The show with the trolliest finales on TV unveils its trolliest finale yet.
And its equal parts frustrating and heartbreakingly perfect.
My 8th grade language arts teacher was an old teaching vet (and I think actual veteran).
Mr. Ciborek was a paradoxically goofy yet stern guy who never seemed able to quit teaching.
He looked like Santa if Santa kept his beard reasonably trimmed and hit the gym every now and then.
Whats the name of this play?
Nice try, Dave, we know that answer.
Romeo and Juliet someone confidently replied.
Look at the front of your book.
Oh,The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
This play is calledThe Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
Not The Romance of Romeo and Juliet, not the The Love of Romeo and Juliet.
Its theTragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
The point that Ciborek was trying to make is that this should not be an aspirational text for us.
The point that I took away, however, was: theres such a genre as a tragedy?
Anywho, welcome to the final review ofThe Americansseason 5.
Its called The Soviet Division.
It may as well be called The Tragedy of Philip and Elizabeth.
This is a frustrating finale, much like many of the shows previous finales.
The Soviet Division is a giant tease.
Philip and Elizabeth talk more about leaving the U.S. for Moscow.
They carry on through the rest of the episode as though theyre going to leave.
Every interaction they have with other characters carries with it a non-spoken, implicit goodbye.
Then sometime comes up…like it always does.
Elizabeth says she cannot leave.
She tells Philip he should still quit.
This is all very frustrating and anticlimactic.
And thats the point.
In The Soviet DivisionThe Americansfinally reveals its true self after all this time.
The inaction isnt a bug, its a feature.
This isnt a drama, its a tragedy.
The story ofThe Americansis the story of two individuals and their tragic flaws.
Only in this case those tragic flaws are technically their near superhuman skills.
Their love of country brought them to a different country.
Their love of their cause placed them directly in danger.
And their love for each other is going to keep them there.
The Soviet Division resolves Pashas suicide attempt relatively quickly.
Philip, Elizabeth and Tuan as the Eckerts reach the Morozov household and knock on the door.
Before Philip can go around back and break in Alexei and Evgenhiya arrive home and invite them inside.
Tuan goes upstairs to see Pasha and immediately calls for help.
The show is smart to let it extend on just a bit longer than we expected.
There Alexei finds a letter Pasha left behind.
He say he love us.
Not want to make so bad for us.
He says hes sorry but he cannot live in America.
Philip knows a thing or two about being unable to live in America.
The only thing thats keeping him here is his love for his wife.
Claudia says that cannot be done.
We almost killed their son and now were sending them back to be blackmailed.
Do we have to destroy this family too?
Yes, you do.
Because this is a tragedy and tragedies have sick senses of humor.
Family is important and love is important.
But in a tragedy theyre both used like weapons against the innocent.
After the Pasha ordeal, Tuan gives his overly honest assessment to the Jennings.
He says his report will make clear that they jeopardized this operation with their petty bourgeoisie concerns.
Elizabeth tells Philip to leave the room so she can talk to Tuan.
Since were being honest here theres something you should know, Elizabeth tells him.
Youre not going to make it.
Its too hard the work we do to do it alone.
One day it will all come crashing down.
We all want someone.
The Soviet Union understands this than better than any other entity.
Its the fundamental bedrock that makes their spy program in the U.S. work.
Philip and Elizabeth build relationships and exploit them.
Its cynical but its the truth.
Straight up giving Martha an orphan child is manipulative to the point that its borderline cruel.
Its everything that Martha needs in the universe: someone else.
The Soviet Union is acting like doing the same with Stan.
Stan tells Renee hes thinking of leaving the FBI or at least his division of the FBI.
He doesnt like the work hes doing with Sofia.
He doesnt trust it.
Renee smiles and says that Stan is a good person.
And if you dont do it, who will?
If you dont, who will?
First, give them someone…anyone.
And if love doesnt work, fail back to duty.
Its a never-ending saga, Pastor Tim says about his many goodbyes to his parishioners.
To which Paige responds except theres an end.
But there really isnt an end, Paige.
Not in this purgatorial cosmic straight jacket of obligation and devotion that Philip and Elizabeth wear.
After Kimmys party, Philip listens to the 20 hours of tape he took from her fathers suitcase.
Kimmys dad is moving on up: the the Soviet Division.
Hes too competent, too dedicated, toogood.
Like any good Boy Scout he returns to Elizabeth and tells her the news.
Its not just me having a hard time, he tells her.
Were allowed to have a life.
Maybe they can find someone else to work the Kimmy angle so that the Jennings can finally go home.
Elizabeth waits a moment and then says the most devastating thing uttered onThe Americansup to this point.
The head of the Soviet Division is just too big.
Its what Philip and Elizabeth came here for in the first place.
Its their white whale.
Its the kind of access to intelligence that could forever change the Cold War.
Elizabeth then offers Philip concessions.
Maybe he can stop.
Maybe the only job he has to do is to collect the tapes from Kimmy.
You need me, Elizabeth.
Its like Elizabeth told Tuan: nobody can do this alone.
Elizabeth cant do this alone and Philip loves her too much not to let her do this alone.
The Americans series finale is coming soon.
Season six will be the final season and episode 10 will be the final episode.
Maybe the real finale will be wildly momentous and conclusive.
Rating:
5 out of 5
