Predictions for the FINAL Season

[Umbelina]

So this one isn't what you want to happen, it's for your guesses about what will end this series.  ;)

If you get any spoilers then please include them, but in spoiler tags.

My biggest prediction is that the KGB will want Philip out.  This can be accomplished in several ways.  I think I'll put them in the order I would consider to be the most likely, to the least at the end.

1.        The KGB OK Philip and Elizabeth leaving, and naturally Philip and Elizabeth do assume that means the kids as well.  There is probably a staged accidental death involved in this.  However, once they get to the ship with the kids?  They quickly are handcuffed, and the kids zoom away in the car.  They board and Claudia hands them a typewritten will from a legitimate lawyer, a KGB product of course, probably from an illegal, or agent of theirs.  The will states whom the Jennings parents want to care for their kids in the event of their death.  They are two other illegals they've never met, perhaps even the lawyer who prepared the documents.  The KGB has no intention of giving up on the two second generation spies.  Philip and Liz will stay out of jail as long as they cooperate in communicating with the kids properly and as instructed.  Meanwhile, in reality, the KGB know has something to hold over Paige and Henry, their parents very lives are in their hands now.  Good ones or life in a Gulag?  Or worse.  
2.        KGB tries to take out Philip, and keep Liz in place with those valuable second generation kids to raise..  This can happen in several ways.  They just snatch him and ship him home, extorting Liz to get the kids trained or Philip will be executed.  OR, they could try to kill him, or do it.
3.        IF they try to kill him, Liz could die protecting him, or they could both decide to defect, for witness protection for the kids and for them.  This could bring about some important scenes for Stan.   Also, Stan's girlfriend's real job may be to assess Phil and Liz, and get put in place to easily take him out if that is ordered, or both of them.  That would give Stan even more of an interesting story end.

 

Now, one thing that really works in option 1?  They are going to use Pasha to keep his mother in line in the USSR.  So, Philip's story, or Phil's and Liz's could parallel, and we know how the show loves to do that, since their own kids would be staying in line and following orders to keep their parent's safe.  Also, Liz could train Pasha's mom, or coach her through the spying.

So those are my best guesses.

[Avaleigh]

Since Philip and Elizabeth have decided to stay, I feel like the KGB will be happy to continue to use them. If Philip decides to take a back seat in terms of work, then I foresee complications with Elizabeth and her getting into some kind of trouble. I definitely thought about what she told Tuan about the importance of having a partner. Philip even tells Elizabeth that she needs him and I think she still feels that she'll be able to do almost everything on her own. Just as Philip needs Elizabeth, I think she needs him, so I predict that something is going to go wrong one of the times she's flying solo. 

I think that it's very possible that we're going to get a rebellious Henry in the final season. I really hope not but since he's been working hard and has tried being good, I'm guessing he'll act out because he hasn't been rewarded for his efforts. I just don't see him making another dinner for the family again, let's put it that way. 

As to the second generation illegal thing, I'm guessing that if they do continue to go ahead with Paige that Henry will be resentful if and when he ever finds out. I thought that there was bitterness in his voice this season when he told his parents that they think of Paige as the smart one. When he finds out that Paige has known about the secret for years at this point (two years?), there's little doubt in my mind that he's going to be hurt. 

I refuse to believe that the thing with Stan's girlfriend is a pointless jerk off, so my prediction with that is that not only is she KGB but she's doing double duty by spying on P&E in addition to Stan.  

Since Kimmy is going to be a thing next season--my prediction is that she's going to finally get wise. That's what lit the Martha story on fire, so I expect that something has to go wrong with Philip's one mission since it'll probably be the most important one. I won't be surprised if the bring E in on the mission somehow again. 

I feel like next season will have to include Henry and Stan finding out. I'm not convinced that we'll ever see Mischa again. 

[Erin9]

I think this will be part prediction/part wish list. I can't completely separate the two. With only 10 episodes left, I'm pretty sure they can't cram everything I want in. (So when I say I liked S5, I did, but there is absolutely more they could have done imo with the characters.)

I really want Henry to find out the truth in a way that is very different than Paige and that he reacts differently. So no running to Stan.  I'm not sure that is a priority for the writers though. I see story gold there. I'm not sure why they'd pass up the chance to play the beats of it, but I don't want to assume too much and get disappointed. I'd like Henry to get to know his parents better. I get the tragic aspects of him missing out on being part of the family in some ways because he's in the dark, but come on. 

I do think Elizabeth going solo will be harder than she thinks. If it happens. Elizabeth admitted to Tuon she'd needed Philip. Philip knows she needs him. They've always needed each other. To that, I predict somehow, Philip will get drawn back in. Which could be dicey. 

If Philip is largely out of the action- does it improve his mood, lift his depression, allow him some forward motion? Does he feel he's abandoned Elizabeth and worry? Many possibilities. 

If the centre decides Philip needs to die, something else huge will have to happen imo. Right now, he's the only for sure in for those super valuable tapes. And to think the centre thought they were highly important when it was just about Afghanistan. It almost seems minor now. Something will probably get messed up regarding Kimmy though. 

Stan has to find out. I really don't have a concept of how I think it will play out. Or even how I want him to. The writers have had a long time to think this one out though. So make it count. 

