"The Americans": What critics are saying about new FX spy series

CBSNews ^ | January 30, 2013 | Craig Blankenhorn

[RC one]

FX is set to debut the first episode of its new Cold War-era spy drama, "The Americans," on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star in the series as typical suburban parents living near Washington, D.C., towards the start of the Reagan administration. The catch? This seemingly-average couple happen to be a set of Russian spies.

Reviews for the first several episodes of "The Americans" are in and have been, for the most part, fairly flattering towards the series. "The Americans" has been met with praise for balancing tense moments of espionage with the spy couple's everyday marital issues. Further acclaim has been given for the series' depiction of the early 1980s, featuring appropriate clothing, cars, and music of the time. "The Americans" has also garnered favorable comparisons to the hit Emmy-winning Showtime series "Homeland," given its somewhat-similar subject matter.

[Hot Tabasco]

What is my incentive for watching this?

None whatsoever if you've politicized every aspect of your life........That must suck

[Obadiah]

I appreciate your concern for me.

[RC one]

I thought the use of the oral sex scene to illustrate how our politicians can become compromised/seduced was perfectly appropriate. The rape scene too illustrated the difference between “us and them”. The concept of hidden subversives working to undermine our way of life is a subject near and dear to my heart so I’ll be watching the whole season. to each his own though.

[nutmeg]

I liked it and I'm looking forward to seeing the storyline develop. I'm hoping it can replace 24. Seeing the story through the eyes of the enemy is a bit awkward though. It makes one empathize with them and I would rather just see commie infiltrators getting shot in their heads but then the story would be over I guess.

My husband I were big fans of 24 as well.

Liked the second episode even better than the first. Love all the references to "that madman" President Ronald Reagan (may he rest in peace), and how the Russian spies don't like or understand America's love and reverence for God... ;-)

So far this series seems tailor-made for conservatives...

[dfwgator]

Undercover commies living amongst us, undermining our way of life, working to destroy us....this should be very interesting.

In real life, they live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[TADSLOS]

I like this show, so far. It’s fun watching the Soviets freaking out over Reagan and watching their empire crumble before their eyes. The two primary characters are right on the edge of defection...or going out in a blaze of glory.

[nutmeg]

I like this show, so far. It’s fun watching the Soviets freaking out over Reagan and watching their empire crumble before their eyes. The two primary characters are right on the edge of defection...or going out in a blaze of glory.

I love it... makes me very nostalgic for Ronald Reagan, a real President, compared to the Punk in Chief we have now.

How did this show make it out of liberal Hollyweird? They're catering to conservatives now? ;-)

[nutmeg]

Three Scenes in FX’s ‘The Americans’ Which Should Hearten Conservatives

[Hot Tabasco]

Funny you just pinged me on this. I just got out of bed after watching the first hour of the first episode that I DVR'd. (I watch my recorded programs in the morning during my first coffee)

I didn't know what to expect and figured I'd turn it off after 15 minutes but I didn't. It's very good.

I'm not looking at it from any political perspective like many folks here tend to do, it's not worth the aggravation. It's a suspensfull spy series, and a source of entertainment, nothing more, nothing less...

[Bender2]

Yep, watched both the pilot and last night's episode. While I see excellent production of the 1980s setting and the actors are equally competent, the plot is so slanted to the left view of history (FBI goons going rouge on anyone they wish, for example), that it make any sane person watching to actually have to physically keep themselves from retching—

FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” has its viewers rooting for a group of murderers, we now have FX viewers rooting for these Soviet agents to win over the thugs of that mad man Ronald Reagan.

The left ruled education system now does not teach anything truthful about American History, now they have a television series showing its young viewer that the Soviet Union are the good guys and those that won the Cold War the bad guys. To our wayward youth raised under a left leaning media, both news and entertainment, and with Jon Stewart as their primary and only new source, they can only see “The Americans” as more Gospel from the Burning Bush they roasted W and Conservatism upon.

Thankfully, being in the autumn of my days on this tired old earth, I only have to suffer the decline and fall of the United States for a short time.

My once sane nation voted in the anti-Christ again and shall suffer the whirlwind—

Buck up, Bendy! Here in Spain... we have wine to make it all go away.

