This episode contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Andor."
You may have noticed by now how the highest praise for "Andor" stems from the idea of how little it actually feels like "Star Wars." Gone are any Force powers and lightsabers and endearing (but slightly whiny) protagonists embarking on hero's journeys. In their place, we have downright offbeat stories about complex characters, life-or-death stakes, and tragic ends, all in service of how revolutions are necessary to topple fascism -- and all told with impressive clarity and purpose in a way that few "Star Wars" shows (and even movies!) have managed to accomplish.
Much of that is due to the influence of creator and writer Tony Gilroy, the main architect behind the reshoots that helped salvage "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." But credit also goes to the murderer's row of talent that have contributed to the story along the way.
You may have noticed by now how the highest praise for "Andor" stems from the idea of how little it actually feels like "Star Wars." Gone are any Force powers and lightsabers and endearing (but slightly whiny) protagonists embarking on hero's journeys. In their place, we have downright offbeat stories about complex characters, life-or-death stakes, and tragic ends, all in service of how revolutions are necessary to topple fascism -- and all told with impressive clarity and purpose in a way that few "Star Wars" shows (and even movies!) have managed to accomplish.
Much of that is due to the influence of creator and writer Tony Gilroy, the main architect behind the reshoots that helped salvage "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." But credit also goes to the murderer's row of talent that have contributed to the story along the way.
- 10/19/2022
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
It’s close to Mother’s Day again, and we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the most memorable moms of television. We’re not remembering the Carol Bradys and June Cleavers from idyllic TV land, but those moms who made us gasp and say, “no, she didn’t!”
There are many TV moms we have come to love over the years, but there are just as many who have been so much fun to love to hate. There’s those moms who are a little off balance themselves, and raise kids who turn into psychopaths. Norman Bates, Tony Soprano and Tate Langdon all committed acts which are the result of mind games from mommie dearest. With “The Sopranos,” how about trying to have a son knocked off in the very first episode?
SEE40 best TV mothers; greatest moms ranked
Then there are those moms who actually love their kids,...
There are many TV moms we have come to love over the years, but there are just as many who have been so much fun to love to hate. There’s those moms who are a little off balance themselves, and raise kids who turn into psychopaths. Norman Bates, Tony Soprano and Tate Langdon all committed acts which are the result of mind games from mommie dearest. With “The Sopranos,” how about trying to have a son knocked off in the very first episode?
SEE40 best TV mothers; greatest moms ranked
Then there are those moms who actually love their kids,...
- 5/8/2021
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It’s close to Mother’s Day again, and we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the most memorable moms of television. We’re not remembering the Carol Bradys and June Cleavers from idyllic TV land, but those moms who made us gasp and say, “no, she didn’t!”
There are many TV moms we have come to love over the years, but there are just as many who have been so much fun to love to hate. There’s those moms who are a little off balance themselves, and raise kids who turn into psychopaths. Norman Bates, Tony Soprano and Tate Langdon all committed acts which are the result of mind games from mommie dearest. With “The Sopranos,” how about trying to have a son knocked off in the very first episode?
Then there are those moms who actually love their kids, but their...
There are many TV moms we have come to love over the years, but there are just as many who have been so much fun to love to hate. There’s those moms who are a little off balance themselves, and raise kids who turn into psychopaths. Norman Bates, Tony Soprano and Tate Langdon all committed acts which are the result of mind games from mommie dearest. With “The Sopranos,” how about trying to have a son knocked off in the very first episode?
Then there are those moms who actually love their kids, but their...
- 5/6/2021
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Line of Duty is over, perhaps for good. It’s time to dismantle that evidence wall, file the exhibits away, and close the door on AC-12. With H unmasked, we can all rest our adrenal glands and get back to a healthy, Jimmy Nesbitt-free sleep pattern.
Once that’s achieved, if you start to feel the itch for more seismic shocks and sleights-of-hand, here are a few suggestions of what to watch next – eight TV thrillers that provide similar doses of double-dealing, truth-concealing, witness-squealing, case-breaking shenanigans. Add your own recommendations below!
Bodyguard
Bodyguard proved that there was life after the Red Wedding for Richard Madden. His performance as David Budd, a former combat soldier living a new – and equally dangerous – life as a Principal Protection Officer (Ppo) in the London Met deservedly netted him a Golden Globe and a Scottish Bafta award.
Budd’s job protecting the abrasive yet vulnerable...
Once that’s achieved, if you start to feel the itch for more seismic shocks and sleights-of-hand, here are a few suggestions of what to watch next – eight TV thrillers that provide similar doses of double-dealing, truth-concealing, witness-squealing, case-breaking shenanigans. Add your own recommendations below!
Bodyguard
Bodyguard proved that there was life after the Red Wedding for Richard Madden. His performance as David Budd, a former combat soldier living a new – and equally dangerous – life as a Principal Protection Officer (Ppo) in the London Met deservedly netted him a Golden Globe and a Scottish Bafta award.
Budd’s job protecting the abrasive yet vulnerable...
- 5/4/2021
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
1. “The Crown”
Why Should I Watch? Hoo boy, where to start? “The Crown” remains one of television’s most consistent awards contenders, as well as one of Netflix’s most striking accomplishments of the prestige TV era. Magnificent craft work and commanding performances come together each and every season to earn your attention, even if you’re not a costumes junkie or Royals devotee. Season 4 adds an additional point of intrigue with Gillian Anderson joining the cast as Margaret Thatcher, the U.K. Prime Minister from 1979 – 1990 who respectfully spars with Queen Elizabeth, probably over tea during their weekly meetings. Always meticulous and often affecting, “The Crown” Season 4 is set to be another regal experience like no other — no other you can have at home, at least.
Bonus Reason: But wait, there’s more! With Season 4 moving into the ’80s that means it’s time to introduce Diana Spencer — the future Princess of Wales,...
Why Should I Watch? Hoo boy, where to start? “The Crown” remains one of television’s most consistent awards contenders, as well as one of Netflix’s most striking accomplishments of the prestige TV era. Magnificent craft work and commanding performances come together each and every season to earn your attention, even if you’re not a costumes junkie or Royals devotee. Season 4 adds an additional point of intrigue with Gillian Anderson joining the cast as Margaret Thatcher, the U.K. Prime Minister from 1979 – 1990 who respectfully spars with Queen Elizabeth, probably over tea during their weekly meetings. Always meticulous and often affecting, “The Crown” Season 4 is set to be another regal experience like no other — no other you can have at home, at least.
Bonus Reason: But wait, there’s more! With Season 4 moving into the ’80s that means it’s time to introduce Diana Spencer — the future Princess of Wales,...
- 11/8/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
“Hair is everything,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag once famously declared, and we agree. Even fake hair, as it turns out.
