The Americans: "With us, everything is grey."

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The TV IV > The Americans: "With us, everything is grey."

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26BxrVpR-B0

The Americans is the latest drama from FX, a network on the hottest of critical hot streaks. Only a few reviews have been published, but apparently the streak remains unbroken. (Though it may not be as action-packed as the trailer above would have you believe.) What's it about? Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) are Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings, a married couple with two kids, a nice house in the suburbs, and very active ties to Mother Russia during a time when "communist" wasn't just an empty word that shitheads lob at President Obama.

Here's some other things you might like to know:

Graham Yost (Justified) serves as executive producer; the show itself was created by one of his proteges, Joe Weisberg. Weisberg would know something about the intelligence side of the Cold War, given that he worked for the CIA before breaking into Hollywood.
The pilot was directed by Gavin O'Connor, responsible for the disgustingly underrated Warrior.
The lead director for the series is Adam Arkin. You may better know Arkin as an actor, but he's also a drat talented director, going behind the camera for some of the best episodes of Justified ("Long in the Tooth", "Bulletville", "Reckoning") and Terriers ("Pimp Daddy", "Quid Pro Quo"). He also helmed the second season of the cult classic web series The Booth at the End.
Margo Martindale (a.k.a. Mags Bennett from Justified) eventually shows up in a major recurring role (reportedly as a KGB handler).
These are the opening titles that will be used starting in Episode 2. I was kind of hoping they'd go all out and license "Eminence Front", but I think this Hermann-inspired slice of paranoia will do just fine.

Basically, this show's probably going to be awesome. It starts WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 @ 10 PM ET on FX.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 05:19

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# ? May 22, 2013 14:45

Whip Slagcheek: Sep 21, 2008; Just the avatar, GiP.

Not really a fan of either of the leads, but the producers/creators have me sold on at least giving it a shot. That and I love everything Cold War.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 05:24

ShakeZula: Jun 17, 2003; Nobody move and nobody gets hurt.

Definitely looking forward to this. I didn't know that the creator is ex-CIA, but now I'm even more excited to see some real tradecraft instead of the usual stuff on screen.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 05:58

Alfred P. Pseudonym: May 29, 2006; Not my super big screen!

The ads I've seen for this look pretty good and I love Cold War spy poo poo so count me the gently caress in.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 06:18

Tinzen: Nov 20, 2004

I'm definitely looking forward to this show, I've always liked Keri Russell.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 08:14

Tupping Liberty: Mar 17, 2008; Never cross an introvert.

Tinzen posted:

I'm definitely looking forward to this show, I've always liked Keri Russell.

Same, I loved her in The Waitress. I'm going to watch for Russell, and because Cold War stuff sounds interesting; I always liked the KGB bits of Alias.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 17:27

Occupation: Jan 18, 2009; AM I THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THE RULES?!

MARK IT "TERRIBLE!"

I am gonna watch the gently caress out of this show. This will be the first-ever FX show I'll be in from the beginning on, I'm excited.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 21:01

precision: May 7, 2006

The previews are making this look so loving good. So pumped.

# ? Jan 26, 2013 21:21

Bizarro Kanyon: Jan 3, 2007; Something Awful, so easy even a caveman can do it!

Does FX put their episodes online to watch? If so, where can they be found and how long after the show airs do the put it online?

# ? Jan 26, 2013 21:39

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

@glenmazzara (Writer for The Shield, The Walking Dead): "Just watched FX's #TheAmericans. Any show that opens w Quarterflash gets a big thumbs up from me."

# ? Jan 26, 2013 23:34

BrooklynBruiser: Aug 20, 2006; Oh my god. The microchip has been compromised.

Gonna watch the gently caress outta this.

# ? Jan 27, 2013 01:03

Le0: Mar 18, 2009; Rotten investigator!

Looks interesting I will give it a watch I guess.

# ? Jan 28, 2013 13:17

Junior G-man: Sep 15, 2004; Bawk Bawk THERAPY CRANES Baaawk!

Arkin, Margo Martindale, Graham Yost, and a whole other bunch of words I like a lot.

I'll definitely tune in!

# ? Jan 28, 2013 13:49

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

Sepinwall's review is up, for those waiting for his take:

quote:

The series was created by Joe Weisberg, a CIA agent turned screenwriter, who first teamed with �Americans� producer Graham Yost (who also runs FX�s �Justified�) on TNT� �Falling Skies.� Weisberg, Yost and pilot director Gavin O�Connor � who knows a thing about depicting both this period and American-Soviet tensions from his work on the film �Miracle� � have taken a no-nonsense approach to the storytelling. There are period touches like clothes (Elizabeth favors high-waisted jeans), hair (Phillip has a perm) and music (an early action scene is scored, brilliantly, to Fleetwood Mac�s �Tusk�), but never in a way where they call attention to themselves. This is just life for a pair of quasi-married KGB spies in 1981, and it�s messy and bloody and far more complicated than either of them expected when they signed up for the gig decades earlier.

