# The Americans: Season 6 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379 "2018-03-28T22:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/201 "2018-04-20T00:36:17Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > …I really liked this episode, but DAMN that scene in the warehouse was (visually) dark. I was watching on a big high quality TV with the lights turned off, and I couldn’t see anything. I wonder how intentional that was? It did add atmosphere, but I also had no idea what was happening. There is such a thing as being _too_ realistic. > [@Sherrerd](#): > > I agree that the writers are setting up a complete business failure–and presumably Center isn’t willing to underwrite their current lives. This will add obvious stress to the issues the Jennings are already experiencing.\* > > I’d guess that the finale will involve Elizabeth having learned that she has a terminal illness. The chain smoking is being featured prominently. And what was it she said in this last episode: ‘I’m tired all the time’ —?.. AIDS is another possibility. Arguably Philip & Elizabeth are both sex workers of a sort, and a lot of it was likely unprotected. Granted avoidance of VD was probably a big part of their training, but that in the Soviet Union during the early '60s. ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/202 "2018-04-20T00:44:08Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > AIDS is another possibility. Arguably Philip & Elizabeth are both sex workers of a sort, and a lot of it was likely unprotected. Granted avoidance of VD was probably a big part of their training, but that in the Soviet Union during the early '60s. Good point; the smoking could be a red herring, with AIDS the real health issue. The scenes with the dying artist-woman are just too pointed not to be there to provide a reason for Elizabeth to realize how awful her last days might turn out to be (assuming she does get a terminal diagnosis). She’ll be motivated to choose a different end. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/203 "2018-04-20T02:13:33Z")
Country Line Dancing is lamer than I remembered if that’s even possible. So much for Paige’s virtue. She’s going rogue. I suspect that she will be sharing things with Claudia that she keeps from Elizabeth. Why can’t Philip use his skillz to break in somewhere and steal a bunch of cash? And will he start banging Kimmie now that she is of age in order to keep her home for Thanksgiving? ---
**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 20, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/204 "2018-04-20T02:22:27Z")
I like those ideas. And banging Kimmie would just be enjoyable in its own right. On the dark warehouse scene: listen to the latest official podcast, at least the first ten minutes. The showrunners basically admit to trolling people with that scene, and expressed disappointment that they didn’t get more of a reaction. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/205 "2018-04-20T07:28:54Z")
Seems a bit weird that Philip would tell Henry so early in the school year that he might not be going back the next year. Elizabeth murders- 6 Henry scenes- 4. I don’t know why I’m keeping count, it just seems funny to me. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/206 "2018-04-20T07:51:09Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The scenes with the dying artist-woman are just too pointed not to be there to provide a reason for Elizabeth to realize how awful her last days might turn out to be (assuming she does get a terminal diagnosis). She’ll be motivated to choose a different end. I’m thinking the fact that Elizabeth seems to be psychologically dying without Philip is her terminal diagnosis as it were. Knowing Elizabeth, I’m not encouraged by how she processes the “I should have spent less time on work and more with my husband” speech. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/207 "2018-04-20T13:48:23Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I’d guess that the finale will involve Elizabeth having learned that she has a terminal illness. The chain smoking is being featured prominently. And what was it she said in this last episode: ‘I’m tired all the time’ —? > > She will be given the chance to sacrifice her life or her freedom to save Paige, or Philip, or perhaps all three family members–and it will be plausible because we will have learned that she’s been given a terminal diagnosis. … This makes a lot of sense to me. Funny - my wife and I both commented at the end that they sure didn’t rocketing through a lot of plot in that ep. Just more confirmation that I’m not enjoying this on anywhere the same level as you folk. Yeah, that break-in scene was way too dark to do anything other than convey a sense of how confusing/frustrating it would actually have been. But as it went on and on, caused me to check out. E shooting out the lights from the hip while walking, and then instant single killshots in the pitch black strained my credulity. Paige is gonna fuck up somehow majorly, and implicate the others. Wondering why the ep was titled “Mr and Mrs Teacup”, when the defectors weren’t shown and were only mentioned in one scene? I guess I don’t understand how important they are to ongoing plotlines. What illness do you think the dying lady has? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/208 "2018-04-20T14:24:04Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I really liked this episode, but DAMN that scene in the warehouse was (visually) dark. I was watching on a big high quality TV with the lights turned off, and I couldn’t see anything. I wonder how intentional that was? It did add atmosphere, but I also had no idea what was happening. Annoying as shit, IMO. Ten minutes of dark screen is not why I watch TV, and if it was designed to be tense and atmospheric, it completely missed the mark. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/209 "2018-04-20T14:26:34Z")
