The Americans S5: We begin bombing in five minutes - Reagan | Tue @ 10ET, FX

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Americans S5: We begin bombing in five minutes - Reagan | Tue @ 10ET, FX

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drunkill: Sep 25, 2007; me @ ur posting; Fallen Rib

Synopsis posted:

The Americans is a period drama set during the Cold War shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President and is about the complex marriage of two deep cover KGB spies posing as an American married couple living in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C.. The arranged marriage of Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), who have two children � Paige (Holly Taylor) and Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who know nothing about their parents� true identity � grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War and the intimate and dangerous relationships they must maintain with a network of spies and informants under their control while avoiding being caught by FBI counterintelligence.

★ Creators ★
The series was created by novelist Joe Weisberg (a former CIA officer) working under the tutelage of Graham Yost (Justified, The Pacific). Also on the writing staff is Joshua Brand, co-creator of Northern Exposure & St. Elsewhere. A number of people who were involved behind the scenes with Justified also work on the show.

quote:

"The most interesting thing I observed during my time at the CIA was the family life of agents who served abroad with kids and spouses. The reality is that mostly they're just people going about their lives. The job is one element, and trying to depict the issues they face just seemed like something that, if we could bring it to television in a realistic way, would be new."

�Joe Weisberg, creator and showrunner of The Americans

★ Characters ★
Detailed Character Bios: http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-americans/cast-crew

The FBI
The Counterintelligence Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is fighting against foreign agents on U.S. soil - including the elite KGB Directorate S illegals: Russian spies posing as Americans.
[Image coming soon]
Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), Agent Dennis Aderholt (Brandon J. Dirden), Martha Hanson (Alison Wright)
Supporting: Deputy Attorney General (Cotter Smith), Agent Wolfe (Peter Jacobson), FBI Mail Robot (Mail Robot)

The KGB
The Rezidentura is the core of Soviet espionage operations in the US. It is based out of the Soviet Embassy and receives orders from The Center, the central headquarters of the KGB in Moscow, especially those departments concerned with foreign espionage and counterintelligence. The Rezidentura then contacts Directorate S agents 'illegals' via handlers, coded messages, or dead drops.
[Image coming soon]
Oleg Igorevich Burov Head of Science and Technology Department (Costa Ronin), Ex-Rezidentura Chief Arkady Ivanovich Zotov (Lev Gorn), Interim Rezidentura Chief Tatiana Evgenyevna (Vera Cherny)
Supporting: Gabriel (Frank Langella) & Claudia (Margo Martindale) Handlers for the Jennings, Oleg's father and Minister of Railways Igor Burov (Boris Krutonog), South African KGB informant Hans (Peter Mark Kendall), Vietnamese KGB informant Tuan Eckert (Ivan Mok), Biochemical scientist William Crandall (Dylan Baker)

The Jennings
Philip and Elizabeth are KGB Directorate S deep cover agents, 'Illegals', posing as Americans, working tirelessly to advance their nation's agenda - by any means necessary. As a cover, they own and run a travel agency. They arrived in the US in August, 1965. Currently neighbours of the Beeman family.
[Image coming soon]
Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russel), Paige Jennings (Holly Taylor), Henry Jennings (Keidrich Sellati)
Supporting: Pastor Tim (Kelly AuCoin), Sandra Beeman (Susan Misner), Matthew Beeman (Danny Flaherty), Mischa Semenov (Alex Ozerov)

New for S5: Renee (Lauree Holden), Pasha Morozov (Zack Gafin), Tuan Eckert (Ivan Mok), Alexei Morozov (Alexaner Sokovikov), Major Kuznetsov (Sacha Slobodyanik)

