You know you've been watching The Americans too much when ...

[duVerre]

I know I've been watching The Americans too much when ....

I go to the doctor once a week to receive injections in my skull (to stop migraine). I'm a woman who has to wear a wig all day, so I arrive at the building wearing it and go directly to the washroom by the elevator to remove it. It's a routine now: I take the wig off, stow it in a bag, arrive at the doctor's, get injections, and return to the washroom--with the wig. So I stand there pinning my hair up (I don't have a lot of it), shaking out the wig and pulling it on, and another woman enters. She says, "nice wig!" I say, "Thanks!" And I'm really, really tempted to add, "And unfortunately ... now I have to shoot you." 

Edited June 2, 2018 by duVerre
spelling

[crgirl412]

Anything that I see online about the USSR I wonder if you all would like it?  Should I post it?  That kind of thing. 

[Razzberry]

You know you've been watching too much of The Americans when you take off on Thanksgiving with some lame excuse.

[SunnyBeBe]

You know you have been watching The Americans too much, when you inquire if your friends and acquaintances, also watch, and if they say no, you wonder what is wrong with them. 

[Trillian]

When you rush home from work on Wednesdays, have a shot of vodka, and play Communist music on YouTube while preparing Russian dishes, the recipes for which you pulled off the internet because they are unfamiliar to you. 

And then you wonder what watch list you’ve gotten yourself onto by playing Communist music on YouTube and googling Russian recipes.  Another shot of vodka to ease the anxiety caused by that thought. Rinse and repeat. 

Comrades, before all hell breaks loose on the Board tonight at 11:30, let me say it’s been an honour and a pleasure watching with you all and reading your amazing insights.

Спасибо. 

[jjj]

You know you are watching too much when the algorithms start providing you with adverts for an auction of Russian-flavoured items on your computer screen (never been to an auction in my life!):   

Edited May 30, 2018 by jjj

[Umbelina]

You know you are watching too much when:

• You did extensive research into the Russian side of WWII.
• Followed google earth maps in Russia along railway tracks to find remnants of Gulag buildings.
• Listened to hours of documentaries about people who were either imprisoned, management, or guards at Gulags.
• Renewed my former interest in spy novels with gusto, specifically Cold War spy novels written by real spies, but also modern spy novels and reading newa-stories about the current KGB (and I don't care what initials they use now.)
• Bought books on spy gadgetry.
• Follow the stories of the real life spies and their families that inspired this show.
• Read every single decent review about every episode.
• Own all the DVD's except last season's.

;~)

I'm so going to miss this show.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Umbelina
earth

[Avaleigh]

When you know you're going to cry during the finale no matter what happens because you're sad to say goodbye to these characters.

[lucindabelle]

When you wake up screaming she’s going to kill me!

[hellmouse]

You don't want to turn off the TV and go to bed because that means the show is truly over and you are not ready to accept that, so you watch the finale for a third time.

[Avaleigh]

When it's two days later and you still can't get U2's With or Without You out of your head.

[sistermagpie]

15 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

When it's two days later and you still can't get U2's With or Without You out of your head.

I'm still humming Don't Dream It's Over!

[Erin9]

When you’re on a road trip with a friend at night in the middle of nowhere and you find yourself thinking about Philip and Elizabeth’s drive at night in the middle of nowhere headed back home. What they thought, said, etc. 

Edited June 2, 2018 by Erin9

[SunnyBeBe]

17 hours ago, sistermagpie said:

I'm still humming Don't Dream It's Over!

I've become obsessed with that song.  It seems to stay in my head!  I didn't even care for it when it first came out. 

[sistermagpie]

13 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I've become obsessed with that song.  It seems to stay in my head!  I didn't even care for it when it first came out. 

Me neither! It's so funny that now I'm humming it all the time when I totally didn't then.

[Erin9]

18 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

When it's two days later and you still can't get U2's With or Without You out of your head.

I always associated that song with Friends. I think it’ll have a dual association with this show now. It was a brilliant and devestating choice.

This show picked some of the best music ever. Starting with Tusk in the pilot. 

[goodbunny]

When your spouse (who is a real life special agent with the FBI) sends you a text to tell you they'll be home late, and it reads: "I was hoping to make it home for dinner, but things are very topsy turvy at the office."

(I refrained from packing a bug out bag and heading for the border.)

[kokapetl]

When you do a surprising amount of research on wheat & corn cultivation, Soviet agricultural policies and Soviet economic policies relating to Soviet food supply, and also the post Soviet equivalents. 

[sistermagpie]

You're not that nervous about the medicine the dog's getting that requires a person to wear rubber gloves to make sure they don't touch it.

Until you realize it's...Chloramphenicol.

