The Americans: Season 8 2018

     The setting of these episodes is the Regan-era Cold War.  Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings have two children, Henry and Paige.  Elizabeth is a KGB agent and she is working on gathering information on the 1987 Summit in Washington DC with President Reagan and Russian President Gorbachev.  She is wearing a cyanide capsule around her neck because the FBI cannot interrogate her about her actions in DC.  Phillip was also a KGB agent but he has stopped working at this job and he is concentrating on the travel agency owned by the family.  Paige is going to college in DC and she has been trained by Elizabeth to also be a KGB agent.  Henry is away at college and he doesn’t know anything about his family ties to the KGB.  FBI agent Stan Beeman lives across the street from the Jennings and he’s beginning to be suspicious about their work at the travel agency.  Why would they leave town at Thanksgiving when Henry is home from school?  Why would travel agents come home late at night?

    There is a LOT of tension in this season and there is also the fact that this is the last season.  The series would not able to continue because things begin to change in Russia.  Phillip has started to see the Russian people want to be more like Americans but the KGB is stuck in their spy loop.  He begins talking to Elizabeth about she never questions her orders and she always follows through with any assignment.  The summit meetings in DC were about signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.  The framework for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was also on the agenda.  President Reagan attended the last Summit meeting in 1988 and it was held in Moscow.  In December of 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved.  

44 min, TV series, 2013-2018, Crime created by Joseph Weisberg with Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Keidrich Sellati, by Holly Taylor, Noah Emmerich, Costa Ronin, Lev Gorn, Margo Martindale, Frank Langella.

Note:  Imdb 8.3 out of 10, 96% critic 93% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon averages for season 1-7, 3.9* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in New York City, New York.  The creator, Joseph Weisberg worked in the CIA during 1990 to 1994.  All of his scripts were required to go before the CIA Publications Review Board.  In 2014, Russell and Rhys became a couple in their real lives.  They have a son Sam and Keri has a son and daughter from a previous marriage.  Oliver North, famous for his role in the Iran-Contra affair is a fan of this show.  He helped consult on historical accuracy in some episodes.   Noah Emmerich initially turned down his role because he felt he had done enough law enforcement roles but director Gavin O’Connor convinced him to take a second look.