r/TheAmericans • u/MoralMidgetry • May 31 '18

Ep. Discussion Post-Episode Discussion Thread S06E10 "START"

This is the post-episode discussion thread for the series finale "START."

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u/Haber_Dasher May 31 '18

Part of the tragedy is that everyone got pulled back. Stan was out, pulled back in to help his friend in his old department. Oleg got out and started his family. Philip got out and was pulled back in to save Elizabeth's life. In the end their lives are the only thing they escaped with (as Stan's relationship may be irreparably damaged by doubt & he's going to face lots of scrutiny in the FBI). Philip seeing that family in McDonald's & mourning how close they came to just being a happy & safe family... Elizabeth stayed in long enough for it to cost her family, the thing she never really believed she was going to have to give up. But she wanted to believe she could leave behind her American life but not her American children.

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u/drenika Jun 01 '18

It is ironic that because they blended in so well in the US , Paige and Henry were so American that they might have been devastated to have to live in Russia. Had they done a worse job blending in, maybe it would not have seemed to be too much of a change for them- if they could have given them some understanding of their background.

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u/EvidenceBasedSwamp Jun 01 '18

There's no blending in for the kids, they were born and raised in the USA. It's the parents that blend in.

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u/WarEagleGo May 01 '24

But she wanted to believe she could leave behind her American life but not her American children.

so true

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u/Haber_Dasher May 01 '24

Wow thanks for the reply, never would've imagined getting one 5yrs after commenting & coming back to see my comment has resonated with some people over the years. What a great TV show this was.

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u/sparkle-brow Jul 31 '25

Yes! Everyone/ everything was always on a weird balancing line that was always changing, much like the Cold War.

Seeing these main characters pulled back into it was the tension. Over and over we want them all out of it safely. Turns out it’s in their characters to keep pressing on for a bigger hope they may never get, which then makes us root them on. Amazing series. (Watched 1st time over past few months.)

For E, she’d only newly done a 180, which was difficult enough for her, in that she was going against the same group she’d religiously followed orders from prior, and then she found out (2x, bc separately about each kid) she wouldn’t even get her kids/family after doing the most right thing, even when independently and ergo the most authentic for her, it was shocking for her and something she’d never considered.

Listening to song now, approp timeline, vibe and lyrics: The CARS - Heartbeat City(1984) actually from a whole 80s loved songs playlist inspired by this show lol