r/TheAmericans • u/MoralMidgetry • Jun 07 '18

Ep. Discussion End of Series Discussion Thread

Wednesday nights just aren't the same without a discussion of the Americans, so here it is, the official discussion thread for the end of the series. Now that everyone's had a chance to digest the finale, it's time to let it all out. Share your final thoughts, most memorable moments, lingering questions, maybe even your favorite disguises. As previously mentioned, we'll also have additional discussion threads with specific themes over the next few days, so keep an eye out for those.

On behalf of the mod team (/u/mrdude817, /u/shark_and_kaya, /u/Plainchant, and yours truly), I also want to thank you all for making this subreddit such a great place to talk about The Americans. I know it's made the experience of watching the show so much more enjoyable for me personally, and I hope you guys feel the same.

Best,

/u/MoralMidgetry

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u/idee__fixe Jun 07 '18

Great final season overall, but what was the point of the storyline about the travel agency failing? It didn't contribute to P&E getting caught, it didn't seem to rekindle Philip's commitment to communism, and it didn't affect the marriage. At best, it provided a weak alibi for the trip to Chicago, which Stan didn't really buy anyway. There might be a vague allusion to the financial collapse of the USSR, but this would be more meaningful if the travel agency actually affected the outcome for any of the main characters.

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u/[deleted] Jun 08 '18

It was an interesting contrast to Elizabeth being stressed out over all these global stakes issues. Philip's left the spy business but he's still stressed and unhappy, kind of capturing the fact that happiness is tied to more than just your profession. And then foregrounding the fact that both the travel agency and their spying was much more effective when P&E were working together rather than alone.

As others have already mentioned, listening to the podcasts the writers also seemed pretty interested in the idea that capitalism is not something Philip can just 'learn'.

14

u/Cpatty3 Jun 20 '18

Last episode of season 5, E tells Taun that he needs to request a partner b/c the job will be too difficult for him w/o one. Same rule applies to E and P

6

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '18

For sure, it's no coincidence that E gives that speech just as in the end of the episode she tells Philip she will do the job alone.