> [@MaxTheVol](#): > > I really liked this episode, but DAMN that scene in the warehouse was (visually) dark. I was watching on a big high quality TV with the lights turned off, and I couldn’t see anything. I wonder how intentional that was? It did add atmosphere, but I also had no idea what was happening. Very intentional. I listed to The Americans podcast and the showrunners specifically said they wanted to push the boundaries of just how dark a scene could be. And it was a fail, IMO. I eventually just quit looking at the screen; there was no point. Some people were apparently shot, but that’s all I got. It was the same thing with the “digging the hole” scene at the beginning of last season: they intentionally made it an absurdly-long scene to emphasize how tough and tedious digging a 10x10x6 foot hole is, but it was also a fail (IMO), because it was simply bad television. (sorry - I got lost in paging and didn’t realize the darkness issue was already addressed) ---
**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 20, 2018, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/210 "2018-04-20T15:04:12Z")
I loved the hole digging scene. This one, meh. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/211 "2018-04-20T15:15:36Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I loved the hole digging scene. This one, meh. Agreed ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/212 "2018-04-20T20:33:16Z")
What’s the body count up to now? We have dead sailor who was hitting on Paige, several dead security guards, one dead warehouse supervisor(?) and one dead General. Did I miss any? I initially kind of thought Paige would be upset after sailor bit the dust but no signs of concern or remorse so far. ---
**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 20, 2018, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/213 "2018-04-20T21:52:10Z")
Paige doesn’t know about the sailor’s death. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/214 "2018-04-20T21:57:45Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Paige doesn’t know about the sailor’s death. Although you’d think it would at least potentially make the news. And the dead guards at the warehouse CERTAINLY should. This definitely seems like something that should be addressed. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/215 "2018-04-20T21:59:45Z")
You’d think when a security guard at the US Naval Observatory where the vice president lives is found dead on the sidewalk gushing blood from his neck it would make the news. eta ack, too slow ---
**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:** [April 20, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/216 "2018-04-20T22:30:31Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > I’m thinking the fact that Elizabeth seems to be psychologically dying without Philip is her terminal diagnosis as it were. Knowing Elizabeth, I’m not encouraged by how she processes the “I should have spent less time on work and more with my husband” speech. Yes, good catch–that speech was as pointed as is the illness. Parallels galore. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > … Wondering why the ep was titled “Mr and Mrs Teacup”, when the defectors weren’t shown and were only mentioned in one scene? I guess I don’t understand how important they are to ongoing plotlines. > > What illness do you think the dying lady has? I’d guess some type of cancer of the gastro-intestinal system, based on the vomiting, but IANAD. As for the Teacups–parallels, again, I think. The husband is devoted to the wife but the wife may be more devoted to something else (to the idea of freedom and other men in her case, versus to the USSR in Elizabeth’s case). As for their plot function, some are guessing that Elizabeth might be compromised (identified, maybe) in the process of trying to fulfill the instructions Claudia gave her, to punish the Teacups for defecting. Or supposedly defecting. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/217 "2018-04-20T23:45:34Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > …I’d guess some type of cancer of the gastro-intestinal system, based on the vomiting, but IANAD… Her vomit looked like coffee grounds, which can be a symptom of cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, or stomach among other things. > [@hajario](#): > > …So much for Paige’s virtue. She’s going rogue. I suspect that she will be sharing things with Claudia that she keeps from Elizabeth. > … Good point about Claudia; it didn’t occur to me that Paige may be seeing her behind Elizabeth’s back. I just assumed Paige either decided to sleep with him because she liked him or/and because wanted to pursue a possible source on her own. It’s even possible Claudia encouraged her. Imagine Elizabeth’s reaction to _that_. :eek: ---
**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 26, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/218 "2018-04-26T19:10:03Z")
Great episode. I’ve long resisted the easy narrative of “Philip good, Elizabeth bad”, but it’s hard to escape after this one. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2018, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/219 "2018-04-26T21:38:12Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Great episode. I’ve long resisted the easy narrative of “Philip good, Elizabeth bad”, but it’s hard to escape after this one. I’m with you. I’m a little disappointed about how blatantly the writers are setting up her presumed demise or incarceration-under-torture or whatever they’re going for. ‘The monster is defeated, huzzah!’ seems to be what they’re aiming at, audience reaction-wise. They’re being a bit heavy-handed with Philip’s saintliness, too–though I did like the treatment of the scene of him schooling Paige to be less over-confident and cocky. That was believable. ---
**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:** [April 26, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379/220 "2018-04-26T21:43:27Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I’d guess some type of cancer of the gastro-intestinal system, based on the vomiting, but IANAD. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > Her vomit looked like coffee grounds, which can be a symptom of cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, or stomach among other things. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-americans-season-6/811379.md?page=12)