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Post by notacrook on May 5, 2018 22:23:45 GMT
You know, I love the plot-driven, action-packed episodes of this show as much as anyone, but I find these kind of instalments (driven by raw emotion, familial conflict, tense interactions) just as mesmerising, sometimes even more so. Every scene here was fantastic and perfectly placed, from the awkward Thanksgiving dinner, to Elizabeth's somewhat heartbreaking phone call to Henry, to that stinger of an ending. There was also just enough set-up for future episodes to keep the plot from feeling stagnant like it occasionally did in Season 5. I can't believe there are only 4 episodes left. 10/10
Also, Henry in this episode made me realise just how unfortunately underused he's been.
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Post by ibbi on May 14, 2018 21:15:43 GMT
NOTHING ON THAT LAST EPISODE YET?????? I hate, hate, hate that the stuff with the axe (great as it was) is inevitably going to overshadow the stuff with Stan. Who ever doubted that when this thing started to happen it would happen so, so quietly?
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Post by DeepArcher on May 14, 2018 22:48:19 GMT
Yeah, last episode was series-best stuff, especially that first half. The Chicago segments were riveting and gut-wrenching, but even better were the bits with Stan. That opening conversation between he and Philip freaking emotionally broke me in a way that I was not expecting.
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Post by notacrook on May 14, 2018 23:41:40 GMT
Damn, forgot to comment on it, but yeah, Episode 7 was another 10/10 from me. I love how The Americans is refusing to go 'all-out' and become this pulpy, fast-paced showdown. The Stan stuff was incredible, from the emotional conversation with Philip to the tense and wonderfully frustrating infiltration of the Jennings' house. The Chicago stuff, axe and all, was as tense and exciting as the show has ever been.
God, I love The Americans, and I don't want it to end.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on May 18, 2018 12:41:14 GMT
Another fantastic episode. The Phillip/Elizabeth and Elizabeth/Claudia scenes were top notch stuff. Definitely some pivotal moments for Elizabeth. And Stan full on suspects them now, no longer a hunch in his mind. I can’t believe there’s only two episodes left.
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Post by DeepArcher on May 19, 2018 17:15:11 GMT
Another stellar episode this week. Arguably a bit too Elizabeth-centric but you can't deny the power of the genuinely surprising character development she went through this episode. Can't believe there are only two episodes left when it feels like there's still a lot of ground to cover, but I cannot wait to see what type of conclusion they have in store for us.
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Post by notacrook on May 24, 2018 22:21:41 GMT
The return of Elizabeth's forehead vein!!
The show continues its astonishing final run with this penultimate episode. Just note perfect from start to finish, with unbearable tension and truly wrenching drama. The scene between Claudia and Elizabeth was strangely sad, and the more explosive confrontation between Elizabeth and Paige was utterly wrenching - Keri Russell, you're a goddess. 10/10
Series finales are always hard, and this is gonna be one of the toughest to take for me, since I've been watching this show for quite a few years now. I can't fucking wait and trust they'll pull it off in spectacular fashion, but I really don't want this masterpiece to end.
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Post by DeepArcher on May 24, 2018 22:56:45 GMT
Goddamn phenomenal penultimate episode. The tension was just off-the-charts from beginning to end, and every single scene was masterful. Highlights for me have to be the weirdly touching scene between Stan and Oleg, and Keri Russell crushing it in the big confrontation with Paige. That chase scene was also pretty riveting and absolutely nail-biting. They really could not have had a better set-up for a finale, and I cannot wait to see how this ends next week.
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Post by Viced on May 24, 2018 23:33:49 GMT
Yep... excellent, excellent episode. After the scenes with both Claudia and Paige, it will be tragic when Keri Russell goes home Emmy-less.
Episode started off a little slow... but once it got going it really got going.
Philip on the run was unbelievably tense... I really thought there was a chance he might get caught. And that was a helluva cliffhanger...
Thought Stan calling Pastor Tim was kind of random and unnecessary though. Why on earth would he suspect him of knowing anything incriminating about the Jennings'? Only because the audience knows what Tim knows I guess... shoutout to Pastor Tim for not snitching though.
Scared and excited for next week... I'm confident they'll do a great job wrapping things up, but really have no clue how they'll do it. Hope poor Oleg is able to go back home to his family.