Whether it’s due to flashbacks, a transformation into a historical figure, or (in one particular case) playing half a dozen clones, many of our favorite TV actors are actually wearing wigs when we see them on screen. Some of those wigs blend in seamlessly, to the point where we’re shocked to learn that’s not their real hair. (Did you know The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan is currently blonde in real life? It’s true!) Others,...
Whether it’s due to flashbacks, a transformation into a historical figure, or (in one particular case) playing half a dozen clones, many of our favorite TV actors are actually wearing wigs when we see them on screen. Some of those wigs blend in seamlessly, to the point where we’re shocked to learn that’s not their real hair. (Did you know The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan is currently blonde in real life? It’s true!) Others,...
- 3/15/2020
- TVLine.com
Michael Ahr Alec Bojalad Kayti Burt Mike Cecchini Nick Harley Delia Harrington Shamus Kelley Chris Longo Dec 31, 2019
You think picking the best TV shows of the 2010s was easy? Think again.
Throughout the span of this volatile decade, the entity known as television had a bit of an identity crisis. As the era of streaming began, more shows were available than ever before and on an increasingly diverse array of channels and technologies to boot. “TV” became something far beyond just the square box that sat in our living rooms.
But regardless of what you call it, television as a medium still blossomed during the 2010s. “Prestige” networks like FX, AMC, and HBO kept up the good work while new streaming options like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and eventually Disney+ sprouted up all around them. The CW successfully rebranded under the Arrowverse and teen-friendly melodramas like Riverdale. The final effect of...
You think picking the best TV shows of the 2010s was easy? Think again.
Throughout the span of this volatile decade, the entity known as television had a bit of an identity crisis. As the era of streaming began, more shows were available than ever before and on an increasingly diverse array of channels and technologies to boot. “TV” became something far beyond just the square box that sat in our living rooms.
But regardless of what you call it, television as a medium still blossomed during the 2010s. “Prestige” networks like FX, AMC, and HBO kept up the good work while new streaming options like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and eventually Disney+ sprouted up all around them. The CW successfully rebranded under the Arrowverse and teen-friendly melodramas like Riverdale. The final effect of...
- 12/30/2019
- Den of Geek
Who doesn't like to get transported to another time? The shows below are some of the best historical pieces on television, and definitely favorites.
Please remember that with have almost two dozen favorites lists that we couldn't showcase every show on every list, so we parsed them out a bit to make it more fun.
And these lists are not in any particular order. They're in the order the entries were received by TV Fanatic staff, so don't read into them!
To qualify, a show that began in another decade had to be airing during the decade, run a larger number of seasons from 2010 through 2019 if it started before 2010 or run the entire decade. Here we go!
Downton Abbey - PBS (2010-2015)
Regal. Opulent. Downton Abbey was the pinnacle of refined class mixed with cheeky British wit during its six seasons of the air.
The series followed the lives of...
Please remember that with have almost two dozen favorites lists that we couldn't showcase every show on every list, so we parsed them out a bit to make it more fun.
And these lists are not in any particular order. They're in the order the entries were received by TV Fanatic staff, so don't read into them!
To qualify, a show that began in another decade had to be airing during the decade, run a larger number of seasons from 2010 through 2019 if it started before 2010 or run the entire decade. Here we go!
Downton Abbey - PBS (2010-2015)
Regal. Opulent. Downton Abbey was the pinnacle of refined class mixed with cheeky British wit during its six seasons of the air.
The series followed the lives of...
- 12/30/2019
- by TV Fanatic Staff
- TVfanatic
Image Source: Walt Disney Studios
If you haven't kept a close eye on casting news, you might be wondering who plays Zorii in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Among all the new characters introduced in the movie, Zorii is especially intriguing: a criminal who shares a complicated history with Poe. Underneath her helmet, though, is an actress you definitely know: Keri Russell.
Russell is a longtime collaborator of director J.J. Abrams, having starred on his breakout dramedy Felicity from 1998 to 2002; she also had a role in the Abrams-directed Mission: Impossible III. More recently, she's best known for her Emmy-nominated leading performance on The Americans as Kgb spy Elizabeth Jennings. Ahead of her debut in the Star Wars universe, Russell actually worked with one of her future costars on Broadway: she and Adam Driver costarred in the revival of the play Burn This in the Spring of 2019.
We don't get...
If you haven't kept a close eye on casting news, you might be wondering who plays Zorii in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Among all the new characters introduced in the movie, Zorii is especially intriguing: a criminal who shares a complicated history with Poe. Underneath her helmet, though, is an actress you definitely know: Keri Russell.
Russell is a longtime collaborator of director J.J. Abrams, having starred on his breakout dramedy Felicity from 1998 to 2002; she also had a role in the Abrams-directed Mission: Impossible III. More recently, she's best known for her Emmy-nominated leading performance on The Americans as Kgb spy Elizabeth Jennings. Ahead of her debut in the Star Wars universe, Russell actually worked with one of her future costars on Broadway: she and Adam Driver costarred in the revival of the play Burn This in the Spring of 2019.
We don't get...
- 12/22/2019
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
Before this decade, the idea of a network dropping an entire season on one day was not a serious one. Episodes aired week to week, occasionally back to back, and so it went — until streaming services made clear that they were willing to tread a different path. Suddenly, it seemed, TV’s release calendar featured more and more shows releasing a slew of episodes all at once, banking on keeping the audience’s attention with “bingeworthy” content. While exciting at first, this shift eventually started to flatten seasons out in a way that kept episodes from shining in and of themselves. Assuming that a viewer would rather marathon a show than consume it sporadically, many shows leaned into interminably stretched narratives and a frustrating lack of urgency.
That’s why highlighting particularly great individual chapters of shows feels even more relevant for a retrospective of this decade in particular. It...
That’s why highlighting particularly great individual chapters of shows feels even more relevant for a retrospective of this decade in particular. It...
- 12/20/2019
- by Caroline Framke and Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
After an emotional finale that kept viewers on the edge of their seat, Superstore Season 5 Episode 1 made a simultaneously heartfelt and hysterical return.
Related: Ben Feldman Talks Cloud 9's Possible Union, "Simmosa," and Jonah's Storyline
Mateo is experiencing his greatest fear and is currently being detained in a detention center, while his friends are forced to return to work and keep all talk of a union under wraps.
If anyone doubted whether Superstore could pull off such an emotional storyline, they were proved wrong on Superstore Season 5 Episode 1.
The employees' candlelight vigil was a respectful way to honor Mateo, but when you have a cast of such ridiculous characters there's bound to be a few who don't understand how to handle the situation.
Related: TV Ratings Report: The Resident, This Is Us, and Empire Return Way Down
Marcus rolling up to the vigil with a grill and Mateo's friends...
Related: Ben Feldman Talks Cloud 9's Possible Union, "Simmosa," and Jonah's Storyline
Mateo is experiencing his greatest fear and is currently being detained in a detention center, while his friends are forced to return to work and keep all talk of a union under wraps.
