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The Americans - S2 of the KGB spy drama - Keri Russell & Matthew Rhys - Wed on FX

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T

Tamanon

Banned
That was great. Glad to see Elizabeth was still her ruthless self on missions. And man, Philip destroyed Paige, but might've pushed her too far!

Looking forward to next week, this season has been great.
 
R

ReturnOfTheRAT

Member
Philips hair in 1967 was pretty amazing.

You knew there was no way that Elizabeth would give the kid the letter. At that point in history that kind of information would ruin all of their operations. That poor teenager isn't in the state of mind to have all those things revealed to him. And how could trusdt him to keep quiet about it when it was so personal?
 
D

Dan

No longer boycotting the Wolfenstein franchise
Oh Phillip, you have a lot to learn about how to get what you want from a teenager. Might want to try a lighter, more sympathetic touch.

I assume those were props for nuclear submarines. That's not a bad get for our Russian spies.
 
L

Linius

Member
Philip breaking down Paige was a great scene. No holding back there. But Paige is definitely hitting puberty hard, more trouble is coming. Rebel yeah.
 
T

Tamanon

Banned
As long as the trouble is Paige being a teenager and not running the risk of blowing their cover, it'll be good. I couldn't deal with her being suspicious the entire season.
 
S

Spectral Glider

Member
Dan said:
Oh Phillip, you have a lot to learn about how to get what you want from a teenager. Might want to try a lighter, more sympathetic touch.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would think his anger is only going to make her more suspicious.

No chase or fight scenes this week and only one semi tense scene and yet I thought this episode was great.
 
MisterFalcon

MisterFalcon

Member
Dan said:
I assume those were props for nuclear submarines. That's not a bad get for our Russian spies.
Click to expand...

Around this time the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba-Kongsberg_scandal was going on even though the intel the Soviets got was coming from Europe and Japan. Having submarine screws that were made to precise standards was a pretty big deal apparently, I remember the old Harpoon board game having a significant bonus in detecting pre-1985 Soviet submarines.
 
M

Mononoke

Banned
Man this show is great. Even when it's not firing on all cylinders, it just churns out really good episodes consistently. With Justified being all over the place this season, this is filling that void.
 
L

Lord_Byron28

Member
RatskyWatsky said:
Good episode. The song choice at the end was ace.



Shit, I didn't even think of that! T'would be an awesome twist.
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Yeah I was thinking the friend was the one sent to watch over them.

That ending montage I felt bad for Henry since it was clear he was trying to spend time and bond with his dad over the telescope and constellations.
 
I

Incandenza

Banned
I'm finding it really hard to care about the FBI plot this season. The Stan / Nina thing isn't compelling at all and everything outside of that is just a series of MacGuffins ("The Soviets want... blueprints/codes/intel... for stuff. We can't let them have the blueprints/codes/intel for the stuff!"). And of course there's the issue of being bound by history against doing anything super game-changing.
 
A

ambientmystic

Member
Just caught up with Season 2.

The show continues on right where it left off after the climactic ending of Season 1 and never really lets up. The bit where Phillip had to bring his son in on an op at a moment's notice was for me a real "oh shit" part. What followed right after that in that ep was just crazy.

I wonder who's responsible for the KGB murders, a rogue faction of the KGB? Seems like the FBI/CIA had nothing to do with it, afawk, killing the entire family doesn't seem like their typical MO.

Reminscing a bit about the last portion of the last season, I still can't believe that Nina spilled her guts to the Rezidentura, knowing how easily they could've shipped her ass back to Moscow for a sham trial and a speedy execution. Things could have easily went south for her after that reveal, which to me, came out of absolutely no where. I honestly thought that she was counting on being exfiltrated to the US by the FBI, but I guess that loyalty to the motherland runs deeper.

EDIT:- Reading some of the previous comments in this thread, I have to concur with those who feel that the kid actors aren't half bad at all. Paige is at the right age to be displaying that teenage rebellion crap, and combined with a penchant for curiousity that she probably inherited from her parents, her behaviour is completely understandable. The boy, Henry is just doing what boys do at that age. Far from being annoying and whiny, they're actually pretty decent, if somewhat previously unremarkable characters who're great in small doses, as they lend an aura of credibility to the show's initial premise. Phillip and Liz actually raised a decent suburban family despite of the line of work they're currently engaged in, and it shows in their kids being relatively normal and well adjusted individuals who actually spend time together doing familial stuff.

