''Sometimes it’s hard for people to say no to what we offer.''
Warning: Full spoilers for The Americans: Season 5 finale below.
The Americans season finale in some ways felt like a re-set of the past year – after all, we ended Season 4 with Philip and Elizabeth considering going back to Russia, and now we end Season 5 with them realizing that isn’t going to happen. Of course, the knowledge that next year is the final season hangs over this, as it’s hard not to worry that the decision to stay could end up leading to something terrible happening… even though taking Henry and Paige back to Russia could have also been disastrous. Really, there’s no good way out for this family at this point, which adds to the tension and tragedy of it all.
While Pasha ended up surviving his suicide attempt, there could be no more direct illustration of what a terrible life they’re living for Philip and Elizabeth than an innocent teenage boy nearly dying as the result of one of their assignments. I really like the depiction of Tuan here. It’s easy to write him off as a monster (he coldly called Philip and Elizabeth’s worry about Pasha’s survival “petty, bourgeois concerns”), but Elizabeth, in her scene alone with him, makes it clear she sees what he’s doing – the cold, compartmentalizing she herself was so good at for so long. But she also tells him he won’t make it without a partner, having learned from all of her time doing this job that Philip was a very necessary component, in oh-so many ways.
Timing-wise, Philip learning about Kimmy’s father’s promotion right as they are truly getting ready to leave America felt a bit convenient (it didn’t help that Kimmy so rarely appears on the show these days), but still was played very well – from Philip mulling over simply throwing the tape away and never mentioning it to anyone, to Elizabeth’s declaration that they must stay because of it, but that she wants Philip to stop doing any assignments but the one involving Kimmy, as she sees how broken he’s become by all of this.
Martha again popped up in the finale, and we got a glimmer of some potential happiness for her – as she was brought to see a group of orphans and it became clear Gabriel hoped she might decide to adopt one. Martha’s sad, desolate fate was particularly harsh, and it’s hard not to share in her smile when she realizes this could be something that could give her life meaning again. It’s also a nice off-screen moment for Gabriel, who – with nothing else to gain from Martha – truly seems to want to atone for some of the destruction the missions he participated in caused.
The Americans has always tried to give equal weight to both sides in this look at the spy vs. spy world of the Cold War, and it was very interesting to learn Stan, like the Jennings, wanted out – intending to stay an FBI agent, but transfer out of his department and get away from the manipulation that comes with his job.
Of course Renee began to work to talk him out of it, in an episode that made her look really, really suspicious in terms of the “is she a spy?” of it all. Basically, Stan and his neighbors the Jennings are now in the same place, wanting to stop doing this job, but finding themselves staying because there’s always some would-be important reason to do so… even as it’s tearing them apart inside. Stan finding out the truth about the Jennings, should it occur, would of course be a massive moment for The Americans in the final season (and the entire series), but would he be able to perhaps empathize with them more than ever if he did? We’ll find out next year if this comes to pass.
Some bullet points…
-We saw here that Paige’s training has still not made her anywhere an equal to Elizabeth still when it comes to her fighting skills, which feels realistic (even if there’s a more heightened version of this show one can imagine where she’s already a badass). Still, Paige seemed part scared, part hoping for a fight when she walked though one dangerous spot after another, including that parking lot she and Elizabeth were attacked in. And while she might not be ready for someone as formidable as her mom, she certainly can defend herself much more now.
-With the Jennings now resigned to staying in America, will Henry get to go to that boarding school after all?
-Evgheniya and Pasha are headed back to Russia, while Alexei is staying in America. But given how this show works, all three could still be a part of the story.
-I loved Alexei calling his guard to help with Pasha and how, in the midst of trying to save this boy’s life, it also was a big cause for concern for the Jennings, especially as the guy seemed to clock Philip as being off. Later, we were told those concerns were alleviated. But could that be another ticking time bomb?
-While Philip managed to avoid getting physical with Kimmy, he’s still being the creepy old guy with her and her friends, including one girl who was particularly flirty with him. His would-be farewell to Kimmy on the other hand was a sweet as he could make it, given the circumstances… but now of course it seems it wasn’t a true goodbye at all, and both he and us viewers will be seeing more of Kimmy and her dad in Season 6.
-Along with Elizabeth telling Philip they couldn’t leave, another standout, beautifully acted scene was Philip apologizing to Paige for not giving her a normal life.
The Verdict
The Americans season finale found Elizabeth and Philip finalizing their plans to finally return to Russia… only to find that their duty to their country would stop them from doing so after all. Season 5 felt a bit stretched out, in anticipation of the final season next year, but the finale still delivered some big, emotional moments, as we saw the panic to save Pasha, and actually got some some potential happiness (!) for Martha (!). Now let’s see if anyone else can find happiness in the final season, as difficult as that is to imagine right now.
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