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

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Baronash posted:

You like slow burns? We'll give you the slowest loving burn on cable television!

Episode two will be them filling the hole. It's Keynesian tv.

drunkill posted:

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.

It shouldn't have been too bad in 84, certainly not for an important dude in Moscow.

I might have missed something, how do we know the CIA extracted them? And if they did, why, and also why aren't they keeping an eye on them?

# ¿ Mar 9, 2017 00:28

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:12

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

howe_sam posted:

I think I saw this episode of the X-Files.

And there's the FX mandated bare rear end.

That was corn :spergin:

While I don't doubt that they were researching all kinds of stuff, I'm not aware of anything happening with the grain supply. What was their reason for jumping to this conclusion anyway? 1. US supplies grain 2. Also performing experiments with bugs => therefore, must be trying to sabotage supply??

Accretionist posted:

They could hit a real sentimental note in the finale if they show an adult Paige staring wistfully at something while rubbing her fingers together.

Hmm, family-time is getting intense... must be incest.

The intensity made me anxious, too, but I thought it was going to be some weird depersonalizing meditative exercise. Or something off-putting about covers like, "You have to find it within yourself to make it real."

Time for a family meeting, Paige!

What's depressing is that this might be a legit finale for them too. :gonk:

Anyway, the actual technique they were describing I thought would be more appropriate for Henry. "If you ever feel that you're losing control and about to blow it with your date, just rub your fingers together and think of your mother and father!"

# ¿ Mar 16, 2017 00:32

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

I'm just upset at the lame one-liner. "You should've asked", seriously? Why not "you're exterminated" at least/

Most likely though they're just breeding the bugs for the other lab to develop and test pesticides or something like that.

BIG HEADLINE posted:

Reminded me of a story Viktor Belenko (the first pilot who defected with a MiG-25), about how he mistakenly bought and ate cat food at his first supermarket because it resembled food containers he recognized, and merely thought the cats on the label were a 'company mascot' or something. He also thought the supermarket was a CIA prop to convince him how great America was.

Dunno if some of the stuff was exaggerated but it's a good book anyway, I can see how one might get confused:

Also check out the IRL version of Svetlana's store: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWTGsUyv8IE

# ¿ Mar 22, 2017 23:51

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

OMGVBFLOL posted:

Yeah. One attention-grabbing characteristic tends to make everything else kinda melt out of a person's memory when trying to give a description after the fact. They're not just trying to look different from their normal look and blend in; they're trying to keep the stuff they can't take off forgettable.

e: this is also what makes a pilot's/stewardess' uniforms useful

People are notoriously terrible at visual identification in any case, so throwing on a terrible mustache and/or hat would probably throw most people off.

Somebody actually put in the effort to track down every instance when someone had to make an excuse for Henry missing from the house, which happened 22 times so far: https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/the-americans-where-is-henry-jennings.html

Remember how a few seasons ago there was a whole plot line with Henry breaking into their neighbor's house to play video games? I thought that would be his training to become a KGB spy at the time...

# ¿ Mar 23, 2017 21:16

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Earwicker posted:

This page isn't loading. What is the deal is the guy just busy on another show or something?

No they don't explain that, those are in-show excuses like "he's waiting in the car". I assume it's just writers not having a good use for him but not having the balls to actually kill him off.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2017 18:45

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

TheAngryDrunk posted:

I mean, she's alive. But she didn't look like she was doing all that great.

Well she's in Moscow so that already puts her in the top 10% of possible outcomes.

OMGVBFLOL posted:

the american spy smiles and nods in a silent "good morning" to a passerby as he walks to work in his first day undercover, gets immediately made as a spy and arrested

They made a show about this: https://rutube.ru/video/2dae0d6bb305d7e72067bc8bd7f7009b/
There might be some English subtitles out there if you look around.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2017 23:44

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

CBJSprague24 posted:

Rejoice, fans of Henry!

Nice fakeout with "Henry's in the bathroom!" too.

Vanderdeath posted:

I would never have expected the Americans to go to my crapstick hometown for plot. I do find it funny that they thought there would be a Trader Joe's-like health food store in Topeka in the middle of the 1980s though.

I certainly never expected to see the TV set I grew up with in :ussr:

either, props to the prop guys:

It's the red box at the bottom there, can't find the exact model but it's something like [url="https://"http://matoos.livejournal.com/22579.html"]this Электроника 409[/url]. Might still be around somewhere at grandfather's place.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2017 23:43

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Fast Luck posted:

I think Gabriel helped him get called back from Afghanistan which people who knew the kid found odd, because how is this nobody getting brought home. So I don't think he's AWOL from the Soviet army but he's an illegal immigrant in the US obviously. Anyway iirc he doesn't know who his dad is, his mom only told him he runs a real estate agency, but she did give him contacts and money and stuff to get him to the US

Would he really be an illegal immigrant? He got in through JFK, it's not like you can just walk across the border with Austria as if it were Mexico. So, asylum maybe? But then a soviet citizen might attract FBI attention...

# ¿ Mar 31, 2017 18:19

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

This just confirmed that Henry is KGB. He's poo poo at math, he just found some kompromat on the teach. And all the time hanging out with "Chris" and at the mall are just covers for killing and torturing folks.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2017 23:55

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

howe_sam posted:

That was probably a fun day for the props department.

