The Americans series finale concluded the Cold War-set spy drama on a very bittersweet note. Here's a breakdown of the hit show's final episode.
Summary
- The Americans' intense and emotionally devastating finale leaves Paige behind in America, showing her love for her brother and difficulty in starting a new life in a foreign place.
- Philip and Elizabeth return to Russia where they must reacclimatize to life in a changing country, but they are without their children and face the possibility of never seeing them again.
- Stan, despite his anger and hurt, lets the Jennings family go free because he still loves them and couldn't bear to break them apart, showing the depth and complexity of their friendship.
The Americans ended its six-season run with an emotional finale that shakes things up for its main characters in a huge way. Set during the Cold War in the 1980s, The Americans focuses on Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell), Russian KGB spies posing as an American married couple in the D.C. suburb of Falls Church, Virginia, with their American children, daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) and son Henry (Keidrich Sellati). The series explored Elizabeth and Philip's conflicts between duty and family, and hiding their true line of work from their neighbor, FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich).
The Americans' season finales are usually top-notch, but "START," the final episode of The Americans season 6, is especially intense. With brilliant writing, directing, and acting, The Americans crafted a superb ending to a great spy drama. The series finale was so acclaimed that it garnered two Primetime Emmys: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (given to showrunners and writers Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields) and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Matthew Rhys. Here's a full breakdown of the episode that became a celebrated ending to the hit TV series.
Why Paige Gets Off The Train In The Americans' Ending
One of the most emotionally devastating scenes in The Americans' ending is when Paige gets off the train to Canada, watching as Elizabeth and Philip look outside their windows in shock. It's a heartbreaking scene even without dialogue. As for why Paige even made that choice, part of it can be attributed to her love for her brother. Elizabeth and Philip were on the phone at the train station with their son, Henry, who they'd decided to leave behind in America since he doesn't know his parents are spies. Philip and Elizabeth had a heartbreaking conversation with Henry, telling him that they love him, though Paige, on ther other hand, couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to him forever.
Paige cares about Henry and doesn't want to go the rest of her life without seeing her brother. In an interview with Gold Derby, Holly Taylor says that Paige was likely angry about being lied to her whole life and wouldn't have wanted to start over in a place where she doesn't know the language. It would be difficult for Paige to make a new life with people she can't fully trust in foreign place.
What Will Happen To Elizabeth & Philip Jennings In Russia?
The final scene of The Americans shows Elizabeth and Philip outside in Moscow. Philip says that being back in their homeland "feels strange," and Elizabeth replies in Russian that they'll get used to it. After over two decades spent in America, Philip and Elizabeth will have to reacclimatize to life in Russia. It's 1987, and the Russia that the couple returns to is far different from what it was when they left, especially with Mikhail Gorbachev moving the Soviet Union in a more promising direction. In a few years, the Soviet Union will dissolve, and Elizabeth and Philip will no doubt have to navigate this major change while living there.
Unlike Paige, Philip and Elizabeth were born and raised in Russia, so they'll be able to get used to living a Russian life again soon enough. However, Philip has embraced American customs, and he'll undoubtedly miss some of the comforts back home in the States. Fortunately, the couple is under the protection of Arkady Zotov, the Directorate S deputy chief, so they will probably be treated well. Still, there's one thing Elizabeth and Philip don't have - their children. They have no way to contact Henry and Paige, and must face the fact that they may never see their children again, unless Paige and Henry decide to visit Russia.
Why Stan Lets The Jennings Go Free After Learning The Truth
Stan's suspicions of the Jennings grow throughout The Americans season 6, culminating in a tense confrontation in a parking garage in The Americans series finale. Stan is understandably furious, having thought of Phillip as one of his best friends before finding out the truth. Stan has the opportunity to shoot Philip or Elizabeth, or turn them in to the authorities. However, he ends up letting the family go free after hearing Philip's impassioned confession about his spy work (though he doesn't tell Stan the entire truth) and what his friendship with Stan truly meant to him.
