Time for a check-in! John and Danielle look back on Season 4 of The Americans in its entirety! They dig into some of the big themes from the season, from Glanders, to Paige’s spy development, to the changes in Philip and Elizabeth’s relationship. With the help of previous guest Mike Rensink, they tackle all the different deaths and departures that occurred throughout the season, and John makes a game out of it for Danielle. Of course, they go through the biggest Ls from the Dossier, but touch on the wins too. It wouldn’t be a NQGB ep without Danielle complaining about Pastor Tim’s seeming immortality. And, for good measure, your hosts do some meta convo on the production of the show and throw in one final Plato SZN in The Cave.

Somehow there was also House of the Dragon (light spoilers for S2E1) and Game of Thrones chat, a Marx jaunt (more explicable), and a wide-ranging convo on storytelling arcs considering TV as an industry.

It’s a fun one!

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Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

While William battles the Lassa virus, Danielle and John contend with the season 4 finale, “Persona Non Grata.” They consider the episode through the lens of endings that lack resolution, digging into the relationships between Philip and Elizabeth, Paige and her parents, as well as the state of affairs with the FBI, Arkadii, and of course, William. Danielle logs a number of losses (and one key win) in the Dossier, and offers some Season 5 predictions. In Glas, your hosts check in with Oleg, chat about Mischa, and John comments on the architecture and filmmaking regarding the quarantine room. After a quick jaunt to Borrowed Nostalgia to log the 80s references, your hosts head to the Cave to complete Plato SZN by turning to the Phaedo. They then wrap up the season with a round of TheoryShips. Join us as we pour one out for William and toast to Season 4!

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Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Danielle and John are back once again, and not only do they have questions about The Americans S4E12, "A Roy Rogers in Franconia," they have questions about questions. What happens in the aftermath of William's questions about his duty, Paige's questions about Elizabeth, and Oleg's questions about the USSR, and how do those questions reorient other characters? As we delve into these matters (and much more), there's still plenty of time to discuss first-kiss fish lips, a surprising Oleg-David Byrne connection, Dossier conspiracies, and (naturally) Plato SZN.

Sorry for the delay on this episode! The Americans Season 4 finale episode coming your way on June 6.