This began with a story similarly framed around an anti-hero and criminal in 1999 withThe Sopranos.
Just take a look at critics top ten lists this year.
Shows likeReview,Transparent,FargoorTrue Detectivecan take the top spot on four different lists.
But that postBreaking Badchaos also means theres one show thats not quite getting the respect it should.
Season two, however, can stand toe to toe with any other TV drama season.
Another undercover KGB couple is brutally assassinated in a hotel room along with their teenage daughter.
Unlike many other parents, however, this life may actually get the whole family killed.
Its another thing entirely when you live literally behind enemy lines.
Take out the garbage; bug a diplomats office.
Talk to the kids about their failing grades; kill undercover Afghan soldiers in a restaurant downtown.
Sleep with your spouse; sleep with the enemy.
And while the substance is now firing on all cylinders, the style has always been perfect.
All of this big picture excellence wouldnt matter though if the show couldnt nail smaller, more intimate scenes.
But it can go quiet as good or better than any other show on TV.
Big television or film productions are like Major League Baseball 162-game seasons.
In TV and movies, everyone starts off with 50 wins and 50 losses.
But its the little things that make a difference between aMad Menand aPlayboy Club.
The Americanshas so many little moments that range from intriguing to heartbreakingly perfect.
Was the sex too intense?
Did Elizabeth think the undercover alias of Philip was the real Philip?
Or was she just suddenly conscious and upset of the perverse weirdness of their supposedly normal life?
ButThe Americans,like other FX dramas, is only available on the less-viewed Amazon Prime.
Beyond that, the TV industry has just changed.
Save forSons of AnarchyandWalking Deadstyle violent hits, audiences are more fractured than ever.
This is undoubtedly a good thing as it means more opportunities for a wider range of shows.
The Americans airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.
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