Anyone Watching 'The Americans'?

[D-A-C]

Hey everyone.

I'm just wondering if anyone is watching the FX show (on ITV in the UK) The Americans? I've watched the entire first series and would wholeheartedly recommend it.

http://newsbusters.org/sites/default/files/2012/FX-TheAmericans-LofgoWithFlag.jpg

http://www.radiotimes.com/namedimage/The_Americans__a_new_Homeland_.jpg?quality=85&mode=crop&width=620&height=374&404=tv&url=/uploads/images/original/30894.jpg


Basically the premise of the show is that it follows a married couple Phillip and Elizabeth, who are actually Soviet Spies / Sleeper Agents living in America during the Cold War era and under the Reagan Presidency of the 1980's.

The show is incredibly well written, and apart from the obvious drama caused by the whole spy/espionage side of things, you have the drama of two people posing as a married couple, with two children whilst also being Soviet agents brought together for their mission and not because of 'love'.

Honestly, I cannot recommend this show enough, and was just wondering if anyone else was watching it, especially considering it is representing Communism, the Soviet Union, etc even if it's only as its thematic backdrop so to speak?

[Skyhilist]

"It is representing communism"

Lol no it's not

[D-A-C]

"It is representing communism"

Lol no it's not

You don't think so?

You don't think when character are given 'order's from Moscow', when characters disappear other characters, or make statments about how socialism 'can never work in American', that that doesn't influence peoples perceptions of things like Marxism, Socialism, the Soviet Union and yes Communism?

You are very naive if you don't understand that television is a site of social conflict and that the dominant ideology of capitalism is trying to sell us its version of the truth.

How characters are reflected in any televsion show is important, but I was just curious how comrades feel about this show, as not only is it entertaining (and enjoyable to watch), but it involves themes that are important to us as well.

[Comrade Samuel]

While I have not watched it yet it did seem like a pretty entertaining premise for a show. For some reason I feel as though if it were a sitcom there would be infinite comedic possibilities.

[G4b3n]

"It is representing communism"

Lol no it's not

I don't think he meant any sort of ideal communism, he means the bourgeois perception of communism. For a Marxist, the superstructure of society, e.g. TV, art, music is a reflection of the base, i.e., economic relationships which exist at the core of objective material conditions. So of course we can learn a lot about the society in which we exist by observing things like this.

I have been meaning to check it out, but TV is on the back burner at the moment.

[Skyhilist]

Of course it represents what the bourgeois wants people to believe communism is.

It doesn't represent what communism is itself though.

Also, even if it were an accurate representation (not from a bourgeois perspective) of the Soviet Union it wouldn't be a good representation of what communism is, it'd be a representation of what state beaurocracy is.

[Glitchcraft]

I have severe doubts that FX would allow any ideology that would help compromise its profits.
I have not seen it but I will watch some of it and repost how awful I think it is.
Or maybe how great. But I suspect awful.

[G4b3n]

Of course it represents what the bourgeois wants people to believe communism is.

It doesn't represent what communism is itself though.

Also, even if it were an accurate representation (not from a bourgeois perspective) of the Soviet Union it wouldn't be a good representation of what communism is, it'd be a representation of what state beaurocracy is.

Did you read my last post?
I agree, I am simply saying that we can learn a lot by observing our superstructure.
Also, OP wasn't implying that it was an accurate reflection of sovietism or communism.

[Skyhilist]

Did you read my last post?
I agree, I am simply saying that we can learn a lot by observing our superstructure.

I read your last post but wasn't trying to reply to it specifically


Also, OP wasn't implying that it was an accurate reflection of sovietism or communism.

I sort of got the impression of the opposite but if I misread OP's statements my apologies

[Popular Front of Judea]

I have the DVD of the first season in my Netflix cue. Looks to be intriguing. Would be interesting what divergence from the standard Cold War narrative will occur. 20 plus years have passed from the dissolution of the Soviet Union after all.

[Rain]

Thanks for the recommendation! I saw a preview for this show and it looked really interesting. I'll have to check it out.

[Fourth Internationalist]

It looks stupid

[adipocere]

I started watching this the other day because of this thread and while it's entertaining, I find much of it to be over the top - such as the way the agents are reduced to breathless childlike wonderment every time they encounter a new instance of American conspicuous consumption and how every single character who is sympathetic to the Soviets is because of their natural tendency towards murder and general thuggery. The only thing that humanizes the agents is the civilizing influence of longterm exposure to free market capitalism and religious fervor. I wouldn't be surprised if McCarthy rose from the dead to personally underwrite the production.

[Popular Front of Judea]

I started watching this the other day because of this thread and while it's entertaining, I find much of it to be over the top - such as the way the agents are reduced to breathless childlike wonderment every time they encounter a new instance of American conspicuous consumption and how every single character who is sympathetic to the Soviets is because of their natural tendency towards murder and general thuggery. The only thing that humanizes the agents is the civilizing influence of longterm exposure to free market capitalism and religious fervor. I wouldn't be surprised if McCarthy rose from the dead to personally underwrite the production.

I guess I'll continue to watch Continuum. Season 2 is now available for instant viewing on Netflix.

[L.A.P.]

It's actually not a bad show or some blatant propaganda. Maybe it's just me, but I like how Reagan is depicted as having a cult of personality in the setting, the way his picture is in almost every room (especially in public offices) and all.





Sent from my Windows Phone using Tapatalk

[KurtFF8]

I only watched the first 5 or 6 episodes. I thought the pilot was great actually and that the show had some real potential, but I thought that as the show progressed, the cliches of the male character being infatuated with American culture and disillusioned with the Soviets came through a bit too much.

Then again I didn't finish the whole season so I can't but judge so much.