The Americans

[spoilers] Last month I finally finished The Americans. I had started watching this back in 2017 (ish?) but after the first season I fell off. I've been meaning to return to finish it, and I finally binged it this past summer.  The series is spy thriller set during the Cold War. Our main characters are  Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, Russian spies who were trained in Western-style downs in the USSR for infiltration missions. On assignment they are just two ordinary suburban parents in 1980s Washington, D.C..  Their next-door neighbor is an FBI agent (Stan) who becomes their friend.  

As they juggle espionage missions, they must also maintain the illusion of a normal American family life with their two children, who are unaware of their true identities. 

During the series, Philip begins to question the morality of their cause, while Elizabeth remains fiercely committed to the Soviet mission. Their dual lives create intense emotional conflict, testing their marriage, values, and sense of self.  Throughout the series I wonder who Philip and Elizabeth can juggle all of this and still have kids who don't know how their parents actually are. Both Philip and Elizabeth maintain human assets and second families...and a freakin' dayjob!  Suspending disbelief, these folks work 80+ hour weeks 🙃  Despite the hard-to-believe nature of the show, it is worthwhile watching to the end.  The series finale was actually quite well done, both heartbreaking and springing with potential new possibilites.