I hope Renee is a spy now. Based on her final conversation with Stan she either is one or she doesn't care much about her boyfriends mental state. I don't see his depression magically lifting based on a few ego boosting words. That would be a lot of betrayal for Stan to process though. I'd be kind of surprised if Stan still has a job at the FBI when this show is over. He's on thin ice as is. His friends  and potentially Renee being a spy would just wreck his career for good. Or maybe he'll just quit first. 

I don't hate Paige, but I wouldn't mind less of her and more Henry. We've finally got her in a decent place. It seems we could focus more on him for the last 10, but I'm not sure of the reality of that happening. More with Philip and his kids would be nice. 

I hope to learn how Philip's past shaped who he became and how the family revelations propel him forward. I feel like we only scratched the surface with that. We got a little insight. Since Philip's brother has a name we haven't heard, maybe it means we'll learn more next year. And IF Philip's partial retirement lifts some of his depression- maybe we'll get more forward movement with him. Maybe. 

Before it's all said and done, I want to hear Elizabeth say she loves Philip. And I don't want them trashed in the last 10. 

It's not a prediction, but I want Gaad's death explained. They took the time to remind us that it was unsolved....so solve it. Tell us what was behind the hotel visit. 

We may not see Misha again. He got some family last we saw him. Same goes for Martha. That may be it. The ship has probably sailed on Misha meeting Philip, but that would have been something to watch. Even though I see why he didn't. 

Oleg is hard to say. He seemed in the most precarious position as we closed the season. It's hard to see him getting out of this. I want him to. And I can't picture him defecting - yet anyway. He loves his home, though he's disillusioned. Plus, he has his parents to consider. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by Erin9

[Dowel Jones]

On 6/1/2017 at 11:02 PM, Umbelina said:

They board and Claudia hands them a typewritten will from a legitimate lawyer, a KGB product of course,

In a bitter irony, it turns out to be the attorney with whom Alice left the tape.

[SunnyBeBe]

It's still rather early for a series final prediction, however, at this point, and with the right to amend my prediction....lol, I'll say that since I don't think that Alice left a tape, letter, etc., I don't expect to hear anything else from them. My take on it is that the writers got as many people out of town as possible, so they could focus on the main characters.  I least I hope so.  

I won't expect to see Pastor Tim, Alice nor Martha (sadly).  Perhaps Pastor Tim and Alice are killed in plane crash, but, P & E are seemingly genuinely shocked (at least in Paige's eyes) and say it's not their doing and really is an accident, though, I would be surprised to see that. I also don't expect to see Henry that much, since, he was allowed to go to boarding school after all. (I'm in the minority, but, the less I see of Henry the better.)

Matthew has gone to college and Renee now lives with Stan.  Renee will turn out to be KGB or FBI.  NO woman without some ulterior motive would have  encouraged him to stay in the position that makes him feel itty, imo.  I know it's OT, but, does she remind you of a Russian olympic swimmer? 

I'm still not sure about P, E and Paige.  By the time they return, they may have jumped forward in time.  Perhaps, P has cut back and focused mainly on getting the tapes from Kimmy's.  (eye roll).  I find his methods laughable, but, assuming they keep working, he and Kimmy are closer now and he's getting good intel.  But, the CIA is now worried, because they know there is a BIG leak.  They start focusing in on Kimmy's dad! The fire under Kimmy and JImmy gets lit and Kimmy realizes she may have been duped.  Like Alaleigh said upthread, Now, P is back to a similar Martha/Clarke situation.  lol  I know, but, with what we have seen this past season, I think the writers could pull that kind of stunt, though, it is repetitive.  

Besides Pasha, I can't see the kids sacrificing for their parents.    Holding their parent's safety over their heads for them to comply.....I don't buy it.  I just don't think they are cut out for that or care that much about P & E.   I can see E allowing Paige to do some small work, like gathering information.  It would have to be limited, since she doesn't know how to lie.  She'll have to fight somebody though or else all that defense training was for naught. 

For now, I see P & E leaving the USA for points unknown, without the kids.  Henry still doesn't know the secret.   Stan finds out the truth.  I want to say that he does NOT report them, but, the huge story, scramble by the FBI to find them, search their house, NEWS BULLETIN THEY LIVED NEXT DOOR TO FBI AGENT FOR YEARS  is pretty tempting.  I'm not sure if the writers can resist that temptation and let them  secretly slip away into the night.  

I suppose that's my biggest conundrum.....Will the writers allow P & E to escape OR will they be exposed by STAN and on the run, hiding, fighting for their lives? If Stan exposes them, will the Center order a hit on them?  I can't see the Center ordering a hit on P or E, unless that happens. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[sistermagpie]

11 hours ago, Erin9 said:

If Philip is largely out of the action- does it improve his mood, lift his depression, allow him some forward motion? Does he feel he's abandoned Elizabeth and worry? Many possibilities. 

Just throwing this out there, but last season ended with Philip and Elizabeth poised to pack and go to a safe house on their way back to the USSR. The season started with them just back where they were. I would not be surprised if Elizabeth's "I'll just do all the spy stuff" doesn't much translate into anything different at all, and Philip's just the same as always. I mean, at the moment the ongoing operations are Kimmy and the two honeypots. Kimmy is currently the number one job. Philip's still seeing Deirdre and it's not a soul-killing job. But even if they do decide to tell the Centre that Deirdre dumped him or whatever, that's still just P&E both running a person with Philip's job probably being more intense.

