After 6 seasons of meticulous setups and character developments, the series finale of The Americans ends, appropriately enough, on a quiet note.

The episode has very minimal dialog. Each word is carefully consumed. The rest is driven by imageries, powerful performances from 4 leads (Philip, Elizabeth, Stan, and Paige), and effective selection of music from Dire Straits, U2, Tchaikovsky, and the series composer Nathan Barr.

Three amazing scenes.

  1. The garage: The exchange between Stan, Philip, Elizabeth, and Paige is more suspenseful than all the heists, chases, and kills in the entire series, driven solely by performances.

  2. The train: Totally unexpected and perhaps the most dramatic and heartbreaking scene in the entire series.

  3. The car ride home: The border crossing, Elizabeth finally sleeping in peace lovingly leaning against Philip. They lived in a sea of lies. But their marriage was as real as any. The only thing they can trust as 100% authentic. Absolutely beautiful.

These three scenes are expertly interconnected with fantastic ensemble and writings.

The series finale will stick in my mind for years to come.

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