ThisIsMe

Although I agree with everything they said, I did not like the cameo with the former Secretaries of State at all. It felt very contrived & preachy. It also broke the flow because I was very aware of their "realness" while watching a fictional tv show. I'm glad it worked for many of you but it didn't work for me. Also, I really missed Kat/Sara Ramirez. I hope she returns ... no reference to her in this episode? Anyone know the status of this?

I have to say that this episode was disappointing to me. The storylines going on right now are just not that compelling. 1) The "how Rebecca & Jack got together" story was kind of ho-hum -- and who tells their boyfriend's mom that you're falling for another guy & gets a good reaction? That was weird. 2) I'm glad Randall and Kate cleared up the issue where he got hurt by Kate's comment re carrying on their dad's legacy. This was handled well, and the resolution felt real & good. 3) The thing with Randall flying back because Chichi calls him hysterically -- that was weird too & contrived to set up his running for office and playing Superman once again. 4) Kevin's quest to learn more about Jack's time in Vietnam shows promise ... but, my goodness, it is moving at a glacial pace. 5) Beth deserves better support from Randall, and I agree with the others that the 12 years on the job thing doesn't add up. All in all, I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MIGUEL STORY! Because at least it will be fresh and hopefully interesting. I really like that he and Beth text each other about the Pearsons -- I want to be on their distrib list!!!

I completely agree. I am really tired of reading all of the posts saying that Randall needs to "get over this," "put on his big boy pants," etc. That's pretty much the equivalent of saying "get over being black," "get over being adopted," "get over the way you feel." Wow.

To me, Randall is the most interesting character. And I like these new layers of complexity that were added in the latest episode. He turns down college at Howard U because his family is falling apart. Makes sense, given what we've seen of Young Randall. He's a "fixer" (and we see that when it comes to Deja, the community center, the apartment building, etc.). But then to add the other layer of him coming to grips with his "otherness" -- and that dagger he felt when Kate said what she said about passing on their dad's lineage ... that was the kind of moment that keeps me watching the show. Because this is what happens with families. We sometimes hurt each other unintentionally. Some things cannot be unsaid. It's messy, it's complicated, all of that. Yet, most of us try to keep the family afloat. Why do we do it? How do we do it? This show is exploring those questions. Just like with my own family, I may not like all of the storylines, but I still tune in.

I felt like this episode was like walking through Costco on a Sunday with a sample table on every aisle -- sometimes giving us just a taste of what's to come, other times running out of the sample when we wanted more, and still other instances of a sample that makes you say "wt was that?" Re the Franco Harris scenes. Either one of the writers/producers is obsessed with Franco Harris or it meant something that is going to return later. Why show the Italian mother & all of that? It's either very random or very fortuitous. Re Beth. Her convo with Kevin was the best dialogue of the episode -- well, that and Kevin talking with his nieces. Re the early love scenes. Not enough new material there. Re Deja. I hope now that she came through with the gift that we'll move forward. Her plot line was getting old. Re Kate. She's a hot mess right now. And, they are giving her stupid dialogue to say about weight issues.

Ah, Northern Exposure ... almost forgot about that series. Terrific series ... quirky in a very charming way.

I am in agreement, Ellaria. For me, this show was about Philip and his personal transformation and relationships. The gory murder scenes were hard for me (not my thing). In the genre of "shows about people doing bad things but here's a different side to them" -- I think The Americans is in the Top 5 at least. But of all shows ever, no, not even Top 10 because - like I said - I don't think the show had enough going for it besides Philip.

So well said! They did become "our Americans" ... or at least Phillip and Henry did. That last scene and line where Elizabeth says to Phillip "we'll get used to it." That is SO Elizabeth. She has wavered, that woman, but never broken. That scene on the train with her lip quivering and her reaching out to the window upon seeing Paige on the platform - that was beautiful. But then she rallies herself to forge on. It's what she knows -- self-survival, her homeland -- those are her motivators. But Phillip was always more complex ... more like one of us. He realizes it's been a "shitty life" and now it's going to be even worse living in Russia. His kids gone, a wife who doesn't really "get" him, no best friend, no country joint for line-dancing. He and Oleg have been brought to "justice" and are serving their time ... one in a jail cell with bars, one in a country he did not choose.

I thought the series finale was excellent. Instead of trying to tie up the loose ends of the peripheral characters or plot lines, the show focused on the Jennings and Stan ... because the family dynamics, the agony of their "double life," feelings about duty/loyalty to their country, and the friendship with Stan was really at the heart & soul of this series. Loved the garage scene. It was just one of those moments when the script and the actors were transcendent. I almost felt them in my living room instead of on the TV screen. This show has always been about nuances -- so it makes sense to me that Stan let them go. Would that have happened with a real life FBI agent? Probably not, but if I wanted to watch a documentary about the FBI and Russian spies, I would. "The Americans" was never about what really happened/happens ... but rather "what if?" ... which is where most of the magic happens in fiction.

I see your point. Like you, I don't usually like ambiguous endings. But in this case it would allow each of us viewers to picture them either running free or being captured. As for the other characters ... lots of loose ends, so I'm hoping they focus on a resolution for the key people like Stan, Paige, and Henry. Maybe Paige becomes an FBI agent? Maybe Stan becomes a father figure to Henry?

Damn this show ... for making me root for Soviet spies - who killed countless innocent people - hoping they somehow survive. How can the writers "make this right?" I'm not sure they can. They have to either allow P & E to run free or have them arrested/killed. Maybe they'll go to Cuba and live out their lives without their children or a purpose ... and watch the world change without them.

