The best episodes of The Americans
Ranked by viewer rating, highs first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
The Jennings face a choice that will change their lives forever.
- 02
Philip and Elizabeth are put to the test when a routine mission goes horribly wrong. Stan and the FBI are pushed to their limit when one of their own goes missing.
- 03
Elizabeth wrestles with competing loyalties, and Philip has an encounter that turns into much more than he had bargained for.
- 04
Stan pursues a lead that puts him on the trail to one of Gregory's crew members, closing the gap between him and Elizabeth, and reigniting some of the deepest conflicts between her and Philip.
- 05
The riveting season finale of The Americans finds Philip and Elizabeth racing against the clock as a life hangs in the balance, while Stan faces an uncertain future.
- 06
The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War. Tensions heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI agent.
- 07
A mole hunt within the KGB causes suspicion amongst allies and shatters trust within the Jennings' marriage. Meanwhile, Stan's plan to keep his mole safe puts her at even greater risk of discovery.
- 08
Philip and Elizabeth's troubled marriage is further tested when a mission to discredit a Polish pro-democracy leader reunites Philip with his old flame.
- 09
Philip and Elizabeth come together for a perilous operation unlike any they've ever had before. Stan and Henry spend a little quality time together.
- 10
When Philip and Elizabeth are given an urgent task to plant a bug in Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's office, they risk exposure when an unwilling maid of the Weinberger home refuses to cooperate. Stan closes in on a member of the Soviet Rezidentura in an effort to uncover the identities of deep cover Directorate S operatives.
- 11
Philip and Elizabeth discover that their murdered colleague Robert had a wife they never knew about. As they try to determine what she knows and where her allegiance lies, Stan's investigation into Robert's death puts him hot on their trail.
- 12
When an assassin attempts to kill President Reagan, Philip and Elizabeth scramble to handle the fallout within the KGB. Meanwhile, Stan pressures his source within the Rezidentura to find out if the KGB was responsible for the attempted assassination.
- 13
A crucial agent crumbles under emotional distress and threatens to topple a valuable network of KGB informants. Professionally, Philip and Elizabeth are tasked with infiltrating the FBI's new communications encryption system while personally they are forced to grapple with one of the darker aspects of life as a spy.
- 14
Events in Moscow strike a personal chord for Elizabeth, leading her to take on a dangerous mission she can't complete without Philip's help, and placing the couple on a collision course with both Grannie and the FBI.
- 15
With the arms control summit under way, a shocking revelation from Philip throws Elizabeth - and her work - into turmoil. Stan follows a dangerous hunch.
- 16
One of Elizabeth's agents has key intel for sale, but she and Philip find themselves taking increasingly greater risks for what could well be a set-up. Meanwhile, Stan's pursuit of Directorate S suddenly begins to yield unexpected results.
- 17
Philip and Elizabeth must stop an assassin from taking out key US scientists, while Stan and the FBI hunt the same man. Grannie shocks Elizabeth with the truth of what happened between Philip and Irina in New York.
- 18
When Philip and Elizabeth are ordered to go through with a meeting that could potentially be a set-up, they find themselves confronted with unexpected truths about their relationship. Stan's investigation puts him and the FBI even closer to Philip and Elizabeth.
- 19
Elizabeth comes back from her injury and straight into what should have been a routine mission - but it goes awry, leaving her and Philip in fear not only for themselves but for their whole network... and family. Paige's suspicions have only grown in her mother's absence. Meanwhile, Stan continues to fall for the Russian agent who has started to play him.
- 20
A devastating flaw during a mission forces Philip, Elizabeth, William and Gabriel to confront the depths of their patriotism… and their mortality. In Russia, in striving to be a better person, has Nina put her life on the line?
- 21
The Day After premieres, making the stakes - and terrible consequences - of the Cold War plain. Even with that in mind, will Elizabeth be able to complete the painful process of the "Patty" operation?
- 22
A surprise assignment from the Centre divides Philip and Elizabeth, forcing them into a moment of profound crisis. Stan gives Henry a tour of the FBI – but will he see too much?
- 23
Philip and Elizabeth are finally assigned a new handler as Philip works to clean up the mess of the last operation and Elizabeth, in disguise as Clark's sister Jennifer, does her best to smooth things over with Martha. As Stan searches for a missing scientist, Oleg and Arkady continue to argue over how best to handle the situation on their side, leaving Nina once again caught between the FBI and KGB.
- 24
No one is safe as Philip and Elizabeth evacuate their children while trying to complete the mission. Stan holds Nina's future in his hands.
- 25
As the summit fast approaches, Elizabeth enlists Philip's help for a mission that could yield game-changing intel.
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Sydney Bristow is not exactly your average grad student.
