Season 4 of The Americans was never going to be an easy ride and somehow with each passing year the writers manage to crank up the tension to new extremes. With last season ending on Paige telling Pastor Tim where her parents are really from it looked like it might be curtains and a swift death for Paige’s mentor, but the easy option is not part of the plan on The Americans and Pastor Tim is very much alive and using his influence on Paige for at least one scene.
Paige at least has the manners to tell her mother that she is sorry. For exactly what we don’t know, but it is sure to be something that will put them all in danger.
Dilemmas and big decisions are flying all over the place and from all angles with Gabriel and Claudia pondering the next move for their assets and a sense of dread hangs over everything. Martha doesn’t appear like she is fairing too well after the wig removal revelation and she will have to deal with Philip’s bug in the pen solution. A solution that frames her colleague and staged his suicide in the process. This was Philip’s first kill of season 3 after such a huge body count the previous year and from this promo it looks like he won’t be staying murder free.
And what’s up with Philip getting shoved up against the wall by bestie Stan? Well I have a feeling this has nothing to do with Philip and Elizabeth’s actual occupation and more to do with Stan suspecting something is going on between Philip and his ex Sandra. This is where the conversation at EST from the finale comes into play and while that felt like a sorta tacked on scene at the time it will make a whole lot more sense if I my guess at this context pans out. Oh, Stan if only you could see what secret Philip was really keeping. I also can’t see Philip ever cheating on Elizabeth, well cheating that isn’t part of their work that is.
Shout out to the makeup team for the bags under Philip’s eyes and the exhausted/haunted look from Matthew Rhys as he asks Elizabeth if she wants to run.
Disguise wise there are some very familiar faces cropping up including Clark in both police sketch and IRL form with Clark’s sister Jennifer also coming out to play.
Basically everything is going to shit and I cannot wait to see how Philip and Elizabeth wiggle their way out of this one, while also attempting to get Paige back on side and keeping Henry in the dark (just give him that video game console he is after). They probably shouldn’t mention how many people they kill in this line of work and focus on the peace side of it all.
Watch the promo for season 4 below.
For a look at new disguises and the incredible season 4 key art head here and here. Plus watch showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields discussing The Americans as part of this WGA nominees panel.
The Americans returns Wednesday, March 16.
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