If anyone doubted whether Superstore could pull off such an emotional storyline, they were proved wrong on Superstore Season 5 Episode 1.
The employees' candlelight vigil was a respectful way to honor Mateo, but when you have a cast of such ridiculous characters there's bound to be a few who don't understand how to handle the situation.
Related: TV Ratings Report: The Resident, This Is Us, and Empire Return Way Down
Marcus rolling up to the vigil with a grill and Mateo's friends...
- 9/27/2019
- by Rachel Foertsch
- TVfanatic
The numbers are in: This Broadway season broke attendance and box-office records (nearly $2 billion), which should really juice up the Tony Awards this year. Why? I’d call it Hollywood heat. Stars of movies, TV and YouTube converged on Broadway this year like never before. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) are duking it out with Harry Dunne, the diarrhea king from Dumb and Dumber (Jeff Daniels), for the drama prize as Best Actor. It took three actresses to play one Cher in The Cher Show. And...
- 6/4/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Joel Fields didn’t move very far in finding his next project after “The Americans,” staying with FX as an executive producer on the network’s upcoming Sam Rockwell-Michelle Williams drama “Fosse/Verdon.”
And though his new series centers on a male-female couple that have a very complicated relationship — which sounds an awful lot like his prior series — Fields noted one major difference compared to his former Cold War spy drama.
“More dancing, less killing,” Fields said Monday during the Television Critics Association press tour.
Also Read: John Landgraf Foresees 'Many More Cycles' of Ryan Murphy's 'Ahs' and 'American Crime Story' on FX
The upcoming limited series is about the creative and romantic partnership between choreographer/director Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon, starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams in the titular roles. Fields argued that, though the stakes are “not the quite the same in terms of life and death,...
And though his new series centers on a male-female couple that have a very complicated relationship — which sounds an awful lot like his prior series — Fields noted one major difference compared to his former Cold War spy drama.
“More dancing, less killing,” Fields said Monday during the Television Critics Association press tour.
Also Read: John Landgraf Foresees 'Many More Cycles' of Ryan Murphy's 'Ahs' and 'American Crime Story' on FX
The upcoming limited series is about the creative and romantic partnership between choreographer/director Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon, starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams in the titular roles. Fields argued that, though the stakes are “not the quite the same in terms of life and death,...
- 2/4/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Where else other than television can you find the very best entertainers all in one place?
When you look at our year-end slideshows, you'll be amazed at the incredible talent found on more networks than you can possibly watch in a lifetime.
Related: Enjoy Unlimited access to thousands of Movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video.
Sometimes it can be frustrating to have so much at hand, but when you're faced with such an abundance of riches, it's best to say thanks and move on to the next show.
What performances did you love this year? Hit the comments and share.
1. Sandra Oh/Jodie Comer - Killing Eve As the agent and the assassin, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are as essential to each other as Peanut Butter and Jelly. They're made Killing Eve what it is, and while they are outstanding in every moment on screen, they're perfect when opposite one another.
When you look at our year-end slideshows, you'll be amazed at the incredible talent found on more networks than you can possibly watch in a lifetime.
Related: Enjoy Unlimited access to thousands of Movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video.
Sometimes it can be frustrating to have so much at hand, but when you're faced with such an abundance of riches, it's best to say thanks and move on to the next show.
What performances did you love this year? Hit the comments and share.
1. Sandra Oh/Jodie Comer - Killing Eve As the agent and the assassin, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are as essential to each other as Peanut Butter and Jelly. They're made Killing Eve what it is, and while they are outstanding in every moment on screen, they're perfect when opposite one another.
- 12/30/2018
- by TV Fanatic Staff
- TVfanatic
Sneak Peek more new footage, plus images from the dramatic spy series "The Americans" - Season 6, set during the 1980's, starring Keri Russell ('Elizabeth Jennings') and Matthew Rhys ('Philip Jennings'), as two Soviet Kgb officers posing as an American married couple living in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.:
"This is what 'Elizabeth' has wanted for a long time," said series executive producer Joe Weisberg. "She’s getting to bring her kid 'Paige' (Holly Taylor) along and go out and work with her sometimes and do things with her. She sometimes makes mistakes and that’s a little worrisome, but other times Paige really does well and is successful and that feels great.
"Paige, as an American citizen, has a solid identity, so there’s no point in training Paige to do honey traps or commit murder. Elizabeth’s long game is to...
"This is what 'Elizabeth' has wanted for a long time," said series executive producer Joe Weisberg. "She’s getting to bring her kid 'Paige' (Holly Taylor) along and go out and work with her sometimes and do things with her. She sometimes makes mistakes and that’s a little worrisome, but other times Paige really does well and is successful and that feels great.
"Paige, as an American citizen, has a solid identity, so there’s no point in training Paige to do honey traps or commit murder. Elizabeth’s long game is to...
- 11/25/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Deutschland 83 debuted on Sundance in 2015, right in the middle of the run of The Americans, a couple of months after the end of that show’s third season. The story of an East German soldier recruited to go undercover in the West German military, it functioned as a tense and lively parallel narrative to what Philip and Elizabeth Jennings were doing back in the States.
The Americans concluded earlier this year, which makes the belated sequel to the other series, now called Deutschland 86, particularly welcome. The two shows...
The Americans concluded earlier this year, which makes the belated sequel to the other series, now called Deutschland 86, particularly welcome. The two shows...
- 10/24/2018
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
“The Americans” was never designed to win awards, and yet it still won two Monday night. Joe Weisberg’s FX drama sprang from the mind of an ex-CIA officer and was honed into a bonafide TV show by Joel Fields, a producer coming from “Rizzoli & Isles” and Courtney Cox’s “Dirt.” Nothing against those series, but little about the partnership — or the series’ overall inception — shouted “awards bait.”
Instead, their unique blend of a spy thriller and family drama was simply the best show it could possibly be. Anyone saying they knew it would be this good — an AFI, TCA, Writers Guild, and Peabody Award-winning drama that consistently ranked among TV critics’ best-of-the-year picks — would have to have an actor on par with Keri Russell to get through the sentence with a straight face. But after six seasons, it’s hard to dispute where the series will fall in TV history: a surefire,...
Instead, their unique blend of a spy thriller and family drama was simply the best show it could possibly be. Anyone saying they knew it would be this good — an AFI, TCA, Writers Guild, and Peabody Award-winning drama that consistently ranked among TV critics’ best-of-the-year picks — would have to have an actor on par with Keri Russell to get through the sentence with a straight face. But after six seasons, it’s hard to dispute where the series will fall in TV history: a surefire,...