★ Season 4 Recap ★
https://twitter.com/TheAmericansFX/status/836712599626498048

Oleg becomes disillusioned after his brother dies in combat fighting in Afghanistan
Stan and Oleg become friendly, trying to save Nina from prison in the USSR
The FBI find the bugged Mail Robot in their offices, forcing Agent Gaad to resign as Chief of CI
FBI discovers that Martha is married to a KGB officer
Retired and on vacation, Agent Gaad is killed in Thailand by Soviet agents during a bungled blackmail operation
Phillips son Misha finishes his tour of Afghanistan with the Red Army and begins to look for his father in America
Arkady is evicted from the USA by the CIA, Tatiana is appointed as the temporary Chief of the Rezidentura
Nina is unceremoniously executed as a traitor to the Soviet Union after failing to gather intelligence from Anton Baklanov at a Siberian research outpost
Gabriel gives the Jennings a personal computer to 'teach the children life skills' and a way The Centre can gather information on Paige and Henry
William Crandall injects himself with a bioweapon, the Lassa virus- when cornered by the FBI and slowly dies, but not before being interrogated and revealing that Directorate S agents have American born children
Paige is involved in a mugging turned killing with Elizabeth. Phil and Elizabeth tell Paige the truth that they are spies from the Soviet Union
During a huge manhunt by the FBI for Martha, she is smuggled to the Soviet Union
Gabriel tells the Jennings they should go home to Russia to protect Paige and Henry as the job is heating up and their cover might have been blown by Williams confession

There was a time skip near the end of Season 4 of around 7 months.

Kill Count As of end of Season 4 - Phillip: 14 Elizabeth: 9 Both: 1.
Total Killings Depicted: 53

★ Posters ★

^{[Note: That last one is fan made but the concept is great so I'll leave it in]}

Episodes

Amber Waves March 7
Pests March 14
The Midges March 21
What's the Matter with Kansas? March 28
Lotus 1-2-3 April 4
Crossbreed April 11
The Committee on Human Rights April 18
Immersion April 25
IHOP May 2
Darkroom May 9
Dyatkovo May 16
TBA - May 23
TBA - May 28 (Season 5 final)

Season 6 has been confirmed as the final season of the show with an order for 10 episodes in 2018.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Mar 8, 2017

# ? Mar 1, 2017 16:37

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 22:58

drunkill: Sep 25, 2007; me @ ur posting; Fallen Rib

Placeholder post, will finish it off soon. I need to make some cast photos because the ones from the last thread won't work with a few major players out of the show now. Sadly there aren't many press release photos for this season yet, other than red carpet photos.

Thread title is a reference to a joke Reagan said on radio during a soundcheck moments before a speech in 1984, when this season is set. "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_begin_bombing_in_five_minutes

Videos
Trailers:
Return Trailer - https://youtu.be/5D9vwfMub58
Accolades Trailer - https://youtu.be/5Jdiep23kSo
Season 5 First Look - https://youtu.be/Gp28q-wXrok

Promos:
Fist - https://youtu.be/XHyahCsA0fo
Paper Trail - https://youtu.be/8NXZO1FYWes
Formation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF_-QQArsks
School's out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Rz7v5S4vY

Other:
Sabotage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqBxUgqe8eQ (music video mashup)
Twilight Zone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ak_kJ-WsTg (music video)

A good read from the BBC, this guy as well as the 10 Russian sleeper agents found in the USA in 2010 are what inspired the show:
Jack Barsky: The KGB spy who lived the American dream - http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38846022

http://www.adweek.com/tv-video/how-fx-has-used-russia-to-market-each-season-of-the-americans/

http://i.imgur.com/ewZTmSO.gifv
https://i.imgur.com/BPtA5Ao.gifv

drunkill fucked around with this message at 09:39 on Mar 8, 2017

# ? Mar 1, 2017 16:38

Regy Rusty: Apr 26, 2010

Looking forward to Martha's triumphant return

# ? Mar 1, 2017 16:47

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

Holy gently caress that preview is good. Stan and Oleg going rogue is something I predicted long ago because it seems so obvious and I am so happy if that's what we were seeing

I just want a happy ending for some of them, though.

# ? Mar 1, 2017 19:49

phosdex: Dec 16, 2005

I was just wondering yesterday where the new thread was because we're so close to the season premiere.

Really looking forward to this season!

# ? Mar 1, 2017 22:07

CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK: Sep 11, 2001

Those promo posters are great.

# ? Mar 1, 2017 22:13

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:

Those promo posters are great.

I hope the reason for Paige having one eye covered red and Henry still having both uncovered isn't hinting at what I think it is. I'm probably overthinking it but I mean it's definitely saying something.

# ? Mar 1, 2017 22:34

Pontius Pilate: Jul 25, 2006; Crucify, Whale, Crucify

precision posted:

Holy gently caress that preview is good. Stan and Oleg going rogue is something I predicted long ago because it seems so obvious and I am so happy if that's what we were seeing

I just want a happy ending for some of them, though.