Not as much fun as they did last episode!

Dan Fisher posted:

I am the prop master for Americans Season Five. Yes, that was a period-correct package of Lifestyles condones for Pastor Tim. Not literally vintage, but created through the magic of Photoshop.

For reference:

http://blog.tepapa.govt.nz/2015/09/16/condoms-in-the-trolley/

# ¿ Apr 6, 2017 21:40

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

misdirectomy posted:

Anyone else a little dissapointed with this season thus far? I get the sense that they are wasting time until they can kick off the end game, which I assume they've sorted out already. Stan and Aderholdt have had the same 1 pointless scene every episode so far. Phil's son comes all the way over here to have one scene with Gabriel, then gets sent home. What's up with Stan's girlfriend, anyway? This whole season has been slow and plodding without much payoff yet. And there's what, 15 episodes total left in the show?

This is the first season where I've caught the episodes as they've aired as opposed to binging them after the fact, maybe that's my problem.

I always watched this show live and previous seasons were generally livelier, I don't think it's that.

I'm enjoying it so far but IMO it wouldn't hurt to crank up the action a bit. I just watched it and am struggling to think of anything memorable outside of Philip's conversation, and even then, dad guard, so what. Now, if Gabriel broke the news like this:
"Philip, I'm sorry, your father died in a penal logging camp.
"Oh no

"
"I know, such misfortune to fall off a guard tower!"

That would've been something else entirely.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2017 23:20

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

I liked the pilot but by episode 3, the main character being a sad sack of poo poo all the time is definitely starting to get annoying. Hopefully the cop gives him the necessary kick in the balls already.

# ¿ Apr 16, 2017 19:25

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

And I hosed ~~Ted~~ your mom while her husband was busy executing prisoners in the logging camp

# ¿ Apr 24, 2017 13:16

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

mcmagic posted:

I feel so bad for Martha

Don't, she has potato!

# ¿ May 3, 2017 22:38

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

I don't think a minister of his level would really need to jump through hoops to get better food for the family. He was already simply more equal than others.

Philip had very "sad man in a ~~suit~~ lovely wig" look about him this time and I can hardly blame him. What a lovely job they got. Henry at the FBI though, was simply amazing, as was the P&E's reaction :laffo:

# ¿ May 18, 2017 00:02

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

drat, Tuan doesn't gently caress around, he's The American's Todd. What dedication.

CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK posted:

Hey mom, what were the camps like?

At least now he'll know to get acquainted with the camp doctor.

phosdex posted:

Yeah or that. I was thinking previously they were going to have him defect.

Also lmao at that shakedown on Stan and adderholt.

That was amazing, I loved the WTF look on their faces throughout the scene even as they pretended to be very happy for them.

# ¿ May 24, 2017 22:53

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

No idea, I had the same look on my face as Stan. But in the debrief they seemed to think that he might be working for the KGB, although that's an extremely bizarre way to go about that. Maybe he's just a dumbass.

BIG HEADLINE posted:

Because Tuan acts the way she *wishes* Paige would act. Loyal, dedicated, zealot-like, and ~too eager to please~.

And now she's going to find out what happens when that goes too far.

I thought in the previous scene that Liz was clearly saying that they should drop the "bully till they go back" strategy.

howe_sam posted:

Did we know Phillip has a brother?

Was that his brother or son that was killed in Afghanistan? I really don't remember a brother being ever mentioned explicitly.

# ¿ May 24, 2017 23:02

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Yes Liz, a "dishwasher" in USSR was a job you could have if you're lucky. Enjoy it and your fancy color televisions while you can.

Actually it was weird, it never looked like she was at all concerned about material possessions but suddenly this is what got her thinking, and not, oh, her two young kids having to a completely alien environment?

Doctor Butts posted:

Season Synopsis:
Nothing happened.

Man this show really took "nothing happens all season" to an entirely new level. I thought I'd be used to it after Mad Men, but drat. I think they actually moved all the characters into very interesting positions, but waiting a year for anything to come out of it is gonna suuuuuck.

# ¿ May 31, 2017 23:13

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

canyoneer posted:

That was my read on it too.

That would certainly make sense as well. One other possible interpretation is that she could've recalled Tuan's comment about them being petite bourgeoisie and realized that it's true and they've become too soft and not hardcore commies like Tuan.

banned from Starbucks posted:

I cant imagine watching 50+ shows.

Neither can I, but it's actually not as crazy as it sounds when you think about it. Let's say you watch just one show per day on most days in a year. With 12-episode seasons, that's already 30 different shows you could be watching without spending all day staring at the TV. I basically do that but pick just one show I haven't seen before and watch it beginning to end., however.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2017 00:17

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Stan will be the last man standing.

But still sad and even more alone.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2017 23:56

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

howe_sam posted:

They released the title of the first episode of season six
Dead Hand

More bioweapon stuff? https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Hand-Un...L40_&dpSrc=srch

# ¿ Nov 18, 2017 21:36

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 10:12

mobby_6kl: Aug 9, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

Great to see Liz is still murdering people, some things never change I guess.

Anyway, can't wait for this show, it's gonna own.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2018 20:23

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