What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

The Americans (1 Viewer)

So you guys are serious about the baseball card thing?
It's a pretty easy fix from a continuity standpoint. Now, I am assuming that is said 1987... if it happened to be a 1987 card but didn't say that and the player was playing a few years earlier, then it's a near total pass in my book.

Considering it's a first year tight budget basic cable show, I give a bit more leway to having a newer model truck because if something like that sneaks in during filming, it's going to be a ##### to work it out. A baseball card is something on a totally controlled on set, inside environment.

I should also add, when people are nitpicking about this stuff and saying its just not up to the level of the Wire, that's evidence enough that we have a really good show here, imo.

 
So you guys are serious about the baseball card thing?
No. I enjoy the show a lot. I don't think it's revolutionary or has the real potential to shock; but I think it's well done and interesting. I just notice baseball cards. If I only had a couple of gripes...they would be that:

A) the show should have a little bit more period music in it. When they utilized it (Tusk in the Premiere, Games Without Frontiers in the finale)....it really added to the scene.

B) I like the idea of the deep cover "family"; but it does kind of limit REAL moments of action or legit intrigue. History's history. They can give us the occasional undocumented wetwork (like Granny Kill).....but it's not like any person of historical stature is going to be in danger of anything. The deep cover family facade limits the main characters from going to the U.S.S.R....or East Germany or some place in which there would be a little more gray area to fudge history.

 
Right, she should have been ducking in the car. I thought the same thing. Also, how did she get shot in the gut?

Things I found out of place this season: remote control, Skittles, Guiness, tazer. I know they all existed in 1981, but were not common. Or maybe my memory has faded...
Pete used a remote control in Mad Men this season...just sayin

 
Right, she should have been ducking in the car. I thought the same thing. Also, how did she get shot in the gut?

Things I found out of place this season: remote control, Skittles, Guiness, tazer. I know they all existed in 1981, but were not common. Or maybe my memory has faded...
Pete used a remote control in Mad Men this season...just sayin
The first wireless TV remote hit the market in 1956.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/16/AR2007021602102.html

 
I read an interview with the showrunners where they acknowledged the errors they made as rookies (continuity errors as well as others). Don't recall specifically whether they mentioned the baseball cards, though.

That being said, I think this one of the best seasons any TV show has had - ever. I never really though about it, but one recapper summed up why I like this show so much - the characters drive the plot instead of the reverse. The few mistakes the show has made have been when they've tried to use plot to move the characters around.

I also get pissed by the "well, we no how things panned out so where's the suspense?" crowd. 10s, 100s, 1000s of people had their lives affected in the "real world" by the Cold War and we know very little of that.

In any case, kudos to the showrunners, writers, directors, and actors. Phillip, Stan, Nina, Granny, Gregory, and freaking John Boy are all doing awesome work. To hear Richard Thomas say "GDammit!" on national TV flips my childhood upside down and I love it.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I also get pissed by the "well, we no how things panned out so where's the suspense?" crowd. 10s, 100s, 1000s of people had their lives affected in the "real world" by the Cold War and we know very little of that.
I don't get this at all. Who cares that we know the US wins. Do they get caught? Kids end up secretly shuffled back to the USSR? How do their lives and missions change as #### hits the fan. So much room for suspense cold war outcome be damned.
 
I also get pissed by the "well, we no how things panned out so where's the suspense?" crowd. 10s, 100s, 1000s of people had their lives affected in the "real world" by the Cold War and we know very little of that.
I don't get this at all. Who cares that we know the US wins. Do they get caught? Kids end up secretly shuffled back to the USSR? How do their lives and missions change as #### hits the fan. So much room for suspense cold war outcome be damned.
I hear you, my brother. Just reporting.

By NOT having the show contrive Michael Bay kind of #### is its great triumph - it;s the "little", personal tradgedies that drive home the hellishness of it all.

 
Series Finale: Cold war ends, US demands Russia to out their spies in America. Somehow Stan finds out it's his neighbors and burries it as his son and Phillip and Elizabeth's daughter are about to get married.