When it comes to new operations, well, they've always worked partly alone, haven't they? I guess it would just be a case of Elizabeth or both of them being given jobs like "track down this Nazi sympathizer" and Elizabeth deciding this was one for just her? We almost never see them discussing their missions so we won't really know if she's missing out on that.

I mean, it does feel like Elizabeth trying to go it alone would be something they want to use because that's how to push her along faster. It opens up possibilities for her to make mistakes or have to confront espionage without Philip. Especially if at the same time they allowed to Philip to actually interact with the kids at home like a human and Elizabeth felt isolated. (During the show it's been Philip whose operations kept him away from home more and the 3 months where Philip was running family, home, travel agency and spy work all by himself happened offscreen!)

Basically, I have no idea. But just wanted to point out that that final scene with P&E could mean anything in terms of a new dynamic between them. This wouldn't be the first time Elizabeth has declared her intention to go it alone only to have Philip be right there beside her regardless. She did it earlier this same season. Her whole reason for staying is an operation of Philip's, not her own, so right there her offer is hypothetical.

What's also interesting is every season before this one has seemed to end with a little tableau that set up the board for the next season. With this one for the first time it didn't feel like we got that.

ETA: Actually, it's kind of surprising that at a time when I would have predicted they'd have really emphasized the relationships between characters so that the climax would be that much more explosive, they almost seemed to go in the other direction and pour cold water on the connections. Especially Stan and Henry. The latter being especially weird when they seem to want "THIS family stays together!" to be meaningful.

Edited June 3, 2017 by sistermagpie

[Bretton]

Interesting. The ending is already known by the show-runners. This is from their interview with Vox:
 

Quote

 

Todd VanDerWerff

I know you’re not going to tell me plot details, but as you head into season six, what are the conversations you’re having in the writers’ room, or the themes that keep bubbling up as you talk about ending this story?

Joe Weisberg

We’re past that. We’ve got an ending.

Joel Fields

We’ve got 10 outlines written, and we’re deep into refining them now and getting ready to write the scripts. Our theme is trying to do it in a way that makes us proud and isn’t too depressing for us in the process, because it’s going to be hard to say goodbye.

 

[MisterBluxom]

I've always thought the best way to predict things is to spot ongoing trends and to speculate on how they will continue.

There has been some great action early in this show but a decided lack of action lately and so I predict there will be very little - if any - action in the final season and especially in the finale.

Many characters will just disappear into the woodwork and never heard of again. Perhaps even some major characters - like Stan Beaman.

Many outstanding puzzles will likewise just disappear and never be answered - like the assassination of Agent Gaad. Maybe the show runners think it is somehow erudite to leave them as open mysteries for the audience to think about and discuss. If this is true, my response would be they can just go and *BLEEP* themselves.

I don't expect any dramatic ending - like the Jennings are somehow discovered or imprisoned or they make some exciting exit back to Russia and all four of them are incredibly happy and excited and live happily ever after. This would be my choice for the most unlikely of all possible endings.

IMHO, the most likely ending will be that nothing much changes. The cases they work on will get less and less interesting. They will make less and less sense. They will all just kind of fizzle out - just fade into the darkness.

I'm reminded of a very old expression. Some people or some things go out - not with a bang - but just with a whimper. That would be the most likely ending or most likely way to describe the ending IMO. It is most consistent with the way the current show has been trending.

I seriously hope that I'm very wrong. I would love to see an "action packed" final season with one side or the other winning in a big and violent finale. I just think that is unlikely in the extreme.

Edited June 4, 2017 by MissBluxom

[Sarah 103]

On June 2, 2017 at 10:54 PM, Avaleigh said:

I feel like next season will have to include Henry and Stan finding out. 

Agreed. I would love to see how Henry finds out and what his reaction is. I want Stan to find out a second too late. He finds out, but it's too late for him to do anything. 

On June 3, 2017 at 0:20 AM, Erin9 said:

I really want Henry to find out the truth in a way that is very different than Paige and that he reacts differently. So no running to Stan. 

Doing the exact same thing would be boring, and it wouldn't feel right because Paige and Henry are two different people.  

[SunnyBeBe]

It's taken two seasons for Paige to process the secret and she's still not faring too well, plus, she's older than Henry.  I don't understand how the writers would figure a way for Henry to find out and it not swallow up the content for the finale season.  I would expect to see more of P & E and their interpersonal relationship issues.   I suppose they could do it at the very end, but, that doesn't sound too satisfying.  

I agree with MissBluxom on considering trends and how the show has handled things from the beginning, but, I'm not sure how do that anymore.   It seemed they departed from previous seasons.  Prior seasons had some definite drama and suspense, like Nina, Martha, William, etc. I suppose this past season they considered it Pasha....oh well....that was not that suspenseful, imo.  

Series finales sometimes aren't that satisfying for me.  It is a tall order. 

Can someone help me out with something?  Have they ever shown anyone go to prison in the USA on this show for espionage and related crimes? Didn't they all die or escape before they got to court or prison?

And the alleged wrongdoers who went to Russia were killed by the KGB or imprisoned, right? 

