"The Americans" season 3 premiere episode opened to solid reviews.
It also saw the ratings go up from its second season finale by at least 700,000 according to Zap2It's TV by the Numbers. The second episode of the FX drama titled "Baggage" also received great reviews from the critics. While the show is getting better each week, the challenges that Philipp and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) will face will also get steeper.
It should go without saying that the couple's missions will be a lot more difficult. However, because of one small thing they did or happened to one of them earlier, things will be a lot harder, particularly the scene in "The Americans" season 3 premiere episode wherein Elizabeth had a run in with some FBI officers. Russell's character was wounded in the fight and that could haunt them as the season progresses.
Talking to the Entertainment Weekly, executive producers Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg said the couple will be rattled by the FBI which will use the wounds she contracted during the fight to pursuit the KGB agents disguising as Americans.
"Well, they are certainly looking for a woman who was injured in that way, but Elizabeth is no fool. So the challenge for her and Philip is to always stay one step ahead," Weisberg said.
Fields adds, "We will play that story out of how the FBI can look for a woman with that injury and how the Jennings will deal with it. We'll play that story out in typical Americans fashion, which means not like most TV shows will do it and it should be fun and interesting. But it's not going to gobble up the show."
Another challenge for them is Philipp's fake relationship with FBI employee Martha (Allison Wright) who so far appeared only in "The Americans" season 3 premiere episode. However, as the season progress, expect to see her more as their relationship will play a big role in the Jennings couple's capture or escape.
"It is never a good thing when your fake wife gets a real gun. But by the same token, one of the things that has surprised us at each season is that strangely that Clark and Martha marriage seems to get stronger and stronger," Fields explained.
"Martha is really growing as a person through this marriage, and as she does that is potentially dangerous for Phillip, but there is also something beautiful in it."
For Weisberg, Martha's desire to have children is what will trouble Philipp and his real wife.
"It is a big wrench. What is great about it, or what is hopefully most effective about it, is that it's neutral in terms of his ability to get her to continue downloading the bug and use her for all the intelligence purposes he wants, but it potentially throws off everything in terms of the marriage plan that he had in terms of his ability as an agent handler. Realistically speaking, would he be able to do that? Could he consider it? We try to follow that thread for a while and see what that might actually mean if it were taken to it's logical conclusion."
For more scoop on "The Americans" season 3, read the Entertainment Weekly article here.