- 9/18/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Gold Derby predicted that Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) would easily win her second consecutive Emmy Award for Best Drama Actress, however Claire Foy (“The Crown”) stopped her at the finish line. Of Gold Derby’s 27 Emmy Experts from major media outlets, Foy was the pick of only two, giving her second-place odds of 8/1. Moss led with a whopping 18 Experts predicting her to win, resulting in leading 4/9 odds. Foy is TV’s reigning two-time SAG champ, so it really wasn’t a surprise to see her winning at the Emmys, particularly since she earned extra buzz from leaving Netflix’s regal drama along with the rest of the main stars in a massive re-casting ahead of Season 3.
See Emmys 2018: Here’s how I knew that Claire Foy (‘The Crown’) would crush Best Drama Actress
Moss plays June/Offred on Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a woman who...
See Emmys 2018: Here’s how I knew that Claire Foy (‘The Crown’) would crush Best Drama Actress
Moss plays June/Offred on Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a woman who...
- 9/18/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
We're making our picks and predictions simple for 2018. The full nominees' list for the categories listed below is in the order we think deserve the award. Those shows in italics indicate who we believe will take home the award even if we believe differently.
Surely you have your own list of picks and predictions, so let us know in the comments what shows and performers you are hoping take home a statuette and why they get your vote.
On to the show!
Drama Series
The Americans (FX)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Crown (Netflix)
Westworld (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
I'm going all in with The Americans for drama series even though the odds are currently on The Handmaid's Tale to win.
I want to believe that after six seasons of excellence, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences members will look...
Surely you have your own list of picks and predictions, so let us know in the comments what shows and performers you are hoping take home a statuette and why they get your vote.
On to the show!
Drama Series
The Americans (FX)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Crown (Netflix)
Westworld (HBO)
This Is Us (NBC)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
I'm going all in with The Americans for drama series even though the odds are currently on The Handmaid's Tale to win.
I want to believe that after six seasons of excellence, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences members will look...
- 9/17/2018
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Twenty-three of Gold Derby’s Emmy Experts from major media outlets have chimed in with their Best Drama Actress predictions, and Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) is the favorite to win her second consecutive Emmy. After losing six times for “Mad Men,” Moss now finds herself on a roll with the TV academy as she took home two trophies last year for acting in and producing “The Handmaid’s Tale.” While she’s the favorite with 15 Experts picking her to win, two other leading ladies have the support of 4 Experts apiece: Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”) and Keri Russell (“The Americans”). Talk about a nail-biter! Who do You think will win?
See 2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
The 15 Experts backing Moss are: Debra Birnbaum (Variety), Debbie Day (Rotten Tomatoes), Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Bonnie Fuller (Hollywood Life), Kelly Lawler (USA Today), Tom O...
See 2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
The 15 Experts backing Moss are: Debra Birnbaum (Variety), Debbie Day (Rotten Tomatoes), Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Bonnie Fuller (Hollywood Life), Kelly Lawler (USA Today), Tom O...
- 8/30/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
This story about “The Americans” first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine.
“The Americans” never intended to be so relevant to the current political climate. Somehow, though, real news intruded on the show about Russian spies in the U.S., with its sixth and final season playing out against daily news about jailed spy Maria Butina and Russian election interference.
It made a show set in the 1980s seem unnervingly timely, even though the period setting meant that the actors didn’t have to worry about adjusting to the nightly news.
“If it was a current show I think it would be more of a quandary for us,” said Keri Russell, who played one half of a husband-and-wife spy team with her real-life husband, Matthew Rhys. “Maybe we were lucky that it ended when it did, before people got too weary of hearing about it.
“The Americans” never intended to be so relevant to the current political climate. Somehow, though, real news intruded on the show about Russian spies in the U.S., with its sixth and final season playing out against daily news about jailed spy Maria Butina and Russian election interference.
It made a show set in the 1980s seem unnervingly timely, even though the period setting meant that the actors didn’t have to worry about adjusting to the nightly news.
“If it was a current show I think it would be more of a quandary for us,” said Keri Russell, who played one half of a husband-and-wife spy team with her real-life husband, Matthew Rhys. “Maybe we were lucky that it ended when it did, before people got too weary of hearing about it.
- 8/16/2018
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Matthew Rhys was “incredibly moved” when he read the script for “Start,” the finale episode of “The Americans.” “At that point I was tingling with anticipation. We’d invested six years of our lives, and we knew it was coming to an end, so on a personal level it was incredibly sad.” But he thought the payoff for Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Rhys and Keri Russell) was “a stroke of genius.” The Kgb spies escaped to Russia, “but they paid the ultimate price” by leaving their children behind. However, despite that cruel twist of fate, “it was an emancipation for Philip” to no longer have to live a lie. Watch our exclusive video interview with Rhys above.
Rhys was “incredibly nervous” for people to see the finale. He and the rest of the “Americans” team were on-hand for a special premiere of the last episode on May 30, and “to watch...
Rhys was “incredibly nervous” for people to see the finale. He and the rest of the “Americans” team were on-hand for a special premiere of the last episode on May 30, and “to watch...
- 8/16/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The series finale of FX's Cold War drama The Americans was full of emotional moments, including a tense face-off between Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) and their FBI agent neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), who'd just learned the true identity of his friends.
But watching the final episode of the show with an audience in L.A. at an event earlier this year, Rhys was surprised to hear chuckling near the end of the long scene.
"There was a big laugh at a particular moment that I didn't think was comedic ...
But watching the final episode of the show with an audience in L.A. at an event earlier this year, Rhys was surprised to hear chuckling near the end of the long scene.
"There was a big laugh at a particular moment that I didn't think was comedic ...
- 8/16/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Two past winners in the category, versus four past Emmy nominees trying to break into that exclusive club—including the first ever Asian contender here—make up the extremely competitive lineup for Drama Series Lead Actress this year. I could easily have seen slots go to Ozark’s Laura Linney or Maggie Gyllenhaal of The Deuce, or This Is Us star Mandy Moore after her exemplary season, but the field turned out to be simply too crowded. So can it be Keri Russell on her last season for The Americans, or Sandra Oh on her first for Killing Eve as upsets? Or will we crown Claire Foy’s exit as the Queen? Here’s the analysis…...
- 8/15/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Keri Russell is Broadway bound.
The award-winning actress is joining Adam Driver in the first Broadway revival of Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This.” Tony Award winner Michael Mayer will direct the show, which begins performances in March of 2019 at a theater yet to be announced.
“Burn This” is set in the ’80s and tells the story of four New Yorkers, whose lives are shaken up after a young dancer’s accidental death. Russell will play a modern dancer named Anna, and Driver will portray Pale, a hyperactive restaurant manager, who are brought together in wake of the tragedy. The rest of the cast will be announced shortly.
Russell, fresh off her third Emmy nomination for her role as Elizabeth Jennings in FX’s acclaimed drama “The Americans,” is returning to New York theater after making her off-Broadway stage debut in Neil Labute’s “Fat Pig.” She will appear next in...
The award-winning actress is joining Adam Driver in the first Broadway revival of Lanford Wilson’s “Burn This.” Tony Award winner Michael Mayer will direct the show, which begins performances in March of 2019 at a theater yet to be announced.