Yeah they've put the effort into making it plausible for Stan to go that route. Because of course this show did because it's great and I didn't realize it was coming back so soon and now I'm very excited!

e: is Reagan's name being misspelled a joke I'm missing?

# ? Mar 2, 2017 00:12

Zero One: Dec 30, 2004; HAIL TO THE VICTORS!

precision posted:

I hope the reason for Paige having one eye covered red and Henry still having both uncovered isn't hinting at what I think it is. I'm probably overthinking it but I mean it's definitely saying something.

Henry will forever remain oblivious.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 04:34

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

Zero One posted:

Henry will forever remain oblivious.

This season should be heading into the Great Video Game Collapse so he's gonna need a new hobby :ohdear:

e: wait, I forgot about the time skip - what year are we in now? 1984?

# ? Mar 2, 2017 05:02

phosdex: Dec 16, 2005

The last episode had Superbowl 18, Redskins vs Raiders, which was 1984.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 05:19

drunkill: Sep 25, 2007; me @ ur posting; Fallen Rib

Yep, Season 5 is in 1984. There was a time skip near the end of last season of 6(?) months.

phosdex posted:

I was just wondering yesterday where the new thread was because we're so close to the season premiere.

I was waiting for the premier which happened last week and hoping they'd release newer cast photos I could use in the OP. They didn't.

precision posted:

I hope the reason for Paige having one eye covered red and Henry still having both uncovered isn't hinting at what I think it is. I'm probably overthinking it but I mean it's definitely saying something.

Turns out that last poster is fan made, as you can tell by the poorer cutout photo. Still, great concept for a poster. I'll leave it in but mark it.

Pontius Pilate posted:

e: is Reagan's name being misspelled a joke I'm missing?

Nope, a combination of me being dumb and it being 2am when I made this thread. I messed up the title originally even more, it was "Thread Title: The Americans S5: "We begin bombing in five minutes" - Ronald" because I was making the post in notepad and copy pasted the wrong bit.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 06:48

mr. unhsib: Sep 19, 2003; I hate you all.

drunkill posted:

[*]Gabriel tells the Jennings they should go home to Russia to protect Paige and Henry as the job is heating up

Wait...when does Gabriel tell the Jennings to go back to Russia. I thought he told Claudia, and he gets overruled. Am I forgetting something?

That's the problem with The Americans - it's so densely plotted you forget a lot of details in the hiatus

Also don't forget, Paige is making out with Stan's kid and the Jennings' aren't happy about it.

Also, Stan and Oleg know Nina is dead, right?

# ? Mar 2, 2017 07:13

Party Plane Jones: Jul 1, 2007; by Reene; Fun Shoe

mr. unhsib posted:

Also, Stan and Oleg know Nina is dead, right?

Yep.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 07:45

xerxus: Apr 24, 2010; Grimey Drawer

mr. unhsib posted:

Wait...when does Gabriel tell the Jennings to go back to Russia. I thought he told Claudia, and he gets overruled. Am I forgetting something?

In the finale, after Dylan Baker gets nabbed by the FBI,he Center was afraid that the covers were blown and Gabriel gives them a choice to return to Russia.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 07:48

HUGE SPACEKABLOOIE: Mar 31, 2010

Nina's execution was loving brutal man. On the flip side if you're the one being executed you don't really have any time to go nuts about it.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 08:19

Number Ten Cocks: Feb 25, 2016; by zen death robot

HUGE SPACEKABLOOIE posted:

Nina's tedious plot was loving brutal man.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 13:34

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

This show, or my own brain, or both, are so dense that I totally forgot Misha was in America in season 4.

And while I can understand the reason some people don't like Nina's USSR plot, I thought it was thematically fantastic, showing us the dark realities of 80s-era Russian poo poo. The length of her plot is something that could justifiably be complained about, for sure - yeah, she needed to get sent back and tricked and killed for Stan and Oleg to go all Double Dare on the Cold War, but it's definitely arguable that the show could have done it a lot quicker.

But I thought it was fine.

