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[-Pyromaniac-]

Yeah, thanks to Cornballer for the thread. Nobody I know watches this show, so it's been great reading reactions here.

I can't grasp why more people don't watch. Had hotness, suspense, great acting and story. I think it's just an awareness thing. Their loss.

 

[shadyspace]

Sepinwall:


- 'The Americans' producers on season 3: 'It may be that our sense of bad is changing'

Joe Weisberg: I am willing to go on the record in saying, I do not think the Soviet Union was an evil empire.

Joel Fields: That was Joe who said that.

lol

 

[VeryGooster]

RIP Pastor Tim

 

[AngmarsKing701]

Freakin Directv stopped recording just as Philip started talking with Elizabeth and Paige crawled on the floor to call Pastor Nosy McFuckwit. Goddammit I hate Directv.

Recording the encore showing now and extending it by 15 minutes to be on the safe side.

 

[IronRinn]

A.V. Club review.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I was waaay off on Paige.

as for more people in this thread, it could be worse. Could be like Turn thread.

 

[IronRinn]

Yeah, thanks to Cornballer for the thread. Nobody I know watches this show, so it's been great reading reactions here.

For real. CB does great work and it's been great watching and discussing this season with you guys.

 

[Niraj]

Yeah, thanks Cornballer, as always. Killer season, show just keeps getting better. I try my best to get people to watch it but nobody seems to listen lol. I only know a handful of people who do. Nice talking with all of you as usual, the wait is going to be killer. Even though I wish more people were in here discussing and watching it, I do have to admit that I like the smaller TV threads better.

 

[KingKong]

Stan being blinded by his lust for Nina is hilarous

 

[Sectorseven]

Martha never used that gun.

 

[Chamber]

RIP in peace Pastor Tim's entire family tree.

Can't wait for next season.

 

[Spectral Glider]

Paige will probably meltdown though if anything happens to Pastor Tim. Going to be interesting to see how the writers handle all of this.

 

[jay23]

I wonder how Elizabeth and Philip will find out about the phone call.

I thought Philip was up to something at those est meetings, but u can tell everything is falling apart and he's starting to question it all. It showed in that final scene, Elizabeth looked more committed than ever, while Philip was in the background looking defeated. That scene was special.

 

[jerry113]

Literal chills. God damn.

What was Philip trying to get out?

Paige and that preacher. God hooks are too deep to turn her, Elizabeth.

With all that stuff at the seminar about listening to your gut, maybe Phillip's reaching the point where he is starting to become uncertain about whether they're killing people for a good cause or not.

But I don't know what would trigger that, we've seen him prioritize family above country already before.

 

[Niraj]

Don't think this was posted, but sorry if it was already:

Variety: ‘The Americans’ Season 3 Finale Postmortem: Joel Fields On the Martha Mystery, Reagan Speech

 

[EmpressInYellow]

God, that entire final sequence was one of the most gut-wrenchingly tense things I've seen on TV in ages.

As Phillip was just sitting there in the bedroom, I actually thought for a second, "Wait...he's not going to kill himself, is he? I mean, they couldn't do that - Rhys is one of the central pillars of the show."

Even though I knew it was incredibly unlikely, though, the sense of dread just...permeated every single shot in that ending sequence. I can't think of any other show on TV to give me the same feeling that the things that happen in each episode matter, that they have actual weight.

 

[metalslimer]

The girl who plays Paige killed it all season.

 

[KarmaCow]

I was surprised the Beeman/Oleg plan was basically executed this season even if it isn't over. It went about as expected though. They would want a low level Russian spy who doubled crossed them back.

I'm curious what they'll do with Sandra Beeman and Philip. They've put the whole Paige issue between Elizabeth and Philip but that's also been dropped or at least sidelined since they revealed themselves to her. Philip needs someone to listen to him and the finale showed that Elizabeth is unable to be that person, for anyone. He can't really open up to Sandra either so I'm not sure where they're going.

The stuff with Elizabeth seemed really weak this season considering where it started, she was basically there for other characters. Even her stuff with her mother wasn't in service to her growth, outside of maybe rethinking turning Paige.The South Africa plotline basically went no where, in service of nothing except for Hans who might blowup later.

But they've also surprisingly been building the neglect stuff with Henry. I thought he'd just be the clueless forgotten background little brother like in Homeland or Mad Men.

With all that stuff at the seminar about listening to your gut, maybe Phillip's reaching the point where he is starting to become uncertain about whether they're killing people for a good cause or not.

But I don't know what would trigger that, we've seen him prioritize family above country already before.

