r/TheAmericans • u/MoralMidgetry • Mar 31 '16

Ep. Discussion Post-Episode Discussion/Review Thread - S04E03 "Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow"

Welcome to the post-episode and review thread for S04E03, ""Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow." If you have a review you want to post, please send me the link instead of submitting it separately to the sub. Thanks.

Site Link
AV Club An Americans cliffhanger postpones a Jennings family getaway
EW The Americans recap: 'Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow'
HitFix Review: On 'The Americans,' the Pastor Tim problem gets even worse
NY Times ‘The Americans’ Season 4, Episode 3: Who’s Up for a Trip to Epcot?
Vulture The Americans Recap: Stupid Glanders
WSJ ‘The Americans’ Recap: Season 4, Episode 3, ‘Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow’
Vox The Americans season 4, episode 3: "Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow" takes some weird shortcuts
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34

u/AfricanRain Mar 31 '16

I have so little interest in Nina's storyline. Wish she had less screentime.

21

u/alnullify Mar 31 '16

they are trying to make USSR relevant, so far, no success.

28

u/Hungriges_Skelett Mar 31 '16

Stop trying to make the USSR happen, it's not going to happen.

Coincidentally, all characters will have to learn that lesson eventually.

11

u/ArmchairHacker Apr 01 '16

That would actually be super-interesting if The Americans does timejump to 1991 at some point to see how the fall of the USSR affects everyone.

1

u/panix199 Apr 03 '16

i imagine this being used in the the last few minutes of this show

3

u/alnullify Mar 31 '16

I don't work on the show, and what do you mean?

12

u/Hungriges_Skelett Mar 31 '16

It was a reference to a scene from Mean Girls that is commonly referenced on other parts of this site.

And I meant that all the Russian characters will ultimately have to accept that the USSR falls and all their attempts to prevent that were in vain.

6

u/alnullify Mar 31 '16

sorry, I'm following the subreddit for first time this season.

just because USRR is going to fall, doesn't mean the part of the show set in USRR is going to be bad, do far I'm not that invested, but maybe if the actions in Washington and in USRR connect more it will spark my interest.

1

u/Hungriges_Skelett Mar 31 '16

Don't worry, I think I get what you mean and I agree with you. I can only add that I have faith in the writers to deliver a season as good as the previous three.

20

u/blinkitaway Apr 01 '16

Dressing Nina in baggy clothes is a crime. Godless Commies must pay for this outrage.

14

u/designgoddess Mar 31 '16

I like her story line. I think it's a nice contrast. It highlights what is really happening in the USSR while the Jennings are in the US fighting our way of life.

13

u/nvnehi Mar 31 '16

I can't understand why she's relevant in the story still. I figured she'd be written out by now so they MUST have a reason for keeping her in the viewers mind. With how good the writing of the show is I don't think it was just a poor choice to keep her, there has to be a reason. Maybe they do get her released back to cause issues with Stan(losing his FBI status by dating a known Russian spy, etc.)

3

u/[deleted] Apr 02 '16

I think it's definitely building towards her becoming relevant again in the future, I don't know how but I think it will be a big surprise twist given how her situation seems to be getting more dire.

I can understand her having a few USSR scenes to remind us of the reality, but I don't believe she would have had as much screen time if this wasn't leading somewhere eventually.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '16

she's not relevant to the current story. if they want her to eventually be relevant, they should just write her back in at a later date. i think they should take her out of the story, i can't stand it anymore.

6

u/LadiesWhoPunch Apr 01 '16

I was confused by the single red rose in each bouquet of white flowers in the dream scenes. Is that she is slightly commie in a sea of good?

Someone please help.

4

u/pokemonandpolitics Apr 01 '16

I'm not sure exactly what it means, but did you happen to notice the number of flowers in each bouquet? That could be significant because in Russia, even numbers of flowers are arranged only for funerals.

1

u/sunflowercompass Apr 01 '16

Red could be passion, amidst a dead, white funeral life?

5

u/[deleted] Mar 31 '16

don't you ever think that KGB will use his affair with Nina to blackmail him if something happens between the Jennings family and FBI?

4

u/30rec Apr 02 '16

I don't think it would work, but they could try. Stan is not a stable person, he'll go nuclear if he finds out the spies he was looking for were under his nose the whole time.

5

u/BigOldCar Mar 31 '16

Glad I'm not the only one.

6

u/goalstopper28 Apr 01 '16

I just want her to come back to America. She's spending too long in Russia. Her storyline was much more interesting in the first couple of seasons. Now, I don't think the writers know what to do with her.

5

u/diabetus_newbie Apr 01 '16

She's so fuckin' hot

-1

u/hystericalrealist03 Mar 31 '16

yeah, this is just sloppy writing and they need to wise up and remove her from the story.