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

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 29, 2024 11:04

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

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

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

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

Goodbye Hans. You never did get a last name.

CBJSprague24 posted:

Interesting the bag says Do Not Burn.

I'm still not getting why they need the pound of flesh unless it was all a setup for Digger #2 to wind up with Glanders somehow.

As mentioned, William is probably the only 'field test' of the virus apart from lab rats/bunnies. His sample is valuable.

banned from Starbucks posted:

Not sure whats up with the new guy theyre working on. Hes an advisor on agriculture to the US but seemed like a big nobody back home who could barely get food.

As shown at the start of the episode, basically nobody can get food in the USSR, they're in the middle of a famine. Even the KGB staff were 'joking' about it. Hell, Olegs father is (the minister?) in the Ministry of Railways and I doubt their dinner was lavish.

The CIA extracted him from Russia so I expect food shortages will be the big thing this season.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Mar 8, 2017

# ¿ Mar 8, 2017 07:42

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

I liked the little detail of Oleg getting home and flicking through the Russian guide for the Olympics. I assume that was going to be a great propaganda tool in Russia and was produced before the boycott.

# ¿ Mar 8, 2017 08:27

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

Baronash posted:

He's watching the Winter Olympics, which took place in February.

Oh. Well there ya go.

Anyway, came across this in an episode review. The EPA report on Area B: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0304606

quote:

Initially, Area B was established as a proving ground in the Army's Biological Warfare program. Later, Area B was used as a disposal area for chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) material and until 1970 for biological experimentation.

Area B has been the primary location of waste management activities for Fort Detrick and is the location of an active municipal landfill, animal farm, former skeet range, former explosives storage area, and former waste disposal/test areas associated with former research activities. In the late 1940s, the Special Operations Group of Fort Detrick installed a test grid in Area B to test both live and simulant biological warfare (BW) materials. A list of the live agent materials used in Area B is not available, but it is known that simulant materials used included Bacillus globigii, Serratia marcescens, and Escherichia coli. Test animals were buried in trenches or pits located in Area B after autoclave sterilization. Many types of munitions were tested on the grid in Area B. A residential community is located within 100 feet of the Area B disposal areas.

Anthrax was buried in Area B. In addition, radiological tracer materials were reportedly buried at three locations in Area B, including radioactive carbon, sulfur, and phosphorous. Two cylinders marked "Phosgene" were also reportedly buried in Area B. Phosgene is considered a lethal chemical agent.

In 1970 and 1971, after the United States outlawed biological research for offensive operations, and a decontamination program was initiated for Fort Detrick. Decontamination procedures for residual biological/chemical research materials included autoclave steam sterilization and incineration. Incineration ash was tilled into soil in the northwestern corner of Area B (Pit 13). Research buildings and equipment were also decontaminated, and an extensive wipe sampling program was completed after decontamination. In addition, sewage drainage lines were cut and capped, and drainage systems were filled with hypochlorite solution where possible.

In June 2004, the Army performed a removal action at Area B-11, an Area B chemical disposal area. Removal activities included the removal of contaminated soil, chemical containers, compressed gas cylinders, and laboratory waste. The discovery of live pathogens in medical wastes at Area B-11 caused suspension of all intrusive work at the disposal area, and waste remains buried at Area B-11.

Promo for episode502 Pests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26MaOSr1bgQ

Edit: VVV Yep, although season 6 will only be 10 episodes instead of 13. Maybe longer episodes though.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Mar 8, 2017

# ¿ Mar 8, 2017 16:20

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

I too thought it was going to be a lesson in the art of the blowjob or something at the end there. Phew.

I liked how at the restaurant the first thing you hear is someone sneezing and a kid coughing on the salad bar. Who needs Lassa virus?

# ¿ Mar 15, 2017 09:35

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

During last season the writers said it was implied that Phillip was checking up on Kimmy all the time to gather tapes, they just didn't show it all the time because it wasn't necessary. It might pop up again if they want information on the American side as to some big event in the Afghanistan war but I don't know too much about it, other than it went on awhile. There was a ramp up of forces in 1985 so we might see it as a subplot again next season or later this season if there is another time jump.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 08:39 on Mar 16, 2017

# ¿ Mar 16, 2017 08:36

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

Olegs dinner was pretty amazing. How awkward.

Zero One posted:

I will not buy this record, it is scratched.

My hovercraft is full of eels.

Poor Mischa. Came all this way to be turned away by some random old man. Time to be recruited then I guess.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2017 09:23

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

I think the door was already open and she was making a 'mold' of the key using the imprint of the tumbler in the soot, so they can make a copy and come back to the office later for the files.

# ¿ Apr 14, 2017 18:07

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

Nice of Time Magazine to make the season 6 poster:

# ¿ May 21, 2017 14:27

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

Tuan got the idea from Elizabeth. She accidentally said she had kids and it is good to have kids but very hard in their line of work. That tipped him off, bring actual harm for Pasha and the parents would freak out.

I liked how loving brutal Elizabeth was with Paige regarding the crucifix. You almost expect her to say it is alright, you can keep wearing it if you want. Nope, no comforting mother, you've got a job to do. Wear it.

phosdex posted:

That reminded me that right around now the us is secretly selling arms to Iran to fund the contras.

That was the big subplot of season 2. Oliver North was a guest writer for that one episode where they infiltrate the contra training base and kill a bunch of people and even Elizabeth is kind of "whoa, that could have been avoided"

Actually, reading the wiki summery so much poo poo happens in that episode. Paige goes full church and donates all her savings, Phillip meets Pastor Tim and tells him to stay the hell away from Paige. Stan finds out his wife wants an affair with the dude from EST and Phillip turns Martha against the FBI by playing the doctored tape recording to her and Elizabeth starts working her Northrop employee source for the stealth aircraft information.

drunkill fucked around with this message at 19:01 on May 27, 2017

# ¿ May 27, 2017 14:23

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

The Martha scene was sad but that little soviet girl was super adorable.

And the yellow brick road montage seemed like something awful (heh) was just about to happen at the end of it. The episode was good but not very happy at all.

And we have to wait a whole year for the last 10 episodes?! ugh!

Baronash posted:

Hahaha. loving Reagan.

howe_sam posted:

Hey, there's the thread title.

Zero One posted:

We begin bombing in five minutes!

I chose the right quote for the season! It wasn't as prominent as I thought it would be, although I suppose it showed that Paige is super interested now and sees America as not so great while Henry is off in his own world and doesn't give a poo poo about the news or politics, only computer games and hockey.

# ¿ May 31, 2017 08:38

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

VOTE YES ON 69 posted:

Is Nina still alive? I don't remember if shes in that science base or dead. I think dead, right?

Nyet.
http://i.imgur.com/ewZTmSO.gifv

# ¿ May 31, 2017 23:37

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

Alright, thread name suggestuons for the final thread. I'll post it in March when we're closer to the show airing.

Might as well get a start on brainstorming.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2018 16:56

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

EL BROMANCE posted:

Back in the USSR

I like it.

TheCenturion posted:

The Americans S6: It�s The Final Countdown

this too

# ¿ Feb 21, 2018 18:07

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 11:04

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

Season 6 thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3852876

# ¿ Mar 28, 2018 13:16

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