Well on top of being under immense pressure, dealing with identity issues with pretty much everyone in his life including Elizabeth, he's also been stonewalled and manipulated by his handler, who is basically Russia. He can't support himself as his depression eats out from the inside and no one outside is there to support or justify the cycle of spying to him. Even though they haven't shown what the centre thinks about the Martha issue, I can't imagine they would like how Philip is handling it. Frankly, I'm surprised all Elizabeth had to say was that Philip is acting too rashly for Martha's sake but even that isn't a huge red flag to her.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

It's been a season of hurting for Philip and it's the worst now. Poor, poor bastard. This show pulled the trick of making us sympathize with them. If you don't understand what Philip is going through, you have a cold heart.

Now as for Paige...oh boy. I'm pretty speechless about that. I shouldn't have put it past her to do, but to actually do it, Jesus!

Good finale, even if it didn't have Martha and put a nice bow on things.

 

[Dan]

I'll write up more later, but one quick thought:

It's funny that Elizabeth accuses Philip of not seeing Martha clearly, when she completely has her blinders on with Paige. She's missing all the signs and putting the family at great risk.

 

[BTM]

What a stellar finale with a phenomenal final scene. Can't believe Paige actually sold out her parents to Pastor Tim.


There really is no other show like this right now. I'm glad I've had a place to chat/react with fellow Americans watchers. Not sure I'm going to be able to wait a whole year for more.

 

[The Illiterati]

I don't know that I liked this. The writers are strangely obtuse and vague about so many things, and leave so many plot threads dangling, it's very hard to remember by the time next season rolls around which ones are still up in the air.

I also don't like the way Paige has been handled at all. I know they'd rather not have scenes of exposition, but instead it feels as though they've told her next to nothing to ground her life or put it into any real context what they are doing.

 

[Mifune]

That final montage was nigh-Godfather quality. Holy shit.

What a haunting, restrained finale. This show is really special.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Wow, Paige told Pastor Tim. I think it would be a cool twist if they actually kept him around for a while since everyone seems to think that he's already dead.

as for more people in this thread, it could be worse. Could be like Turn thread.

If you know the Turn thread is a ghost town, that means you've been in there. And not posted. Which means you're part of the problem. So.

Spoiler

not that Turn deserves more viewers or anything

 

[TripOpt55]

Great finale. I loved the the scene with Elizabeth, her mom and Paige. And the final sequence was excellent too. I didn't expect Paige to tell already, but that and the developments with Philip as of late have me really excited for next season. I was impressed with what they did with Paige this season. The actress did a great job too. It was strange the show didn't pick up on the ending with Martha last week more directly though.

 

[coleco]

Great season but I'm not sure what to think about Paige's reaction to the reveal. I understand it but it feels it's blowing up too big, and even too soon.

 

[Intheflorsh]

Great season, but uh who did Henry kill because of Martha?

 

[Blue Bomber]

I had to catch this episode later than usual because of work.

Great season finale though. Lots of interesting and surprising developments.

Stan finally reveals his true intentions behind his season long secret operation with Oleg to Agent Gaad and it almost backfires in spectacular fashion until he is bailed out by a higher authority. I thought it was a nice twist that instead of being reprimanded/fired Stan is being rewarded for his back channel work. It also probably means that we get more Stan and Oleg scenes next season which is never a bad thing. Also it was nice seeing Zinaida's genuine reaction to being caught red handed. She can kiss those American candy bars goodbye.

Elizabeth and Paige's trip to Russia was also a bit shorter than I expected. A part of me thought that something was going to happen on their trip and that next season would open with Elizabeth and Paige in Russia. Still even though the reunion was brief it was a touching scene and the effects it had on Paige was both intriguing and unexpected. When Elizabeth suggested taking a trip to Russia, I thought it was going to bring Paige and Elizabeth closer together and also give Paige a better perspective about her parent's motivations. Instead it seems to have done the exact opposite and has driven her to make a drastic decision.

I also was pleasantly surprised by the developing relationship between Phillip and Sandra in this episode. It should lead to some interesting storylines (and possible complications) next season.

Finally, I thought this season and this episode did a good job elaborating on one of the main themes of the show which is the burden of secrets. Paige, after learning the truth about her parents and seeing how comfortable they are with lying, realizes that she does not have the same tolerance for deception as they do. Philip, who has been walking on a thin ledge for quite some time this season, has a lot of buried emotions that he wants to get off his chest but he can't seem to find the courage or opportunity to do so. He came close with Sandra and even closer with Elizabeth until she got distracted by Reagan's evil empire speech. Stan finally revealed to Agent Gaad his elaborate operation to free Nina and gain leverage on Oleg and claimed that he was doing his job but also admitted that his feelings for Nina may have played a role in his work. I don't know if Stan himself knows for certain how much his feelings for Nina may be comprising his judgement. And of course Nina, who also made a revelation to Anton about her spying on him a few episodes back, says that she empathizes with his plight but it's also unclear if this is the truth or is she playing a long con on him to gain his trust.

