Plot: What’s it about?
A few years ago I read an interview in which a noted television producer (and I forget the name) said that “Television is getting good again.” He went onto remark that it’s not only the network shows, but more alone the lines of the independent cable networks that were taking the risks. For years it was only HBO that took some chances (and succeeded) with shows like The Soprano’s, Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Well now every network has gotten in the game and it’s a win/win for viewers. The article went onto say that it’s much more difficult to produce new and original entertainment simply because networks that were once showing reruns of Gilligan’s Island are now producing top notch entertainment. As I thought about it, he was right. Due to my “duties” with this site I don’t have a lot of time to start watching new shows, there just aren’t enough hours in the day. But when those shows come to Blu-ray, it’s my chance to see what I missed, so to speak.
One of those Blu-ray’s is the first season of The Americans. Admittedly I’d not heard of the show until I saw the cover, though I think that Keri Russell was (and is) one of the most beautiful actresses on TV. The general premise of the show is relatively simple as it focuses on Elizabeth and Henry Jennings (Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys respectively), two KGB agents that are posing as your typical American family. They’ve even got two kids who have no idea as to their past. And while this isn’t set in the present (it’s smack dab in the middle of the Cold War era), we do get a look at some of the wardrobes and “gadgets” (see accompanying featurette) used by the agents. The show takes a few liberties, but it’s also a bit violent and harsh as to some of the things that we do see throughout the season (prostitutes, anyone)? Granted we only have a dozen or so episodes to delve into and with the second season around the corner, it’ll tell us if we’ll see more of our favorite Russian/American spies or if this is one of those shows that peaked before it got a chance to stretch its legs.
Video: How’s it look?
Each of the episodes are presented in a 1.78:1 AVC HD transfer that looks superb. I caught a few of these on demand just so I could compare the over the air HDTV broadcasts to that of the Blu-ray and they’re essentially identical, but with an edge to the Blu-ray. The series is dark, gritty and I loved every minute of it. Black levels are never compromised, contrast works well and I noticed no artifacting errors. Flesh tones appear to be a bit washed out in some scenes, though I credit the filmmakers as opposed to an error in the presentation. Modern television series look as good and sometimes better than feature films, and the first season of The Americans looks just as good as we’d expect.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This show isn’t an audio powerhouse, but the DTS HD 5.1 option provides a terrific soundtrack. The dialogue is crystal clear, with no harshness or volume issues to contend with. This is good, since the bulk of the show’s audio is dialogue intensive. The music also sounds great here, adding some presence to liven things up a little. The sound effects might not rock the house, but they’re well handled and when a little extra punch is needed, the track delivers.
Supplements: What are the extras?
We’re treated to a few supplements of note and for a season that only has 13 episodes, I suppose this isn’t a bad selection.
- Audio Commentary – The track, featured on the season finale, features Joseph Weisberg, Joel Fields and Noah Emmerich as it’s a bit tongue in cheek and informative, but there’s a few tidbits here and there that are worth a listen.
- Deleted Scenes – Featured across the discs, we see some scenes from the cutting room floor.
- Executive Order 2579: Exposing The Americans – A rather interesting little feature that not only deals with the directive, but how the show came to be.
- Perfecting the Art of Espionage – We get a look at some of the research and leg work that the show’s producers and research team did to ensure the show’s authenticity.
- Ingenuity Over Technology – As we might expect, we get a look at some of the “super cool” gadgets on display in the show.
- Gag Reel – Some scenes of the crew cutting up.