 
Series Finale: Cold war ends, US demands Russia to out their spies in America. Somehow Stan finds out it's his neighbors and burries it as his son and Phillip and Elizabeth's daughter are about to get married.
Gold
 
So you guys are serious about the baseball card thing?
It's a pretty easy fix from a continuity standpoint. Now, I am assuming that is said 1987... if it happened to be a 1987 card but didn't say that and the player was playing a few years earlier, then it's a near total pass in my book. Considering it's a first year tight budget basic cable show, I give a bit more leway to having a newer model truck because if something like that sneaks in during filming, it's going to be a ##### to work it out. A baseball card is something on a totally controlled on set, inside environment. I should also add, when people are nitpicking about this stuff and saying its just not up to the level of the Wire, that's evidence enough that we have a really good show here, imo.
Maybe they put the baseball cards in there on purpose to see how long it would take interweb dorks to notice.
 
I'll admit that the interactions between Phil and Elizabeth (this episode they're off, next they're on) have been more convenient than logical, but the thing that works for me about this show is that it can still pull some surprises (Elizabeth's beatdown of Granny, Stan shooting Vlad, Nina's turn). I half-expected Stan to shoot Nina in the safehouse after the botched capture attempt (or at least take it out on her somehow)...make her second guess her decision.

Hopefully this gets some Emmy love- I think Rhys and Martindale have been solid season-long, and even Russell has had some solid moments (even if she's considered the "weak link").

 
Episode 2 hasn't aired here yet. I figure I'll elaborate on why I thought the pilot was sub-par.I posted before how the lack of attention to detail when it comes to the time period the show is set in is distracting. It doesn't have to be perfect but if you're going to purposely set your show in 1981 go the extra mile and make it look like 1981.Boris and Natasha (I don't remember their names) are pretty piss poor secret agents. The first 10 minutes of this show illustrates this point perfectly. Their mission is to kidnap the rapey ex-KGB colonel. Obviously this is an important task. And Boris and the blonde guy actually have a discussion about how bad-### this guy is.So what's their plan? Hide around the corner like a mugger in an old Mad Magazine panel. The colonel has killed before and is an expert in hand-to-hand combat yet for some reason Boris and Blondie don't bother carrying any sort of weapons. Not a sap or a blackjack or even a lead pipe. Their big plan is to jump the guy and go mano-a-mano. They remembered to bring extra license plates and that nifty S&M ball gag for the colonel but not a set of brass knuckles or can of mace? Outstanding.Don't get me started on the completely unrealistic fight scenes. That kung-fu crap is laughable. MMA has been on American TV for 20 years now. Why do they still insist on showing Bruce Lee/Chuck Norris-like fights on TV and in movies?And Natasha's role in the whole caper was pretty slick too. Pay some schmuck $60 or whatever and ask if she can look through is window. Never mind the fact that the guy could have just taken the cash and never let her in. Now they've got an eyewitness who stood within 20 feet of Natasha for 5 minutes. Brilliant.And couldn't they have stolen or rented a car for this job? Pretty stupid to use the family truckster even with the multiple license plate switcheroo.I also love how they had no back-up plan at all. They obviously had a very tight window as to when they had to get the colonel on the cargo ship. It didn't occur to them to come up with a plan B if they didn't make that window? Maybe a safe-house or remote cabin or some abandoned warehouse? Of course this sets up the next goofy plot contrivance.How many days was that guy in the trunk of the car? 2? 3? Did he just piss and crap all over himself?And when FBI neighbor comes over to borrow the jumper cables why didn't Boris just say "Sorry, I don't have any" or"Sure, wait here. I'll get them out of my garage"? Instead he comes within a split-second of blowing a 15 year super-secret-spy mission (not to mention his entire family's freedom) by having FBI neighbor just waltz right into the garage. Stupid, stupid writing.There's more but the bottom line is that the writing on this show is sloppy and transparent. It makes it hard to take the show seriously.
I just started watching this show, want to say that this post nailed my thoughts. I will watch the whole season as there is nothing better to watch and I have some free days now finally. Excellent acting but that scene with the jumper cables was probably the worst writing I have ever seen in a show that was supposed to be real. I understand it was in there to raise some red flags for the FBI dude, but there were other ways he could have "seen" the vehicle without it being completely insane to risk a 20 year KGB mission for nothing. What would have happened in Mr Ball Gag would have moved like a bear when the trunk opened? And why wouldnt he make a scene he was going to die if he wasnt saved? So not only did it make no sense to go to garage it made no sense for baddy to remain silent.