Few thoughts about a some loose ends for next season: I wonder what will become of Philip's relationship with Kimberly. I'm assuming this is still an ongoing operation but this one is way riskier than his other undercover jobs. Also, I'm looking forward to see the direction Philip and Martha's relationship will take next season.


Fantastic season. The wait for next season is going to be long and tortuous one as usual.

Yeah, thanks to Cornballer for the thread. Nobody I know watches this show, so it's been great reading reactions here.

Ditto to Cornballer. Hardest working guy on Neogaf TV

Oh Paige....you just signed Pastor Tim his death wish

Now that everyone has seen the episode let's all say it together. RIP pastor Tim. We hardly knew yee.

Also Rhys was doing some amazing acting tonight. Everyone did.

I agree with everyone that Pastor Tim is most likely a dead man walking but a part of me thinks that this won't be an easy decision to make. If Philip and Elizabeth decide to kill Pastor Tim, which seems like the obvious solution, it would most likely do irreparable damage to their relationship with Paige. I mean even if they stage an accidental death, I think Paige at this point is smart enough to know the difference. In any case, it's going to be interesting to see how they resolve this issue.

 

[Discotheque]

Great season, but uh who did Henry kill because of Martha?

One of the people she works with, so the blame of the bug goes to him and he commits suicide feeling guilty

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I agree with everyone that Pastor Tim is most likely a dead man walking but a part of me thinks that this won't be an easy decision to make. If Philip and Elizabeth decide to kill Pastor Tim, which seems like the obvious solution, it would most likely do irreparable damage to their relationship with Paige. I mean even if they stage an accidental death, I think Paige at this point is smart enough to know the difference. In any case, it's going to be interesting to see how they resolve this issue.

I think Paige is kind of screwed too. She's too young/naive/whatever to realize the gravity of what she just did. The second Tim starts considering snitching how is she going to feel? Her parents going to prison, Henry being alone, Tim's life being in danger, etc...

The same goes for Elizabeth. I don't think she realizes the impact of the way Phillip is feeling. If he strays off course it could mean byebye for him. They won't let him off the job quietly. She thinks it's just a phase but it's not.

 

[Clevinger]

Great season, great finale. So many interesting story threads heading into season 4.

 

[rockman zx]

Excellent season and good finale, I was expecting a little more to be honest. No closure to the Martha storyline, the "Russia" trip was so short to the point that it felt "half assed" and the final twist, I'm not sure if I like it. But overall, one of the best shows on TV right now.

 

[helloresolven]

What a finale... this show is too good. It's a damn shame it's not more popular .

And now we wait a year for the fallout, fuck.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I'll write up more later, but one quick thought:

It's funny that Elizabeth accuses Philip of not seeing Martha clearly, when she completely has her blinders on with Paige. She's missing all the signs and putting the family at great risk.

Yep I had the same thought. "You're not seeing this clearly" just as the daughter she thinks did ok in Russia is in her room about to out them.

 

[IronRinn]

Finally, I thought this season and this episode did a good job elaborating on one of the main themes of the show which is the burden of secrets. Paige, after learning the truth about her parents and seeing how comfortable they are with lying, realizes that she does not have the same tolerance for deception as they do. Philip, who has been walking on a thin ledge for quite some time this season, has a lot of buried emotions that he wants to get off his chest but he can't seem to find the courage or opportunity to do so. He came close with Sandra and even closer with Elizabeth until she got distracted by Reagan's evil empire speech. Stan finally revealed to Agent Gaad his elaborate operation to free Nina and gain leverage on Oleg and claimed that he was doing his job but also admitted that his feelings for Nina may have played a role in his work. I don't know if Stan himself knows for certain how much his feelings for Nina may be comprising his judgement. And of course Nina, who also made a revelation to Anton about her spying on him a few episodes back, says that she empathizes with his plight but it's also unclear if this is the truth or is she playing a long con on him to gain his trust.

This is a good read on the season. Going with that thread, it also went a long way in showing how isolating secrets are, how lonely they make people. The whole episode, viewed from that angle, is a series of people reaching out to remove themselves from the isolation that's been imposed upon them by their secrets. Some, like Paige, are successful but in doing so she has to recoil from her mother's attempt. And Philip is too scared of what reaching out might mean. I wonder, after her experience with the old woman at the robot shop, if Elizabeth wouldn't have understood more than Philip realizes. Even Martha would rather live with a spy than feel like she's alone.

