The Americans, Season 1, Episodes 8-13 (season finale)
These are not real Americans, fighting for the rights of every man.
Apologies for the day's delay, so here's what I've been watching and playing over the last eight days...
MOVIES
Still a fun movie, although it serves more as a prompt for me to remember going to Singapore for a wedding myself - fun watching a movie in a 'fancy' location that I've actually visited.
A dark and difficult watch at times, especially when remembering how old Elle Fanning was when making it, especially when even Keanu Reeves in a small role comes across as the the creepiest guy in the world.
GAMES
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood & Wine
I have to admit that I'm not liking this as much as I expected to, and have slowed down my playthrough so I can see what the remaster is like in comparison.
The biggest problem is navigating the location of Toussaint, which is as pretty as a picture, but the number of criss-crossing roads, narrow bridges, low walls and twisting paths that cover the map really show up how terrible riding Roach can be.
Also currently playing: Batman: Arkham City, EA FC 26
TV
The Americans, Season 1, Episodes 8-13 (season finale)
Season summary: Two deep-cover Soviet spies posing as an American couple take on dangerous missions in 1980s Washington, D.C., while trying to balance loyalty to their homeland with their fake family life.
Episode 8, “Mutually Assured Destruction”
A great episode that had its own self-contained story, including an explosively bloody climax, while pushing forward things for all the main characters. [9/10]
Episode 9, “Safe House”
A semi-regular dies, another commits murder (not the same incident) and this episode definitely positions the FBI as being worse than the KGB – and a surprise Sadie Sink appearance as a kid with a shotgun! [9/10]
Episode 10, “Only You”
And down goes another semi-regular character as the fallout from the previous episode mounts up, although at least they went out on their own terms – also have to say that I have no sympathy for Elizabeth’s struggles at this point. [9/10]
Episode 11, “Covert War”
Elizabeth’s instability continues – this time wanting to kill a CIA officer in revenge for a KGB officer she viewed as a father figure, but then lets them go - and I really hope it’s leading somewhere because it is starting to grate just a tiny bit… [8/10]
Episode 12, “The Oath”
Feels almost like a part 1 for the finale, setting up a lot of pieces, with both the FBI and KGB uncovering the other’s spying and potentially turning it against them. [8/10]
Episode 13, “The Colonel”
Lots of tension and lots of twists and turns, setting things up nicely for the second season – just a hair too long and lacking that one ‘killer’ moment to sign off what has been a ridiculously-consistent high-quality first season. [9/10]
I've watched one-off series that have been excellent from start to finish (Band of Brothers, Chernobyl), but I can't recall the last time I watched the first season of an ongoing show that manage to maintain such a high level of consistent quality.
In fact, the only 'weakness' I can really think of for The Americans' first season is that it didn't have a truly knockout 'holy shit' level episode, which is pretty fantastic really. [9/10]
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