# The Americans Season 3 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2015, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097 "2015-01-28T09:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 55
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1081 "2015-04-30T03:13:54Z")
I think that would only be a good idea if we could also sustain a more general _Americans_ thread, because a lot of discussions keep flowing from week to week. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1082 "2015-05-07T13:26:09Z")
> **[Justified, Broad City, Empire, Mom, 24, Jane the Virgin, Transparent Lead the...](https://tvline.com/2015/05/06/critics-choice-awards-nominations-television-2015/)** > > The critics are out for (new) blood! Nominations for the fifth annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards were announced Wednesday, and the list is chock-full of first-time nominees from rookie hits … Yay! The Critics Choice Awards are out and The Americans got 4 “nods”. I will leave it up to some other people who have more knowledge about these things than I do. I sure would be interested to hear how someone would interpret just what that means. Yippee! They got nominated for Best Drama Show, Best Actor and Best Actress. Also, Lois Smith was nom’d for Best Supporting Actress. She played the elderly lady that was murdered by E. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1083 "2015-05-07T13:40:29Z")
Critics have always loved the show. In past years, that has not translated to support among Emmy voters, the awards that are most important to the TV industry. Let’s hope that changes this year, but I am not holding my breath. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1084 "2015-05-07T13:45:35Z")
I feel a little bit sorry for Alison Wright because she was stunning all season (as Martha). Very glad to see the show get proper recognition. It also surely confirms we in this thread all have such wonderful tatse 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1085 "2015-05-07T14:42:23Z")
She definitely put in a hundred times the effort of Lois Smith. But it’s understandable. After all, Lois Smith did do a fabulous job in her one episode and that episode really did ring the bell. It was terrific. Oh well maybe next year for Martha? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1086 "2015-05-07T19:46:54Z")
Thanks for bringing us this news, Charlie Wayne. Yes, it would be wonderful to see Alison Wright recognized–and was mentioned, maybe that lies in the future. The lack of Emmy recognition to date for the show has been regrettable. But it’s worth noting that _The Americans_ has been in competition with some very good television–as they say, this is the New Golden Age of TV. Perhaps this year will be our show’s turn. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1087 "2015-05-09T00:27:55Z")
One thing just occurred to me. Wouldn’t one thing that KGB types would be doing is trying to infiltrate/discredit anti-communist organizations in whatever country they’re in. Maybe this is something that can be shown. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1088 "2015-05-09T04:09:31Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > One thing just occurred to me. Wouldn’t one thing that KGB types would be doing is trying to infiltrate/discredit anti-communist organizations in whatever country they’re in. Well I can’t really think of any anti-communist organizations of any objective importance in the United States at that time. Largely because they were unnecessary - loathing of communism was pretty much the standard cultural meme, much more so than today ( these days I think they’re mostly relegated to the status of failures, rather than the boogeyman enemy ). I mean fiercely partisan communist-obsessed groups _existed_, but even in the 1980’s they were regarded as kind of obsessive cranks and didn’t exactly have society’s ear. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1089 "2015-05-09T04:57:46Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > One thing just occurred to me. Wouldn’t one thing that KGB types would be doing is trying to infiltrate/discredit anti-communist organizations in whatever country they’re in. The US government, all agencies of gov, all media, the education system… there weren’t specific organizations because it was only presented to the entire society as a battle of two ideologies. Either you’re with us or against us. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1090 "2015-05-09T23:15:20Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > The only way it wouldn’t be so highly implausible as to be laughable would be if Pastor Tim (or an associate) was responsible for Paige having the idea to join the church all along. That is to say, for example, this is how the Centre planned it from the beginning- illegals have kids who the Centre wants, but it would be too suspicious for illegals to indoctrinate their children from the get go, so a second group of illegals befriends the kids and slowly begins to turn them. > > And even that is laughably implausible for all the time and energy it would take, but it is less implausible than Paige just miraculously chooses the one church in Virginia happened to be run by yet another KGB illegal. But it does have the added benefit of being thoughtfully planned out, and as we all know from watching The Hunt for Red October, Russians don’t take a dump without a plan. Also, this longterm strategy by the Centre would obviate Philip and Elizabeth’s uncharacteristic lack of a plan for Paige. > > I can’t remember how Paige got turned on to religion in the first place, but it would be funny to go back to that episode and see that she, in fact, didn’t really choose it, it chose her. It would be cool and subtle planning (Russianesque) on the part of the writers if it happened, but I doubt it did. > > So to sum up, yeah Tim is just a Pastor. Funny you ask that. When E was stabbed at the beginning of season 2 and had to take a week to recover, they said she took a trip up to her aunt’s house because of health issues. Later that season, Paige is suspicious and takes the bus up to see the aunt for herself. On the bus, she meets a girl her age who befriends her and gives her a number in case she ever wants to hang out. Paige calls it and they meet up at a prayer circle after school one day. Within an episode or two, that girl is no longer anywhere to be found and Pastor Tim enters the picture. So I guess we could question why Soviets would use religion as a means to convert Paige. And why they would send someone undercover long term as pastor of a huge congregation just to get Paige. Or why the girl disappeared when she’d be the best choice as someone Paige’s own age. All reasonable questions that point to a high likelihood that the pastor is just a pastor. But it’s not impossible he’s also Russian and this was a long con. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1091 "2015-05-10T00:26:40Z")
