The Americans is a period drama set in Cold War America, where Russian spies are living in familial units and the American CIA is just beginning to catch on to the espionage. FX’s drama is action-packed and effective, and with the show’s Blu-ray and DVD releases headed into homes next week, we wondered exactly how the cast and crew were able to make the spy tactics seem so real. Luckily, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has extended us an excellent exclusive clip that addresses just that.
In the “Executive Order 2579” clip, cast members including Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich all have nice things to say about creator Joe Weisberg, who also happens to be the show’s secret weapon, bringing an intimate knowledge of yesteryear's spy tactics to the small screen. I particularly enjoy the story that Russell gets into explaining exactly how Weisberg landed himself in spy work (hint: it involves a phone book and little else). Weisberg himself pops up to explain that he briefly worked for the CIA ages ago. While the gig trained him on how to recruit spies, it also worked in his favor years later when he began to nab gigs in Hollywood.
Season 1 of The Americans works on multiple levels. It’s a family drama and a workplace drama featuring spying, romantic intermingling, parenting challenges, relationship issues and more. FX liked it so much that the network is bringing the show back for a second season, set to hit the schedule on February 26 at 10 p.m. ET. In the meantime, you can relive your favorite episodes via the Blu-ray release, which will hit shelves on Tuesday February 11.
“Executive Order 2579” isn’t the only extra available with the set. Fans of the series can get a little more in-depth with Season 1 via episode commentary, deleted scenes and a few more featurettes taking a look behind the scenes with the series. If that sounds like something that might be up your alley, you can pre-order the set over at Amazon, or check out the full list of extras, below.
The Americans Blu-ray and DVD Extras
- “The Colonel” Commentary featuring Joseph Weisberg, Joel Fields and Noah Emmerich
- Executive Order 2579: Exposing the Americans
- Perfecting the Art of Espionage
- Ingenuity Over Technology
- Gag Reel
- Deleted Scenes
- Trailers
