An arranged spy couple in suburban Washington, D.C., suddenly gets more entangled and become more passionate and genuine each day but is continually tested as the Cold War escalates.
The show has a snappy premise and a strong underlying theme-how do Philip and Elizabeth juggle their extraordinary mission with the ordinary reality of family life?-but so far creator Joe Weisberg hasn't given the drama room enough to breathe.
What I liked most about the drama is that Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys are so utterly believable as Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, KGB spies posing as American citizens living in the suburbs of Washington D.C.
A gripping Cold War spy thriller - Alias, say, without the sci-fi digressions and with less ridiculous get-ups - and an equally intriguing domestic drama.
The show keeps its tongue out of its cheek and actually creates decent suspense, along with some chewy moral dilemmas to keep the brain stimulated if not taxed.
The Americans isn't just a heart-pounding action drama; by presenting heroes who are also villains, it also confronts viewers with TV's deepest moral dilemma since The Sopranos.
The Americans is a fascinating idea for a show. I don't recall getting to explore the spy game from the other side like this, and that's where much of the show's attraction lies.
The Americans is the best new television drama since Homeland because, like that similarly sticky, Silver Age show, it uses its killer concept as an ellipsis, not an exclamation point.
