One of the best new series in what was a pretty great year for new series, The Americans took the retro appeal of Mad Men and added the intrigue of a cold war spy thriller. The result could have been a mess. FX had not really dabbled in prestige dramas before, so there was a very real possibility that they had no idea what they were doing. As it turned out, though, the network that was smart enough to green light some pretty great comedies in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Louie also knows a good drama when they see it.
The Americans follows a couple of deep cover KGB agents as they live the lives of average American suburbanites, except they have a seemingly limitless supply of wigs and engage in all sorts of treasonous espionage. Their cover is so deep that even their own kids don’t know their secret identities, and no relationship is exempt from the fear and distrust that comes with being a spy, not even their own marriage. The show works not only as a spy thriller, but as a study of interpersonal relationships as well, as external forces are continuously exerting themselves upon the show’s two antiheroes and causing friction between them.
Not every series can hit the ground running in its first season like The Americans did. But hit the ground running it did, with a chase sequence set to Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk,” an audacious start and an indicator of some pretty strong music choices to follow (Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” notwithstanding). From there on out, the show remained extremely well-paced throughout its season, with very little filler getting in the way of its forward momentum. That’s a welcome relief for any TV show, and a good omen for the second season that is soon to come.
