and all 4 live in a suburb of Washington, D.C. as the Jennings family. Matthew Rhys plays Philip Jennings (Mischa), Keri Russell plays Elizabeth Jennings (Nadezhda), Holly Taylor plays Paige Jennings (Elizabeth & Philip’s daughter) and Keidrich Sellati plays Henry Jennings (Elizabeth & Philip’s son).Watching the show one would have to believe that the Soviets were very lucky in their spying and/or the FBI was very lax in security or a combination of both.Season 4 has a lot of plot twists and sub-plots:Paige wanted to know who here parents really were, and complicates things by confiding what she knows about her parents to her Pastor who in turn complicates things further by sharing the details with his wife. When the Pastor goes missing on a trip, the Pastor’s wife threatens the Jennings. Paige also learns what a bad-ass her mom is when it comes to self defense.Both Elizabeth & Philip are not beyond using sex to entrap others. In Season 4, Elizabeth does this to eventually gain an access code (i.e. 49263) to biomedical research labs where one of the world’s deadliest pathogens will be.We learn of another “illegal” that’s been in the US a long time and works in the biomedical research lab and has been provided samples to the Soviets via his handler and later via the Jennings. We learn of an accident at the handler’s house.We also find out the fate of Nina who was sent back to the Soviet Union, who was almost on the way of being cleared but ended up with a bullet in her head.Perhaps a lot of what happens on the show is contrived, and some of it is real. We’ll never know the full extent of how many Soviet spies live among us (the ones who were never caught won’t be giving up their secrets).My biggest complaint about the show is that many of the scenes are filmed at night or in low light, so unless you are viewing the show in a super dark room and/or on a TV with high contrast ratio, there are many scenes in which all you hear is dialog as the screen is mostly pitch black.I purchased Season 4 because I watched the first 3 seasons when I had Cable TV, and now that I don’t I was able to binge watch the show over the span of a few days. I’ll probably buy Season 5 when it becomes available or see if the local library has a copy of it.

'The Americans' is the best series on television, bar none. Each of the episodes in the four years are superb. Of course some of the wigs and mustaches are a bit much, but it is all part of the game. It is difficult not to get caught up with the storyline. We learn as we go along that this series is about a marriage between two Soviet spies. At first a marriage of convenience, then a marriage of love.In 1981, Philip Jennings played by Matthew Rhys and Elizabeth Jennings, played by Keri Russell are Soviet intelligence agents from the KGB's Directorate S, operating in Washington, D.C.. They live with their children, Paige and Henry. This is an ordinary American family except they are Russians under deep cover, will do anything for their 'mother country'. Remember this is in the 80's when Russia and the US were involved in many nefarious misdeeds. As luck or not would have it, FBI counter-intelligence agent Stan Beeman, played by Noah Emmerich moves into the neighborhood. He and his family became good friends with the Jennings. And, then, the Jennings divorced, which gave Philip and Stan a chance to become 'good' friends.We, of course, can see all that goes on, the wigs, the clothes, the counter espionage and the killings. Stan becomes suspicious once, but nothing ever pans out. In fact he is set up to fall in love with another Russian woman, who reports everything. Stan's mistress becomes all important to him. Margo Martindale and Frank Langella are the KGB controllers to the Jennings, and they are ruthless. In series 3 Paige learns their secrets, and is traumatized. She does, however, have the chance to meet her grandmother in the old country. It is difficult for Paige to keep quiet, she has to tell someone. And, Philip's secret paramour Martha is put in jeopardy.This is such a well acted series. Superb acting along with the superb scripts boil down to one heck of a series. Philip and Elizabeth watch Reagan as he talks about the Evil Empire, and all comes home to roost.Recommended. prisrob. 04-09-17

Consistently on the edge of my seat. The complexity of the characters and coherence of the developing plot is top notch. The relevance of today even though it is a period piece for the 1980s is astounding. I will rewatch this one and am glad I invested in the DVDs. I look forward to the next season.

The Americans is definitely one of the best series ever. Only four stars, because it now tends to be a bit slow, the Paige "thing" is getting a bit heavy, and everybody's acting ( except for Langella !) really overloaded, which enhances the flaws that you didn't care about in the previous seasons.

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. It is well acted and all the characters are well rounded and relevant. Would definitely recommend this.

The fourth series is very interesting...Nina is executed and Richard Thomas's FBI Chief is murdered on holiday. Very gripping and a really good series...always worth watching.

Fast moving plot .Keeps you engaged .Full of surprising moments and unexpected twists .