I mean how often do you see kids playing board games, watching ball games or going to the movies and doing all that with their parents nowadays? The pre-Internet/I-device/mobile phone era was probably a better time for family bonding overall.
 
A

Alpende

Member
ReturnOfTheRAT said:
Who made the call on that one? Philip or the KGB? If the friend is the protector, I can see her being the person that slips up and lets Paige know about all the covert operations.
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I doubt a person that was assigned by and probably works for the KGB is gonna slip up and tell Paige details. If the girl is even the person keeping an eye on Paige.
 
A

AngmarsKing701

Member
ambientmystic said:
Reminscing a bit about the last portion of the last season, I still can't believe that Nina spilled her guts to the Rezidentura, knowing how easily they could've shipped her ass back to Moscow for a sham trial and a speedy execution. Things could have easily went south for her after that reveal, which to me, came out of absolutely no where. I honestly thought that she was counting on being exfiltrated to the US by the FBI, but I guess that loyalty to the motherland runs deeper.
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She's pretty sure Beeman is lying about Vlad's murder, and she liked Vlad. It also opened her eyes that she's being used. Best to tuck tail and turn double. She also gets the satisfaction of working Beeman.
 
F

Freeza Under The Shower

Member
in terms of whodunnit, it stands to some reason
the new tech KGB guy is in on it somehow. It wouldn't really stand out as a dirty (rich commie / pig) tactic, to be honest. He is also faaaaaar too nosy, certainly for those times. He's basically a walking red flag, and I don't mean the motherland flag by that.
 
E

encephalon

Member
If Paige's new friend is anyone but just a girl, it's probably not someone sent to protect her. Paige's curiosity and will to search for answers represent a risk to the family and the operation right now, as well as Paige herself. As Phillip tightens his grip, Paige only feels more isolated and emboldened to escape his control. Having her sit down and listen to him only resulted in her leaving at night without telling anyone to go see her new friend, in the midst of season that seems determined to remind us of the danger that the kids are in.
 
I

ivysaur12

Banned
Do Russians call themselves by their first and last name all the time? Is that a thing?

Also, this season is otherworldy. God. I love this show!
 
P

-Pyromaniac-

Member
ivysaur12 said:
Do Russians call themselves by their first and last name all the time? Is that a thing?

Also, this season is otherworldy. God. I love this show!
Click to expand...
it's not a thing and it really bothers me in the show lol. I was going to mention this a week ago but was too lazy to post it. Maybe among military officials it may be a thing I don't know, but I've been around a zillion russians and they don't do that.
 
M

Mifune

Mehmber
-Pyromaniac- said:
it's not a thing and it really bothers me in the show lol. I was going to mention this a week ago but was too lazy to post it. Maybe among military officials it may be a thing I don't know, but I've been around a zillion russians and they don't do that.
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It very much is a thing to refer to someone by their first and middle name (not last) in formal Russian society.

Haven't you guys read any Russian lit?
 
K

-Kees-

Member
ivysaur12 said:
Do Russians call themselves by their first and last name all the time? Is that a thing?

Also, this season is otherworldy. God. I love this show!
Click to expand...

I've been rereading The Brothers Karamazov and every page is Alexei Fyodorovich this and and Fyodor Pavlovich that so 100+ years later I'd say it's what they do.

BTW still the best book I've ever read by far.
 
F

Fxp

Member
-Kees- said:
I've been rereading The Brothers Karamazov and every page is Alexei Fyodorovich this and and Fyodor Pavlovich that so 100+ years later I'd say it's what they do.

BTW still the best book I've ever read by far.
Click to expand...

Well, Fyodorovich is not last name but father's name. And even nowadays Russians quite often call each other by their name and father's name.
 
A

ambientmystic

Member
Fxp said:
Well, Fyodorovich is not last name but father's name. And even nowadays Russians quite often call each other by their name and father's name.
Click to expand...

Quite a few cultures still use their progenitor's name as their last name. Still quite prevalent in Muslim cultures/countries, for instance.

First Name:- Person's name
Middle Name:- Father's name
Last Name:- Grandfather's name.
 
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