“Burn This” is set in the ’80s and tells the story of four New Yorkers, whose lives are shaken up after a young dancer’s accidental death. Russell will play a modern dancer named Anna, and Driver will portray Pale, a hyperactive restaurant manager, who are brought together in wake of the tragedy. The rest of the cast will be announced shortly.
Russell, fresh off her third Emmy nomination for her role as Elizabeth Jennings in FX’s acclaimed drama “The Americans,” is returning to New York theater after making her off-Broadway stage debut in Neil Labute’s “Fat Pig.” She will appear next in...
- 8/15/2018
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Blessed be the fruit… and this year’s Emmy category for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series is a blessedly fruitful one indeed.
The absolutely stacked six-nominee field is led by reigning champ Elisabeth Moss, who took home her first-ever Emmy win last year for her stunning work as oppressed handmaid June in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. But she’s got some formidable competition this year in the form of two ladies coming off their dramas’ final seasons: Keri Russell, as stone-faced spy Elizabeth Jennings in FX’s The Americans; and 2016 winner Tatiana Maslany, as a gaggle...
The absolutely stacked six-nominee field is led by reigning champ Elisabeth Moss, who took home her first-ever Emmy win last year for her stunning work as oppressed handmaid June in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. But she’s got some formidable competition this year in the form of two ladies coming off their dramas’ final seasons: Keri Russell, as stone-faced spy Elizabeth Jennings in FX’s The Americans; and 2016 winner Tatiana Maslany, as a gaggle...
- 8/14/2018
- TVLine.com
Actors and actresses may get most of the glory, but it truly does take a village to make a character come alive on screen. Departments including hair, makeup and costumes are crucial to building a backstory or offer Easter eggs to details that may not be deliberately stated in dialogue or viewed in facial expressions, as well as to provide performers crucial assistance in fleshing out a role.
For Keri Russell, nominated for her uptight, country-loyal heroine in FX’s spy drama “The Americans,” finding Elizabeth Jennings was easy because she was “always very finished,” and that said a lot about who she was. Russell credits makeup designer Lori Hicks with helping creating Elizabeth’s “exactness,” especially in such areas as dark, cat-like eyeliner, which acted as her “armor.”
However, in the show’s sixth and final season, the stress of running missions without the aid of her partner Philip...
For Keri Russell, nominated for her uptight, country-loyal heroine in FX’s spy drama “The Americans,” finding Elizabeth Jennings was easy because she was “always very finished,” and that said a lot about who she was. Russell credits makeup designer Lori Hicks with helping creating Elizabeth’s “exactness,” especially in such areas as dark, cat-like eyeliner, which acted as her “armor.”
However, in the show’s sixth and final season, the stress of running missions without the aid of her partner Philip...
- 8/13/2018
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
No Emmy category demonstrates the wealth of material on TV these days better than lead actress in a drama. The nominees run the gamut and voters have a near-impossible choice of parsing standout performances from actresses working at the top of their game in anything but cookie-cutter roles. In a field this competitive, any one of the nominees could pull it out because voting is likely to be dispersed. But as the clock ticks down to final voting, frontrunner status goes to Elisabeth Moss and Keri Russell.
The Case for Elisabeth Moss
As the reigning champ in the category, “The Handmaid’s Tale” star Elisabeth Moss is the one to beat. The tour-de-force performance that blew the industry away last year only became richer in season two, even if the Hulu series itself came in for some criticism in its sophomore session. The intensity of the storyline for Moss’ Offred...
The Case for Elisabeth Moss
As the reigning champ in the category, “The Handmaid’s Tale” star Elisabeth Moss is the one to beat. The tour-de-force performance that blew the industry away last year only became richer in season two, even if the Hulu series itself came in for some criticism in its sophomore session. The intensity of the storyline for Moss’ Offred...
- 8/13/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The drama series race at this year’s Emmys may lack for new blood, but don’t mistake that for an uninteresting field.
Two-time champion “Game of Thrones” is seeking a return to glory after a year of ineligibility, while “The Americans” is out for vindication, never having scored a major Emmy prize despite seasons of excellence. Meanwhile, five second-season series — all newcomers to the field in 2017 — jostle for position, with no one the clear favorite. “The Handmaid’s Tale” may be the defending Emmy champion, but, after a season that often frustrated viewers, it’s hardly a safe choice, not least when four other nominees all nailed their sophomore outings.
What’s impressive about the field is how neatly it seems to cover all the best of TV drama, old and new. “This Is Us” leans into its status as the sole broadcast drama by going self-consciously broad and bold with its emotionality,...
Two-time champion “Game of Thrones” is seeking a return to glory after a year of ineligibility, while “The Americans” is out for vindication, never having scored a major Emmy prize despite seasons of excellence. Meanwhile, five second-season series — all newcomers to the field in 2017 — jostle for position, with no one the clear favorite. “The Handmaid’s Tale” may be the defending Emmy champion, but, after a season that often frustrated viewers, it’s hardly a safe choice, not least when four other nominees all nailed their sophomore outings.
What’s impressive about the field is how neatly it seems to cover all the best of TV drama, old and new. “This Is Us” leans into its status as the sole broadcast drama by going self-consciously broad and bold with its emotionality,...
- 8/9/2018
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Earlier this month Keri Russell scored her third best drama actress Emmy nomination for her role as Elizabeth Jennings in FX's The Americans.
While she's yet to win a primetime TV trophy for her work in the Cold War drama, which aired its sixth and final season earlier this year, Russell has already had a memorable Emmys experience: She nearly missed the opening of last year's show after her driver went to the wrong location.
"I had to jump out of the car and walk in heels to this back area, which was like a parking lot,...
While she's yet to win a primetime TV trophy for her work in the Cold War drama, which aired its sixth and final season earlier this year, Russell has already had a memorable Emmys experience: She nearly missed the opening of last year's show after her driver went to the wrong location.
"I had to jump out of the car and walk in heels to this back area, which was like a parking lot,...
TV academy members have just a few weeks to watch all of the Emmy episode submissions for the 2018 nominees before final voting takes place August 13-27. Which of this year’s Best Drama Actress contenders has submitted the strongest episode: Claire Foy (“The Crown”), Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”), Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”), Keri Russell (“The Americans”) or Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)? You be the judge! Below, we list the nominees’ episode descriptions and provide links for where you can watch all of the submissions online.
SEE2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
Claire Foy (“The Crown”) as Queen Elizabeth II
Episode: “Dear Mrs. Kennedy”
Airdate: December 8, 2017
Description: Queen Elizabeth II and Jackie Kennedy (Jodi Balfour) take a private tour of Buckingham Palace. They commiserate over their shared dislike of the media spotlight and love of puppies. The queen...