Edited June 5, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 

It's taken two seasons for Paige to process the secret and she's still not faring too well, plus, she's older than Henry.  I don't understand how the writers would figure a way for Henry to find out and it not swallow up the content for the finale season.

 

It's taken Paige this long to process because the processing will go on her whole life. She's living with the secret now and always will. She found out in ep 10 of season 3 and by the end of the season she was already over the first wave of it. I don't see why an entire season wouldn't be enough to play out something with Henry--or why it would be that much of a problem if it was a major storyline. Why shouldn't it be? It's a family drama along with a spy show and Henry is the family.

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Can someone help me out with something?  Have they ever shown anyone go to prison in the USA on this show for espionage and related crimes? Didn't they all die or escape before they got to court or prison?

 

Aderholdt mentioned somebody they caught who was working with them. But the only person we really know who went to prison for that was Nina.

[SunnyBeBe]

18 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

It's taken Paige this long to process because the processing will go on her whole life. She's living with the secret now and always will. She found out in ep 10 of season 3 and by the end of the season she was already over the first wave of it. I don't see why an entire season wouldn't be enough to play out something with Henry--or why it would be that much of a problem if it was a major storyline. Why shouldn't it be? It's a family drama along with a spy show and Henry is the family.

Aderholdt mentioned somebody they caught who was working with them. But the only person we really know who went to prison for that was Nina.

Right, but, Nina went to the Soviet Union. Her own people dealt with her.   I meant were there any Soviets who were prosecuted and sent to prison in the USA? Has Stan been instrumental in the prosecution and conviction of any Soviets, since we have been introduced to him.  I'm trying to recall their successful cases, but, it seems those suspects died, like Gregory, William, and that innocent Soviet that Stan murdered.  

Edited June 5, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[sistermagpie]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Right, but, Nina went to the Soviet Union. Her own people dealt with her.   I meant were there any Soviets who were prosecuted and sent to prison in the USA?

Not that we've seen that I remember. The one guy Aderholdt talked about flipped. Presumably that's their first choice for somebody they catch or identify. 

[SlovakPrincess]

I predict Philip will stare ahead a lot in silent agony ...  I predict Paige will raise her eyebrows a lot ...

I think (and I hope) that next season will be laser-focused on Stan, the Jennings, and Oleg.  I think they have got to make the final season about these characters coming together, with Stan finally starting to suspect his neighbors and having to decide if he'll turn them in.  Hey, maybe Renee is actually CIA or something, and she's checking on Stan's loyalty to the US (after the stunt he pulled to back the FBI off of Oleg) but will eventually lead him to finally think about Philip and Liz.

 I do think we've seen the last of Martha - I think Gabriel simply advocated for her to get a child to give her a happier life, and that that was her ending and she won't be back next season.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, SlovakPrincess said:

I predict Philip will stare ahead a lot in silent agony ...  I predict Paige will raise her eyebrows a lot ...

Quote of the week!

[crashdown]

I think Philip is going to end up telling Stan himself in order to save Stan from "ending up like Martha" because of Stan's girlfriend the spy.  (That is, it will be confirmed that Renee is a spy, and Philip will learn something that will make him decide to choose friendship over country.)  There will be a large ripple effect from that decision, and things will end badly for the Jennings because of it.

[Chaos Theory]

I am still hoping the show plays into my cold cynical heart and ends with a fast forward to the future and Paige watching Putin on the TV, rushing her kids off to school and then getting a phone call with a mysterious caller.  The camera pulls back to a flag waving in the distance.

[kokapetl]

7 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

I am still hoping the show plays into my cold cynical heart and ends with a fast forward to the future and Paige watching Putin on the TV, rushing her kids off to school and then getting a phone call with a mysterious caller.  The camera pulls back to a flag waving in the distance.

"Hi, I'm conducting a phone survey"

[albaniantv]

In 2010 the Russian spies whose story seeded the Americans (pretty sure the writers have stated this more or less) were discovered and sent home to Russia. At the same time, there was an exchange for US spies living in Russia.

This Wikipedia entry is regularly updated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegals_Program and details a variety of experiences of couples and a few with kids. I'm  guessing that the Americans might end in a similar fashion because it would let the writers develop some bloodless and nonviolent outcomes, unlike the show itself, but in line with our affections for many of the key actors.

I also predict that Henry gets to go to his boarding school and just basically miss out on the whole drama --he has been off in his own world for years, why upend him now. Agree with others that it would be creepy for him to copy Paige and run to Stan for protection -- I'm guessing he has made many observations since his crush on Stan's wife and his experiences breaking and entering others' houses. 

I think we have learned the background and contemporary realities about Philip's son and brother because they will make it possible emotionally for the family to move to Russia --I really don't want them dependent on Gabriel's limited social network and cooking skills.

On the other hand, not everyone can get off scot-free --this is The Americans. So how about Stan, Renee and the FBI guys? And lonely Oleg? Are they going to be sacrificed? We know there have to be sacrifices beyond Tuan and Kimmy's folks who we don't care about. 

So, I envision Philip, Elizabeth and Paige somehow surviving a massive exposure and starting anew in Moscow or even St. Petersbourg, with the Center's help. Henry has agreed to visit but no one is sure when and the Center doesn't really want him in Russia anyway. 