Though Stan is angry and hurt, he still loves Philip and his family, which is ultimately why he lets the Jennings family walk away. Instead of taking the chance to nab the enemy and become an American hero, Stan's sentimentality wins out, and he allows Philip, Elizabeth, and Paige to flee. He considered these people like family, especially Henry, and in the end, he couldn't bear to break them apart by putting Elizabeth and Philip in jail. This is a heartbreakingly sweet gesture, especially since Stan is still grappling with the fact that his best friend was working for a cause that Stan spent so long fighting against.
What Happens To Henry In America? Does Stan Tell Him The Truth?
While Elizabeth, Philip, and Paige are making plans to flee the country, Henry is away at St. Edward's Academy, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire, where he's part of the hockey team. Stan comes to one of Henry's hockey games and presumably tells him the truth about his parents. Though their conversation isn't audible, Henry's physical reaction to the news is clear: he's angry and disappointed, and probably feels like his entire life and family have been a lie. At this point, Stan is the only reliable adult figure Henry has.
Stan has grown to think of Henry like a son and has bonded with him over sports. Henry even feels comfortable enough around Stan to talk to him about girls. There's no doubt that Stan will look after Henry, especially since Paige and Philip pleaded with Stan to take care of him. Now that Henry knows the truth about his parents, he'll need emotional support, and Stan will be able to provide that for him. Henry will probably continue his normal life, though he will have to grapple with his parents and sister being out of the picture - unless Paige figures out a way to reconnect with her brother.
Was Renee Really A Spy In The Americans?
Before the Jennings family leaves the parking garage, Philip reveals to Stan that he thinks Renee is "one of us," implying that he believes Stan's second wife could be a fellow KGB spy. Philip has been suspicious about Renee for a while, even tailing her car in The Americans season 5, episode 5, "Lotus 1-2-3." However, The Americans leaves Renee's status ambiguous, and Stan is left with Philip's words creating doubt in his mind as he looks at his partner in a new light. It's possible that Renee could be a spy, especially since she's very invested in Stan's FBI job. However, she could also simply be an ordinary person.
Stan's sense of trust has already been broken after finding out his best friend is a spy, but this last admittance from Philip is quite the bombshell. It shows that Stan doesn't know who he can trust anymore. Either Renee is a spy and Stan's entire relationship is a lie, or Renee isn't, and Stan is being needlessly paranoid. In any case, Stan won't look at his relationship with Renee the same way ever again. In an interview with The Ringer, Joe Weisberg even admits the cast and crew don't know if Renee is a spy, leaving that matter up to the audience to decide.
The Real Meaning Of The Americans' Ending
The ending of The Americans is bittersweet; Philip and Elizabeth are able to escape, but they do so at the loss of their children. The couple made so many sacrifices as they left Russia for America, and now the show has come full circle, causing them to make sacrifices again to get back to Russia. The ending also reflects how Philip and Elizabeth's marriage has evolved - at the start of The Americans, the two weren't very close, only together as part of a cover marriage. By the series finale, though, Philip and Elizabeth have a real relationship, and have grown to care for each other more than their spy mission.
Will The Americans Season 7 Ever Happen In Some Way?
At the moment, there are no plans for The Americans season 7. Keri Russell is doubtful about The Americans returning, telling ComicBook.com, "It was such a good ending. I don't think I would mess with that one." On the other hand, Matthew Rhys seems more open to a possible revival, saying on The Rich Eisen Show (via YouTube) that the finale left things open-ended and that more stories could be told.
Despite Rhys' enthusiastic comments, perhaps leaving The Americans as is would be best. The Americans' ending may have left some loose ends, but most importantly, it resolved its biggest stories. Plus, there's always the possibility that a revival would ruin the show's impeccable legacy. While it would be interesting to see what Paige and Henry are up to, especially in the modern day, it's not a bad thing to leave the characters' fates open-ended. The Americans had one of the best TV series finales of the 2010s, and it would be difficult for a revival to match or top such a superb conclusion.
Sources: Gold Derby, The Ringer, ComicBook, YouTube
