Sorry for the spoilers!
The television drama series “The Americans” follows two undercover KGB agents posing as a married couple in the 1980s during the Cold War. The two agents, Philip and Elizabeth, have been in America since the 1960s and are raising a son and daughter who do not know their real identifies for most of the series. The show details the conflict between the KGB and FBI in Washington D.C. as Philip and Elizabeth carry out various counterintelligence missions. The series comes to and end when their identities are uncovered which causes Philip and Elizabeth to go back to Russia.
The most interesting aspect of the series is how it depicts identity. Shortly before Philip and Elizabeth’s identities are uncovered by outsiders, they reveal the truth to their daughter. The children of Philip and Elizabeth are thoroughly American. When the truth is revealed to their daughter, it comes as a shock even though she knew something was off about her family. She begins to learn about Russian culture and learns about how the Soviet Union views America. She comes to the realization that at least one of her parents actually has a disdain for America, the only country she has ever known. This takes us to the internal conflict between Philip and Elizabeth. Philip has assimilated into American culture and wants to leave the KGB. Elizabeth is angered by this and cannot understand why someone would ever want to become Americanized. One could say that Philip does not buy into the Soviet-propangda about Americans now that he has lived there for almost two decades. Yet Elizabeth’s time in America has only hardened her beliefs about America as she has seen how a supposedly great country treats minorities and engages in proxy wars throughout the globe.
The ending of the series is bittersweet. Philip and Elizabeth decide to leave their American son in America but bring their daughter to Russia with them. The three of them board a train but their daughter decides to get off at an early stop. Elizabeth is shocked. Philip is at peace with it knowing that America is home for his daughter. The series closes out with Philip and Elizabeth back in Moscow. The creator of the series wants the audience to ask themselves what it means to be an American and why some people do or do not become Americanized. The series inspires a conversation around identity because it shows us how even an immigrant couple can have conflicting views on how much they want their children to assimilate into American culture. The majority of Americans are many generations removed from an immigrant experience and this series gives them a glimpse into how painful it can be to raise children who do not have a connection their culture.