[Umbelina]

You really want to write personal letters to the reviewers the show runners liked best, and talk them into asking them about Philip's Gulag past and how he ended up there, and how he got out.

[SoMuchTV]

I just stayed for a couple days in an inn that's right next to the train tracks, and every time I saw the Amtrak pull away, I kept looking for Paige on the platform.

Edited June 4, 2018 by SoMuchTV
Typo, of course

[kokapetl]

When you have a dream in which forum members want to go thirds in buying Costa Ronin’s suit. 

Edited June 11, 2018 by Kokapetl

[kokapetl]

I watched 60 minutes of Atomic Blonde, and I couldn’t get past how the alleged superspy was such an aloof, sour and charmless person. Elizabeth Jennings has set a very high bar for how a successful fictional lady spy behaves (to me at least).

I also see clothes on the Internet and think, “Elizabeth Jennings would like those”.

[pinky33]

When they talk about the recent aborted rocket launch with the American and Russian aboard, you imagine if Philip and Elizabeth were somehow responsible for this behind the scenes.

Edited October 14, 2018 by pinky33

[topanga]

When you find out one of your co-workers is originally from Russia, and you grill her for 10 minuets on her impressions of the show. 

And when it dawns on you that your co-worker doesn’t have an accent at all, you think she would’ve been a great candidate for the spy program. 

[Umbelina]

When the USA pulls out of the nuclear treaty Elizabeth and Philip screw up their lives to protect, and your second thought is The Americans finale.

[sistermagpie]

You have no hot water in the morning for a shower and tough it out by pretending you're l'il Philip in Siberia.

[Umbelina]

You find yourself looking for similarities between Elizabeth Jennings and Maria Butina after she pleads guilty to espionage.  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/alleged-russian-operative-maria-butina-plead-guilty-help-prosecutors-n946526

Great clothes?  check

Lots of hair?  check

Lots of hair styles and colors?  check

Lots of different outfits?  check

Russian spy?  check

Guns?  check

Quite slim?  check

Pretty?  check

Uses both sex and guns in her work?  check

The hidden photo pose is a tad sexy, she also likes nice lingerie, as does our Elizabeth...

Spoiler

Also, when you google photos of her, guess who else comes up?  Yup, Elizabeth Jennings in sexy outfits.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Umbelina
added stuff

[kokapetl]

If you get this joke:

[AllyB]

When the Christmas radio station goes off the air and you realise that there is no point in turning on the 80s station to get in the mood for The Americans. The Americans anticipation has relieved me of my post Christmas blues for the last 6 years. This year it's just a bleak January. (Though I have saved Deutschland 86 as a substitute.)

[SunnyBeBe]

I know that I've watched the Americans too much when I saw this REAL story about Russians living in my friend's neighborhood and my first thought was, Wonder if they know Philip and Elizabeth?  lol  For a minute, I have to think it through.....lol  Still, this story really surprised me.  Apparently, these real Russians had an elaborate criminal enterprise going on, including murder for hire, right here in Raleigh, NC!

https://www.wral.com/two-more-charged-in-connection-with-fbi-raid-at-north-raleigh-mansion-/18059833/

 

https://www.wral.com/business-partner-in-russian-money-laundering-case-wife-appear-in-raleigh-federal-court/18139168/

Edited January 22, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[Umbelina]

When your 3rd thought when reading that the nuclear arms treaty is now kaput, is of The Americans...sigh

[Armchair Critic]

When you call people by their first and last name when talking to them (I noticed people from the Rezidentura would do that)

[sistermagpie]

1 hour ago, Armchair Critic said:

When you call people by their first and last name when talking to them (I noticed people from the Rezidentura would do that)

That's actually not their first and last name. It's their first name and their patronymic. Like Oleg's full name is Oleg Igorovich Burov and he's formally addressed as Oleg Igorovich, like Oleg, son of Ivan.

[duVerre]

When every time you hear the words "Mueller investigation," you imagine Noah Emmerich on the Russian detail. 

[AllyB]

So I'm seeing Jennings in disguise everywhere. Watching Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and every time Carol Anne Booth showed up I couldn't help but wonder exactly why Elizabeth was in disguise and what the KGB wanted from Ted Bundy. And in the trailers for Hot Zone and Rocketman I keep seeing Topher Grace and Taron Egerton as a disguised Philip.

[SunnyBeBe]

Okay.  Even though this show has been off the air for quite a while......I still thought of it, when I was recently at Paul McCartney concert and he did, "Back in the USSR!"  lol 

[ripple596]

I was doing a rewatch and watching a scene with Philip, Elizabeth, Stan & Renee and at first I couldn't figure out why they were there with them without disguises!