Yeah, we have the same... here--

[nutmeg]

the plot is so slanted to the left view of history (FBI goons going rouge on anyone they wish, for example), that it make any sane person watching to actually have to physically keep themselves from retching—

FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” has its viewers rooting for a group of murderers, we now have FX viewers rooting for these Soviet agents to win over the thugs of that mad man Ronald Reagan.

Hmmm... so far I don't see the commies in "The Americans" as the 'good guys' at all. I no way am I rooting for them. I see them as sick and perverted, and they seem to be questioning themselves over their evil deeds for the Mother Russia.

The husband (Phil) went a bit weak (wanted to turn themselves in and defect to the US) in the pilot, the wife (Elizabeth) was kind of doubting herself in last night's episode, wondering if it's all worth it, and what would become of their American children.

I love the references to "that madman" Ronald Reagan... to me, the commies are clearly the Bad Guys, so naturally Reagan and Americans are the Good Guys.

Watching "The Americans" reminds me of watching a show like The Sopranos. We're observing the evil deeds of Tony and the Mob, but we're not rooting for them, as they are clearly the Bad Guys. You keep tuning in to see when they're finally going to get their comeuppance.

I wasn't particularly pleased with the treatment of the "FBI goons" going rogue... hope those characters don't emerge as bigger bad guys than the commies. We'll see. If the plot goes really leftward, we'll stop watching...

[nutmeg]

Thanks... glad you enjoyed the show.

You may (or may not) be interested in posts 30 and 31 on this thread... ;-)

[discostu]

It’s a pretty good show, might advance to great, might not. The spies are conflicted because life here is pretty good, also it does a good job of showing just how cutthroat the Soviet spy organization really was. It’s a pretty hardcore commitment to being a spy to get introduced to your “spouse” and then go live in another country knowing that for your cover to be complete you’re going to have to have kids. And they’ve embraced the time frame to go very Miami Vice on the soundtrack, not just in song selection but in how they build it into the show.

[Bratch]

Interesting quotes from the show's producers.

'The Americans': FX Asks Viewers to Root for KGB in Cold War Thriller

"It might be a little different to believe and get used to, but we want you to root for the KGB," said EP Joel Fields. "They're going to try to get the Soviets to win the Cold War."

[...]

"If you tried to tell a story like this about al-Qaeda now, it would be impossible; no one would want to hear it," Fields continued. "I feel even the same could have been said up to 10 years after the cold war ended."

[...]

"The show is about marriage and that marriage in an allegory for international relations," said creator Joe Weisberg. "And international relations are an allegory for marriage."

[...]

"These were these really competing value systems," he said. "And there's no question that repressive socialism failed, but unbridled consumption hasn't exactly led to great satisfaction -- and one problem is how do we express that dramatically."

[HereInTheHeartland]

Sounds like a good show. I have always wondered how many Russian agents are really here; who were planted here before the Soviet Union fell.

[Hot Tabasco]

You may (or may not) be interested in posts

Interesting comments but not to be unexpected.

I watch movies and TV series for their entertainment value only and if they're over the top on politics then I stop.........I don't worry myself on what hollywood does since everyone knows what they're all about.

I think what should be noted about this series is the fact that it addresses what many people have forgotten. And that is, we were in a cold war with Communists and they were doing everything in their power to undermine us.

Communist Russia, Communist china, Red China, Communist North Korea, Communist Cuba............."

The term "Communist" has been effectively eliminated from the present day vocabulary......

And this movie is a reminder that they once existed.......

[Texas resident]

Why watch actors when we can watch the real thing.
Look at the goals of the cpusa.
Then look at the actions of the democrats.
Same Same.

[3Fingas]

Well if that is his intention, he has failed in the couple of episode I have seen. The KGB is clearly the bad guys here. The Soviet spy couple are beginning to question their mission here and thinking America is a pretty good place. After all their kids are American in every way.

Yes, the creator from Sons of Anarchy is a conflicted leftist too. In fact, he had a pretty nasty reaction to a post I put on his blog. I told him that he needs to get out from the liberal swamp he lives in and meet real everyday Americans. He basically told me that he didn’t want people like me watching his show. I told him that his show despite his liberal indoctrination taught the exact opposite message that he intended. He is a pretty conflicted guy who could probably become a libertarian if ever could detach himself from Hollywood.

[Bratch]

He is a pretty conflicted guy who could probably become a libertarian if ever could detach himself from Hollywood.

IMO, many actors/actresses have libertarian tendencies; peer pressure keeps them on the liberal plantation.