The Americans

[Ladybug]

I was yelling at the TV, "DON'T GET IN THE VAN! DON'T GET IN THE VAN!" "Oh, you'll love Cuba, they have white sand beaches and everyone speaks Spanish." "OMGDONTGETINTHEVAN!"

If/when Philip finds out that the wife was murdered, he's one step closer to defection. Elizabeth may take a few steps in that direction also. The dead spy guy seemed to trust them to help his wife and baby and they wanted to despite the risks. Philip especially will see this as a huge betrayal.

I loved the scene in the kitchen when Elizabeth explained her affair with Gregory to Philip. She doesn't get to do as much spy stuff or ass kicking as Philip, but I am loving all the complexities of her character and backstory.

[CarolinaGirl]

She was a goner before she got in the van. If she had tried to run, they would have killed her. She was dead as soon as she placed that ad & met Phillip & Elizabeth.

I hope Elizabeth and Phillip will find out she's dead eventually, but in real life they might not have. I can't imagine a drug OD in another city would get much press in DC, except for the missing baby, and maybe not even then. Stan might be the way they find out.

Her death is only going to make the FBI and Stan more determined. The KGB made a stupid mistake leaving her body where they did.

John-Boy was wrong. They should have picked her up and not just watched her.

[forever1267]

I have the cold that's going around and fell asleep while watching this. I then dreamed they decided to change the format of this show to "wacky comedy", with our (anti)heroes as a George and Weezy Jefferson type couple hanging with those Krazy Amerikans!!!

[LurkerNan]

What is the deal with Richard Thomas looking as good as he does? I mean, he's no beefcake but damn, he played John Boy 40 farking years ago! And he looks no worse than many actors that were popular just 20 years ago.

[mementomori]

Richard Thomas does look amazing. I thought episode 3 was very exciting. Keri Russell is excellent as Elizabeth and I thought the kitchen scene was powerful. I have to admit I am most interested in seeing the FBI neighbor's white supremacist deep cover somehow weave its way into the plot. He conveyed so much in that scene from the pilot that I can't wait for the writers to delve into it.

[sardonictart]

I knew the moment we saw the van that the dead operative's wife was a goner.

I figured it out when Elizabeth told her to stop talking. I think that Elizabeth knew that the new handler was going to get rid of the wife. Perhaps Philip didn't or maybe they both just lied to themselves to be able to go through with handing her over. On a completely unrelated note, Gregory is hot.

[waytoocheerful]

I wonder if Phillip and Elizabeth realize that if the KGB decides to get rid of them, they will also get rid of Paige and Henry. The only reason the Soviet grandparents got the baby was he was a baby and wouldn't remember anything.

[bklynred]

Holy sh*t, Derek Luke has grown into his looks (I mean, he was cute in Antwone Fisher but he's even cuter now). Pleeease bring him back once in a while, FX people!

[plush]

I watched the pilot on this and my main problem with both leads was that I don't buy either one of them as Russian spies.Their looks, absolute lack of accent and mannerisms scream a little too American, even when they are speaking to each other or in the flashbacks. I know that's the intention with their names and the life they created in US so they could blend in completely, I just don't buy them as anything beyond that. Not to say that Russia dooesn't have two people who physically resemble Kerri Russell and Matthew Rhys, it goes beyond their physical appearance. A certain steelness,loyalty to their ideals, fearlessness and absolute hate for the enemy (America) that I feel the actors lack.Even when Elizabeth is screaming how she will never betray the motherland, she's not believable.Not that the concept isn't interesting or the acting isn't decent or that non Russians can't play the leads, though my preference would have been for actors who at least looked the part.I just expected a different show. Some details also bothered me from the pilot. Like, why would they speak with a bad English accent in 1962 Russia when Elizabeth was going through boot camp? Wouldn't it make more sense they spoke in Russian and have the subtitles in English?I cannot help but compare this show to Homeland and how vastly superior and more authentic that looks compared to The Americans.

Maybe I'll watch few more episodes to see if at least, I find the story more believable than its leads.

[bklynred]

A van of any kind is never a good sign, on tv or in the movies. You're either going to be killed, tortured, kidnapped or spied on by the government. Unless it's the Scooby van. Then it's cool, there'll probably be grass and Hendrix.