I'll write up more later, but one quick thought:

It's funny that Elizabeth accuses Philip of not seeing Martha clearly, when she completely has her blinders on with Paige. She's missing all the signs and putting the family at great risk.

I got the feeling she deliberately lied to Philip because she knows how fragile he is at this point. I think she is well aware that things didn't go super great with Paige, though maybe she doesn't know just how poorly it went.

 

[LaunchpadMcQ]

Kind of a dick move Stan screwing Oleg like he did. The bigger revelation was about Zinaida, but he was ready to take down or turn Oleg if need be. Almost backfired on him, too.

Also, Weisberg, you cruel son of a bitch. Giving us the idea that Philip would have to call Martha and placing that final conversation between Philip and Elizabeth right next to the phone of their nighstand; I'm sure I'm not the only one who kept expecting them to pick up the phone and catch the Pastor Tim conversation, but nada.

Excellent season and good finale, I was expecting a little more to be honest. No closure to the Martha storyline, the "Russia" trip was so short to the point that it felt "half assed" and the final twist, I'm not sure if I like it. But overall, one of the best shows on TV right now.

The Americans is known to carry over plots over multiple seasons, so not seeing direct closure on Martha's situation isn't a huge deal. They'll pick it back up when the show comes back.

The Russia (or more accurately, West Berlin) trip makes sense in how short it is. They weren't taking a whole vacation and they had to be as careful as if they were running an operation in the United States. I don't know for sure, but it's not hard to believe the Americans had agents in West Berlin. They had to keep it safe and short to avoid it getting too dangerous.

As for Paige's lapse in judgement, I've found The Americans in general rarely makes the choice that feels good but always makes the choice that feels real. In this case, indoctrinating Paige could have gone either way. She's still young and impressionable; she's heavily grounded in her religious beliefs; and she trusts Pastor Tim implicitly. Paige likely doesn't even realize she's doing something wrong

Spoiler

(er, doing something wrong against her parents)

because she puts a lot of faith in Pastor Tim; that entire relationship has been growing since season 2. Guilt-ridden by how their parents lead their lives, I think it was a logical direction for Paige to finally crumble and want to talk to someone.

Curiously, though, I think the implications of Philip and Sandra being completely honest with each other have some parallels with this situation with Paige. Philip feels like his actions are crushing him, much like Paige and her parents' actions, and legitimately seems to consider opening up to Sandra even though he knows he can't. Philip and Paige are feeling very similarly at the moment we leave them off in the show; Elizabeth is seemingly oblivious as to what's going on in her own house. Yet, their actions on the matter are wholly different due to a variety of factors.

Anyway, Elizabeth needs to learn some empathy. :/

 

[Cornballer]

More reviews and interviews:

- Poniewozik: The Americans Watch: The Evil Empire Strikes Home
- Alyssa Rosenberg: The conservative greatness of ‘The Americans’
- Variety: ‘The Americans’ Finale: Holly Taylor Talks Paige’s Big Reveal
- Vox: One of the geniuses behind The Americans explains the finale’s biggest moments
- Daily Beast: The Secret Is Out: 'The Americans' Creator on That Shocking Season Finale Twist

 

[Cornballer]

- Slate Podcast: The Stars and Makers of The Americans Discuss the Season Finale

In this installment about the Season 3 finale, “March 8, 1983,” stars Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, and Holly Taylor join script coordinator Molly Nussbaum and executive producers Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to share their thoughts on the cliffhanger ending, their favorite moments from Season 3, and what might lie in store for the Jennings family in Season 4.

 

[bob_arctor]

Yep I had the same thought. "You're not seeing this clearly" just as the daughter she thinks did ok in Russia is in her room about to out them.

Paige's choice of words was interesting. How does Pastor Tim respond to

Spoiler

"They're Russian" as opposed to "They're Russian spies"? Does the former automatically imply the latter in the Pastor's mind considering the political environment at the time? Or does he sympathize with Philip and Elizabeth not revealing their identity because of said environment? If so, Paige still has a chance to stop right where she's at. Having exposed, but not outright undermined.

 

[shadyspace]

Isn't Pastor Tim the reason Paige was protesting in Washington? Maybe the dude'll be down for the cause.

 

[Cornballer]

Grantland content from Andy Greenwald:

- Spies in the House of Love: Lies, the Limits of Honesty, and ‘The Americans’ Season 3 Finale
- ‘The Andy Greenwald Podcast’: ‘The Americans’ Season Recap With Showrunner Joel Fields (~hr long podcast on S3)

 

[Niraj]

Paige's choice of words was interesting. How does Pastor Tim respond to

Spoiler

"They're Russian" as opposed to "They're Russian spies"? Does the former automatically imply the latter in the Pastor's mind considering the political environment at the time? Or does he sympathize with Philip and Elizabeth not revealing their identity because of said environment? If so, Paige still has a chance to stop right where she's at. Having exposed, but not outright undermined.

