The Americans

[J Rod]

*BUMP*

Anybody watching season 4?  I haven't seen last night's yet (episode 5), but episode 4 had a big update...don't know policy around here regarding spoilers, etc. or I would elaborate.

Your sentence will be carried out... shortly.

This season has been amazing so far. Seems like they're building up to some amazing pay offs with Martha, Paige and the pastor, the weird relationship with Beeman, Phillip's obvious increasing dislike of his job, etc.

I know next season has already been picked up but

I get the feeling that Martha's days might be numbered.  They have a good cover story with Beeman finding the valium and revolver in her apartment...a staged suicide, perhaps? But then the previews for next week seem to suggest something else.  If this show has 1, or 2, more seasons left, you'd think that they were start moving in the direction of how it will wrap up...which I think has to have Philip & Elizabeth defecting to save their kids.

Don't see anyway Elizabeth defects.  Kinda hard to see them ending up together.  If the whole show is a study of a marriage with the backdrop of a spy show, where they work for a country only a few years away from breaking up, hard to see how they aren't "divorced" somehow by the end.

Don't think so?  Of the two, she's definitely the more devoted to 'the cause', but I can see her defecting.  It seems like there are occasional cracks.  It wouldn't be because she had some realization that she liked the U.S. (for which she has huge amounts of disdain)...it would have to be something dramatically changing on the USSR home front, or to protect their kids.  I would be surprised if they ended up separated by the end of the show...every now and then (like the end of ep. 5) she seems to claim her territory with Philip...and she'd never be able to find someone to relate to, like she can with him.

[J Rod]

One of the best things they did was drop the story line with Philip and the underage daughter of the CIA dude. That was gross.

100% agree...it was practically unwatchable.

[Slaky]

*BUMP*

Anybody watching season 4?  I haven't seen last night's yet (episode 5), but episode 4 had a big update...don't know policy around here regarding spoilers, etc. or I would elaborate.

Your sentence will be carried out... shortly.

This season has been amazing so far. Seems like they're building up to some amazing pay offs with Martha, Paige and the pastor, the weird relationship with Beeman, Phillip's obvious increasing dislike of his job, etc.

I know next season has already been picked up but

I get the feeling that Martha's days might be numbered.  They have a good cover story with Beeman finding the valium and revolver in her apartment...a staged suicide, perhaps? But then the previews for next week seem to suggest something else.  If this show has 1, or 2, more seasons left, you'd think that they were start moving in the direction of how it will wrap up...which I think has to have Philip & Elizabeth defecting to save their kids.

Don't see anyway Elizabeth defects.  Kinda hard to see them ending up together.  If the whole show is a study of a marriage with the backdrop of a spy show, where they work for a country only a few years away from breaking up, hard to see how they aren't "divorced" somehow by the end.

Don't think so?  Of the two, she's definitely the more devoted to 'the cause', but I can see her defecting.  It seems like there are occasional cracks.  It wouldn't be because she had some realization that she liked the U.S. (for which she has huge amounts of disdain)...it would have to be something dramatically changing on the USSR home front, or to protect their kids.  I would be surprised if they ended up separated by the end of the show...every now and then (like the end of ep. 5) she seems to claim her territory with Philip...and she'd never be able to find someone to relate to, like she can with him.

I don't think she'd defect because it would be totally BS and essentially a "happy ending" which this show does not have nor will ever have. It makes no sense. Phillip shows cracks but Elizabeth really openly hates the US and they make it clear, often. For the producers to drop the ambiguous nature of the show's stance on both countries would be so out of character. Neither has been shown to be better than the other - just different, and with unique and horrible problems of their own.

However - they would also seemingly do anything for their kids. So that's the monkeywrench here. How does the Paige situation get resolved? Hard to see her jumping into spy work without something triggering her into it. She's too emotional at this point. She can't even keep it cool with the pastor.

[R-V]

I think Martha being shipped off to live alone in Buttpuddle Russia, with no family or her beloved Clark, and not speaking the language, is about the saddest thing I can imagine. I think she's better off dead.

[Shooter]

One of the best things they did was drop the story line with Philip and the underage daughter of the CIA dude. That was gross.

100% agree...it was practically unwatchable.

I heard Joel Fields (one of the executive producers) on a podcast, and he gave the impression that it was coming back. He basically said that just because you don't see a plot line on the screen, it doesn't mean it has gone away -- they don't show the viewers 24/7 of the characters' lives.

[Slaky]

I think Martha being shipped off to live alone in Buttpuddle Russia, with no family or her beloved Clark, and not speaking the language, is about the saddest thing I can imagine. I think she's better off dead.

That was truly heartbreaking television. Few shows do it better. When he decided to be upfront with her and tell her he was never going to visit. I mean holy shit.

This is the best season, so far.

[R-V]

Season finale predictions? My guess is that it ends with Stan having his Hank Schrader moment about his neighbors. He's getting close. Kudos to his new boss for not being the dipshit I was totally expecting.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Season finale predictions? My guess is that it ends with Stan having his Hank Schrader moment about his neighbors. He's getting close. Kudos to his new boss for not being the dipshit I was totally expecting.

Too soon for that. They'd have to carry 13 eps over 2 years with them as neighbors.  I'm guessing this is more a Paige finale. She makes a decision that forces the parents to choose in how to support their kid.

Side note: The Wife's name is Paige. Paige in this show is the exact same age as The Wife is.  Was.  Whatever.

[ChuckD]

This could just as easily go in the "I admit it" thread, but I just now realized that Richard Thomas (Frank Gaad) was John Boy Walton.

[Tonker]

This could just as easily go in the "I admit it" thread, but I just now realized that Richard Thomas (Frank Gaad) was John Boy Walton.

Really?  John Boy Walton will only ever be John Boy Walton to me.

EDIT: I should point out that, when I was growing up, not only did we only have three TV channels in the UK, but they didn't broadcast much in the mornings.  If Sunday morning was cold and/or wet, the Waltons was your fucking lot.  I really hated cold and/or wet Sunday mornings.

[Chuck to Chuck]

This could just as easily go in the "I admit it" thread, but I just now realized that Richard Thomas (Frank Gaad) was John Boy Walton.

Never saw an episode.

[Slaky]

This could just as easily go in the "I admit it" thread, but I just now realized that Richard Thomas (Frank Gaad) was John Boy Walton.

Never saw an episode.

Great addition.

[Chuck to Chuck]

This could just as easily go in the "I admit it" thread, but I just now realized that Richard Thomas (Frank Gaad) was John Boy Walton.

Never saw an episode.

Great addition.