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forksforest
Junior Member
Quit your shit-spitting
Posts: 492
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Post by forksforest on May 25, 2018 3:08:48 GMT
Holy hell this week’s episode was SO intense, I had to gather myself like five times. That conversation between Paige and Elizabeth is exactly what I’ve wanted all these years. So satisfying. Phillip going into run mode had me holding my breath.
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Post by Viced on May 30, 2018 22:27:28 GMT
Can't believe it all ends tonight...
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Post by Sharbs on May 30, 2018 23:03:45 GMT
I have to watch three seasons in 2 hours. Done
No, but this is the next one to tackle after The Leftovers
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Post by notacrook on May 31, 2018 0:48:39 GMT
Honestly, not ready for this to end.
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Post by Viced on May 31, 2018 3:49:47 GMT
Helluva finale...
The parking garage scene was absolutely fantastic. I'm not sure Rhys (or Emmerich) has ever been better. Unbelievably tense and just the perfect conclusion for what we all knew was coming.
The phone call to Henry... I cried.
Watching the train go by........ wow.
Towards the end I kept thinking, "don't end here... don't end here," but the very ending/final shot was perfect.
Really just a flawless series finale. Gonna miss the hell out of this show but it couldn't have gone out on a higher note.
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Post by DeepArcher on May 31, 2018 4:22:38 GMT
Epic series finale that, as with the final season as a whole and the series itself, will surely go down as one of the best.
Much like the show itself, perhaps not an ending for those who always expect to be "wow"'d, but the bittersweet sound of its conclusion resonated perfectly for those of us who have loved this show for what it is.
The entire hour-and-a-half was as tense, if not more gut-wrenching, as the episodes that came right before it, really not giving us any time to breathe until Arkady pulled over to the side of the road. The highlight here, without a doubt, is the parking garage confrontation, which will surely be talked about on-end by fans of this show whilst praising this ending. As Viced said, Rhys and Emmerich have really never been better. They've had a shit ton of riveting moments throughout this season, and yet this one managed to be simultaneously the most breathtaking and emotionally damaging. I teared up and was at the edge of my seat all at the same time for ten minutes straight. That'll surely go down as one of the peak moments of the series, and I couldn't imagine a more appropriate conclusion for the friendship that was, at many times, the heart and soul of this series.
Everything else was truly magnificent as well. Philip and Elizabeth seeing Paige on the platform as the train breezes by was truly unexpected and an astonishing moment -- I almost wish it had come closer to the end of the episode, as the amount that played after it almost seemed to reduce the weight of that decision ever so slightly. Still, it was just heartbreaking having to watch Philip and Elizabeth keep it together in that moment. I'm not sure what the purpose of the last scene with Paige at the apartment was -- I guess just to show that she's resourceful and will be fine on her own? Regardless, the conclusions for both of the Jennings children were perfect; I always knew they were going somewhere with the Stan and Henry bond, so I was glad to see them capitalize on it here.
Another thing that I absolutely loved, which was a bit understated and probably won't be talked about as much, is that final moment with Renee, and how the expression she makes gives just enough of a hint to suspect her again. It's perfect, and I'm glad that that plot-line was kept ambiguous; it would have felt ridiculous to be direct and reveal that she was a spy, and it would've been underwhelming to find out that she was not, so the balance they struck there, in the most subtle way possible, was glorious. Sort of heartbreaking knowing that Stan will have to live out what may be the rest of his life suspecting that his wife may be a spy... but while there may be no end for his work, it seems he'll find a great deal of solace in raising Henry (in addition to seeming to discover newfound value of his friendship with Dennis, or perhaps I was reading too much into that moment). As with any episode of this series, this finale had a ton of little moments like that that were just perfect. Philip looking at his reflection, and then the family of four, in the McDonald's ... just wrecked me.
So much in this finale to think about and obsess over. It definitely feels like we saw the end of one of our last great television series tonight (might just feel that way because I'm not keeping up with new stuff...), and I'll miss the hell out of this show. But at least it went out in such a satisfying way.
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Archie
Based
Eraserhead son or Inland Empire daughter?
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 4,358
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Post by Archie on May 31, 2018 5:59:20 GMT
Damn, I need to watch this show.
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Post by notacrook on May 31, 2018 9:58:14 GMT
I'm not gonna be able to forget that train scene for a long, long time.
