The Americans Return For Season 4 Tonight

Your favorite Soviet spies are back on FX for season 4 tonight. Last season ended with Paige telling that slimy bastard Pastor Tim her parents are Russians. After Elizabeth went through all the trouble to get her to Germany and meet her grandmother for the first, and last, time. That cult she joined way  back when really messed her up. So now we pick up where that left off. If you've seen the trailers (or click HERE, also this show has the best marketing department) you'll know it looks like shit will really go down this year. Stan freaking out, Martha still being annoying but also freaking out, Philip and Elizabeth being more down and doubtful than we've ever seen. This could be the season everything blows up. I hesitate to guarantee it because as VOX.com points out the show could be on a 5-act arc. 5 seasons would make sense, which is why I could also see this season end on a cliffhanger or seeing the two wriggle out of trouble yet again, though that would be a little much, and see season 5 end the story with the aftermath of this season. 

I'll admit I'm a big optimist when it comes to this show. I've been on it since season 1 and have endured the sneers of friends when I tell them they should be watching this show. But last season was a bit boring. It had its moments but too often we expected something huge, and it never quite lived up to those expectations. But I think it was setting the groundwork for this season, which I say will be explosive. Furthering relationships with Martha and Sandra, Pastor Tim getting more involved, Gabriel and Claudia getting pushier with the Jennings. It was all so the shit could come to a head this season. 

Let's take a look at the episode titles this season: 

Right off the bat Episode 2 "Pastor Tim" jumps out. That one will be huge, I can feel it. Either Tim gets deep into the shit or we see an episode following him around to reveal more about his character. A Reddit theory I've seen is that he's actually KGB as well and his whole cult-thing is just to slowly indoctrinate kids in Soviet ways. So he would likely know about there Jennings already and would be turning Paige without her parents knowing. And if they found out, oh boy would Philip snap. Like he already wants to kill tim, but that would send him over the edge. Maybe enough to renounce the Soviet Union?

Glanders is apparently an infection, so that leaves me scratching my head (UPDATE-It has come to my attention it was looked at as a chemical weapon in the early 1940's, so it will probably tie to its ability to be weaponized). "Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow" was also a bit confusing, but then I looked it up. It's EPCOT, like down in Florida. Road trip, Russian style. Chloramphenicol is used to treat bacterial infections so maybe a continuation of sorts to episode 1? "Clark's Place" will surely be about Martha. "The Rat" is interesting. Possible that Martha ends up ratting out Clark/Philip to Stan? That could lead to 

"Travel Agents" where Stan investigates the Jennings travel agency front. I tried to find some sort of connection with the David Copperfield episode but found nothing. My best guess is the Jennings use the event to take advantage of the captivated American public to do some espionaging (made that verb up, nbd). "The Day After" is probably about the day after that, not going to overthink it. "Munchkins" has me thrown off. "Dinner For Seven" makes me think it's another dinner with Pastor Tim and his wife, but that;s only six people. Unless it has nothing to do with the family, and it's just Philip and Elizabeth undercover with five other people. "A Roy Rogers in Franconia" is definitely interesting. Franconia is a region in Germany, just above Bavaria, where Nuremberg is. Obviously a Roy Rogers is a drink named after Roy Rogers. Franconia wasn't part of Eastern Germany under Soviet control, so it's a bit shady what the connection could be, unless it's the Jennings escaping America to Germany. If the Franconia in question is just the town in New Hampgire, I'm completely stumped. And finally, "Persona Non Grata" is a familiar term for my fellow Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 players, as that was a level in the games campaign. It's Latin for "an unwelcome person". Oh boy. That could be some SERIOUS shit. We'll naturally have a better idea who the unwelcome is as the series progresses, but that title spells trouble. 

I'll try my best to post recaps the day after each episode airs. Let's get Communist.*

*Not seriously, in TV show life. Forget it. 

Ps-Noah Emmerich (Stan) and Matthew Rhys (Philip) directing episodes this season is going to be pretty interesting. Excited to see where they take the episodes creatively.