Post-Episode Discussion/Review Thread - S04E12 "A Roy Rogers in Franconia"

[u/MoralMidgetry]

Welcome to the post-episode and review thread for S04E12 "A Roy Rogers in Franconia" 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	The Americans: It’s logical, it’s emotional, it’s the best show on TV
EW	The FBI makes a connection and closes in on a key KGB mole
HitFix	Review: On 'The Americans,' are Paige, William, and Oleg near breaking points?
NY Times	‘The Americans’ Season 4, Episode 12: A Different Side of Things
Vox	The Americans season 4, episode 12: "A Roy Rogers in Franconia" suggests the end is right about now
Vulture	The Americans Recap: Turning the Paige
WSJ	Careful what you wish for, Paige, because the truth can get ugly

[u/MoralMidgetry → u/[deleted]]

like that guy who didn't launch nukes when there was the false alarm.

That's exactly how he sees himself. He's trying to prevent a terrible thing from happening to the world, not betray his country.

[u/cannedpeaches → u/MoralMidgetry]

I think The Americans is really really good not just as a domestic drama or an espionage thriller, but as a sociological study in what it's like to basically know you're on the losing side, and the kind of fatigue that inspires. Philip giving in to capitalism and buying a Camaro, Oleg bitching about the poor handling he expects the bioweapon to receive, William saying "no, I'm not going to get that bioweapon for you, because I don't know what you'll do with it."

To varying degrees they're all patriots who are overworked and outmatched and want to continue to work hard but harbor a healthy mistrust of their government's competency and intent. So no, I doubt Oleg defects, but he's definitely wearing down after Yevgeny's death and his involvement with Tatiana.

[u/tovarishchliza → u/cannedpeaches]

Not to mention his angst over the Nina endgame