Speaking of series finales...

[shapinglight]

...which we weren't really, but anyway, The Americans wrapped up this week.

I belong to a wonderful community here on DW that has been discussing the series from the beginning and have said most of what I have to say on there, but just want to say on my own journal that The Americans has been superlative. It's hardly put a foot wrong in six whole seasons (I say hardly, there have been a few things not so great, but they haven't detracted from the whole) and it ended as it's gone along.

Why it hasn't won a host of TV awards I'll never know. IMO, it's one of the best TV series I've ever seen. What's more, because of its period setting it'll never, ever date.

Wonderful stuff. If you've yet to discover it, I envy you, because I wish I could watch it for the first time again.

That said, it'll bear repeated viewing. And I intend to do just that very soon.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

I think it's gotten good critical mentions since it launched and I've heard more about it as it went along. For me, I think it was something like The Good Wife in that a number of seasons had gone by before I was really considering watching something else (and neither is on Netflix).

But yes, the lack of Emmy attention is, well, there's a reason that every year critics send out lists of things that should have been nominated. I think the nominations are starting to look better at the Oscars but the Emmys, not yet. I can't recall if the Golden Globes ever awarded anything -- they often catch a few series early in their rise that otherwise get overlooked (Orphan Black, Alias, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, etc.)

[orangerful]

The finale blew me away in the fact that they didn't try to blow us away. It was just as tense as a normal episode, with a few gut punches but nothing ridiculous.

So many moments that I keep replaying in my mind, but I think the whole scene with Stan was the big one.

[lyr]

It really was excellent. And I thought it ended well, and I was especially relieved that Phillip and Elizabeth didn't end up killing each other, as I rather feared they might earlier in the season. I am sorry about poor Oleg, though. And I have always thought Renee is a spy, but I kind of like that they never told us for sure either way.

[shapinglight]

For me, I think it was something like The Good Wife in that a number of seasons had gone by before I was really considering watching something else (and neither is on Netflix).

I thought you had Amazon Prime. Is The Americans not on that? It's so confusing. The streaming services show different things depending on where you live.

But yes, the lack of Emmy attention is, well, there's a reason that every year critics send out lists of things that should have been nominated.

Well, it did get nominated many times. It just never won anything.

[shapinglight]

Yeah, I'd agree with that assessment. The scene with Stan was fantastic. In the end, it made absolute sense to me that he let them go.

[shapinglight]

and I was especially relieved that Phillip and Elizabeth didn't end up killing each other, as I rather feared they might earlier in the season

Or Elizabeth taking that cyanide pill. I was so relieved to see her throw it away.

I am sorry about poor Oleg, though.

God, yes! That was awful. The worst thing for me in the whole episode. I'd like to think that maybe Stan might help him. On the other hand, I don't know what he could have done really, even if he'd wanted to.

[yourlibrarian]

It probably is, though we could also watch it via cable channel, it's just that past seasons now cost money to view. (And no, we don't use Amazon Prime). But it does get super confusing. Just this week I checked on two things that were supposedly on Netflix but neither was -- that's one of the issues with its streaming service, stuff comes and goes all the time.

[lyr]

I'd like to think Stan visits Oleg at least sometimes over the years. It's not like there's anyone else who can come see him, and maybe Stan would like someone to have an honest word with once in a while. I'd like to imagine that they become good friends eventually.

[shapinglight]

I think they had the potential to be friends, but I have a hard time imagining Stan visiting Oleg in prison. Poor Oleg! I just hope his father would manage to use Gorbachev's remaining years in power to try and find some way Oleg could be part of a prisoner exchange.