The Americans Season 4

Cafe Society
1

I was going to post this in “The Americans” thread. But I saw it is titled “The Americans Season 3” and I wanted to announce the premier of Season 4.

Apparently, it will begin on March 16, 2016. That is about six weeks away.

In preparation, I have been watching Season 3 and I have some questions about Episode 3 in Season 3.

About half way through Episode 3, Phil & Elizabeth were tailing some CIA man who worked in their Afghan group. They went to his home where his realtor was holding an open house. Then they tailed him when he left the house.

But shortly after that, they realized they were being tailed (by the FBI) and they went through some elaborate maneuver (including a 4-car traffic accident) to escape.

My first question is this: It seemed like they were driving legally before they even got to this open house. I mean it seemed like they were driving a car that was legally registered to them. They escaped by abandoning that car. Am I right in thinking this was some kind of logistical error? I mean why wouldn’t the FBI just have tracked them down from the license plate on that car?

Second question is this: This was the episode where Elizabeth was having a terrible toothache and Phillip pulled out two of her teeth because the FBI was looking for someone who matched her general description going to a dentist. She got that problem because a few days earlier, she attacked two FBI agents and one of them slammed her head down on a car hood injuring her jaw and teeth.

But with all the people the KGB had on their payroll in DC, wouldn’t it make sense that they would have had at least one dentist? Even if it was within 100 miles of DC, surely it would have been much better than having Phillip pull her teeth with a pair of pliers. Was that at all realistic? Wouldn’t you think they would have had a dentist on their payroll (or something equivalent) and they could have gotten a dentist to do it?

2

No they weren’t driving one of their own cars. The KGB provides them cover cars all the time. That’s what Elizabeth’s boyfriend (black guy from Season 1) did.

Sure they could have had a dentist on payroll, but having Phillip pull it make Elizabeth more of a badass.

3

After thinking about the previous seasons, I’m certain that you are right about that.

Thanks very much.

:slight_smile:

4

The dentist bit caused raised eyebrows in last season’s thread as well.

One suggestion put forward was that KGB would provide life saving surgery and recuperation; but minor injuries, they were on their own.

5

An interesting tidbit for those who care: co-stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are a real-life couple, and she’s currently pregnant with his baby. It doesn’t sound like they will write her pregnancy into the show.

Looking forward to seeing how the Paige storyline shakes out this season.

6

My goodness! I read the biographies of both last year and I recall they were both married. But I def do not recall they were married to each other.

Oh well. I wish them every happiness. Both are amazing actors and Keri Russell is my perfect idea of the girl next door. Except that I never thought of the girl next door as being able to kick my ass and kick the ass of every other man in town.

:slight_smile:

7

They are not currently married. Rhys has never been married, Russell is divorced.

As a former Felicity fan, one of the more satisfying things about this show is watching Keri Russell kick someone’s ass.

8

It was totally fantastic, probably the most compelling scene of the season. Absolutely the most intimate tender, trusting moment between a married couple, at least one of whom is usually pretty strung out. And overtly sexual as well.

Of course, they are also both at least borderline psychopaths but; that juxtaposition is what makes the show.

9

Oh … Sigh.

Wouldn’t it be just fantastic to have a gf who could kick the ass of every other man in town?

It would be like having the ultimate bodyguard whenever I would go out.

Oh well … I can always dream … Can’t I?

10

Wow!

I just finished re-watching Season 3 and I was amazed that I had completely forgotten how Season 3 ended. In that episode, the very last scene consisted of:

Paige talking on the phone to her Pastor and telling him that her parents were liars and they weren’t Americans.

I was amazed that I didn’t remember that because it is just such an enormous cliff hanger.

I’m wondering how you might expect this thing to be resolved. My guess is that …

Pastor Tim will think Paige has lost her mind and needs psychiatric help. He will then call her parents and tell them all about it.

I was surprised because I would have thought that after they told Paige who they were, the first thing they would have done was to have installed a tap on Paige’s phone and recorded all her conversations so that they would know if she told anyone.

I know that most people believe that anything they tell to a doctor, a lawyer or a clergyperson is absolutely guaranteed to remain silent - just between the two of them.

But that is just so ridiculous for many reasons. First off these people make notes and keep their notes and so that information can easily be revealed.

Also, I would think that many of those people (doctors, lawyers, clergy) are not Saints and may well tell some of their friends or their spouse about these conversations because they think there is no way those people will ever reveal what they’ve been told.

But with Paige’s parents freedom on the line - they told Paige that if she ever blabbed they would go to prison forever - I just can’t believe that Paige would go ahead and tell her pastor. That was just so disappointing. But I suppose a 14 year old child really can’t be blamed all that much.

Anyway, I’d like to hear if any of you have any other opinions as to how Paige’s conversation with her Pastor will unfold and what the consequences might be.

Would anyone here care to guess what will happen in the first episode of Season 4?

11

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Phil and Elizabeth find out about the call, either from Paige or from the pastor, and then kill the pastor. Neither parent likes the pastor or his influence on Paige. I’m thinking they make it look like an accident, which raises suspicions in nobody but Paige.

I absolutely love this show, and can’t wait for it to start. It was my second favorite show for the past several years - behind only Justified - but with Justified ended, this one is my clear favorite.

12

I can’t agree more about this being a favorite show. Me too.

If they do kill the pastor, they will have to kill his wife as well.

If they leave his wife alive, there is a very high probability that she will know all the circumstances and will tell the police exactly why they should go after P & E.

13

Agree. A car accident or gas explosion taking both lives seems most likely. Or they could simply kill them and then say they came into their travel agency and bought tickets to go somewhere, never to be seen again. But that is much riskier than an apparent accident.

14

I just hope the writers don’t pull something like having the Pastor also be a KGB agent (unbeknownst to Phillip & Elizabeth) spying on her and/or trying to indoctrinate her.

15

That kind of storyline was a major plot point in season two when Kate, the super-young new KGB handler, told teenage Jared that his parents were spies and then seduced him to encourage him to embrace his heritage. He killed the parents in the premiere and Elizabeth (I think) shot him in the finale.

So I don’t think they’ll do it again.

That said, I would not be surprised if Kimmie (Phillip’s teenage mark and daughter of a bigwig CIA guy) turned out to be an agent herself.

16

I just re-watched that episode recently and I’m pretty certain that it was a Colonel in the US Armed Forces named Lyrrick who shot Jared when Jared pulled a gun on him.

Lyrrick had handcuffed Phillip and put him in the trunk of his car and then he handcuffed Elizabeth and while he was attempting to put Elizabeth in the trunk, Jared pulled a gun and shot Lyrrick who returned fire and shot Jared.

17

One week to the premiere. It will be shown on Wednesdays starting March 16, 2016.

18

Can’t wait, but I do hope they go heavy on the espionage and lighten up on the family drama.

19

My predictions for this season:

  • Paige sees the light and tells the pastor that she was joking
  • Stan defects to Russia to be with Nina
  • Henry is killed by Negan with Lucille
20

Different strokes, and all that. To me, the family drama is what makes the show interesting.