I’m a huge fan of the podcast Not So Standard Deviations. Hilary, one of the hosts, has mentioned the TV show The Americans several times. Of course, I had heard about the show elsewhere but I didn’t know what it was about. So, when Hilary added that it was about Russian spies pretending to be Americans, I knew I had to see it.
The show turned out to be great. I enjoyed watching it mainly because I’m into period dramas. I love seeing how the world used to be in past years, and the show creators did a fantastic job depicting America and Russia in the 1980s.
Watching the show also made me question a few things about life. Is ignorance truly bliss? (the case of Henry Jennings) Can holding your beliefs strongly be detrimental to you? (the case of Elizabeth Jennings).
Let me start at the end. I don’t think I’ll be spoiling the show since it ended in 2018. I was happy to see Paige not following her parents on their escape to Russia. She showed that she could stand up for her beliefs and do what she sees fit. Paige loved her parents but she didn’t want to live like them. Jumping out of the train to remain in the US showed that she wanted to lead a different life. She made me proud.
As for Henry, he seemed happy compared to the rest of his family members. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t aware that his parents were Russian spies. Nevertheless, it made me question whether living in ignorance was bliss in his case. Would he have been as sad as Paige if he knew that his parents were Russian spies? Was it right for his parents to keep that secret from him?
Henry might have been living in bliss as the only member of the family who didn’t know what was going on, but he was upset when Stan told him the truth about his parents. Maybe he felt betrayed, which is understandable.
I also wondered who the better-off child is between Henry and Paige. Having thought about it, Henry is the better-off child. Why? Because he doesn’t see himself as an accomplice in the criminal life of his parents. As far as he is concerned, he’s an innocent child who had bad parents. Paige, on the other hand, participated in that criminal activity, so she doesn’t have a clear conscience.
It was evident to me that Paige had a conflicting life. Even though she tried to be a spy like her mother, I am not convinced it’s what she truly wanted. What’s interesting is that Paige hated her mother, but she also looked up to her. The reason is that Elizabeth was a determined woman who could stand up for herself and even beat up people who got in her way and that appealed to Paige. She liked that side of her mother, even though she hated her way of life. Paige was a good person at heart but was conflicted because she didn’t know what she wanted.
As the show progressed, I saw Phillip slowly coming to his senses. This was especially evident when he quit being a KGB agent. Unfortunately, he wasn’t entirely out of it because his wife was still part of the KGB. For instance, if his wife needed help with her criminal activity, Phillip didn’t hesitate to drop everything and help out.
What about Pastor Tim? Should we still see him as a man of God even though he lied to Agent Beeman? When Stan called Pastor Tim and asked about the Jennings, Pastor Tim pretended to be ignorant about what was going on with that family, even though he knew that there were Russian spies. Even when Stan made it clear that he was talking to you as a law enforcement officer and wanted to find out the truth about the Jennings, Pastor Tim still didn’t rat the Jennings out. He even added that the Jennings were a good family. That was a lie because Pastor Tim knew full well that the Jennings were Russian spies.
But love is blind and lovers cannot see.
The above quote from Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice couldn’t have been more true for Martha. She was longing for love and feared that she would end up alone. It also didn’t help that she didn’t fancy the men who liked her. But when Clark came into the picture, everything changed for Martha. Philip Jennings pretended to be Clark and he showered Martha with love. She couldn’t believe a man as good-looking and dissent as Clark would want to share a life with her. That’s why she didn’t leave him even after she found out that he was a KGB spy. In fact, she turned into a KGB spy to continue being with Phillip.
The way Stan handled the truth about the Jennings was interesting to me. It made me realize that you can have an entirely different relationship with your enemy when you live with them for too long without knowing they are the enemy. Stan grew fond of the Jennings, and finding out that they were Russian spies didn’t quite make that fondness go away. That’s why he let them escape out of the country. But I think the main reason why he let them escape was because Henry was innocent and Stan liked Henry so much. Had Henry been complicit in the criminal activity of his family, Stan would’ve killed the Jennings in that parking lot.
Elizabeth Jennings was a strong-willed person, but she was passionate about the wrong cause. However, in the end, something unusual happened to her. She began questioning the orders she received instead of just carrying them out. Throughout the show, I hated and liked Elizabeth in equal measure. I hated it when she killed innocent people just because she was ordered to do so, But I loved that she was protective and tender with her kids. She never laid a hand on them.
Then there’s this whole debate about whether Renee was a KGB agent. Even Philip in the show suspected that she was a KGB agent. Was she? I don’t think so. She’s just a woman who loved Stan. Many people have wondered how an attractive woman like Renee would want to be with Stan. Well, as surprising as this may seem, Stan was actually a catch and had a way with the ladies. Consider his ex-wife Sandra. She was an attractive woman. Heck, even Henry fantasized about her, hiding pictures of her for his enjoyment. It’s unsurprising to me that Stan would get with another attractive woman like Renee.
Although I started watching The Americans years after it ended, I’m glad I did because I enjoyed every episode. Another advantage of watching a show after it ends is that you don’t have to wait for the next season. As soon as I was done watching a season, I moved on to another.
Another reason why I enjoyed the show very much is because I started watching it right after I finished For All Mankind. It was interesting to see some parallels in the portrayal of 1980s Russia and the USA.
Would I recommend The Americans? You bet I would. If you’re into spy shows, this show is on another level, and you’ll love it. If you’re not into spy shows, you’ll still love it because it’s an intricate and multifaceted show. Thank you, Hilary, for indirectly recommending the show to me.
Good things come in threes. Here are the three good quotes I heard in the show.
Acknowledging mistakes doesn’t always keep them from happening again.
Elizabeth Jennings
The more you want, the more you get, and that’s both good and bad.
Stan Beeman
We see what we need to see in people. Things that aren’t really there.
I don’t remember
If you’ve also watched The Americans, email me and let me know your thoughts about it. Who was your favorite character? If you’ve not watched it, I hope this post has convinced you to watch it. And if you end up watching it, email me and let me know if my recommendation was worthwhile. You now know my thoughts about the show. I’d love to know yours too.