[...]

It�s been more than a decade since FX started making original dramas. Some have been great (�The Shield�), some have been brilliant but flawed (�Rescue Me�) and some simply not to my taste (�American Horror Story�), but all have been interesting in one way or another. Based on the admittedly small sample size of two episodes, �The Americans� feels like it could very comfortably slot in with the upper tier of FX dramas. That�s about as good as it gets.

# ? Jan 29, 2013 23:32

JohnSherman: Feb 29, 2012; You're gonna bob and weave out of the path of a bullet? That I'd like to see.

Been excited for this ever since the previews started. Hopefully it'll manage to keep itself interesting without being outlandish.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 03:07

Uppa: Nov 22, 2002

Right now I'd give anything FX brings to air a shot - they're firing on all cylinders. Excited for the premiere!

# ? Jan 30, 2013 14:45

Tatum Girlparts: Sep 8, 2011; Do you think you can destroy me with your Nexus? I who served Thuganomics, I who commanded The Cenation, hundreds of years before you were on NXT?

Uppa posted:

Right now I'd give anything FX brings to air a shot - they're firing on all cylinders. Excited for the premiere!

Yea, I dig the idea and FX has been on a roll for shows lately, I'm in for a couple episodes at least.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 14:51

Tinzen: Nov 20, 2004

I have the day off work and I keep looking to see if they put the episode up early on iTunes or something. C'mon 10pm.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 16:26

precision: May 7, 2006

The previews seem to imply this show is going for a slow burn, kind of subdued approach, which I am 100% behind. I don't want Married With 24 or whatever.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 18:39

Bown: Jun 18, 2004; You can't have your horse in here.

Didn't really read up on this much until this morning but now I'm pumped as hell. FX can seriously do no wrong right now and between this and Justified are gonna be killing everyone else on the drama front for the next few weeks (I mean, unless this is horrible, but it's not going to be horrible.)

# ? Jan 30, 2013 19:07

zoux: Apr 28, 2006

If nothing else, the trailers for this show led me to discover that that Eminence Front is not a Peter Gabriel song.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 19:26

DONT CARE BUTTON: Jul 5, 2004

The only thing that really worries me is that it might portray communism in a negative way or be critical about its plausibility as a better alternative to capitalism.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 23:28

MariusLecter: Sep 5, 2009; The Believer

DONT CARE BUTTON posted:

The only thing that really worries me is that it might portray communism in a negative way or be critical about its plausibility as a better alternative to capitalism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZVwp5sChe0

I wouldn't be too worried.

# ? Jan 30, 2013 23:37

Exploder: Nov 15, 2005; Hell yeah I'm stoked for this lasagna!

I had no plans to watch this until reading this thread. The lead actors didn't really intrigue me, despite Keri Russell being hot, and the trailers didn't really do anything for me. I guess it helps that it is airing on FX, which has and is currently airing some of my favorite shows in the past decade (Sunny, Louie, Archer, AHS, Wilfred, RIP Terriers). I really need to start Justified and The Shield based on their track record and critical acclaim. But I am all in on this one.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 00:23

Tide: Mar 27, 2010

DONT CARE BUTTON posted:

The only thing that really worries me is that it might portray communism in a negative way or be critical about its plausibility as a better alternative to capitalism.

Because communism is totally awesome, right? Because nobody knows the pros and cons of either one?

Shut up and take that poo poo back to DnD or GBS.

----------

Have been eagerly awaiting this show. Looks interesting as hell and Keri Russell

The Sepinwall review gives me great hope and it's kinda hard to fault Graham Yost

# ? Jan 31, 2013 00:38

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

Tide posted:

The Sepinwall review gives me great hope

James Poniewozik's review actually outclasses Sepinwall's in terms of getting under the hood and explaining what makes the show work so well (spoilers are relatively mild, in the review and under the tags):

quote:

The opening quickly establishes that this is not a frothy spy-couple romp a la NBC�s short-lived Undercovers. The sex is not teasing or romanticized. (In an unsettling scene, Philip listens to a tape of Elizabeth�s assignation, straining to keep professional detachment.) And it�s not clear-cut, as the two decide what to do with [a] traitor to the Motherland, who if anyone are the good guys here. Philip and Elizabeth have, to some extent, been made into machines by their training; at one point, they get into an argument and their martial-arts training kicks in reflexively. But they�re not amoral or unconflicted about the things their work sometimes demands of them.

They�re also, in an encouraging sign of sophistication, not equally conflicted. Elizabeth, The Americans suggests, is the more ideologically committed to the Marxist cause, not just politically but personally; it pains her to see her children growing into materialist American teens, her son worshipping astronauts, her daughter reading teen magazines. Philip is loyal, but also wondering whether his country�s interests and his family�s are still the same; he has, perhaps, more fully bought into the play-acting of their marriage. And it�s possible that, if their marriage proves genuine, it might compromise their mission more.

