The Americans (Season 2)

[Mara]

My most anticipated return of the year.

Don't sophomore slump on me, show. I need you to be good.

[amberlita]

My most anticipated return of the year.

Don't sophomore slump on me, show. I need you to be good.

Hopefully should lessen any anxiety. No spoilers. (http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-fxs-the-americans-takes-a-big-leap-forward-in-season-2)

I stopped watching this show halfway thru last season. Wasn't bad. I just wasn't that interested. Sepinwall's review of Season 2 (thru about 5 episodes) has convinced me to give it another go.

[Mara]

Ooh hoo hoo. This opening was a doozy. I'm glad we didn't skip too much time (although those kids are growing like weeds.) I feel like involving the kids so closely really ups the stakes, and I was really shocked at the bloodiness near the end.

Speaking of which, I feel like we're getting a role reversal a little bit this season so far. Getting shot seems to have made Elizabeth a little more gentle and maternal (braking for the deer, terrified) while the same event hardened Phillip quite a bit (shooting those men in cold blood in the opening. He didn't want to kill the innocent bystander, but he also didn't hesitate.)

I'm wondering if Phillip's brush with the teenage boy in the hallway (without wigs or anything!) is going to be a torpedo.

[Sxottlan]

So glad this show is back! Looks like the daughter's growing suspicion will be an escalating subplot this year.


Phillip's brush with the teenage boy in the hallway...

Devastating scene.

[Mara]

Haven't been posting but we have had a solid run of episodes. The scene between Martha and Elizabeth was tense on, like, five different levels.

I had assumed that Oleg was working for the Americans (so nosy! so inappropriate!) but now I'm not so sure.

[Mara]

Ha ha-- I know all the streets that Oleg is taking in this very slow car chase. I think he's heading into Maryland. Is he going to Baltimore?

[Mara]

Ha ha-- I know all the streets that Oleg is taking in this very slow car chase. I think he's heading into Maryland. Is he going to Baltimore?

Yup.

[Mara]

I got interrupted by family stuff and had to wait, like, an hour to finish the last ten minutes. Stressful.

But a solid ending. Oleg is quite the creep. I loved Phillip and Elizabeth on the couch-- their relationship is so carefully drawn this season.

[Benny Profane]

Squeeze your anus if you ever have to take a polygraph.

This show does a pretty poor job of introducing new characters. My wife and I are having a hard time following this season.

[Mara]

I'm not buying Nina's turnaround on Oleg. He's so punchable. But she suddenly likes him? Nah.

[Mara]

By the way, the role-playing fantasy gone wrong last week (?) was one of the strongest scenes the show has done. Just... wrenching.

[Lucky]

I'm going to have to wait for this to (hopefully) come to Amazon Prime eventually.

[Lazlo]

Yeah the Nina/Oleg thing rang false. Philip's janitor disguise was badass. The moments with the kid that comes back to the lab and the conversation in the bar after were so strong.

[Mara]

Annaliese! We haven't seen her in well over a year. I wondered where she had gone. She was one unbalanced, needy little nutjob. This will definitely end well.

[Mara]

Annaliese! We haven't seen her in well over a year. I wondered where she had gone. She was one unbalanced, needy little nutjob. This will definitely end well.

EXACTLY. Well pedicted, me.

Online reviews are speculating that the teenage kid will recognize the Jennings from the carnival, but I'm more worried about 1) seeing Phillip in the hotel hallway and 2) when Elizabeth interviewed him as a social-worker type. She was even wearing her short wig like in the police sketch.

[Mara]

Officially renewed for a third season, by the way. I'm pretty happy about that.

[Mara]

This season killed it. It would have been so easy for this show to fall apart after the first season, but instead it became more ambitious, complicated, and ambiguous. I have a total crush on this show. And please much more Claudia next year.

[Lucky]

This season killed it. It would have been so easy for this show to fall apart after the first season, but instead it became more ambitious, complicated, and ambiguous. I have a total crush on this show. And please much more Claudia next year.

So pleased to read this. Eagerly anticipating.