Watching episode 2 and 3 now....

 
Ok, five episodes in now, forget my last post about nitpicking the first episode, this show is amazing! Every show can be nitpicked to death such as Breaking Bad (train heist=Fast and Furious) and Homeland obviously. This show has been extremely entertaining and suspenseful so far.

 
Ok, five episodes in now, forget my last post about nitpicking the first episode, this show is amazing! Every show can be nitpicked to death such as Breaking Bad (train heist=Fast and Furious) and Homeland obviously. This show has been extremely entertaining and suspenseful so far.
Welcome aboard, Comrade.

 
God, I love Nina. The treason I would do for that one...

Yeah, she's incredibly sexy. Very good actress, too, and she actually sounds Russian since IIRC one of her parents (her dad?) is Russian. Fantastic casting. Her story with Stan is utterly and totally believable and she and Emmerich have real chemistry.

 
Ok episode 6 might go down as an all time great episode for me from any show. I think I can watch that scene where fat piglett walks in and says enough and then the subsequent beatdown by Natasha with the "Tell whoever approved this that your FACE is a present from me to them, show them your face, SHOW IT TO THEM!!!"

Damn I loved that scene, watched it about 5 times. If it was up to me Natasha gets the award right now, screw Carrie from Homeland and her craziness.

While stating that this was an all timer for me, I did have some little nitpicks from the episode. I have been reading the thread up until each episode I watch (PS best way to watch a show is follow the old FBG posts about it, nothing else compares to this on the web) and see everyone hated the hitch hiker story. When he picked up the kids i was thinking to myself please dont let this dude be a creep, just have him deliver the kids home for crissakes, but of course they went the silly route to waste some time on the kids.

Also I didnt understand why the recorder was that easy to sneak into the KGB place and hard to sneak out, shouldnt there be the same security on incoming and outgoing personnel? Also wouldnt Nina's name be brought up by the framed dude instantly? He cant be that dumb, she has to be mentioned as the possible framer and thus extra security put on her asap.

PS I love whoever keeps calling the main couple Boris and Natasha in this thread

 
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
No shtick from me. If it was shtick I would keep to my shtick.

Never did I say greatest show ever, I said that episode was an all timer for me. Show is very solid and getting better with each episode, nothing can be an all time show until 3-4 seasons IMO.

Just being honest that garage scene in the first episode was absolutely disgusting for such a great show, if not for the amazing reviews and my friends telling me to watch the show, i might have given up after that one episode. I guarantee the showrunner would not have that scene in anymore if he had the chance. Just was so dumb on so many levels, but glad there was nothing close to that stupid in the following episodes. That scene was supposed to raise the red flags for Stan about his neighbors but in the following 5 episodes he has shown nothing to indicate he suspects them of being spies now, so that scene was totally uncalled for even though they wanted to add extra drama to the Stan- Boris relationship.

BTW My all timer list of best episodes is mostly the Shield and Breaking Bad episodes...be back later to discuss the remaining eps, binge watching now!

 
Raider Nation said:
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
I was going to tell the little guy to remain patient but it looks like he came around.

