Analyzing The Americans' garage scene, the most haunting aspect of the series finale

Vulture

There were many aspects to series finale's intense garage scene, which featured filmmaking that allowed it to operate as an "artful dance of loyalty and revelations among the actors," says Angelica Jade Bastién. She adds: "The Americans is a series primed to elude expectations, trading the typical thrills associated with espionage dramas for insightful explorations into marriage and the mutable nature of identity. What makes the garage scene the most haunting aspect of the finale is ultimately what made the series a uniquely bruising experience over the course of its six seasons: It deeply considers the price and power of true intimacy. The scene also distills the most intriguing aspects of the show: tension that bites, a clever use of silence and sound design, delicately fine-tuned performances, directorial choices that privilege the subtle gestures of the actors, and an astute understanding of the weight of history both personal and global. All of these traits — especially the raw, nerved vulnerability that defines the performances by (Matthew) Rhys and (Noah) Emmerich — work in concert to plumb the murky depths of male vulnerability, loyalty, and the price of intimacy itself."

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