The
Americans - The Complete First Season
(2013/Fox Blu-ray set)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: A Episodes: B
The
thirteen episode first season of Fox's The
Americans
is a tour de force of action and suspense. Focusing on two
undercover Russian spies in 1980s Washington D.C., Phillip Jennings
(Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) who on the
surface seem like a normal everyday family with loving children are
really plotting to bring down the American Government. As the show
progresses so does the Cold War, and Philip and Elizabeth must do
whatever it takes to succeed in their mission without blowing their
cover.
Starting
off Disc One is the Pilot
episode where we are introduced to our characters and their mission.
Tensions get thick when they get a new neighbor, Stan Beeman, who is
also an FBI Agent. Episode 2 The
Clock
gives Philip and Elizabeth an urgent task to plan a bug in Defense
Secretary Caspar Weinberger's office. At the same time, their
neighbor Stan is starting to realize that something is fishy about
his neighbors.
Episode
3 is entitled Gregory,
where Philip and Elizabeth discover that a mutual murdered colleague
had a wife they never knew about. Meanwhile, their neighbor Stan
Beeman is hot on their trail and close to uncovering their secret
identities. In
Control
is Episode 4, when an assassin attempts to kill President Ronald
Reagan. Philip and Elizabeth scramble to handle the fallout in the
KGB while Stan pressures his source within the Rezidentura to find
out if the KGB was involved in the failed attempt at killing the
President. All in all, disc one sports four episodes are is a great
hook into the series. The more familiarity you have with the time
period and these events, the more you will enjoy it.
Episode
5, Comint
brings us to disc two where Philip and Elizabeth are tasked with
infiltrating the FBI's new communications encryption system. In this
episode, they realize that being a spy isn't exactly a glorious walk
in the park. Trust
Me is
Episode 6 where a mole hunt within the KGB causes suspicion amongst
allies and shatters trust within the false marriage of Philip and
Elizabeth.
Duty
& Honor
is Episode 7 where Phil is given a mission to discredit a Polish
Pro-Democracy leader who ends up reunited Philip with an old flame.
Mutually
Assured Destruction
ends out the disc with Philip and Elizabeth having to stop a pesky
Assassin from killing key United States Scientists.
Disc
Three ends out the season with Episode 9, Safe
House,
where Philip and Elizabeth are given a routine mission that goes
horribly wrong and the FBI are stressed when one their own goes
missing. And finally, Episode 10 Only
You
where Stan pushes a lead that links him to a member of Gregory's team
and reignites a huge confliction between Philip and Elizabeth's
relationship.
The
1080p high definition widescreen 1.78:1 image is crisp and clear and
above standard for many new television shows. The English DTS-HD
Master Audio (MA) 5.1 lossless mix intensifies your home surround
system and pits you on the edge of your seat with our protagonists.
Special
Features include Deleted Scenes, Commentary on The
Colonel
by Joseph Weisburg, Joel Fields and Noah Emmerich, Gag Reel,
Executive Order 2579: Exploring the Americans, Perfecting the Art of
Espionage, and Ingenuity Over Technology.
All
in all, the show is full of cool action and great performances and is
definitely worth a watch on Blu-ray. Fox has done a great job with
this release and packaging and is a must see for fans of intense
Political drama. The highlight of the show for me is Keri Russell's
performance; she looks great on screen and it's nice to see her
stepping back into the spotlight. Season Two of this show just
started up in February on FX.
-
James Lockhart
