The Americans (Seasons 1 - 6; 2013-18)
The Russians and the Americans have had a love-hate relationship for a mighty long time. It probably dated back to a time before the 20th century when the Americans had the first taste of imperialism after the winning over the Spanish mighty naval army in the Spanish-American War and annexation of Texas as well as California. This gave them access to sea routes over the Pacific as well as the Atlantic Oceans; the only nation with such an enviable capability.
The Russians claim that the Americans, through their Jewish proxies, had a hand in the fall of the Romanov Dynasty and the plotting of the Bolshevik Revolution. Now there are allegations that Leon Trotsky and the Marxist regime is an American construct! Trotsky was paid by Jewish-Americans to jumpstart workers' revolt. Under cover of humanitarian aid by the American Red Cross, financed the 1917 People's Revolution against the monarch.
The paranoia has traversed all through last century, and the heat does not seem to be simmering. For a brief moment of time, in the world wars, they were comrades. The Russians feel that they have been taken for granted. They had to fend for themselves when Germans attacked, and it is only wit and resilience that turn the Second World War the other way around, no thanks to the Allied Forces. It was the Russian's Red Army which marched into Berlin and stormed the Fuhrer's bunk.
The Russians feel shortchanged. Even their earth-shattering feats are downplayed by the American media. They are portrayed as the evil nemesis of freedom and liberty. The animosity has not ended even today. They are accused of rigging the Presidential elections and are charged with taking control of American uranium mines through back door deal.
This addictive TV miniseries with 6 Seasons (13 one-hour episodes in the first five season and 10 one-hour shows in the sixth) tells the secret lives of two KGB officers who live incognito amongst the Americans to carry out espionage and executions. If one ignores the believability aspect of the whole setting - the makers want us to believe that it is physically possible to plot and execute a murder in the wee hours of the night while preparing breakfast and sending their teenage children as if nothing happened.
Nevertheless, the exciting part of the whole series is that it is set during the tumultuous times of the early 1980s when the US-Soviet Union relationship goes through a significant jolt. The dream of a utopia where workers' struggle can solve existential problems goes pear-shaped. The Americans with their capital seem to be winning the Cold War.
The spies, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (their pseudonyms), were born in Russia and were paired as a couple to live among ordinary people like everyday Americans. They begot a daughter and a son. Philip and Elizabeth, despite all the near misses and the agony of exposing their cover to their neighbour who happened to be an FBI agent, they come out tops in their assignments. The subplot involves the Russian Cultural Centre employees, who are covers for KGB activities, with their complicated affairs.
Growing up during Stalin Russia in poverty and fed with nationalism, Philip and Elizabeth are genuinely patriotic and see clearly the vision set by their communist forefathers. They soon realise that their children, after growing in the comforts of the capitalistic world, are worlds apart from them regarding values and character. That seems to be a challenge.
Unlike most American productions, this one stays away from giving a lopsided biased account of the greatness of the capitalistic system over communism. They hint that human values seem to take a back seat. It is interesting that they compare Christianity as a form of smokescreen that deceives the mind from the real problem and conveniently dumps it on an invisible God for solace.
An interesting watch. Try to catch all those hallmark events that happened in the 80s. No, it ends before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, but there are episodes on the Nicaraguan Contras movement, Russian's involvement with anti-apartheid movement, bioweapon, the Star War project, David Copperfield's disappearance of Statue of Liberty and Gorbachov's graceful exit from politics,
The Russians and the Americans have had a love-hate relationship for a mighty long time. It probably dated back to a time before the 20th century when the Americans had the first taste of imperialism after the winning over the Spanish mighty naval army in the Spanish-American War and annexation of Texas as well as California. This gave them access to sea routes over the Pacific as well as the Atlantic Oceans; the only nation with such an enviable capability.
The Russians claim that the Americans, through their Jewish proxies, had a hand in the fall of the Romanov Dynasty and the plotting of the Bolshevik Revolution. Now there are allegations that Leon Trotsky and the Marxist regime is an American construct! Trotsky was paid by Jewish-Americans to jumpstart workers' revolt. Under cover of humanitarian aid by the American Red Cross, financed the 1917 People's Revolution against the monarch.
The paranoia has traversed all through last century, and the heat does not seem to be simmering. For a brief moment of time, in the world wars, they were comrades. The Russians feel that they have been taken for granted. They had to fend for themselves when Germans attacked, and it is only wit and resilience that turn the Second World War the other way around, no thanks to the Allied Forces. It was the Russian's Red Army which marched into Berlin and stormed the Fuhrer's bunk.
The Russians feel shortchanged. Even their earth-shattering feats are downplayed by the American media. They are portrayed as the evil nemesis of freedom and liberty. The animosity has not ended even today. They are accused of rigging the Presidential elections and are charged with taking control of American uranium mines through back door deal.
This addictive TV miniseries with 6 Seasons (13 one-hour episodes in the first five season and 10 one-hour shows in the sixth) tells the secret lives of two KGB officers who live incognito amongst the Americans to carry out espionage and executions. If one ignores the believability aspect of the whole setting - the makers want us to believe that it is physically possible to plot and execute a murder in the wee hours of the night while preparing breakfast and sending their teenage children as if nothing happened.
Nevertheless, the exciting part of the whole series is that it is set during the tumultuous times of the early 1980s when the US-Soviet Union relationship goes through a significant jolt. The dream of a utopia where workers' struggle can solve existential problems goes pear-shaped. The Americans with their capital seem to be winning the Cold War.
The spies, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (their pseudonyms), were born in Russia and were paired as a couple to live among ordinary people like everyday Americans. They begot a daughter and a son. Philip and Elizabeth, despite all the near misses and the agony of exposing their cover to their neighbour who happened to be an FBI agent, they come out tops in their assignments. The subplot involves the Russian Cultural Centre employees, who are covers for KGB activities, with their complicated affairs.
Growing up during Stalin Russia in poverty and fed with nationalism, Philip and Elizabeth are genuinely patriotic and see clearly the vision set by their communist forefathers. They soon realise that their children, after growing in the comforts of the capitalistic world, are worlds apart from them regarding values and character. That seems to be a challenge.
Unlike most American productions, this one stays away from giving a lopsided biased account of the greatness of the capitalistic system over communism. They hint that human values seem to take a back seat. It is interesting that they compare Christianity as a form of smokescreen that deceives the mind from the real problem and conveniently dumps it on an invisible God for solace.An interesting watch. Try to catch all those hallmark events that happened in the 80s. No, it ends before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, but there are episodes on the Nicaraguan Contras movement, Russian's involvement with anti-apartheid movement, bioweapon, the Star War project, David Copperfield's disappearance of Statue of Liberty and Gorbachov's graceful exit from politics,
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