So the Jennings� problems are that of many a domestic drama�are our kids drifting away from us? are we equally committed to each other?�but spiced up by the occasional knife fight.

This is going to be loving AWESOME.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 00:46

Conduit for Sale!: Apr 17, 2007

DONT CARE BUTTON posted:

The only thing that really worries me is that it might portray communism in a negative way or be critical about its plausibility as a better alternative to capitalism.

90% of the series is just the characters sitting around discussing how great neoliberalism is. Even the Soviets, which is weird.

Tide posted:

Because nobody knows the pros and cons of either one?

I'd say that's an accurate description of the United States, yes.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 01:26

beanieson: Sep 25, 2008; I guess Get Out is just a... piece in a jigsaw puzzle... a missing piece.

Here is the thread I've been waiting to post in

This poo poo looks good.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 01:26

uublog: Jul 19, 2012; "World Champions. WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS." - Chase Utley, October 31, 2008; Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

Man the show's gonna be a shitload of fun. Personally I most enjoy the Margo Martindale and Noah Emmerich castings.

I've set my DVR to record it tonight anyway but does anyone know if it'll be online anywhere? I think FX is bad at making their shows available but I'm not positive.

uublog fucked around with this message at Jan 31, 2013 around 02:44

# ? Jan 31, 2013 02:35

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

uublog posted:

Man the show's gonna be a shitload of fun. Personally I most enjoy the Margo Martindale and Noah Emmerich castings.

I've set my DVR to record it tonight anyway but does anyone know if it'll be online anywhere. I think FX is bad at making their shows available but I'm not positive.

You can PROBABLY check FX's "Americans" site (sorry, no link available; iPad posting), if anyone would have it it's there. Otherwise it's almost guaranteed to be available pay-per-episode through iTunes or Amazon Instant.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 02:49

Shimrra Jamaane: Aug 9, 2007; Remind me to work out until I also am buff and have to keep a pillow in front of my okay I'll be honest this is like the 50th custom title I've done tonight and I'm just phoning it in now.

Tide posted:

Because communism is totally awesome, right? Because nobody knows the pros and cons of either one?

Shut up and take that poo poo back to DnD or GBS.

----------

Have been eagerly awaiting this show. Looks interesting as hell and Keri Russell

The Sepinwall review gives me great hope and it's kinda hard to fault Graham Yost

Yeah, god forbid the show have any nuance or anything like that.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 02:49

CPFortest: Jun 2, 2009; "Then there's the ruthless Gerrrrrtrude!"

On in a few minutes.

FX has had a great track record so far and this show looks really interesting.

edit: holy poo poo Knight and Day is terrible

# ? Jan 31, 2013 02:57

uublog: Jul 19, 2012; "World Champions. WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS." - Chase Utley, October 31, 2008; Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

DivisionPost posted:

You can PROBABLY check FX's "Americans" site (sorry, no link available; iPad posting), if anyone would have it it's there. Otherwise it's almost guaranteed to be available pay-per-episode through iTunes or Amazon Instant.

http://vod.fxnetworks.com/watch/theamericans

That's the link for y'all playing along at home. They have a few short videos up now. Previews/excepts or something, I guess. Someone remember to check tomorrow and let us know. (I'm not watching right now so holding out 'til I do to avoid spoilers.)

# ? Jan 31, 2013 02:58

TheSpartacus: Oct 30, 2010; HEY GUYS I'VE FLOWN HELICOPTERS IN THIS GAME BEFORE AND I AM AN EXPERT. ALSO, HOW DO I START THE ENGINE?

I'm going to watch this, but I really dont have high hopes for it. I can't judge for a couple episodes though.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:00

Recursive: Jul 15, 2006; ... but then again, who does?

We're about three minutes in and the music has been incredible.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:03

Zeluth: May 12, 2001

I am digging on the music.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:05

Aesion: Mar 14, 2010

lively music for a stabbin'

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:06

vyst: Aug 25, 2009; Hoegaarden and Friendship.

This av/title brought to you by Vyst complaining about his old avatar.

Zeluth posted:

I am digging on the music.

Same here.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:07

DivisionPost: Jun 28, 2006; Human beings in the mire
What's a mire to a King?
What's a King to a God?
What's a God to a nonbeliever
Who don't believe in anything?

Well, that was loving AWESOME.

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:11

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# ? May 22, 2013 14:45

DOOP: Sep 3, 2011; On the first day of DOOPmas, Philly gave to me...
One JaaaaaaackMaaaaaac

That music owned

Were the man, woman, and stab victim all Russians?

# ? Jan 31, 2013 03:12

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