Watching the Americans

We are thrilled to have had such a great introduction to the world of His Dark Materials this week! Seeing Lyra, Lord Asriel, the Master, the Gyptians, and of course Mrs. Coulter made us so happy! Plus: Pan and Stelmaria and that darn monkey daemon! Of course, this is S01E01 “Lyra’s Jordan”! It aired on […]

Welcome to Lyra’s world! We are Sara and Chip, hosts of the podcast Watching The Americans,  which explored the world of Soviet spycraft in the 1980s on FX’s “The Americans”. Now we are turning to another place and time, that of our heroine Lyra Belacqua, and the adventures that lie ahead for her in the […]

Tovarishchi! After six amazing, incredible, and ultimately beautifully heartbreaking seasons, The Americans is done. There is so much richness in this show, and we want to take one last look at it all. To do so, we have our roundtable friends Kathleen (aka alternakat), Barb, Roland, & Chris to join the fun! We reflect on […]

The Americans, our collective passion for 6 years, has finally come to an end. And what an ending! No one dies, yet everyone suffers mightily. A fitting conclusion to one of the best television shows in the modern era! Of course we could go on and on about S06E10 “START”, which aired on May 30, […]

The Americans, our collective passion for 6 years, has finally come to an end. And what an ending! No one dies, yet everyone suffers mightily. A fitting conclusion to one of the best television shows in the modern era! Of course we could go on and on about S06E10 “START”, which aired on May 30, […]

The Americans, our collective passion for 6 years, has finally come to an end. And what an ending! No one dies, yet everyone suffers mightily. A fitting conclusion to one of the best television shows in the modern era! Of course we could go on and on about S06E10 “START”, which aired on May 30, […]

It was a gathering, a party (not communist exactly!), and a little bit of our The Americans community together at the end. The bitter and the sweet mingled as we ground our teeth, yelled out, and shed a few tears as the best show on TV came to its brilliant conclusion. Join us as the […]

What can we say about the awesomeness that is our friend Kelly AuCoin? He got us started as our very first interviewee and then connected us with other with people working on The Americans! So who better to be the last of our series? Kelly shares his thoughts about Pastor Tim’s appearance this week, his […]

Could we be any more tense than we were this week? Could we have yelled at the TV any more? Could Philip be The Flash in an alternate universe? Well, The Americans universe is imploding, more characters are dying, and we are freaked out and exhausted by the end of S06E09 “Jennings, Elizabeth”! The penultimate […]

Could we be any more tense than we were this week? Could we have yelled at the TV any more? Could Philip be The Flash in an alternate universe? Well, The Americans universe is imploding, more characters are dying, and we are freaked out and exhausted by the end of S06E09 “Jennings, Elizabeth”! The penultimate […]

The end is nigh and the deck is clearing! So this week we have some major unexpected revelations from the start! Shocking twists! A mercy killing! A not killing! Has Philip finally gotten through to the human being in Elizabeth? Are they done for? And Claudia is evil. Again! So much to digest in a […]

The end is nigh and the deck is clearing! So this week we have some major unexpected revelations from the start! Shocking twists! A mercy killing! A not killing! Has Philip finally gotten through to the human being in Elizabeth? Are they done for? And Claudia is evil. Again! So much to digest in a […]

You knew we had to have at least one more gruesome spy thing, didn’t you? Well we sure did this week, along with Stan’s spidey-sense kicking in, Dennis’s frustration, and Elizabeth remaining winless this season! At least Philip was there to prevent an even worse outcome. Plus: Harvest meets the scythe and Marilyn meets the […]

You knew we had to have at least one more gruesome spy thing, didn’t you? Well we sure did this week, along with Stan’s spidey-sense kicking in, Dennis’s frustration, and Elizabeth remaining winless this season! At least Philip was there to prevent an even worse outcome. Plus: Harvest meets the scythe and Marilyn meets the […]

It has taken almost six seasons, and now Henry finally takes center stage! Maybe the only reason he isn’t completely messed up is because the family left him alone all this time! It’s Thanksgiving and we see almost everyone left back together for a meal at the Beemans! Things are starting to look dicey for […]

It has taken almost six seasons, and now Henry finally takes center stage! Maybe the only reason he isn’t completely messed up is because the family left him alone all this time! It’s Thanksgiving and we see almost everyone left back together for a meal at the Beemans! Things are starting to look dicey for […]

This is probably the first time since the death of Nina that we were left completely speechless by an episode of The Americans! Things are really coming apart at the seams, in every sense in every relationship, from Gennadi and Sofia to Paige, Elizabeth and Philip. We got a surprising and bitter return of Tatiana […]

This is probably the first time since the death of Nina that we were left completely speechless by an episode of The Americans! Things are really coming apart at the seams, in every sense in every relationship, from Gennadi and Sofia to Paige, Elizabeth and Philip. We got a surprising and bitter return of Tatiana […]