This was not my favorite episode. The reporter's presence changed the whole dynamic. I get it that this was the point -- for us to view the characters and plot through a different lens ... but, for me, one of things I really enjoy about the series is the chemistry of Elizabeth's team. It was a great acting by Tim Kang but he sure did kill the vibe among the other cast members this week.

Things are coming down to the wire. How do you think the writers are going to wrap things up from a story point of view and also for each of the characters? I can't see it ending well for Mother Russia or any of the characters in her corner. I, mean, we're not all on-board with Stan's Thanksgiving toast, but when the rubber meets the road, we still want our messy love affair to continue with America, right? But who's working for who? Elizabeth for sure is with Mother Russia ... and for a time I believed that Phillip had moved on, but now I am not so sure. I think Stan's speech and his family/country loyalties may have tipped him back towards him homeland. Somehow Renee is going to factor into this. And Stavos. What do you think?

Did anyone else think that Stan's Thanksgiving speech was a bit, well, overly patriotic, too anti-Soviet, etc.? At least for Phillip. He looked very uncomfortable for me. Now I'm not sure who he is ultimately going to work for ... is he really helping Oleg and the Gorbachev supporters or is he back in the game to help Elizabeth and old-school, hard-liners? That's what makes this series so great ... I never feel like I have it all figured out. Heck, even Elizabeth shed a tear, drew a picture, and called her son. Amazing episode. Stellar series. Going to be hard to see it end.

At first I thought maybe he's going to die of cancer or something ... but I think you're right, that's it's probably something mental/emotional. Because now I'm remembering the expression on his face while he's laying in bed ... he has this really empty, scared expression. Not good. But if that's the direction they're taking the story with Toby, at least it will "shine a light" on mental health issues, severe depression, etc. As for the scene with Randall and Tess at the end with Randall saying it's time to go see her, and Tess not being ready ... wow ... I still don't know what to make of that. Where are Beth and Annie? I think it's a huge stretch (even for this show) to think that Deja murdered both of them. Even Randall might stop pursuing Deja's affection if that happened.

Great point about the pacing. It was totally different in this episode and more "traditional" in terms of storytelling. One of the things I love about TIU (prior to this episode) is the cut-backs, interweaves, etc. .... that all seem to make sense (or will make sense in the future). Whoever is the editor for this series deserves an Emmy.

Worst. Episode. Ever. I feel like the producers are trying to foist the Deja story line upon us whether we want it or not. Sure, she's a great actress, but, hey, that doesn't mean her character works for this show. I'm just not feeling it.

I'm starting to have a really hard time with how callously they treat pets in this show. Tonight, Kate talks about giving Louie away (as if it's his fault Jack died), and Rebecca just says something like "sure, honey, whatever you want." Arrrrgh!!! The producers seriously need to get their act together when it comes to the way they write in scenes and dialogue involving pets ... it is so hypocritical to me that they aim to show compassion for every single character -- unless the character has four legs.

Yes, the "oh snap" line bothered me too. Not funny. These writers may be brilliant overall but they are not good when it comes to pets. It makes me wonder if any of them have pets of their own ... and, if so, I hope they treat them better than the ones used as fodder for their story lines in this show.

Obviously, there are things about this show that I love - otherwise I wouldn't watch it or come to forums like this to see what others are saying about it. However ... my current pet peeves are how the writers treat 1) crock pots; and 2) pets. I mean, the show has practically hammered a nail into the coffin of the poor, humble crock pot. I was in a Target a couple of days ago, and they had a display of them - as if they were on death row - with the price slashed down to something like $15 each. Soon, they won't be able to give them away. It's not fair, I tell ya! Crock pots, by definition, are slow cookers with low voltage running through them. It's so unlikely that a funky switch on a crock pot would cause a house fire. As for the pet issue ... first they "forget" about William's cat for I don't know how many episodes ... the cat depended on William taking that darn bus every day so he could go feed the cat ... so they tell us that and then literally nothing until many episodes later when it's mentioned that a neighbor started looking after it. Then it's wandering the streets when Randall is buying the building ... thank god I could finally stop worrying about the cat when they had the scene of the little boy feeding and petting it. Okay, so then they have the lizard scene ... not only does it get squished by Beth but it gets placed in the kitchen garbage. Yes, it's "just" a lizard ... but, come on ... I'm pretty sure Jack would have least given it proper lizard burial. All I can is that they had better treat Kate & Toby's new dog better than what they've shown so far.

Re the Crock Pot ... My theory is that the new & trendy Insta Pot is behind the impending Pearson house inferno. They probably paid off the producers to have a Crock Pot take the fall.

After last week's "family therapy" episode - which was the best so far, I think - this was a hard act to follow. My overall reaction to "Clooney" was that Clooney the cat was the best part. I was pretty sure the writers wouldn't kill off Clooney. I'm actually thinking they may have brought him back because viewers were wondering why William stopped taking the bus to take care of him ... and it wasn't until Jesse told us that a "crazy neighbor" was taking care of him ... but the neighbor didn't seem crazy at all tonight. Anyway, I don't think the writers are "cat people," but nevertheless, Clooney kind of stole the show, in my opinion. And, he seems happy with the little boy who took him in. As for the battery-less smoke detector ... come on! If that's our "clue," it is way too obvious. As of now, my guess is that Jack dies running back into the house to look for Kate's dog, and that's why she thinks his death is her fault. I hope there's a different twist, because I thought that last scene with the smoke detector was weak .. Re what role Jack will have in the episodes after we learn how he died ... well, there's always the mystery brother they could bring in. Still love the show, but I don't think the "Clooney" episode was one of the best.