SEE2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
Claire Foy (“The Crown”) as Queen Elizabeth II
Episode: “Dear Mrs. Kennedy”
Airdate: December 8, 2017
Description: Queen Elizabeth II and Jackie Kennedy (Jodi Balfour) take a private tour of Buckingham Palace. They commiserate over their shared dislike of the media spotlight and love of puppies. The queen...
- 7/30/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Gold Derby can exclusively reveal that Keri Russell is entering “The Americans” episode “The Summit” as her Emmy submission for Best Drama Actress. This installment aired May 16 and was the eighth episode of the sixth and final season for the FX show.
In this segment, Soviet spy Elizabeth Jennings (Russell) has been posing as a nurse to a terminal woman. When her husband fails to help her commit suicide, Elizabeth must finish the job. She has been using a young governmental worker to bug his boss’ office. When he figures out her plan, he confronts her in the car. She could kill him off but lets him go instead.
SEE2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
It’s the third consecutive nomination at the Emmys for Russell in this role. For the 2018 ceremony, she faces off against reigning champ Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s...
In this segment, Soviet spy Elizabeth Jennings (Russell) has been posing as a nurse to a terminal woman. When her husband fails to help her commit suicide, Elizabeth must finish the job. She has been using a young governmental worker to bug his boss’ office. When he figures out her plan, he confronts her in the car. She could kill him off but lets him go instead.
SEE2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
It’s the third consecutive nomination at the Emmys for Russell in this role. For the 2018 ceremony, she faces off against reigning champ Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s...
- 7/24/2018
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Gold Derby’s Emmy Experts from major media outlets are nearly unanimous that Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) will win her second consecutive trophy for Best Drama Actress. While 10 Experts pick Moss to repeat, two of them — Eric Deggans (NPR) and Matthew Jacobs (HuffPo) — instead forecast an upset by Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”). The last of our 13 pundits is Ben Travers (Indiewire), who goes rogue in predicting Keri Russell will win her first Emmy for her last season of “The Americans.”
See 2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
The 10 Experts backing Moss are: Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Chris Harnick (E), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Robert Rorke (New York Post), Matt Roush (TV Guide Magazine), Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Ken Tucker (Yahoo), Adnan Virk (ESPN) and Glenn Whipp (La Times). Moss plays June/Offred on the Hulu hit, a woman...
See 2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards
The 10 Experts backing Moss are: Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Chris Harnick (E), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby), Robert Rorke (New York Post), Matt Roush (TV Guide Magazine), Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Ken Tucker (Yahoo), Adnan Virk (ESPN) and Glenn Whipp (La Times). Moss plays June/Offred on the Hulu hit, a woman...
- 7/24/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Much like the heartbreaking but hopeful finale, “Americans” fans are feeling a lot of mixed emotions post-Emmy nominations. On the positive side of things, the FX drama snagged key nods for Outstanding Drama Series, and its two leads — Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell — snagged their third nominations in a row, for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Drama Series, respectively.
Co-showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg even landed a critical writing nod, but that was it. Noah Emmerich, Margo Martindale, Holly Taylor, director Chris Long, and so many others went home empty-handed, as “The Americans” snagged just four nominations in 2018; that’s the same as it pulled in a year ago, when it missed out on Outstanding Drama Series, and one nod below its highest ever (five in 2016).
Many prognosticators were predicting more. In its final year, coming off rave reviews and a buzzy series finale, some thought “The Americans...
Co-showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg even landed a critical writing nod, but that was it. Noah Emmerich, Margo Martindale, Holly Taylor, director Chris Long, and so many others went home empty-handed, as “The Americans” snagged just four nominations in 2018; that’s the same as it pulled in a year ago, when it missed out on Outstanding Drama Series, and one nod below its highest ever (five in 2016).
Many prognosticators were predicting more. In its final year, coming off rave reviews and a buzzy series finale, some thought “The Americans...
- 7/12/2018
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
After being largely ignored by the Television Academy through most of its six season run, the Cold War era FX spy series The Americans jtoday finally felt a warm embrace, with four nominations in major categories.
It isn’t often that a show so inexplicably forgotten by the Academy during its run gets so many nominations when it is all over. The Americans is an exception, nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Actor for Matthew Rhys, Best Actress for Keri Russell, and Outstanding Writing for executive producers Joel Fields and creator Joseph Weisberg for Start, the widely acclaimed series finale.
“Speaking for the cast, the crew, the producers and directors, and what the heck, we’ll speak for the network and studio, too, it’s hard to move on after six years working on this show that we’ve loved so much,” said Fields and Weisberg. “But this wonderful recognition...
It isn’t often that a show so inexplicably forgotten by the Academy during its run gets so many nominations when it is all over. The Americans is an exception, nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Actor for Matthew Rhys, Best Actress for Keri Russell, and Outstanding Writing for executive producers Joel Fields and creator Joseph Weisberg for Start, the widely acclaimed series finale.
“Speaking for the cast, the crew, the producers and directors, and what the heck, we’ll speak for the network and studio, too, it’s hard to move on after six years working on this show that we’ve loved so much,” said Fields and Weisberg. “But this wonderful recognition...
- 7/12/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with complete list of nominees: The 70th annual Emmy Awards nominations were announced this morning at the TV Academy’s home base in North Hollywood, with HBO’s epic Game of Thrones leading the way with the most noms with 22 including in the marquee Best Drama race, followed by NBC’s Saturday Night Live and HBO’s Westworld with 21 apiece.
Netflix led the away among networks with 112 total noms, followed by HBO (108) and NBC (78).
The top categories, repping the best television of the year in 122 total primetime and creative arts categories, was announced by The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Samira Wiley and New Amsterdam’s Ryan Eggold.
After this morning’s unveiling, final Emmy voting gets underway August 13 and concludes August 27. The Creative Arts Awards this year are September 8-9, with the Primetime Emmy Awards set for Monday, September 17 at 8 Pm Et/5 Pm Pt at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Netflix led the away among networks with 112 total noms, followed by HBO (108) and NBC (78).
The top categories, repping the best television of the year in 122 total primetime and creative arts categories, was announced by The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Samira Wiley and New Amsterdam’s Ryan Eggold.
After this morning’s unveiling, final Emmy voting gets underway August 13 and concludes August 27. The Creative Arts Awards this year are September 8-9, with the Primetime Emmy Awards set for Monday, September 17 at 8 Pm Et/5 Pm Pt at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
- 7/12/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
FX’s Cold War drama The Americans, which tells the story of Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) and their FBI agent neighbor Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), for six seasons mined the tension in seemingly mundane interactions. So it’s fitting that on a frigid Jan. 18 on the White Plains, New York, street that stands in for the show’s Falls Church, Virginia, neighborhood, the scenes being filmed consist of everyday conversations packed with meaning.
On the back porch of one of several look-alike homes used as the exterior of the Jennings’ house, Elizabeth is ...
On the back porch of one of several look-alike homes used as the exterior of the Jennings’ house, Elizabeth is ...
