The Americans
Where to watch →“Espionage has never been so stylish, so agonizing, or so utterly human. The Americans isn't just a spy thriller; it's a masterclass in tension and marital drama”
What it's about
Suburban DC, but everyone in your neighborhood is a Soviet sleeper agent. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys wear unhinged wigs and ruin lives for the motherland while raising teenagers who suspect nothing. Until they do.
The verdict
The slowest-burning of the great prestige dramas, and the more patient you are, the more it pays off. The wig discourse is funny but the marriage at the center is devastating — Russell and Rhys (who married IRL, of course) sell every silent kitchen-table scene. The series finale is one of the best ever filmed. Stick with it through the slower middle stretch; the destination is worth it.
The verdict
10/10