# ? Mar 2, 2017 20:23

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 1988

when she appeared I was like Oh I guess this actress is part of the main cast still, and they're going to work her back into the show after a season in the USSR. Pretty shocking how it ended

# ? Mar 2, 2017 21:42

Chris Knight: Jun 5, 2002; me @ ur posts; Fun Shoe

I am hype as gently caress for season 5.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 00:17

Your Gay Uncle: Feb 16, 2012; by Fluffdaddy

The TV IV � The Americans S5: Shoot Yourself Into Me Clark Junior!

I'm really going to miss Martha .

# ? Mar 3, 2017 01:06

Bruteman: Apr 15, 2003; Can I ask ya somethin', Padre? When I was kickin' your ass back there... you get a little wood?

I watched the first three episodes of S4 when they aired, left the rest on my DVR and I've been binging through it this week - just need to watch the last one. Love this show.

Man, S4 was brutal on the supporting cast :black101:

# ? Mar 3, 2017 04:31

claw game handjob: Mar 27, 2007; pinch pinch scrape pinch
ow ow fuck it's caught
i'm bleeding
JESUS TURN IT OFF
WHY ARE YOU STILL SMILING

You haven't finished the season yet? Get ready for some real meat grinder action.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 07:03

Bruteman: Apr 15, 2003; Can I ask ya somethin', Padre? When I was kickin' your ass back there... you get a little wood?

END ME SCOOB posted:

You haven't finished the season yet? Get ready for some real meat grinder action.

Watching the last one tonight. I already know what happens (I read the last thread and look at the recaps online even if I don't watch), but I'm watching with my wife and she's spoiler-free.

In the second to last episode when Gabriel convinces William to get the pathogen: she says "he's going to die next episode, isn't he?" :ohdear:

# ? Mar 3, 2017 12:57

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

I wonder if we'll get to see Martha in the final season, living her new life in Russia, or if they just tossed her body out of the plane.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 20:33

Pontius Pilate: Jul 25, 2006; Crucify, Whale, Crucify

precision posted:

I wonder if we'll get to see Martha in the final season, living her new life in Russia, or if they just tossed her body out of the plane.

That would make for one very pissed off Clark if/when he found out.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 22:39

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

I dunno, I read the goodbye scene as if Philip knew that Martha might be getting the Lenny treatment, that Gabriel might be lying just to assuage his conscience. They really have no reason to let her stay alive.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 23:25

Grinning Goblin: Oct 11, 2004

Martha is a goldmine of information for the day to day life of the people working in the top counter intelligence office of the FBI. There is no way the KGB aren't going to try to probe her for all of that information right down to the most mundane of stuff.

# ? Mar 3, 2017 23:56

drunkill: Sep 25, 2007; me @ ur posting; Fallen Rib

The BBC have a good read on one of the real life Soviet Illegals: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38846022
He, along with 10 Russian sleeper agents found in the USA are what inspired the show.

quote:

He arrived in New York in the Autumn of 1978, at the age of 29, posing as a Canadian national, William Dyson. Dyson, who had travelled via Belgrade, Rome, Mexico City and Chicago, "immediately vanished into thin air", having served his purpose. And Dittrich began his new life as Jack Barsky.

He was a man with no past and no identification papers - except for a birth certificate obtained by an employee of the Soviet embassy in Washington, who had kept his eyes open during a walk in the Mount Lebanon cemetery.

Barsky had supreme self-confidence, a near-flawless American accent, and $10,000 in cash.
...
He would update Moscow Centre on his progress in weekly radio transmissions, or letters in secret writing, and deposit microfilm at dead drop sites in various New York parks, where he would also periodically pick up canisters stuffed with cash or the fake passports he needed for his trips back to Moscow for debriefing.

He would return the to the East every two years, where he would be reunited with his German wife Gerlinde, and young son Matthias, who had no idea what he had been up to. They thought he was doing top secret but very well-paid work at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
...
He profiled potential recruits and compiled reports on the mood of the country during events such as the 1983 downing of a Korean Airlines flight by a Soviet fighter, which ratcheted up tensions between the US and the Soviet Union.

On one occasion, he flew to California to track down a defector (he later learned, to his immense relief, that the man, a psychology professor, had not been assassinated).
...
But it often seemed the very fact of him being in the US, moving around freely without the knowledge of the authorities, was enough for Moscow.

