Would you succeed at a long term sleeper spy role? Cause I definitely would never be as talented as this hardcore pair. Here is my review of The Americans season 1, episode 1 – the “Pilot”.

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The Americans Review – “Pilot”


Felicity Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

Keri Russell in the role of Elizabeth is a confident, aggressive character. And we never really ever see Russell in roles like that, so this is such a refreshing change. She’s a bad ass in this series.

We’ve Got the Beat

You can never forget it’s the 80’s, especially because of the tubular 80’s fashion. I cringed when I saw Elizabeth wearing a leotard and high waisted jeans. But that’s how you know it’s on point. And can I ever talk about the TV show fashion without mentioning the hair?

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Well, I definitely can’t ignore the hair when Keri Russell’s hair looks like this. Spoiler: I love it. Yes, she had an infamous haircut back in the 90’s and blah blah blah. She’s simply got amazing hair in this series, so many kudos go to the hair stylist. I’m actually in a bit of a debate with my sister about whether or not there are hair extensions involved. Mind you, neither of us have done basic googling to affirm whether Russell’s hair has slowly become so long. That’d be cheating! Either way, a deep part and some work with a curling iron really transforms her hair into such a pristine position. And I like what the hair says about the character of Elizabeth. Even though she’s a suburban Mom, she’s first and foremost a no-nonsense spy that is very much in control. And you can read that by seeing how sleek her hair always is. It’s a very controlled hair style to have your hair sleek, perfect, and pulled back tightly. In fact, I’ve heard some call it the most Amish of hair styles. But I think it can be very posh. So, nyah to the naysayers.

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More Gushing in General…

The series has captivating shots and angles, and easily delivers the argument that TV can be just as good as a movie. During the pilot, there was a great reflective shot into a car window of Elizabeth. I think it’s more a matter of talent, not money, that makes these moments happen.

I’m incredibly curious to know how much training Keri Russell has done for this role. It’s a very physical one, she’s moving all around and whacking people around. I know she was involved in the action-y Mission Impossible III but (spoiler alert) died really fast in that.

And because I know I haven’t said it yet, Matthew Rhys is compelling and endearing in his role.

The Kids Are All Right

The kids in this series are super cute. The Ice Cream Olympics? Get out of here, you’re killing me with adorableness.

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A Marriage

Fascinating and sometimes inscrutable, the relationship between Elizabeth and Phillip is my favorite part of this series. What I’ve seen is that Elizabeth is definitely the more domineering one, and more ruthless than Phillip. Though, for a while during the pilot I wasn’t sure if that was the case.

This pair are definitely very hardened spies to have a guy in their trunk and just have their kids around, living life and drinking soda pop.

Since I’ve already seen the next two episodes, I am very confident in saying the show will continue to be great. If you plan on watching, please subscribe to read my future reviews of The Americans on FX!

The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10 pm EST on FX. Series created by Joseph Weisberg.

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