Philip's late night meeting with him last season probably isn't going to do him any favors.

 

[Deified Data]

I agree with everyone that Pastor Tim is most likely a dead man walking but a part of me thinks that this won't be an easy decision to make. If Philip and Elizabeth decide to kill Pastor Tim, which seems like the obvious solution, it would most likely do irreparable damage to their relationship with Paige. I mean even if they stage an accidental death, I think Paige at this point is smart enough to know the difference. In any case, it's going to be interesting to see how they resolve this issue.

Yup. Tim will die next season - not a matter of if but when. When it happens they will totally lose control of Paige, after which the only options will be to control her through fear or defect when Russia signs her death warrant. Paige is going to have it rough next season.

Isn't Pastor Tim the reason Paige was protesting in Washington? Maybe the dude'll be down for the cause.

I don't think he's naive enough to believe USSR is on the side of peace.

 

[jett]

Man fuck Paige, but more importantly, fuck the writers. This is idiotic. You have to be the lowest of the low to turn and betray your own parents. I don't think Paige has been shown to be that.

 

[Cornballer]

- NY Mag: 'The Vulture TV Podcast': The Americans Edition

A new episode of The Vulture TV Podcast is here, again! To mark the end of The Americans stellar third season, we recorded an extra special, all-Americans edition this week. Join TV critic Matt Zoller Seitz, TV columnist Margaret Lyons, and TV editor Gazelle Emami as they discuss the fate of Pastor Tim, whether Philip and Elizabeth could kill one of their own children, and by the way, where's Martha?

- NY Mag: The Americans’ Joel Fields on Paige’s Phone Call, the Reagan Speech, and Killing for Love
- Time.com: This Is the Ronald Reagan Speech That Just Showed Up on The Americans

 

[-griffy-]

Man fuck Paige, but more importantly, fuck the writers. This is idiotic. You have to be the lowest of the low to turn and betray your own parents. I don't think Paige has been shown to be that.

You have to be joking.

 

[IronRinn]

- Slate Podcast: The Stars and Makers of The Americans Discuss the Season Finale

This is fantastic. "I am Abassin Zadraaaaaaaaaaaan."

 

[Redd]

Man fuck Paige, but more importantly, fuck the writers. This is idiotic. You have to be the lowest of the low to turn and betray your own parents. I don't think Paige has been shown to be that.

Paige felt like her parents weren't being truthful with her. Paige thought she was crazy and it was only her. She turns to the church for answers. Finding strength from her new found faith she confronts her parents and definitely knows they've been lying to to Paige her whole life.

I'm shocked it took her this long. Figured she might have told a friend at least.

 

[drawkcaB]

The South Africa plotline basically went no where, in service of nothing except for Hans who might blowup later.

It will. The writers have already shown on several occasions they have no issue with planting a plot device and letting it sit for a long time (e.g. the listening device in Gaad's pen). That sort of slow burn is one of the reasons I love this show.

I know it's not much, but that camera work at the end with Elizabeth and Philip, the zoom making them seem further and further apart during the "evil empire" speech was fantastic. I've been waiting for that moment this whole series: Philip dropping hints he actually likes America in S1 which led to the fake capture and interrogation; his conversations with the Mossad agent, the look on his face when the Jewish scientist was pleading, essentially no-selling Elizabeth's Reagan related rants, his stance on turning Paige, and two latest giveaways are his talk with Yousaf and attending EST without Stan.

Philip is about to crack, and my money is on him going rogue next season.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

It will. The writers have already shown on several occasions they have no issue with planting a plot device and letting it sit for a long time (e.g. the listening device in Gaad's pen). That sort of slow burn is one of the reasons I love this show.

I know it's not much, but that camera work at the end with Elizabeth and Philip, the zoom making them seem further and further apart during the "evil empire" speech was fantastic. I've been waiting for that moment this whole series: Philip dropping hints he actually likes America in S1 which led to the fake capture and interrogation; his conversations with the Mossad agent, the look on his face when the Jewish scientist was pleading, essentially no-selling Elizabeth's Reagan related rants, his stance on turning Paige, and two latest giveaways are his talk with Yousaf and attending EST without Stan.

Philip is about to crack, and my money is on him going rogue next season.

lol you quoted me and I'm like WTF I don't remember saying that! Turns out it wasn't me!