We thought last week was the most depressing episode yet of The Americans. Well, we were wrong! Nothing goes right this week, from travel agency finances and fancy school payments to sensor heists to trips to watch a World Series Game 6! And Philip can’t even get a snuggle from Elizabeth! Sadness abounds in The […]

We thought last week was the most depressing episode yet of The Americans. Well, we were wrong! Nothing goes right this week, from travel agency finances and fancy school payments to sensor heists to trips to watch a World Series Game 6! And Philip can’t even get a snuggle from Elizabeth! Sadness abounds in The […]

Can Philip have a sadder face? He outdoes himself this week! Plus, Elizabeth gets to kill someone. Wha? And the Oleg-Stan bromance recommences! It awaits us in The Americans Season 6 Episode 3 “Urban Transport Planning” which aired April 11, 2018. It was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and directed by Dan Attias. This is […]

Can Philip have a sadder face? He outdoes himself this week! Plus, Elizabeth gets to kill someone. Wha? And the Oleg-Stan bromance recommences! It awaits us in The Americans Season 6 Episode 3 “Urban Transport Planning” which aired April 11, 2018. It was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and directed by Dan Attias. This is […]

The fast-paced opening of Season 6 shifts into a more deliberate and devolving state for poor overworked Elizabeth! Philip loses a client, and Paige gets musical! We also get Stan: marriage counselor? Plus: FBI Mailbot makes his triumphant return! It’s all in The Americans Season 6 Episode 2 “Tchaikovsky” which aired April 4, 2018. It […]

The fast-paced opening of Season 6 shifts into a more deliberate and devolving state for poor overworked Elizabeth! Philip loses a client, and Paige gets musical! We also get Stan: marriage counselor? Plus: FBI Mailbot makes his triumphant return! It’s all in The Americans Season 6 Episode 2 “Tchaikovsky” which aired April 4, 2018. It […]

Season 6 of The Americans is finally here! What are the Jennings wearing? Katie Irish, Costume Designer for the show knows all! Katie returns to answer our questions about the costumes in Season 6, fashion in the 1980s, and more! And of course she answers your wardrobe questions! We love to hear your thoughts about […]

And so it begins…the last Season of The Americans! What a debut for us this week – we jump back to the future three years and enter a world familiar yet changed. We check in with the gang – Stan & Dennis, Oleg, and of course the Jennings. Plus we have surprising returns including Claudia […]

And so it begins…the last Season of The Americans! What a debut for us this week – we jump back to the future three years and enter a world familiar yet changed. We check in with the gang – Stan & Dennis, Oleg, and of course the Jennings. Plus we have surprising returns including Claudia […]

Tovarischi! The debut of the final season of The Americans is here at long last! Before we start our regular shows, we have finished our rewatch of the entire series and asked some of our long-term audio contributors to help us break down Seasons 4 and 5 and speculate about Season 6! Joining us this […]

We are getting so close to the debut of the last season of The Americans, tovarischi! To prepare, we reached out to the man who gave us our first interview, our good friend Kelly AuCoin aka Pastor Tim! Kelly reveals nothing (don’t worry J’s!) about Season 6, and he does so in such entertaining fashion […]

Tovarischi! We are closing in on the debut of the final season of The Americans! So we started a rewatch of the entire series and asked some of our long-term audio contributors to help us break down Seasons 1-3! Joining us this time are our friends and co-hosts Kathleen (aka alternakat), Roland, & Chris who […]

This hiatus is unbearable tovarischi! To help tide you over we have a surprise for you: an interview with modern Russia scholar Professor James Heinzen from Rowan University! Jim talks with us about his background, how he got interested in the USSR, his time in the Soviet Union, and how amazingly realistic the portrayal of […]

Well, this season of The Americans generated so much chatter that we feel we must add to the noise! Who better than our crack panel of experts! We gather at the roundtable with our friends and co-hosts Kathleen (aka alternakat), Roland, Barb & Chris to break down fave moments, theories, music and scenes, plus the […]

Can you believe we turn 100 this week with The Americans, tovarischi? Us neither! Who better to celebrate this milestone with us than the man who started our interviewing adventures, our good friend Kelly AuCoin aka Pastor Tim! Kelly chats up Season 5, the latest on the Tims, his take on the show as a […]

What a gripping ending to the penultimate season of The Americans! We start out with a bloody mess, get a beautiful moment in Moscow, check in with many of our characters, and wind up ever more tortured with Philip and Elizabeth and an uncertain future! This was all in Season 5 Episode 13 “The Soviet […]

What a gripping ending to the penultimate season of The Americans! We start out with a bloody mess, get a beautiful moment in Moscow, check in with many of our characters, and wind up ever more tortured with Philip and Elizabeth and an uncertain future! This was all in Season 5 Episode 13 “The Soviet […]