Endnote: Oh and Martha won't let Gabriel near her little family unit, but somehow she is drawn to the brusque, soon to be retired Claudia, who wants to be a grandmother but whose neglected Russian family has turned their backs on her.

[Umbelina]

I honestly think Martha is done.  That's my prediction.  She has her kid, someone to love, is learning the language, adjusting.  I would be surprised to see them again, although I wouldn't be unhappy about it if we did.

I think Claudia is huge bad guy, and I think she will get orders to kill Philip.

With the real embedded spies that kicked this whole series off though, the FBI knew about them for quite a while.  They didn't bust them for a long time, preferring to follow, track, try to see who else was involved, and what they were doing/had done.  So if the show does follow that, Stan could find out, or other FBI, but have to keep a buttoned lip while they were watched.   That would give Stan a great story line, can't you see him trying to keep his temper and stay cool once he knew they were really Soviet spies?

Do I want to watch that?  Um, not really.  It could work though.

I don't predict this, but what I'd really love is the fast forward or an extended epilogue to the collapse of the USSR, and all of those reactions, from everyone.  Probably too much to hope for.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Umbelina

[Ellaria]

On 6/4/2017 at 0:34 PM, MissBluxom said:

I don't expect any dramatic ending...

IMHO, the most likely ending will be that nothing much changes. The cases they work on will get less and less interesting. They will make less and less sense. They will all just kind of fizzle out - just fade into the darkness.

After this season, my predictions fall more in line with the statement above: it will not be a dramatic finale. P&E will keep doing what they do with less enthusiasm, less interest and perhaps a little less commitment. The psychological and emotional toll of spying was front and center this season and I expect that to continue. 

Perhaps we will see what @Umbelina suggests: the FBI finds out and just watches them. I think that it could work.

Henry will go off to boarding school and we will not see much of him. Rather than follow Paige's path, I think that Henry will be the opposite of her...the "American" child, for lack of a better expression. He will not share her burden (at least in the time line of the TV show).

I don't know what to think about Stan. I would be quite disappointed if he didn't find out that P&E are KGB agents. That "reveal" was set-up in the first episode and has been hanging around since. How does he find out and, more importantly, what does he choose to do with that information? Since we are guessing, I think that Stan needs a "win." He needs to make an active choice but I'm not sure what that will be. 

On 6/3/2017 at 0:20 AM, Erin9 said:

Stan has to find out. I really don't have a concept of how I think it will play out. Or even how I want him to. The writers have had a long time to think this one out though. So make it count. 

Exactly! However they present Stan's epiphany, it has to count.

Oleg...I don't have a good feeling about his fate. I think that he will be imprisoned and that's the last we will see of him. And that makes me sad.

I don't care if we see Renee again. The "is she or isn't she" stuff was dragged out for too long. I also don't care if we see Martha again. I appreciate that we were given visits with her this season. I don't need more. I think that we have seen the last of Misha which makes me wonder what his purpose was in the first place.

[Juliegirlj]

Tuan and Paige will partner up for a younger generation team. That whole speech Elizabeth gave Tuan about needing a partner and her advanced self protection lessons with Paige seemed very important. Groannnnn. 

[sistermagpie]

3 hours ago, Ellaria Sand said:

Perhaps we will see what @Umbelina suggests: the FBI finds out and just watches them. I think that it could work.

 

I don't see how it can work given that these spies, unlike the other ones, commit serious crimes all the time.

 

42 minutes ago, Juliegirlj said:

Tuan and Paige will partner up for a younger generation team. That whole speech Elizabeth gave Tuan about needing a partner and her advanced self protection lessons with Paige seemed very important. Groannnnn. 

Tuan is from a different country than Philip and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was telling him to tell Vietnamese Intelligence to send another agent. No reason for him to pair up with a Russian would have different priorities. And Paige isn't even a Russian, she's an American kid whose parents are Russian spies. She hasn't gotten advanced self-protections lessons, just self-protection lessons. She's not advanced in any actual spycraft at all and Tuan is a professional.

[Ellaria]

55 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

I don't see how it can work given that these spies, unlike the other ones, commit serious crimes all the time.

Of course. Perhaps I wasn't clear: eventually, the FBI would go after them. Perhaps it would not happen in the timeline of the show.

And, once again, these are opinions and predictions. At this point, all are valid and, at least IMO, are worth throwing out there.

[Mrs peel]

I've always thought the show ends with either the FBI catching P&E or, for reasons I won't guess, P&E go to Stan and tell him their story, and request re-settlement in the US or some other western country.  I don't really see Paige happy  to be taken to the USSR to live with her parents; I certainly hope Henry goes off to boarding school. 

I'd like to know what happens with Oleg, but am not sure that's likely with only 10 episodes.  I agree with others that the Martha story is probably at an end.  For much of this season I wondered if the USSR storylines were to show that P&E couldn't go back, wouldn't be happy if they went back, because the USSR is not what they think it is.

[MisterBluxom]

7 hours ago, Ellaria Sand said:

I don't care if we see Renee again. The "is she or isn't she" stuff was dragged out for too long. I also don't care if we see Martha again. I appreciate that we were given visits with her this season. I don't need more. I think that we have seen the last of Misha which makes me wonder what his purpose was in the first place.

