I hope I'm not stealing your thunder here, Sasha (I keep
checking to see if you’ve posted your draft about The Americans). I’m just too eager to jumpstart a discussion about
the new season with you and those who are following (anyone else??). The first episode already blew me away and reminded me why it's my favorite show still airing. Everything about it is so understated and counter
to the normal TV drama formula. What I was most impressed with about the
premier is the utter lack of dialogue. It’s often been said that the wordless
montage against the perfect 80s song is the show’s ultimate signature, and it’s
never been truer here. As the stakes get higher, the words between characters
become fewer and farther apart, and for me, it’s both hypnotic and deeply
unsettling.
Thoughts? I haven’t had the chance to watch the new episode
yet, but I plan to over the weekend.
Oh fuck yes I'm thinking tbh I might do my final project on The Americans somehow...would love to discuss further teehee, will finish that doggone blog post someday...
ReplyDeleteI am also a huge The Americans fan! My parents actually DVR it and we binge watch it together when I am home. So, I am behind on this latest (last :( ) season. However, I completely agree with everything you have said about it. It is complex yet understated. The acting is some of my favorite, and I am surprised it hasn't received more recognition. I do not know too many other people who watch it.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with all of you! And I'm surprised we haven't talked about The Americans more in class. I read an article in Variety about the show recently, and the following quote stood out to me:
ReplyDelete"The Americans' is a great story for our business," Says Schrier [FX's President of original programming]. "At a time when there is a lot of auteur-driven television and big personalities and people being treated badly, this show is as good as it gets. This is a group of artists coming together to create something great."
I like that there is a real intention from FX for the show to have the space to be what it is, and letting it develop as it has. Can't wait to see how they wrap it up!
I'm so happy that others are following this show! I feel like it's one of those shows that everyone will discover long after it has finished airing. It has been a bit hard to keep up with it through the years, as so many important small details are lost over time, but as a fully bingeable program, I think people will get a lot more out of it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that quote, Ana Paula. FX has always been in love with this show, despite its horrible performance. I think they even renewed for the two final seasons when the show was at its lowest ratings--any other network would have cancelled it long ago. It's nice to see that TV producers are actively supporting something that makes little money, just out of love and respect for the quality of the content. That seems to be a rarity even in the film industry.