The show is set in 1980 with Ronald Reagan as the new president of the United States. The Soviets are terrified of Reagan and think he's a mad man. The presence of a potential war seems very real despite knowing that the war always remains cold.
Keri Russell stars as "Elizabeth Jennings" (not her birth name, but her American one), alongside her "husband" "Phillip Jennings"(played by Matthew Rhys). The quotes indicate the ambiguity of their life. They act like husband and wife to the outside world and to their two kids, but when they are alone, it's less clear.
Elizabeth has sex with an American agent to obtain information in the first scene so a monogamous marriage it is not. But when Phillip plays the tape of her escapade, it's obvious he is deeply affected by it. He seems to love her and wants a normal, American life.
Elizabeth is much more cold, and clearly dedicated to the KGB. It's not as obvious that she cares for Phillip much more than any two agents care for each other. There's a reason for this as a flashback will show. There are three flashback scenes and all are effective in getting the point across.
The couple has been in America since 1965, had children, and have done their best to sound and look as American as possible. They never even speak a word of Russian once they enter America (very convenient for television purposes, but it's not exactly an irrelevant reason for doing so).
The children have no idea and it's clear the couple care about them. I won't reveal a spoiler, but the show does a very effective job of making it very clear that Phillip cares about his two children. It's a very satisfying scene.
To create an immediate and likely future conflict, a new neighbor (played by the great Noah Emmerich) moves in who happens to work for the FBI. He was undercover for the past three years so he knows what that is like. He is seemingly there to provide intel on what an undercover Soviet would do. So he knows what being undercover is like so he would be attuned to any slight misstep that the Jennings would have. (Let me make it clear that he moved in as a pure coincidence, not because the Americans are onto them)
Overall, that was just great television. It's obvious the main characters are not bad people, they just care about their country. That's pretty important in establishing these two people as likable characters and not people that we would despise.
On another note, after just two episodes, I am finished with The Following. It appears it will be on for a while since the ratings are good and evidently the majority of the American public enjoy it. Not me. I cannot do a show where federal agents might possibly be on Joe Carroll's side with no reasoning as to how or why. Sorry, it's dumb. If the show was at all convincing about Carroll's ability to brainwash people, I could forgive everything else. But it's not. He's no more interesting than your regular professor.
So The Following is out and The Americans is in for awhile longer.
Next post: Classic Comedy shows that I am watching or will watch... or have watched.
Agree, the Following is getting tough to follow. From the most recent episode, it appears that the new agent on the case is a follower as evidenced by the looks exchanged between her and Carroll when she gave him the Poe book. No way a true Federal Agent falls into Carroll's clutches.
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