MovieChat Forums > The Americans (2013) Discussion > thoughts on the series finale

thoughts on the series finale

posted 6 years ago by dr4sight (8)
5 replies | jump to latest

Just finished watching the last episode of this outstanding series. I must say that it wrapped up far differently than I thought.
I was certain one or more of the main characters would not make it out alive. Whether it was Stan killing one or more of the Jennings or one of them killing Stan I would have bet that that would have been part of the finale.
The scene that troubles me was the long confrontation in the garage.
Despite how conflicted Stan had to be I fully expected him to arrest the three of them. With his knowing how many deaths Philip and Elizabeth were responsible for I can't believe he took no steps to assure himself that they were unarmed.
It's hard for me to buy that he would allow them to leave unimpeded since besides for bringing them to justice - after all that's his job - he had to know that once the FBI got its hands on them they could be a source of vital information on how the Soviet agents operate in the U.S.
If we were to speculate about what the next few months or years held we'd have to think that Paige, having decided to stay in the country, would likely have been captured. She would not have a ton of information to offer up but might she end up revealing what happened in the garage?
If so then Stan's career would be finished. There's no way he could remain in the bureau if they learn he let the three Soviet spies go after he had them held at gunpoint.
And Stan's girlfriend Renee. Was she KGB? I think different people will have a different opinion on that. Stan certainly acted like now he suspected she was. Her last glances at the Jennings' house as the feds emptied it out makes me think she was KGB.
I'll miss this series. It was just outstanding.

[–] Asolomi (5) 6 years ago

Very nice touch with Philip issuing a warning about Renee possibly being an agent. Did that f with Stan's head or what? I also liked that the writers didn't give us a clue as to her allegiances. Of the 3 (?) possible storylines (Violence, arrest, or escape to Mother Russia), I can't say with certainty which one of them would have made for the best ending, since I wasn't given the chance to see how the writers, with far more creativity and imagination than I could ever muster, would have written the other two endings. Losing their children did add a large degree of melancholy consistent with the show's vibe during its run tho. All in all, satisfying tho not great.

[–] bohemianroxie (2471) 6 years ago

Overall I liked the ending..
It's funny that I did kind of envision a scenario where Stan would somehow come to the aid of the Jennings or even the Jennings coming to the aid of Stan.. in some shape or form. I did think it might be in the form of a more violent exchange that might have involved Renee or some other KGB.
Maybe I'm one of the few not surprised that Stan would have difficulties and feel conflicted about actually arresting them when it came right down to it. I think he intended to when he went to confront them. He was understandably angry and felt betrayed..But Phillip coming out with more truths than lies, their years of closeness and his affection for Henry and the fact that Stan had become somewhat conflicted and troubled about some of the FBI's methods over the years, did make it seem feasible for me.
I think they knew they were busted if they laid down and didn't start talking with some semblance of the truth.
No one will ever know about Stan confronting them in that garage and letting them go...not an issue. Except for himself.
I feel bad for them all though.
Poor Oleg, in prison maybe forever for only trying to do the right thing. The most innocent of all; Henry...that will most likely be protected by Stan but still will probably never emotionally recover from his parents betrayal and abandonment (they did do the right thing) and the shame of the fallout.
Paige may have to live a life under another identity and keep track of Henry from afar...Despite her involvement she never really had a clue what was really involved in that life and was mislead that she was doing something good..Now she's lost the identity of both worlds and is all alone.
Stan will live the rest of his life feeling both betrayed and feeling guilt and shame for letting them go. But he probably would've felt worse if he hadn't. He also has to wonder about the authenticity of his own wife forever.
Phillip and Elizabeth.they got away but they've lost everything..

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

"Phillip and Elizabeth.they got away but they've lost everything."

They still have eachother and they raised their family. I think they feel pride for the self reliance of Paige and Henry.

All and all, a small price to pay for a life of murder and lies.

[–] bohemianroxie (2471) 6 years ago

I guess it may have to do with different perceptions but I think the cost of the lives they lead was pretty high.

They were recruited very young and committed to a cold war, which with its end justifies the means mentality more closely resembles terrorism. They were often required to do things that would break the less loyal and did sort of end up breaking Phillip and blinding Elizabeth. It was a stressful, chaotic way to live but they did manage to fall in love and raise a family and enjoy some of the freedoms that would've been denied them otherwise.
They have lost their family forever which turns out to be the most genuine thing they were ever involved in. Their children will always have to struggle because of them so the amount of pride they might feel will be limited to the knowledge that they never were able to put them first.
They have basically lost their identity as 90% of their adult life has been in America involved in a struggle that they must now question and live with the consequences of those choices. Phillip has already been struggling with this for awhile..Elizabeth has only began to consider things..
They are returning as civilians with no real identity to a country they no longer know and people they no longer know which is still undergoing an imminent forecast that will be pretty bleak for them and their future.

They had better love each other well because that's all they're going to have going for them. I don't foresee that the two of them will ever truly be happy. In a way I think their future is more tragic than if they'd been killed.

[–] winslow (1318) 6 years ago

A lot of times people have it in their heads how a certain thing will happen and how they will handle it, but when it actually happens, it goes down completely different from what they imagined. That's what happened with Stan. He was enraged and devastated, but he also realized on some level there was a genuine friendship and love for the family. And there were many moments through the years he knew were genuine. Philip was there for him when he was going through divorce, Henry was as much a son to him as his real son. Stan knew the expected move was for him to take them in, but in that moment, he didn't have the capacity to go through with it.