 
Raider Nation said:
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
Remember he's watching the shows back to back. Alot of us had the same reaction after the first two episodes and quickly changed our tune after that but instead of in 10 minutes our opinion changed over 3 weeks

 
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
Remember he's watching the shows back to back. Alot of us had the same reaction after the first two episodes and quickly changed our tune after that but instead of in 10 minutes our opinion changed over 3 weeks
yep, just finished the season, every episode besides for the 11th one were excellent. The 11th was the episode where Elizabeth kidnapped the cia guy and released him. That rang so false since they were risking an actual cia guy to reveal there disguises and know about the warehouse. The feds could have shut down the entire city to search for such a warehouse or whatever. Also thought the finale was amazing though having Stan watch the kids was silly since he could have hired a sitter. Also the sick aunt excuse probably wouldn't hold up since the kids would be like "what aunt, we have no family"
 
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
I'll tell you that I thought the pilot was terrible. The second episode was no prize either. I was very surprised to watch this show improve throught the season.

It's nowhere near "great" but it did move into "pretty good" territory.

 
Loving the biggamer shtick. From "worst writing ever" to "greatest show ever" in about 10 minutes.
I'll tell you that I thought the pilot was terrible. The second episode was no prize either. I was very surprised to watch this show improve throught the season. It's nowhere near "great" but it did move into "pretty good" territory.
You certainly didn't like the first 2 as evidenced by my sig.
 
Had to look this up this morning since the show gave me two time real time points - the show's final 10 episodes of the year took place in less than two months. They gave us Reagan shot in the 3rd episode - Monday, March 20, 1981 - and one of the scenes in the final episode referenced watching Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals - Thursday, May 21, 1981. The car chase - a day or two after the Stanley Cup game - was obviously filmed when there were no leaves on the trees, and that would be unusual in late May in DC - except maybe this year.

Not really earth-shattering or nitpicking, just something that clicked - partially because of the Star Wars sheets, and this was post Empire.
Don't forget the marriage when the guy said "state of Virginia" instead of "Commonwealth of Virginia".

 
Had to look this up this morning since the show gave me two time real time points - the show's final 10 episodes of the year took place in less than two months. They gave us Reagan shot in the 3rd episode - Monday, March 20, 1981 - and one of the scenes in the final episode referenced watching Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals - Thursday, May 21, 1981. The car chase - a day or two after the Stanley Cup game - was obviously filmed when there were no leaves on the trees, and that would be unusual in late May in DC - except maybe this year.

Not really earth-shattering or nitpicking, just something that clicked - partially because of the Star Wars sheets, and this was post Empire.
Don't forget the marriage when the guy said "state of Virginia" instead of "Commonwealth of Virginia".
So do people think we threw out our Star Wars sheets when Empire came out? Because I can assure you, we did not.

 
The actress who played the Russian woman who oversaw the main couple, I forgot her character name, she is doing another show and not in this season of the Americans

 
Can't wait for this show, so underrated at the award shows, with barely any noms
I think a big part of it was them just trying to get a second season and for the show to catch on. I think they'll open up the storytelling some in the second season, and maybe we'll get to know some of the secondary characters better.

 
Can't wait for this show, so underrated at the award shows, with barely any noms
Because it isn't that good.
The first couple of episodes were bad, but I think it hit its stride pretty early and ran smoothly to the end - the Gregory episodes were two of the best TV eps I saw all year. I think it's pretty damned good (much better than trash I enjoy like Walking Dead & AHS).

 
Can't wait for this show, so underrated at the award shows, with barely any noms
Because it isn't that good.
The first couple of episodes were bad, but I think it hit its stride pretty early and ran smoothly to the end - the Gregory episodes were two of the best TV eps I saw all year. I think it's pretty damned good (much better than trash I enjoy like Walking Dead & AHS).
Oh it definitely got better. Much better. But it's still not really award-worthy IMO.

 
Can't wait for this show, so underrated at the award shows, with barely any noms
Because it isn't that good.
The first couple of episodes were bad, but I think it hit its stride pretty early and ran smoothly to the end - the Gregory episodes were two of the best TV eps I saw all year. I think it's pretty damned good (much better than trash I enjoy like Walking Dead & AHS).
Oh it definitely got better. Much better. But it's still not really award-worthy IMO.
Yeah, Homeland season 2 was winning awards left and right. The Wire was never nominated for anything, the awards shows are just popularity contests without actually judging the content of the shows.

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top