It’s the penultimate episode of the penultimate season, so the J’s threw everything plus the kitchen sink at us! Oleg, the PGU, and the Burovs! Stan, Dennis and Sofia! Poor Pasha and Tuan! Paige, Henry, Philip and Elizabeth! Mischa and his unknown kind family! And the beloved Pastor Tim! Stay with us because there is […]

It’s the penultimate episode of the penultimate season, so the J’s threw everything plus the kitchen sink at us! Oleg, the PGU, and the Burovs! Stan, Dennis and Sofia! Poor Pasha and Tuan! Paige, Henry, Philip and Elizabeth! Mischa and his unknown kind family! And the beloved Pastor Tim! Stay with us because there is […]

Action? You want action? Elizabeth and Philip deliver the mayhem this week for sure! Plus: the triumphant return of the beloved FBI Mailbot! And we have our friend and special guest host Barb Rankin to boot! It’s The Americans Season 5 Episode 11 “Dyatkovo” which aired May 16, 2017. It was written by Joshua Brand […]

Action? You want action? Elizabeth and Philip deliver the mayhem this week for sure! Plus: the triumphant return of the beloved FBI Mailbot! And we have our friend and special guest host Barb Rankin to boot! It’s The Americans Season 5 Episode 11 “Dyatkovo” which aired May 16, 2017. It was written by Joshua Brand […]

We did it! We obtained a bigger interview than either the KGB or FBI could muster – The Americans showrunners Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields! They join us live via satellite to discuss many aspects of the show, cagily evade any hint of spoilers, and answer many listener questions!  Plus, we ask them a question […]

Quiet family dinners in Moscow, hockey player boyfriends, lies and a wedding! All this and more await us in The Americans Season 5 Episode 10 “Darkroom” which aired May 9, 2017. It was written by Stephen Schiff and was directed by Sylvain White. This is Episode 92 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and […]

Quiet family dinners in Moscow, hockey player boyfriends, lies and a wedding! All this and more await us in The Americans Season 5 Episode 10 “Darkroom” which aired May 9, 2017. It was written by Stephen Schiff and was directed by Sylvain White. This is Episode 91 and contains the news and our episode breakdown […]

The slow burn of season 5 is really heating up! Henry off to boarding school? Oleg under fire? What will Stan do now? Is Tuan really calling home? And where is Paige? Plus: Martha and Gabriel! We are all eating pancakes and talking about The Americans Season 5 Episode 9 “IHOP” which aired May 2, […]

The slow burn of season 5 is really heating up! Henry off to boarding school? Oleg under fire? What will Stan do now? Is Tuan really calling home? And where is Paige? Plus: Martha and Gabriel! We are all eating pancakes and talking about The Americans Season 5 Episode 9 “IHOP” which aired May 2, […]

Claudia? Oh no! Oh yes! Our favorite (haha!) handler is back and so are we, talking about The Americans Season 5 Episode 8 “Immersion” which aired April 25, 2017. It was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and was directed by Kevin Bray. This is Episode 88 and contains our history, tech of yesteryear, and feedback […]

Claudia? Oh no! Oh yes! Our favorite (haha!) handler is back and so are we, talking about The Americans Season 5 Episode 8 “Immersion” which aired April 25, 2017. It was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and was directed by Kevin Bray. This is Episode 87 and contains the news and our episode breakdown and […]

So it looks like Gabriel is really gone. What about Matthew? And what about Paige’s future? Whoa! Plus our friend Kathleen joins us! We are of course discussing The Americans Season 5 Episode 7 entitled “The Committee on Human Rights, and it aired April 18, 2017. It was written by Hilary Bettis and was directed […]

So it looks like Gabriel is really gone. What about Matthew? And what about Paige’s future? Whoa! Plus our friend Kathleen joins us! We are of course discussing The Americans Season 5 Episode 7 entitled “The Committee on Human Rights,” and it aired April 18, 2017. It was written by Hilary Bettis and was directed […]

Gabe leaving? Mischa gone? Stan and Dennis with a win? Detective Oleg? Paige and Marx and…Gabe? Minds are blown all across America with The Americans Season 5 Episode 6 entitled “Crossbreed”! It aired April 11, 2017, was written by Stephen Schiff, and was directed by Roxann Dawson. This is Episode 84 and contains our history, […]

Gabe leaving? Mischa gone? Stan and Dennis with a win? Detective Oleg? Paige and Marx and…Gabe? Minds are blown all across America with The Americans Season 5 Episode 6 entitled “Crossbreed”! It aired April 11, 2017, was written by Stephen Schiff, and was directed by Roxann Dawson. This is Episode 83 and contains the news […]