I fully agree with you about Renee. Very sad result of some writing that I must be honest and say I just don't understand.

I don't understand why she was introduced to us. I don't understand what she does. And, I don't care.

The show never gave us any reason to put any emotional investment into Renee.

Maybe her only purpose was to give Stan something to do so that he wouldn't be doing his job and discover the Jennings are KGB. I just don't feel like I have any reason to spend any more time or energy thinking, talking or caring about Stan anymore.

I'm so very sad that like many other shows that became successful, this show gave me a good reason to become emotionally invested in  a few of the characters and in the overall story line and in caring whether the characters manage to succeed or fail, to be happy or not, etc.

It feels like a real good reason to give up on watching TV shows.

I pray that someone, somewhere, who is involved in the entertainment industry (or maybe not) will come up with something new that will occupy our time (about 2 or 3 hours most evenings) and give us something to care about. The current lineup of TV shows is just no longer doing this for me.

I am happy for all of you who feel satisfied with the current TV lineup. I just feel like it's become very much less interesting.

[Umbelina]

3 hours ago, Mrs peel said:

I've always thought the show ends with either the FBI catching P&E or, for reasons I won't guess, P&E go to Stan and tell him their story, and request re-settlement in the US or some other western country.  I don't really see Paige happy  to be taken to the USSR to live with her parents; I certainly hope Henry goes off to boarding school. 

I'd like to know what happens with Oleg, but am not sure that's likely with only 10 episodes.  I agree with others that the Martha story is probably at an end.  For much of this season I wondered if the USSR storylines were to show that P&E couldn't go back, wouldn't be happy if they went back, because the USSR is not what they think it is.

Look what the show did in 10 episodes in season 4!  It hasn't always been slow plodding depression on this show, in fact, this is the very first season when they took one theme and did it to death, while dangling plot lines that went nowhere.  Spies are depressed.  Got it the first 400 times.  Move the fuck on.

Season 4:

• Nina's story, and from that, a beautiful sub story of giving the bioweapons to the USSR, with William's death, Oleg and Stan conning each other at first but joining to save Nina, which ended up with Oleg trying to be the Soviet who stopped nuclear war by stopping the plot to get the bioweapon out.  William educating Philip up about conditions over there.  Gabe and Elizabeth nearly died.  Another great story about the imprisoned Jewish Russian scientist was mixed in.  Finally culminating in Nina's murder and more great scenes with Stan and Oleg's reaction to that.
• Nina is executed.
• Meanwhile Oleg begins a delightful affair with Tatiana, then ruins her promotion by his choice to be disloyal, his brother dies in the war, and we get a glimpse of the USSR and his father's frustration, politics at the Rezidentura heat up, and Arkady is expelled.  That is another plot that still has impact in this show.
• Gaad is murdered, quite accidentally, what did they really want from him?  Before that, they find the pen, everyone is investigated, and Gaad is devastated and fired...many many great, impactful scenes.
• Stan exposes Zenaida.
• Paige and the Pastor story nearly ended in his death.  He goes missing and his wife threatens Philip and Elizabeth in a great scene and storyline, as everyone scrambles, a storyline that still has repercussions to this day.
• Martha!  Holy crap Martha and her arc!  From them finding the pen and her terror while destroying her mic it in the bathroom, to Hans noticing Martha's being tailed, and then it just built like crazy.  She finds out they are KGB.  Elizabeth finds out Clark has removed his wig.  Martha escapes, threatening Gabe, the hunt for Martha from both the FBI and KGB, a wild ride right until she gets on that plane.  Will they just kill her like they killed that poor woman with the baby?  Will they really let her go?  Marital tension and love with Phil and Liz.

Hell, I'm forgetting a ton.  These writers are perfectly capable of making ten episodes count, and having plot lines that actually have a purpose for characters and their development.

This season?  They CHOSE not to do that.  Next season, they could choose to get back with on the horse that brought them and ride it like crazy, letting us hang on for dear life again while they gallop across the amazing landscape they created in the first four seasons until they finally arrive back and the barn and end this sucker.  Hopefully we will be hanging on for dear life while they give this once great show a fitting end.

ETA entire movies introduce and wrap up stories in two hours.  They have ten.  They just have to make them count again.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Umbelina

[sistermagpie]

8 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

ETA entire movies introduce and wrap up stories in two hours.  They have ten.  They just have to make them count again.

I agree--look at all the series coming out all at once that have like 8 episodes to do the whole story. And still have too many eps. There's nothing the show doesn't have time for as long as it knows that's what it's writing. Even just compare this season's guest arcs to William--he got an entire story that made his death supremely memorable and that was just with not that many scenes. Philip and Elizabeth's romance went through a lot of stages in S1 that brought it from the pilot to her asking him to come home. (Not to mention the relationship with Claudia--that pretty much only happened in s1 and people still feel her presence.)

[Sarah 103]

14 hours ago, Umbelina said:

I honestly think Martha is done.  That's my prediction.  She has her kid, someone to love, is learning the language, adjusting.  I would be surprised to see them again, although I wouldn't be unhappy about it if we did.

That's pretty much how I feel too. 

11 hours ago, Ellaria Sand said:

Oleg...I don't have a good feeling about his fate. I think that he will be imprisoned and that's the last we will see of him. And that makes me sad.

