The Americans (Season 6)

So, Season 5 wasn't that great. It was slow-paced, clunky, and just not very fun to watch. Thankfully, right from that opening Don't Dream It's Over needledrop, I knew Season 6 was going to be better. The Americans is back, and ready to end things on a grand finale.

Right from the get-go, Season 6 has a strong feeling of finality, like things are really starting to come to a close. It's doom-laded, everyone's tense and on edge, and you have a feeling like things just aren't going well for the main characters. Gorbachev is now in power, meaning that the Cold War is beginning to wind down, Philip's travel agency is having financial issues, and Elizabeth is really struggling with work. While this does make for yet another slow burn of the season, it does really feel like all of the series' biggest tensions are coming to a head, especially between Philip and Elizabeth. A major theme of The Americans was the different viewpoints of the two Jennings, how Philip tends to feel more sympathetic towards his victims while Elizabeth remained staunchly dedicated to her cause. Probably the most engaging thing about Season 6 is that Elizabeth is slowly starting to come around to Philip's point of view, between the overwhelming amount of work she's had to do and learning some dark secrets about the KGB and Gorbachev. Keri Russell gives what is probably her best performance in the whole show, perfectly conveying the internal struggle Elizabeth spends the whole season dealing with. I can't believe I didn't like Elizabeth at first, she's really good this season!

Another thing I thought was great about Season 6 was Stan finally starting to pick up on the fact that The Jennings are KGB agents. I remember how tense the start of Season 1 was, and how the Jennings were frequently dangerously close to outing themselves to Stan. This was barely a source of tension these last few seasons, so it was a ton of fun to watch Stan close in on the Jennings, culminating in a pretty fantastic confrontation in the finale. However, one thing that I think this season kinda mishandled was Paige. The season starts with a time jump, during which Paige had been training to properly become a Soviet agent. For most of Season 6, Paige is suddenly super passionate about the cause, and plans to become a proper spy, which is something I just don't buy. Do I believe that Paige would probably become more okay with her parents' work? Sure. Do I believe that she would suddenly completely change personalities to "Elizabeth lite"? Not in the slightest, and it doesn't help that we completely skip over her transformation thanks to the time jump.

Highlights:

Jennings, Elizabeth: I found it pretty interesting how much Jennings, Elizabeth actually focuses on the FBI, arresting Oleg and closing in on Philip. Not to say there also isn't a lot of great Elizabeth moments, especially that fantastic confrontation with Claudia. Between those two storylines, the penultimate episode does a great job at setting up for the finale.

START: This was a great series finale, I love how personal it is. The show started with Stan and the Jennings, and now it ends with the Jennings. Like a third of the episode takes place in the same garage with the same four characters, but that confrontation is so tense and gripping that I hardly even cared. I also like how things turned out for the Jennings. It's so easy to want them to get arrested or face a greater punishment because they're the main characters, but plenty of KGB agents returned safely to Russia. The real punishment is that the Jennings lost their kids, and I think that's more heartwrenching than anything that could've possibly happened to them.

Overall, Season 6 is a great return to form for The Americans and a solid final season. While it's a bit of a slow burn and Paige's characterization feels incredibly off, the development it gives to Elizabeth is fantastic, the sense of finality and doom is potent, and the final two episodes are a strong way to end the series.

4/5 Stars

My ranking of the seasons of The Americans is:

1. Season 4: The first eight episodes alone justify me putting this season first, but the whole thing was super tense and gripping.
2. Season 2: I really liked the mystery storyline here, and it felt like every episode was better than the one before it.
3. Season 3: The first half is really slow and dull, but the second half is absolutely fantastic.
4. Season 6: I still wouldn't put it up there with the show's peak but the last few episodes do a great job at resolving everything.
5. Season 1: A bit on the simple side, but a fun and action-packed season that I still found really enjoyable.
6. Season 5: It had its moments but this season was an absolute drag, aimless, clumsy, and an utter bore.

My ranking of the finales of The Americans is:

1. START: This shouldn't be much of a surprise, The Americans had a great ending! Tense, personal, and satisfyingly bittersweet.
2. Echo: Sure, the reveal was a bit cheesy, but Echo is probably the most "climactic" finale, and the two twists involving Nina and Paige are fantastic hooks for Season 3.
3. The Colonel: It's not super game-changing, but the whole car chase sequence was tense and exciting, and everything got resolved pretty satisfyingly.
4. Persona Non Grata: The William stuff was pretty underwhelming, but it still had a lot of great stuff going on outside of that.
5. March 8, 1983: The cliffhanger was absolutely fantastic, but putting that aside, it doesn't feel like anything got resolved here.
6. The Soviet Division: Definitely one of the better Season 5 episodes especially in regards to Philip and Elizabeth, but it still felt tired.

Favorite Episode: The Magic Of David Copperfield V: The Statue Of Liberty Disappears