The Americans Season 3 Premiere Review: Not Without My Daughter

The Americans S03E01: "EST Men"

I mean, we could talk about the real-life Russian spies who were recently busted in New York, or Paige's impending recruitment, or the fact that Gaad laid legit eyes on Elizabeth before the credits of The Americans' Season 3 premiere even rolled, or how Nina is being convicted for treason offscreen, but the main thing going on (IMHO) as the FX spy drama returned to our lives was Martha and Clark synchronized-orgasming their way through the Kama Sutra. That was the most important moment of "EST Men." Which is my fancy way of saying, "It's good to be back, y'all." Like, as I sat down to watch this season premiere, my mind was so geared up for technical plot answers to last season's dangling threads that I was blindsided by the basic pleasant feelings that came along with our reentry into the The Americans' world. Let's just take a moment to appreciate entertainment as a thing.

Ahhhh. That's nice.

With that said, "EST Men" was mainly a set-up/catch-up hour, but it unfolded in the taut fashion The Americans has come to perfect, and that's kind of all it needed to do. This early on, the only thing I really require is the show's pure acknowledgment that the characters are back to their old tricks, with just a touch of forthcoming plot, and the premiere certainly delivered. Elizabeth busted out some kickass moves (if she were a Street Fighter 2 character, her special skill would be to cause motorcycle accidents), family priorities conflicted with espionage pressures (the Centre REALLY wants Paige), there were wigs upon wigs, there was tons of back-room spy talk about missions and strategies and political concerns, and all throughout, references to the '80s flittered across our screens like Ronald Reagan in a silly string battle.

Mainly we're looking at a war for Paige's soul. Philip believes that once Paige is 18, she'll be able to enjoy a life of freedom, while Elizabeth—who's casing her own daughter via church—feels that Paige could get a lot out of being chucked into the pool of espionage. Minus the spycraft, this is a struggle I think we all can relate to. It seems like only yesterday my mom wanted me to follow in her footsteps and become a lunch lady man, while my father insisted that I should be free to do what I want, even if that meant becoming what I am today, which is a person who writes about television on the free computers at Staples until I am escorted into the dumpster where they throw away all the broken three-ring binders.

It's not clear whether the immediately likable Gabriel (an already at-home Frank Langella) is using his congeniality to influence the Jennings in a friendly way, or whether he's simply relaying information to and from the Centre, but for now he's just a new character who seems to know Philip and Elizabeth from back in the day. Enough to palm Mischa in the face, to cook some traditional food, and to pass on a tape from Elizabeth's dying mom. He's their father figure.

Elsewhere, the love triangle between Oleg, Stan, and Nina is now a love line, at least on the surface, as Stan attempts to regain Sandra's trust via checking out his wife's self-help program where the teacher definitely calls you an "asshole." I also had a good laugh at the instructor's aggressive use of the phrase "balling," as well as how much stuff was written on his multiple chalkboards. Theorems? It's like, "I want to become more self-empowered, not solve cold fusion!" Yeeeeeesh. Now I'm imagining a world where Stan knows he needs to appear as if he's fallen out of love with Nina in order to be able to save her, but that's probably getting too far ahead. I'm just happy she's still alive. Convicted, yes, but alive!

But damn if Stan's reaction to the news of Nina's fate wasn't that of a wounded heart, same as Oleg's (P.S. let's hear it for Tatiana, as played by Vera Cherney. Also was digging Brandon Dirden A LOT as the new FBI agent). I've fallen for sad sack Stan. He looked like a neglected neighbor kid, rifling through the Jennings' fridge. There's definitely a thing that goes on with adult males where they don't grow up in certain ways, because a housewife kind of mommies them. It's weird, but he's kind of likable in a Martha sort of way.

And speaking of Martha, she and Stan are even popping off a few rounds outside of work, so it's only a matter of time before they start talking marital woes and old Clarka Sutra comes up. Between Stan and Martha's extracurricular activities and Gaad getting a look at Elizabeth, plus some fingerprints in the mix, I respect how, with each new season of The Americans, there's not so much a reset going on in terms of tension, but rather the noose slowly tightening around the Jennings' necks. Their world is for sure shrinking.

Then there was the nitty-gritty agency stuff that will surely make more sense as the season progresses, just like ARPANET was a thing that facilitated some action in Season 2, even though at first it was like, "Uh what's that I don't get it yet." Relax, all will be made clear. For now we've got increasing CIA/FBI interplay (the CIA won't give up Elizabeth's fingerprints from the list of names), Reagan trying to turn Afghanistan into Russia's Vietnam, the ISI doing stuff in conjunction with the CIA, and the U.S. Canada Institute lady who needs protecting. I looked up the institute and apparently it's a think tank that advised the Soviets on foreign policy, so I think the official's in trouble because she passed on some sensitive information about Russia to a U.S. Embassy dude.

At present, that seems to be all we need to know, though the way Stan looked at her, maybe he's about to fall for someone else who needs protecting. Oh, Stan. I delight at the thought of how all this will connect; watching the dots come together on this show is like a non-boring version of history class, in no small part due to the fact that my high school left all of Russia out of its lesson plan. Always thought that was odd.

Anyway, as "EST Men" wrapped up, Annalise went and opened her fool mouth and got choked out by ISI's Head of Covert Action Yousef, which looks like Russia's way into the Afghanistan game. I feel bad for her on a human level, but as a character she was in over her head from the second she got involved, and I wonder if her death will spur any guilt in Philip. One day, that could be HIS daughter sleeping for secrets.

What did you think of The Americans' Season 3 premiere?