"They were very much focused on having people on the other side just in case of a war. Which I think, in hindsight, was pretty stupid. That indicated very old thinking."

The myth of the "Great Illegals" - heroic undercover agents who had helped Russia defeat the Nazis and gather vital pre-war intelligence in hostile countries - loomed large over the Soviet intelligence agencies, who spent a lot of time and effort during the Cold War trying to recapture these former glories, with apparently limited success.

Barsky later found out that he was part of a "third wave" of Soviet illegals in the US - the first two waves having failed. And we now know that illegals continued to be infiltrated in the 1980s and beyond.

Then when the FBI were tipped off about him when someone else defected to the West:

quote:

The FBI watched him for more than three years, even buying the house next door to his as they tried to figure out whether he really was a KGB agent and, if so, whether he was still active.

It's a good read, much less exciting than The Americans but hey, I'm sure there were other Illegals who managed to do more 'high level' work.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 11:30 on Mar 5, 2017

# ? Mar 5, 2017 11:23

Poppyseed Poundcake: Feb 23, 2007

I hope they do an episode about trump

# ? Mar 5, 2017 16:56

Jack2142: Jul 17, 2014; Shitposting in Seattle

Poppyseed Poundcake posted:

I hope they do an episode about trump

Fast forward to 2017 with a now in their 70's Jennings sitting in the Oval Office with Trump.

# ? Mar 5, 2017 20:10

Poppyseed Poundcake: Feb 23, 2007

I want to see Elizabeth indoctrinate a young trump into the joys of watersports, while Philip films it on a new camcorder that he bought. Then the kids find the tape.

# ? Mar 5, 2017 23:06

Jack2142: Jul 17, 2014; Shitposting in Seattle

Poppyseed Poundcake posted:

I want to see Elizabeth indoctrinate a young trump into the joys of watersports, while Philip films it on a new camcorder that he bought. Then the kids find the tape.

I mean its 1984 Trump isn't exactly "young" he is almost 40 at that point like he is only a few years younger than Phillip and Elizabeth.

# ? Mar 5, 2017 23:13

precision: May 7, 2006; by VideoGames

Jennings 2020

# ? Mar 5, 2017 23:49

BIG HEADLINE: Jun 13, 2006; "Stand back, Ottawan ruffian, or face my lumens!"

Jack2142 posted:

Fast forward to 2017 with a now in their 70's Jennings sitting in the Oval Office with Trump.

Or have a parody sketch during the commercial where their cover gets blown - she dyes her hair and starts calling herself Kellyanne, and he joins the Navy and changes his name to Steve.

# ? Mar 5, 2017 23:59

Fast Luck: Feb 2, 1988

precision posted:

Jennings 2020

I would vote for Elizabeth Jennings.

# ? Mar 6, 2017 14:07

howe_sam: Mar 7, 2013; Creepy little garbage eaters

Oleg spends time in New York this season cultivating a new asset.

# ? Mar 7, 2017 03:53

Nouvelle Vague: Feb 16, 2011; Endut! Hoch Hech!

precision posted:

I wonder if we'll get to see Martha in the final season, living her new life in Russia, or if they just tossed her body out of the plane.

I'm the only person who feels Martha wore out her welcome.

Also, kinda worried about Misha this season. It seems kinda forced.

# ? Mar 7, 2017 04:48

BIG HEADLINE: Jun 13, 2006; "Stand back, Ottawan ruffian, or face my lumens!"

Martha will love Russia. Around this time it's full of ~wounded Alpha males~ with thousand yard stares for her to 'fix.' Good luck getting any of them to read the Kama Sutra, though.

# ? Mar 7, 2017 04:53

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# ? Apr 19, 2024 22:58

Pontius Pilate: Jul 25, 2006; Crucify, Whale, Crucify

Nouvelle Vague posted:

I'm the only person who feels Martha wore out her welcome.

Also, kinda worried about Misha this season. It seems kinda forced.

I don't want an extended plot line of Martha's Adventures in the USSR but wouldn't mind a couple scenes to establish her new life/death.

Agreed about Misha but I trust the people making the show at this point.

# ? Mar 7, 2017 05:01

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Americans S5: We begin bombing in five minutes - Reagan | Tue @ 10ET, FX

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