- 6/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“The Americans” signed off on May 30 after six seasons of critically acclaimed drama following the lives of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell), deep-cover Kgb agents conspiring against the United States in the last years of the Cold War. The finale episode, “Start,” brought much of the story full-circle while leaving tantalizing questions about the fates of other characters. Our forum posters were “in awe” of the episode, and our readers who responded to our poll overwhelmingly thought the finale was “brilliant” and deserves “Emmys all around!” Scroll down for the complete poll results at the bottom of this post.
See‘The Americans’ Emmy Fyc event: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich and more chat sizzling hot series finale [Red Carpet Interviews]
More than three-quarters of our readers (76%) think the episode deserves to win Emmys. Another 17% feel it was good enough for nominations, but not wins. Only 7% think the episode deserved no Emmys at all.
See‘The Americans’ Emmy Fyc event: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich and more chat sizzling hot series finale [Red Carpet Interviews]
More than three-quarters of our readers (76%) think the episode deserves to win Emmys. Another 17% feel it was good enough for nominations, but not wins. Only 7% think the episode deserved no Emmys at all.
- 6/1/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Network: FXEpisodes: 75 (hour)Seasons: SixTV show dates: January 30, 2013 -- May 30, 2018Series status: EndedPerformers include: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Maximiliano Hernández, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, Noah Emmerich, Margo Martindale, and Richard Thomas.TV show description: This period drama takes place in the early 1980s, shortly after Ronald Reagan was elected President.Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) are a pair of Kgb spies who live in a suburb of Washington DC. They are married and have two children -- 13-year-old Paige (Holly Taylor) and 10-year-old Henry (Keidrich Sellati) -- who have no idea about their parents' secret identities.Read More…...
- 5/31/2018
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched the series finale of “The Americans” that aired on Thursday.
The cast and crew of “The Americans” spent 13 hours filming one climactic finale moment that was nearly six years in the making.
“We were nervous that we were never going to get it because, really, the whole finale — therefore the whole series — depended on it working,” said Joe Weisberg, one of the showrunners. “If it wasn’t believable … we were screwed.”
During Wednesday’s screening of the series finale and Fyc panel, moderated by Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton, Weisberg and the rest of the “Americans” team discussed the show’s ending at length — particularly a scene in which FBI agent Stan Beeman, played by Noah Emmerich, holds his longtime friends, the Jennings, at gunpoint after finally discovering that they are Russian spies.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure on that scene,...
The cast and crew of “The Americans” spent 13 hours filming one climactic finale moment that was nearly six years in the making.
“We were nervous that we were never going to get it because, really, the whole finale — therefore the whole series — depended on it working,” said Joe Weisberg, one of the showrunners. “If it wasn’t believable … we were screwed.”
During Wednesday’s screening of the series finale and Fyc panel, moderated by Variety‘s Cynthia Littleton, Weisberg and the rest of the “Americans” team discussed the show’s ending at length — particularly a scene in which FBI agent Stan Beeman, played by Noah Emmerich, holds his longtime friends, the Jennings, at gunpoint after finally discovering that they are Russian spies.
“There was definitely a lot of pressure on that scene,...
- 5/31/2018
- by Christi Carras
- Variety Film + TV
With all due respect to my mother, I was raised by sitcom moms. A latchkey kid, I grew up in front of the television (small wonder I ended up with this job), and with my own mother working full-time, I soaked up the attention of Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Cunningham and Mrs. Cleaver as soon as I got home from school.
I was fascinated by the idea of a mother who would have milk and cookies waiting for me, or would braid my hair while helping me with my homework.
But that was a fantasy — and as I got older, I realized those moms I idealized were pretty much fantasies, too.
Thanks to the new golden age of TV, those perfect sitcom moms of the ’70s and ’80s have been banished in favor of a slew of more realistic on-screen mothers who are messy, flawed — and far more human. What a relief!
I was fascinated by the idea of a mother who would have milk and cookies waiting for me, or would braid my hair while helping me with my homework.
But that was a fantasy — and as I got older, I realized those moms I idealized were pretty much fantasies, too.
Thanks to the new golden age of TV, those perfect sitcom moms of the ’70s and ’80s have been banished in favor of a slew of more realistic on-screen mothers who are messy, flawed — and far more human. What a relief!
- 5/31/2018
- by Debra Birnbaum
- Variety Film + TV
Move over, James Bond! Spies of the female persuasion have been dominating the small screen since the 1960s. International women of mystery have taken on many forms, from foreign operatives to inter-dimensional moles. Whether taking down evil regimes or unwittingly working for the enemy, chasing international assassins or joining the family business, gutsy gals get the work done. Is your dream life filled with espionage and intrigue? Live vicariously through TV's top female spies and secret agents. 1. Elizabeth Jennings (The Americans) For six seasons, we've watched Elizabeth Jennings, a Kgb operative under deep cover in 1980s America. She's been willing to do whatever it takes to help Mother Russia, like having kids with her partner, Philip, or ending the lives of those who stand in the way of her mission. With the series finale on the horizon and an end to the Cold War in sight, viewers can't wait to...
- 5/31/2018
- by Melissa Girimonte
- TVfanatic
(Warning, comrades: The following classified document contains spoilers for the series finale of The Americans.)
After six seasons and 75 episodes, one of the best spy thrillers in TV history aired its last chapter – not with one last eruption of violence, but with an ending more muted and melancholy. Back in 2013, FX's The Americans opened its story at the dawn of the Reagan era, following a pair of undercover Kgb agents, masquerading as married D.C. yuppies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. The series closed with the rise of Gorbachev and...
After six seasons and 75 episodes, one of the best spy thrillers in TV history aired its last chapter – not with one last eruption of violence, but with an ending more muted and melancholy. Back in 2013, FX's The Americans opened its story at the dawn of the Reagan era, following a pair of undercover Kgb agents, masquerading as married D.C. yuppies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. The series closed with the rise of Gorbachev and...
- 5/31/2018
- Rollingstone.com
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched the series finale of “The Americans” that aired May 30.
FX’s period spy drama “The Americans” has officially come to an end. And while the audience may not be as used to it yet as Keri Russell’s stoic Elizabeth Jennings, there are a couple guys who are thrilled with how it all turned out: co-showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields.
“We test drove almost every ending you could imagine,” Fields says, noting that that did include versions that would have killed off some main characters. But this version, which the writers and producers came up with somewhere around the end of the first and beginning of the second seasons, “felt right” and “never shifted even as we moved forward toward it,” he continues.
For Fields and Weisberg, it was a no-brainer to have McDonald’s be the Jenningses’ final meal in America.
FX’s period spy drama “The Americans” has officially come to an end. And while the audience may not be as used to it yet as Keri Russell’s stoic Elizabeth Jennings, there are a couple guys who are thrilled with how it all turned out: co-showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields.