I hope not. However, it will be interesting to see what the writers do with him during the final season. It feels so sad to type out the words final season instead of next season. 

5 hours ago, Mrs peel said:

I'd like to know what happens with Oleg, but am not sure that's likely with only 10 episodes.  I agree with others that the Martha story is probably at an end.  For much of this season I wondered if the USSR storylines were to show that P&E couldn't go back, wouldn't be happy if they went back, because the USSR is not what they think it is.

I can't imagine the writers not tying up his story. Since he joined, Oleg has been a pretty important character. He is in the main credits, so I would expect some sort of resolution for his story/character arc. 

[Umbelina]

In writing that about season 4, I realized how interconnected all the stories were back then.  Pretty much everyone was involved, in one way or another, with at least several other character's stories.

I miss that so much, and I miss seeing things happen, or resolve, or have impact beyond someone's mood.

William, a great character, lonely as he was, impacted so many stories.  If not for William and the bio disease, Pastor Tim would be dead along with his wife.  If not for William and Tatiana, Oleg wouldn't have contacted Stan and ruined her promotion while sabotaging her mission.  If not for William, Hans wouldn't be dead, and Gabe and Elizabeth wouldn't have nearly died.  If not for William Philip wouldn't realize how bad things are in the Soviet Union.  If not for William, Henry and Paige would have gone to the Disney World or whatever it was.  That's just one character, a relatively minor character really, and it was outstanding writing. 

Martha was a huge connector as well, the entire KGB and FBI cast were connected because of Martha.  Way too much to even mention where Martha connecting stories is concerned.

Nina, ditto, and she also brought us the bromance and betrayals of Oleg and Stan. 

WAS there a character on screen during season 4 that didn't have impact outside of his own personal story? 

Then we get this season.  Yawn.

Anyone want a thread to compare the seasons?  I know it might mostly end up being a bitch about season 5 thread, but I feel like it would right itself fairly soon, and it might be a good overall thread to discuss the entire run of the series in one place without having to jump to past seasons forums.  ???

No idea what a good title would be.

Comparing and Remembering the Whole Series?

Discussion of All Seasons

Discussing The Americans Seasons 1-6

Yeah, I hate making up titles.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Umbelina

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, Umbelina said:

Martha was a huge connector as well, the entire KGB and FBI cast were connected because of Martha.  Way too much to even mention where Martha connecting stories is concerned.

Yes, remember in probably Travel Agents there was the scene where Matthew, Paige and Henry watching TV and drinking beer and I remember thinking it was funny because both their parents were running around because of Martha. It was a great, really organic, juxtaposition between the ordinary suburban kids at home (even Paige who knew the basic truth) and the lives of their parents.

It would be good to have a thread for all seasons at least-there is one but for some reason it's locked. All the seasons, iirc, had some interesting side characters. Gregory was in very few episodes but you can still say his name and have it carry a lot of weight. Larrick doesn't haunt the Jennings the way others do but he was a fantastic villain for S2. (The only season there really was a villain like that). I feel like however one feels about the revelation of Jared (a revelatoin that I have problems with but I think is thematically on point) His situation was sympathetic too.

[Umbelina]

Maybe "Comparing the Seasons of The Americans?"

I dunno.  I started this one, and I don't like starting threads.  If anyone else does though, I will jump in.

[methodwriter85]

After Elizabeth and Phil meet their ends, we get a flashforward to Paige in 1989, wearing a flashier outfit than she ever wore as a teenager. She's sitting at a bar chatting up a preppie lawyer type. We soon realize he's a mark, and Paige is now a spy doing the honeypot thing. Then we see the news of the Berlin wall flash on the t.v. at the bar, and Paige looks directly at the t.v. camera with a blank expression on her face. End credits.

Quote

I've always thought the best way to predict things is to spot ongoing trends and to speculate on how they will continue.

That's why I can't see the final moments of the show NOT making it all about Paige.

Edited July 7, 2017 by methodwriter85

[Nash]

My theory is that if the FBI do get onto and take the Jennings then a prisoner swap would be the almost inevitable outcome. The trail of bodies behind them is so widely scattered that I don't think the FBI could join all the dots. 

As to how the network is broken, you've only a few options - painstaking work, dumb luck and betrayal. In reality it's not so much how, it's the effect - the tension as the Jennings see safe houses turned over, RVs and DLDs compromised and active surveillance getting closer would be addictive viewing. I think I read that  the KGB were very up on signal intelligence and at one point knew where the FBI tail cars were in DC - so the Rezidentura would know vital info but would be struggling to get it to the Jennings. The KGB "busting out" (cf "Sandbaggers") the Jennings from the closing grip of the FBI could be a good end in itself. 

[suomi]

Elizabeth is killed or takes her own life, depending on the circumstances, soon after realizing that Paige will not be set up with a safe, cushy 9-5 job. Her last thoughts are about sacrificing her daughter for a failed cause. Because E is either unaware of or does not believe that the 60s slogan "Blind faith in your leaders will get you killed" has significance in her life.

[kikaha]

Stan will realize his old buddy Phillip is a spy after spotting him with Oleg. 

[Umbelina]

14 minutes ago, kikaha said:

Stan will realize his old buddy Phillip is a spy after spotting him with Oleg. 

Oh wow.

You could be right about that.