I agree with **zbuzz** that Pastor Tim isn’t Russian. Even for this show, it’s too contrived. I suspect that he’ll chalk it up to Paige’s imagination or adolescent rebellion. If he takes her seriously, I think he’ll be sympathetic to the Russians, who he sees as a counterpoint to Reagan the warmonger. Also, Paige knows her parents are spies, but she doesn’t know they’re killers. For all she knows, the two of them just take pictures and send them to Moscow. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1092 "2015-05-10T16:58:45Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Funny you ask that. When E was stabbed at the beginning of season 2 and had to take a week to recover, they said she took a trip up to her aunt’s house because of health issues. > > Later that season, Paige is suspicious and takes the bus up to see the aunt for herself. On the bus, she meets a girl her age who befriends her and gives her a number in case she ever wants to hang out. > Paige calls it and they meet up at a prayer circle after school one day. > > Within an episode or two, that girl is no longer anywhere to be found and Pastor Tim enters the picture. > > So I guess we could question why Soviets would use religion as a means to convert Paige. And why they would send someone undercover long term as pastor of a huge congregation just to get Paige. Or why the girl disappeared when she’d be the best choice as someone Paige’s own age. All reasonable questions that point to a high likelihood that the pastor is just a pastor. > > But it’s not impossible he’s also Russian and this was a long con. Nice analysis. But where were you all season? Or all previous seasons for that matter? I would like to tell you that I just hope you will come on board and post your thoughts next season. It would be real good to hear from you then. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1093 "2015-05-12T04:45:06Z")
> [@Sefton](#): > > I agree with **zbuzz** that Pastor Tim isn’t Russian. Even for this show, it’s too contrived. > > I suspect that he’ll chalk it up to Paige’s imagination or adolescent rebellion. If he takes her seriously, I think he’ll be sympathetic to the Russians, who he sees as a counterpoint to Reagan the warmonger. > > Also, Paige knows her parents are spies, but she doesn’t know they’re killers. For all she knows, the two of them just take pictures and send them to Moscow. Yeah, I think this is important. And it is, I think, more realistically what “illegals” actually did. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1094 "2015-06-15T13:35:22Z")
I finally watched the last three eps last night and then skimmed the pertinent pages of this thread. Why in world would the powers that be totally leave Martha out of the final ep…especially after ending the previous one as they did? I can’t find it now but someone said that we learned she was definitely alive in the last few minutes (or something to that effect). How was that? I know that P suggested to E that she was… and I know that P set the other guy up to take the fall. But still…why leave Martha totally out of the episode unless you are trying to leave other possibilities open. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1095 "2015-06-15T14:29:17Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > I can’t find it now but someone said that we learned she was definitely alive in the last few minutes (or something to that effect). How was that? > > I know that P suggested to E that she was… and I know that P set the other guy up to take the fall. But still…why leave Martha totally out of the episode unless you are trying to leave other possibilities open. well … ‘as I say in my blog’ … the writers have now become confident and are happy to play with form - they also know the audience will go along with them. That’s what they do here, they subvert the norm in relation to the martha storyline/ Their argument is also there was to much to fit into the final epi and it made sense to make Martha the heart of the penultimate hour. Fwiw, I can see their point, there was quite enough happening, anymore could have felt pretty rushed and/or unbalanced. Another option might have been to take it to 90 mins… ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1096 "2015-06-15T21:35:39Z")
I think **What the…?** poses a good point. I thought it was especially oblivious of the showrunners to say that it didn’t even occur to them that people would take the last scene we saw of Martha as Philip preparing to kill her. How could they miss that possibility after so recently seeing something similar with Elizabeth and the old lady? ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1097 "2015-06-16T22:44:29Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I think **What the…?** poses a good point. I thought it was especially oblivious of the showrunners to say that it didn’t even occur to them that people would take the last scene we saw of Martha as Philip preparing to kill her. How could they miss that possibility after so recently seeing something similar with Elizabeth and the old lady? … and what he told her to explain his disguise. … and how she would react. Still wondering how we know for sure that she is alive or that anything else that was said about her is in fact the reality?? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1098 "2015-06-16T23:39:47Z")
The whole point of killing Geekboy was to preserve Martha as an asset. Not what you’d do if you were planning on offing her. (The possibility still remains that she’ll take herself off the board, especially if she realizes that that’s what happened. That gun is going to be used for something.) ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1099 "2015-06-17T00:02:43Z")
The Emmy nominations will be announced July 16. _Breaking Bad_ is finally over, and both _House of Cards_ and _The Good Wife_ had terrible seasons. This show is overdue for some Emmy love, and I hope Rhys and Russell are nominated too. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097/1100 "2015-06-17T13:36:37Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > The whole point of killing Geekboy was to preserve Martha as an asset. Not what you’d do if you were planning on offing her. > > (The possibility still remains that she’ll take herself off the board, especially if she realizes that that’s what happened. That gun is going to be used for something.) The **whole** point? Possibly… but I could come up with a rationale/storyline for killing them both. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097.md?page=54) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-3/711097.md?page=56)