“We test drove almost every ending you could imagine,” Fields says, noting that that did include versions that would have killed off some main characters. But this version, which the writers and producers came up with somewhere around the end of the first and beginning of the second seasons, “felt right” and “never shifted even as we moved forward toward it,” he continues.
For Fields and Weisberg, it was a no-brainer to have McDonald’s be the Jenningses’ final meal in America.
- 5/31/2018
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
FX‘s “The Americans” came to a close on Wednesday night, May 30, after six seasons of espionage. But what did you think of the ending? The series finale, titled “Start,” was written by showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg and directed by Chris Long. Do they deserve Emmys? Scroll down to vote in our poll at the bottom of this post. (Spoilers Follow)
By the end of the series the walls were closing in on Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell), two Kgb spies who have been working undercover in the United States for decades as mild-mannered travel agents. Their neighbor and friend, FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), finally deduced that they were the Russian “illegals” he had been investigating for years, leading to a confrontation between Stan and the Jennings clan as they prepared to escape to Russia with their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor).
But...
By the end of the series the walls were closing in on Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell), two Kgb spies who have been working undercover in the United States for decades as mild-mannered travel agents. Their neighbor and friend, FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), finally deduced that they were the Russian “illegals” he had been investigating for years, leading to a confrontation between Stan and the Jennings clan as they prepared to escape to Russia with their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor).
But...
- 5/31/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Spoiler Alert: Do not read until you’ve watched the series finale of “The Americans.”
From the beginning, “The Americans” was a show about two people trying to pull off a balancing act at a precarious time in history — playing at being a typical suburban family while maintaining a complicated loyalty to the Ussr. In the show’s final episode, the ruse fell apart — and, in a twist, Mother Russia won out over real-life family ties. Philip and Elizabeth Jennings managed to survive the episode by fleeing back home to a Russia they barely recognize, in the process abandoning their son and getting abandoned by their daughter. That they survived a show that seemed set on killing them surely surprised many fans; that the final moments we share with them is spent in grim contemplation of a life of isolation and regret was, in the end, no surprise at all.
From the beginning, “The Americans” was a show about two people trying to pull off a balancing act at a precarious time in history — playing at being a typical suburban family while maintaining a complicated loyalty to the Ussr. In the show’s final episode, the ruse fell apart — and, in a twist, Mother Russia won out over real-life family ties. Philip and Elizabeth Jennings managed to survive the episode by fleeing back home to a Russia they barely recognize, in the process abandoning their son and getting abandoned by their daughter. That they survived a show that seemed set on killing them surely surprised many fans; that the final moments we share with them is spent in grim contemplation of a life of isolation and regret was, in the end, no surprise at all.
- 5/31/2018
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
[This story contains spoilers from the series finale of The Americans]
Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) left the United States and returned to their native Russia in the series finale of The Americans on Wednesday night.
But in a tragic twist, the Russian spies, who'd spent years posing as an American couple living outside of Washington, D.C., had to leave their children behind. The pair early on made the decision to let their son, Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who didn't know his parents' true identities, stay in the U.S. But eldest child Paige (Holly Taylor),...
Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) left the United States and returned to their native Russia in the series finale of The Americans on Wednesday night.
But in a tragic twist, the Russian spies, who'd spent years posing as an American couple living outside of Washington, D.C., had to leave their children behind. The pair early on made the decision to let their son, Henry (Keidrich Sellati), who didn't know his parents' true identities, stay in the U.S. But eldest child Paige (Holly Taylor),...
- 5/31/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
With only one episode left for “The Americans,” there are still a couple of key questions lingering — namely how Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) could be good at covering their spy tracks day-to-day but overlook the importance of loading dummy information into a government system.
After all, when FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) hoped he’d lay his suspicions about his best friends and neighbors to rest and typed their names into his FBI database, what he found not only cause him anxiety but also caused the audience the same.
Is the jig finally up for FX’s favorite covert Russian ops?
Ahead of the series finale, Emmerich talks with Variety about his character’s role in the Jenningses’ predicament, weighs in on the Russian who is currently in Stan’s clutches (Costa Ronin’s Oleg) and reflects on some other characters in the Jennings-Beeman...
After all, when FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) hoped he’d lay his suspicions about his best friends and neighbors to rest and typed their names into his FBI database, what he found not only cause him anxiety but also caused the audience the same.
Is the jig finally up for FX’s favorite covert Russian ops?
Ahead of the series finale, Emmerich talks with Variety about his character’s role in the Jenningses’ predicament, weighs in on the Russian who is currently in Stan’s clutches (Costa Ronin’s Oleg) and reflects on some other characters in the Jennings-Beeman...
- 5/29/2018
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
So much comes down to The Americans Season 6 Episode 9, and when reactions don't meet expectations, it's enough to drive someone insane.
Sure enough, that someone is me, the Soviet sympathizer.
I'll blame it on my heritage, but after six seasons, The Americans swayed me toward the other side.
It would have been difficult to explain that Communism isn't my cup of tea to people who didn't understand the nuances of what was happening behind the Soviet curtain, though. That much is clear by watching the penultimate episode of The Americans.
Before getting further into that, let's take a minute to realize there is only one more time to hear the theme music with new content to follow. There is only one more time you can sit eagerly on the edge of your couch waiting for the end note of what is the Jennings' lives to play out on television.
Related:...
Sure enough, that someone is me, the Soviet sympathizer.
I'll blame it on my heritage, but after six seasons, The Americans swayed me toward the other side.
It would have been difficult to explain that Communism isn't my cup of tea to people who didn't understand the nuances of what was happening behind the Soviet curtain, though. That much is clear by watching the penultimate episode of The Americans.
Before getting further into that, let's take a minute to realize there is only one more time to hear the theme music with new content to follow. There is only one more time you can sit eagerly on the edge of your couch waiting for the end note of what is the Jennings' lives to play out on television.
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- 5/24/2018
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
“It’s very emotional,” admits composer Nathan Barr about scoring the final episodes of “The Americans.” The FX series about two Russian spies (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) posing as American couple Philip and Elizabeth Jennings while the Cold War is coming to an end with its current sixth season. The veteran tunesmith had a tough time “saying goodbye to these people — fictional or not — who I’ve spent a lot of time with over the past six years. It’s very sad to see it end.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Barr above.
See Will ‘The Americans’ make an Emmy comeback for Best Drama Series like ‘Homeland’ did?
For the final season, Barr’s main objective was “maintaining the thread that we’ve created from the beginning. I don’t think we needed to do anything too differently, even though things are changing rapidly in these characters as...
See Will ‘The Americans’ make an Emmy comeback for Best Drama Series like ‘Homeland’ did?
For the final season, Barr’s main objective was “maintaining the thread that we’ve created from the beginning. I don’t think we needed to do anything too differently, even though things are changing rapidly in these characters as...
- 5/23/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
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