By Chris Sea, staff writer
After two seasons of television gold, FX’s The Americans kicked off its third season with intensity and action fans have come to expect in this epic Cold War drama. If you’re wondering if it can continue its consistent trend of excellence, the first few episodes have proven that it’s still as good as season one in 2013.
Picking up where the second season left off, Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) Jennings are in a struggle with the predicament of having to expose their truths to their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor). The main goal of this is to prep her for the time of becoming a “second generation illegal” who can possibly infiltrate the CIA or the FBI.
At the same time, Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) is dealing with his own personal problems while attempting to determine if a new person at the FBI is who they claim to be.
What’s truly great about the third season is that it’s able to pick up directly after the massive cliffhanger that was the second season, yet the show still has solid pace. The Americans not only continues on about the lives of KGB agents posing as Americans in the 1980s, but it also manages to include situations of the era such as the Reagan assassination attempt in ’81, the death of Leonid Brezhnev, and the quagmire that was the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
So give credit to the producers for being able to put together an incredibly compelling story mixed with history as well.
Another great thing that the show has done since the pilot episode in 2013 is set design and wardrobe. It very much looks like it’s set in the 1980s, not only with vehicles and technology, but with elaborate wardrobes that the actors must wear.
With Sons of Anarchy and Justified wrapping up, The Americans must bear the weight of ratings on its shoulders until season two of Fargo begins. And one can see how popular The Americans has become, with NBC launching their new drama Allegiance, which involves Russian moles in the US (but in a modern setting).
Here’s to Communism, comrades.