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The Soviet Union is No More: Casting News, Story Arc Info

parandroid

By parandroid
in The Americans [V]

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Umbelina
Umbelina

Even the die hard critics who have loved and supported this show all along ended up, by the end of last season, saying, essentially, "well that was crap." Even the "support the young actress!" cr

TimWil
TimWil

I, like so many of you, can’t be bummed enough by the impending final fade-out of this incredible show. An actors agent friend of mine in NY has gifted me over the years with some character breakdowns

jjj
jjj

In an article on the Media thread, I read one mild spoiler that will not surprise anyone, about Philip's son in Russia.  Posting below for those who want to avoid it. . . . The sho

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Hal25

Hal25

Knowing FX, I'm guessing clever editing. But if they need somewhere new to go for season 3, exploring the Russia/USA divide and issues within Philip and Elizabeth would be an interesting way to go. So maybe? The fact that he's meeting with Arkady is just... shocking...

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Joystickenvy

Joystickenvy

Probably clever editing, but if they have a set number of seasons in mind, as opposed to keep churning til they pull the plug, it might make sense to have a season that explores Philizabeth trying to break free of their spy life before wrapping up their story.

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

Hadn't thought about that. I assume that you are thinking that Paige may go down that route.....ugh

 

 

That was the association I made. Or somebody else doing that, maybe faking it. But Paige doesn't actually seem to be drawn to the church for specifically spiritual reasons, and there's a lot of ways that phrase could apply so maybe it's not that at all. 

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Inquisitionist

Inquisitionist

Some storyline spoilers available here.

 

Deadline revealed a The Americans Season 3 spoiler involving a new cast and new mission for Russell's Elizabeth Jennings. It wrote:

 

Karen Pittman (Begin Again) has been tapped for a recurring role on the third
season of FX's Cold War drama The Americans. She will play Lisa, a struggling
mother and recovering alcoholic who works on the assembly line of a highly
classified Defense Department project and just became the Alcoholic Anonymous
sponsor of newly sober Michele."

 

And since Pittman's character is no ordinary American, she will be
targeted
by the KGB with the help of Elizabeth.

 

"But what Lisa doesn't know is that Michele is actually an alias being
used
by covert KGB spy Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), who wants
information on
Lisa's classified project - and their fast friendship is
belied by Elizabeth's
ulterior motives. Talentworks-repped Pittman is on
Broadway in the Pulitzer
Prize-winning drama Disgraced."

 

 

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

That's the same actress/character who appeared in "Martial Eagle" last season, isn't it?

 

 

Yes, that was I guess where Elizabeth established the relationship that will play out this season. It's great for them to set up a spy/source manipulation relationship that doesn't include sex.

 

I saw the actress in "Disgraced" and she was fantastic. With her in the role I'm really looking forward to the character.

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Dev F

Dev F

(edited)

This also suggests that season 3 will continue to focus on the KGB's attempts to steal the United States' Stealth technology, doesn't it? Lisa was a factory worker at Northrop who was working on that program, right?

 

I sort of expected them to keep going with the "mission of the year" format, after they did Star Wars in season 1 and Stealth in season 2, but it makes sense that they would want to stick with a storyline that would allow them to keep a lot of their recurring cast around, including Vasili and Anton over in the USSR. That might also be the way they get Nina back into the mix, since she and Vasili have a history.

Edited by Dev F
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scrb

scrb

So the first ep of S3 shows they're in 1982 and Brezhnev has passed.

 

Wikipedia lists him as passing in November of 1982.  He's succeeded by Andropov and Chernenko for a couple of years until Gorbachev takes over in '85.

 

It'll be interesting to see if the show depicts how their work changes with Perestroika and how Philip and Elizabeth react to it.

 

It looks like some Soviets are weary of the Afghanistan war but for now, the Residentura is going to go after the CIA for helping the Mujahideen.

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

Blech. The description of that last ep says that Paige and Elizabeth take a trip that lands them in "dangerous territory." It looks like they really are going to go to the USSR together. I don't know why I hate this development so much but I really do. I can only hope it's a fake out, but then, it's so coy to begin with it almost has to mean they're going there. 

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Umbelina

Umbelina

(edited)

It could be anything. 

