Question of the week #55

[treonb]

The Americans has received widespread critical acclaim, but has thus far failed to grow an audience equal to the size of a lot of other "prestige dramas." What do you think the reasons are for that?

You can expect spoilers for the entire first three seasons in the comments.

(There's no expiration date on these questions, so if you're reading this post months later and feel like jumping in, please do.)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I commiserate with the sense that many folks are not 'getting' something, and with the degree and locations of the show's intensity.

Nothing about the show's summary, which every article must shoehorn in there, lets people know that much of the drama focuses on family members who (start off) not knowing each other well, have absolutely no ability to communicate (or even get in touch with) what's going on inside them, and deal with incredible fear for their family's destruction almost entirely internally.

I forget who compared P&E's emotional image, and called Philip 'volcanic'.
I think that's exactly right.
I'm riveted by him (and Elizabeth) just looking out a window, and can only guess at the roiling emotions, iron discipline, stark knowledge of the consequences of one's actions, and cold evaluation of possible reactions to whatever they're thinking about.

Ryan is right that every episode is (partly) the same, and that (quite often) nothing happens, but those 'quiet' parts are the ones that resonate most with me. The hijinks can be exhilarating, but the dramatic tension is seismic.

Yet, I can totally see how someone who has different expectations or hopes for a spy show may be confused by lots of long stares and awkward attempts at communication.

[jae]

Such a smart comment! I'm sorry I haven't responded until now--it's been a busy time.

I think you're right that the emotional aspects are hard to convey in a summary, and yet more than anything those are the parts that make the show what it is. There's a new German show called "Deutschland 83" that has a very similar summary, but the shows couldn't end up being more different, as a result of the comparative absence of those emotional/interpersonal bits in "Deutschland 83."

-J