[quido8_5]

Just now getting to this. I was pretty agnostic about the first season, the spy stuff just didn't ring true to me. Eight episodes into the second season and it's pleasantly surprising. Characters have been richly developed and the conceit is leading to ever more sophisticated metaphors. Of course, the central draw for me is the relationship between Elizabeth and Phillip. As Mara noted, many of the scenes they share are exceptional— some of the most painful and emotionally wrenching moments I've seen on TV since Tony and Carmela's epic fights in the sixth season of The Sopranos.

[Lucky]

Caved and bought this season off Prime. Starting now. Stoked.

[Lucky]

Walking in on my parents 69ing? Eek.

[Mara]

Another dollar in the therapy jar!

[Lucky]

I don't remember specifics of the first season clearly enough, but the episode "Behind the Red Door" might just be the best episode of the series so far. Keri Russell delivers a difficult range here digging into sexual and relationship scenarios skewed to spy fantasy but played realistically and credibly. It's the kind of storyline a lesser show would fumble, but adds a rich texture to the main relationship here. And then the scene with Claudia at the end in the car. Great episode, great performances.

[Lucky]

Paige should build a time machine and go find Sally Draper. I think they'd be fast friends.

[transmogrifier]

I never got round to watching the last 3 episodes of this. I sort of lost interest there for a while.

[Mara]

This show has become a pet favorite of mine, so I did a best-of run-through of the first two seasons to prep for season three this month. Hold on to your butts, because I'm going to talk about clothes and costumes, because I'm not sure I noticed before how carefully the costumers are telling a story here.

So, Phillip and Elizabeth basically have three sets of spy clothes and wigs/accessories. They have "super spy," when they are out killing or performing covert ops that don't require deception. They don't wear wigs or facial hair, dress in black or very dark colors, and sometimes wear caps or knit beanies. Then, they have "sexy," especially Elizabeth, where she wears wigs (often blonde) and slinky evening or cocktail dresses, heels, and jewelry. The closest Phillip gets to this is how he dresses for Annalise, which might be closer to "dapper." Most of the time, though, when in disguise they wear "nondescript," where they wear wigs, glasses, mustaches, and frumpy clothes that deliberately hide how attractive they are. (Even Clark, who is running a honeypot, dresses this way.) They don't want to be noticed or remarkable when they dress this way.

But with this run-through I decided that, unlike Phillip, Elizabeth has four sets of disguises. When Philip is at home or the office, I think he wears clothing he actually likes. But when Elizabeth is home or at the office, I swear to you I think she is wearing another costume: "suburban working mother." Those clothing choices-- mostly sensible, unflattering slacks and endless, endless sweaters-- don't reflect her personality at all. They are just another way that she is hiding. For one thing, they really aren't flattering on her. Elizabeth looks shapeless in all the clothes she wears at her house. Her hair always looks gorgeous, but she's hiding everything else.

So, what are Elizabeth's real clothes? I paid attention this time and I kept trying to find her when she wasn't in some sort of disguise.

At the end of the second season, Elizabeth goes to visit Jared in the woods, without her wig, and says to him, "This is what I really look like." It's kind of a powerful moment, because it shows an uncharacteristic level of trust. At that moment, this is what she is wearing:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/the-americans-2-13-elizabeth-leather-jacket.png

It is very close to her "super spy" look, except with her hair relaxed and down, and jeans. Is she wearing this because she is on a super spy mission, or... are these her real clothes? They certainly reflect her in a way that her "suburban mom" clothes don't. I kind of think they might be.

[dreamdead]

After reading the slew of praise, we've been powering through this show on Amazon to make way for the new season at the end of the month. We're at episode 5 of the second season currently; a lot of the Paige stuff continues to become more interesting.

I absolutely expected either Nina or Martha to not make it out alive of season 1, so I've been thrilled by how both female agents are acting out against their superiors and becoming more active in determining their fates. Their arcs have been so fulfilling, watching them go beyond merely being used to possessing degrees of agency that make us question how long they'll remain under the sway of others.