 

That said, I don't think it's far fetched.  Travel then was not like it is now, and this is the KGB, it's not as if they would need VISAs or documents, or anyone is going to stamp their passport.  If it's a quick trip, a plane to a nearby European country cover there, then slip over the border into Russia very easily, and in secret.  Boat, private plane, car, whatever.

Edited by Umbelina
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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

That said, I don't think it's far fetched.  Travel then was not like it is now, and this is the KGB, it's not as if they would need VISAs or documents, or anyone is going to stamp their passport.  If it's a quick trip, a plane to a nearby European country cover there, then slip over the border into Russia very easily, and in secret.  Boat, private plane, car, whatever.

 

 

Oh, I don't think it's far-fetched that they could go. In the real world I think Illegals went back regularly--why not? I just hate the prospect of three generations of Elizabeths on a bonding trip.

 

Perhaps Elizabeth will walk in and her mother will slap her and called her a coward like her father for coming back. That might be funny.

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ruby24

ruby24

Blech. The description of that last ep says that Paige and Elizabeth take a trip that lands them in "dangerous territory." It looks like they really are going to go to the USSR together. I don't know why I hate this development so much but I really do. I can only hope it's a fake out, but then, it's so coy to begin with it almost has to mean they're going there. 

Ugh. I think you're probably right. I'm not liking that either.

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kikaha

kikaha

Preview of season finale says, "After an emotionally charged mission, Philip turns to an unlikely source for solace."

 

My guess is the emotionally charged mission is killing Martha.  The unlikely source?  How about Claudia? 

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

My guess is the emotionally charged mission is killing Martha.  The unlikely source?  How about Claudia?

 

 

Or Gabriel--that clip of him yelling "You were supposed to protect me!" and crying hasn't happened yet.

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Dev F

Dev F

My guess is the emotionally charged mission is killing Martha.

 

I actually had the horrifying thought that they'll start the episode with Martha already dead and the emotionally charged mission will be to go kill her parents. Seems like it would be thematically appropriate in an episode that apparently has Elizabeth going to see her dying mother and Philip finally having it out with surrogate dad Gabriel.

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SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

(edited)

It seems like he could leave her parents out of it.  Besides telling the FBI that Martha married him, they couldn't give much more detail than Martha's neighbors.  The neighbors must have seen Clarke quite a bit more than her parents.  Elizabeth and Granny would have generic descriptions.  I guess, I just don't want Philip to go there.

Edited by SunnyBeBe
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ToastnBacon

ToastnBacon

Interesting little note on tonight's finale with some spoilers:

 

http://www.tvguide.com/news/mega-buzz-americans-elizabeth-paige-russia/

 

What it says: Yes, they go to Russia, but going to Russia proves easier said than done. Yes, they will visit with Elizabeth's mother, but it will do more harm than good in improving things with angry Paige.

Thanks for that!

I really hope they write this with Phillip knowing that the visit to Russia would put more distance between Paige and Elizabeth.

I want Phillip to still be subtly undermining the attempts to recruit Paige into spying for the KGB.

If I were writing this story, I would have Phillip eventually defecting with the kids so they could have a shot at being the real Americans.

I don't think the wounds from season one were ever healed between P&E, and I hope the writers revisit the big divide between P&E.

Elizabeth is a hardcore Soviet, and I have my doubts about Phillip ever buying into that crap to the extent that Elizabeth did.

You never hear Phillip talking about "the cause" the way Elizabeth does. The most patriotic we saw Phillip ever be was when he screamed, "The KGB is everywhere!" When he killed those two Afghanis in the season opener.

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ToastnBacon

ToastnBacon

Blech. The description of that last ep says that Paige and Elizabeth take a trip that lands them in "dangerous territory." It looks like they really are going to go to the USSR together. I don't know why I hate this development so much but I really do. I can only hope it's a fake out, but then, it's so coy to begin with it almost has to mean they're going there.

I'm with you, I don't want them going there either. If it is a fake out, they are going to elaborate lengths, because in that video clip of the preview there is a blue neon sign that says Apotheke. That is the German word for pharmacy, so my guess is they are trying to sneak into East Germany to get behind the iron curtain.

Seems like they could have went to Sweden, then Finland to hop over the border to Russia if they wanted to avoid one of the most heavily guarded borders of the Cold War.