[Erin9]

3 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

Oh wow.

You could be right about that.

I  thought about that tonight. Could happen. But he’ll have to see through Philip’s disguise. Unless he stops wearing them.  

[Ellaria]

31 minutes ago, kikaha said:

Stan will realize his old buddy Phillip is a spy after spotting him with Oleg. 

Good guess. I have been waiting for this other shoe to drop for a long time. Although, as @Erin9 says, Philip may need to be “au naturel” for Stan to figure it out.

[kikaha]

Once the FBI starts tailing Oleg, it will take special interest in anyone he meets.  Photos, perhaps surveillance.  May not be that hard to penetrate Philip's disguise.  

[sistermagpie]

Though TBF, Oleg knows he's being tailed so it's not like the FBI is just always with them now. That's why he said it took him 9 hours to make sure he was clean before their first meeting.

[Erin9]

3 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

Though TBF, Oleg knows he's being tailed so it's not like the FBI is just always with them now. That's why he said it took him 9 hours to make sure he was clean before their first meeting.

Exactly. Oleg is hardly ignorant of the fact the FBI is watching him. He could make a mistake, but he knows. And Philip knows too. 

[SusanSunflower]

and the fact that he slipped the FBI surveillance likely would increase the priority of tailing him even more closely in the future (on the assumption that he didn't just slip through a crack but deliberately, methodically evaded them -- which he did)

[Umbelina]

Oleg and Philip will both be extremely careful, after all, they don't just have to worry about the FBI, they also have to worry about the KGB.

The thing is, Stan wouldn't even have to see them together.  He could simply see Philip leaving an area they suspected Oleg had just been.  As for Philip's disguise?  The thing is, Stan's been friends and neighbors with this guy for SEVEN years now.  Stan could easily recognize simply his walk, the way he carries a newspaper, or the set of his shoulders, or ties his shoelaces, or the way he drinks a beer, or a dozen little things like that.

It's all about a crack in the dam, once that happens?  All the other clues will come flooding through and break that dam wide open for Stan. 

[Erin9]

That’s true. While I don’t think Stan has any reason to suspect them yet, there is evidence out there- as you pointed out in the other thread. And something seemingly small could break the whole thing wide open. 

More immediately,  I’m just curious what Philip does next. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah, what happened to Kimmie and her dad?

[Umbelina]

56 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Yeah, what happened to Kimmie and her dad?

Well, she probably is off to college somewhere and no longer living at home.

[Darrenbrett]

One small thing I predict: when Stan first has a revelation about P&E he will have a flashback to their car from season 1. He searched that car's trunk, after sneaking into their garage. That was the closest he ever got. He knew a car like that was involved in the kidnapping of the Soviet defector. He was so close -- and had no idea. Another flashback scene would involve remembering seeing a woman of E's build walking towards the car they later chased and shot at. Those were the two closest sniffs they got. So close, so far.

[Erin9]

I hope he doesn’t flashback to the first episode searching their car. That never rang true for me that a 30 second meeting convinced him something was truly off to the point that he broke into their garage. It felt like a moment stuck in the pilot for the sake of drama. 

Sandra calling him paranoid made much more sense than some psychic sense something was off. 

That was the only thing I really didn’t like about the pilot. 

Speaking of Sandra, I miss her. She was an interesting, 3 dimensional character. At least one of my top moments of the series have included her. Renee is just there. No depth, nothing. I guess part of that is so we wonder who she is, but still- right now she’s just proof Stan successfully moved on. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Erin9

[sistermagpie]

22 minutes ago, Erin9 said:

Sandra calling him paranoid made much more sense than some psychic sense something was off. 

Yeah, I only get that moment as him being paranoid about everyone. He would have checked anyone on the block with that car. When people say he had a hunch at first it never rings true for me. It's just kind of silly to make him suspect them based on nothing. The car wasn't nothing. But the car wasn't the Jennings. He didn't earn being suspicious of the Jennings themselves.

24 minutes ago, Erin9 said:

Speaking of Sandra, I miss her. She was an interesting, 3 dimensional character. At least one of my top moments of the series have included her. Renee is just there. No depth, nothing. I guess part of that is so we wonder who she is, but still- right now she’s just proof Stan successfully moved on. 

Yeah, I really wonder about that. I mean, what's up with that? She seems so much like a Stepford wife because she doesn't seem to have a personality the way Sandra did. Is it just showing that Stan's in a healthier place now with a friend (Aderholdt) and a wife and his relationship with the Jennings helped bring that about? It's almost hard to see it like that because Renee seems like such a mannequin. We hear she's perfect in every way but she seems kind of ditzy. Stan seems to be telling her stuff he didn't tell Sandra, but at the same time they don't seem as close because she seems like a cliche wife who only exist to fill that role rather than an individual person. Even Stan saying things like "You gonna call Renee and tell her I'll be late?" is like Stan following a cliche husband script.

There's always been theories about her buying some kind of spy but that seems silly to me too. If she's like P&E then they're running Elizabeth ragged at the summit while seemingly having another agent entirely devoted to one FBI agent who doesn't even work in counterintelligence anymore. It doesn't ring true that an American agency would have an agent doing that, especially for not much reason. If she's from somebody else it's like...what, have the Martians been secretly spying on us all along?