This was a tremendous series finale, surely ranking amongst the best of all-time - fitting, given that the show itself is one of the absolute greats. It was unbearably tense, particularly in that first 30 minutes or so. That garage confrontation with Stan, which the show has been building towards since the very beginning, was executed masterfully. I'd gotten slightly worried that they'd left the surely inevitable reveal a little too late, and that its impact would be reduced as a result, but I should have had more faith in the show - that scene was brimming with suspense and raw emotion, and will indeed go down as a standout moment from the series.
However, the train scene. That, to me, was just downright perfection. The whole "With or Without You" montage was fantastic - like everything else about The Americans, I'll deeply miss its 80's-music montages - but the way the song was timed along the reveal of Paige on the platform, leading to the devastating reactions from both Philip and Elizabeth...I just can't get it out of my head. Sensational stuff.
I also loved how almost nothing was closed off. Will Paige suffer the consequences of what her parents have got her involved with, or will she get by on her own? How will Stan go on living with the constant suspicion and paranoia about Renee hanging over his head (that final shot of Renee was wonderfully ambiguous and the best way that subplot could have gone out)? How will Philip and Elizabeth adjust and move on back in their home country? It's great when a finale can tie up all the loose ends, but it's equally great when a show can conclude with everything open to the viewer's interpretation. The second option just seems more fitting for The Americans, and I'm so glad they went for it.
There's so much more to be said, but all I can do now is try and deal with this show being gone for good. I'll miss it. 10/10
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Post by notacrook on May 31, 2018 10:01:49 GMT
Seasons ranked:
1) Season 4 - 10/10 2) Season 6 - 10/10 3) Season 3 - 10/10 4) Season 2 - 9.5/10 5) Season 5 - 9/10 6) Season 1 - 8/10
I could see S6 shifting up to top position after more reflection.
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Post by Viced on May 31, 2018 14:08:27 GMT
Seasons ranked: 1) Season 4 - 10/102) Season 6 - 10/103) Season 3 - 10/104) Season 2 - 9.5/105) Season 5 - 9/106) Season 1 - 8/10I could see S6 shifting up to top position after more reflection. I think I'd agree 100% on this ranking, even down to S6 becoming #1. But I might bump the first season up to an 8.5... I think the show has officially surpassed The Shield as my second favorite drama series too...
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on May 31, 2018 23:40:49 GMT
Wow, just wow. Probably the 2nd best series finale I’ve seen after The Shield. That parking garage scene was one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen on a television show. Such a bittersweet and perfect finale all around.
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AKenjiB
Badass
Posts: 1,047
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Post by AKenjiB on Jun 4, 2018 23:42:42 GMT
I was holding off on watching the finale for awhile because this show is so dear to me and I didn’t want it to end. I’ve been watching the show since it began in 2013 so it’s been pretty bittersweet having all of this come to an end. But I finally finished it. Pretty phenomenal. I gasped numerous times, most notably during the parking garage scene and the train scene. The acting was amazing all around as usual. I really hope Noah Emmerich gets some Emmy recognition finally. It took directions I wasn’t expecting but still felt fitting for the show. Fantastic finale, fantastic season, fantastic series. I’m gonna really miss it.
Also Oleg. Damn, that was sad.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Sept 13, 2018 16:26:37 GMT
I'm almost done with Season 4. So many ups and downs with my emotions!
And damn, Rhys had some showstopper moments this season.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Sept 15, 2018 2:25:57 GMT
Good lord, I'm getting reaaaaallllll fucking annoyed at Paige.
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Sept 23, 2018 3:34:13 GMT
Finally up the season 6. Woo.
I love how Oleg went from stock antagonist character to probably my favorite character in the whole show. Fucking brilliant testament to how wonderful the writing is.
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Post by Viced on Sept 23, 2018 3:45:10 GMT
Finally up the season 6. Woo. I love how Oleg went from stock antagonist character to probably my favorite character in the whole show. Fucking brilliant testament to how wonderful the writing is. What'd you think of season 5? A lot of people were meh on it for being such a slow burn where nothing really happens, but I loved it. It was a perfect "calm before the storm" season, and trust me buddy... the storm comes in season 6. Definitely agreed on Oleg... dude was almost comic relief in the earlier seasons (I especially loved when he discussed his crush on Blondie) but became one of the most important characters on the show in a totally believable way.
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