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John S

John S

I'm with you, I don't want them going there either. If it is a fake out, they are going to elaborate lengths, because in that video clip of the preview there is a blue neon sign that says Apotheke. That is the German word for pharmacy, so my guess is they are trying to sneak into East Germany to get behind the iron curtain.

Seems like they could have went to Sweden, then Finland to hop over the border to Russia if they wanted to avoid one of the most heavily guarded borders of the Cold War.

They could go to Austria, whose people speak German, and then sneak into Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, or Hungary.

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bluebonnet

bluebonnet

(edited)

Just read a completely spoilery for the finale and wow, something happening there so terrible (to me) I never even predicted it!

oh god, i want to know but i don't want to know but i want to know but......am i going to cry?  just tell me if i should prepare a proper tissue.  something happens to henry, right?

Edited by bluebonnet
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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

oh god, i want to know but i don't want to know but i want to know but......am i going to cry?  just tell me if i should prepare a proper tissue.  something happens to henry, right?

 

 

Nope, nothing like that. Just another "somebody tells the truth to someone else" scene.

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bluebonnet

bluebonnet

Nope, nothing like that. Just another "somebody tells the truth to someone else" scene.

I've been wondering if Henry tells Stan something.  They are getting closer, Henry is more observant than he's given credit for.  

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

I've been wondering if Henry tells Stan something.  They are getting closer, Henry is more observant than he's given credit for.

 

 

No, it's the kid who they trusted with the secret telling it flat out to her pastor.

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Umbelina

Umbelina

Good, because that actually makes sense.  There should be all KINDS of problems with this whole thing.

 

If they try to cross in Berlin I'm going to be seriously unhappy.  Stupidest place in the world to try to sneak in, so many spies there. 

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sistermagpie

sistermagpie

I don't know if this is quite a spoiler or just speculation, but I peeked at the imdb listings and Pastor Tim was listed in basically one more ep (the one after this week's entitled Clark's Place. He's not listed in next week's.

 

I assume like in Pastor Tim he will be central to the story while Philip and Elizabeth are in quarantine at least trying to ensure the hit doesn't happen. I'm not sure whether his presence in the next ep shows he survives or not. After all, he was listed in the cast for Pastor Tim and only appeared as a dream there. This next ep is supposed to have something really big at the end of it so...I don't now. None of the synopsis released so far seem to have much about the family at all.

 

Meanwhile, it looks like Elizabeth's mother will be making an appearance this week so maybe Elizabeth's doing something thinking while stuck at Gabriel's.

 

This is just imdb and it's not always accurate. But certainly other actors have themselves listed for episodes in the future of this season. I'd just be really surprised at them going for the "oops, now he's been killed with us the prime suspects" just because that possibility is already such a thing they're afraid of, you know? I feel like it's more like the show to distract us with that fear and then sideswipe us with something else. But I really have no idea.

 

I'm just crippled with dread!

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Umbelina

Umbelina

(edited)

I'm trying to figure it out too.  Interesting find, but who the heck was she?  I'll keep looking at recaps to see if she's mentioned.

 

Maybe she's someone who works in the FBI offices, since so far, I can't find a single reference to her by name other than IMDb?

Edited by Umbelina
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SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

I'm dreading what happens to Martha and I can't find a thing about it.  I know the previews, which are often distorted, show her sitting at a desk saying that she is never going home.  I wonder who she's saying that too?  Gaad?  Stan?

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SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

Can someone remind me about the listings that appear on the IMdb site.   I know that in the past, I have checked them to see if a certain actor showed up as appearing on a certain episode.  Sometimes, there was no listing that the actor would appear in those future episodes, but in fact they later did appear and the info was updated and the info made current.  My question is what about the opposite?  What if IMdb DOES list the actor as appearing in certain episodes.  Does that mean that they will or could it be a fake out?  IMdb list Alison Wright as appearing in ALL of the remaining episodes this season.  Is this accurate?  Could she be in a dream sequence? Or does she survive to the last episode.  How is that possible?  Just wondering.   

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Umbelina

Umbelina

(edited)

Oh wow, I really hope that is true!

 

Glad to see we finally get a real KGB heavy hitter too, I wonder who the contact from CENTER is, and if he wants Philip's ass in Russia for a little talk (at the very least) as well as Martha?

 

I love this show.

Edited by Umbelina
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