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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As Philip investigates the fallout from the last operation, Elizabeth sticks close to home, concerned for her family until she gets a mysterious distress signal. Meanwhile, a walk-in arrives at the Rezidentura - providing both Nina and Stan with unique opportunities.
Philip and Elizabeth complete their next mission - but not without complications - and Philip's fears about Elizabeth's readiness for action deepen. Stan tracks the KGB walk-in which leads to much praise at work and a deepening of his attachment to, and dependence on, Nina. Meanwhile, Paige snoops into her mother's family background and Oleg begins to scrutinize Nina's secret operation.
Just when Philip and Elizabeth think they have a quiet road ahead, an old friend returns to complicate things. Not only do they have to intercept a target who could prove valuable to the Soviet Union, but they also have to take on an important rogue mission without the support of the Centre. Divisions inside the Rezidentura deepen between Oleg and Arkady and there’s an upheaval at the FBI as the chickens come home to roost for Agent Gaad. Meanwhile, Martha’s frustrations threaten to blow Philip’s cover.
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.
A dangerous Naval officer becomes the key to Philip and Elizabeth’s mission as well as a potential threat to their family's safety. Lucia, a Sandinista intelligence officer working with the Jennings, is tasked with getting Elizabeth access to Capitol Hill. Stan struggles with the potential costs of protecting Nina.
Philip uses his agent Charles Duluth to help him gain access to an early precursor to the Internet so that the KGB can bug American government communications. Nina faces the threat of a potential FBI polygraph exam, bringing her closer to KGB colleague Oleg.
Philip and Elizabeth both find themselves faced with painful turns in their various missions. Stan fights to gain access to an American military program that could give him the upper hand in his battle of wills with Oleg.
Philip and Elizabeth’s long-planned mission turns ugly, impacting each of them in different ways. Stan digs in deeper at work as his personal life continues to unravel.
A new mission with international stakes has Philip calling on Annelise for assistance just as an old foe returns to D.C. with a vendetta. Stan makes a discovery that could put the FBI hot on the trail of illegals.
Elizabeth makes a shocking discovery about Kate. Philip pursues a contact for information about stealth. Stan continues his pursuit of the illegals.
With Larrick closing in, Elizabeth rushes to exfiltrate Jared while Philip readies Fred for a crucial mission. Arkady finally plays his hand, forcing Stan to make an impossible choice.
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.
Tensions simmer between Philip and Elizabeth as they disagree over handling orders from the Centre. When Elizabeth loses key intel, Philip enlists Annelise on a mission with an unexpected outcome. Stan tries a new approach to mending his marriage with Sandra amidst learning tough news about Nina.
Elizabeth and Philip come together to deal with a mission gone wrong but struggle to reconcile their increasingly opposing ideologies. Stan welcomes a Soviet defector to America. Nina acclimates to her new living arrangements.
Danger mounts for Elizabeth and Philip as they get closer to the inner circle of the C.I.A. Afghan Group. Stan monitors Zinaida. Agent Aderholt challenges Agent Gaad on a crucial operation. Arkady tasks Oleg and Tatiana with gathering high-level intel. Martha proposes a lifestyle change to Clark.
Philip faces a moral dilemma while developing an asset. Philip and Elizabeth’s friction escalates. Stan develops a theory with serious repercussions for national security. Paige makes a surprising birthday wish.
Philip juggles the many women in his life while Elizabeth takes drastic measures to complete a mission. Stan asserts a plan to save Nina with an unlikely ally.
Gabriel has surprising information. Elizabeth begins to take family matters into her own hands. Stan receives upsetting news from his past and turns to Sandra for support.
Philip and Elizabeth feel the weight of a new family secret while following up on the KGB’s interests in South Africa. Stan faces struggles both at work and at home. Martha confronts a shocking development.
Martha and Clark’s marriage meets its most challenging test yet. As pressures on Philip intensify, Elizabeth turns to Gabriel with a difficult request. Nina receives a new assignment that reconnects her with her past.
Philip and Elizabeth struggle with the gravity of unexpected collateral damage. Stan and Oleg hatch a risky plan to help save Nina.
Philip and Elizabeth deploy a plan for the C.I.A.’s Mujahideen visitors. Tensions at the Jennings’ home escalate.
Philip and Elizabeth's home and work lives collide in new and dangerous ways. Nina struggles to figure out her next steps. Arkady assigns Oleg and Tatiana to an operation with uncertain potential.
Martha hosts an unexpected guest. Philip and Elizabeth must work a formidable Mujahideen commander. Paige acts out.
Elizabeth and Paige take a trip that lands them in treacherous territory. After an emotionally charged mission, Philip turns to an unlikely source for solace. Stan’s plan to save Nina culminates in unforeseen ways.
Philip and Elizabeth deal with the fallout of all they’ve wrought. What will happen when the FBI finds out about Gene’s suicide? How will Pastor Tim deal with the revelation that they are Russian spies? And will they be able to handle a dangerous, new bioweapons assignment?
Philip tries with increasing desperation to get rid of a sensitive and dangerous package as family tensions in the Jennings House reach a boiling point when Paige shares a secret of her own.
Paige copes with new burdens that come with her family’s secret – as Philip and Elizabeth struggle to contain their cover without destroying their daughter.
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?
Philip must consider his life with Martha and make a crushing choice from which there is no coming back.
Martha must finally face the truth she has denied – and her life may never be the same. Plus, a chilling new development in William’s work forces the Jennings to face the realities of what a biological war would mean.
The KGB and the FBI both race to track down a vital agent… everything is at stake.
The Jennings’s approach their breaking points as both Philip and Elizabeth must handle loyal agents. Will they make it through with their patriotism – and sanity – intact?
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?
When Paige’s long-ago indiscretion threatens to resurface and destroy the family, Philip and Elizabeth find themselves scrambling – and Paige finds herself reevaluating who her parents really are.
Elizabeth completes the last steps of a very personal operation… but at what cost?
As Paige deals with last episode’s trauma, she sees her mother in a new light… and finds she has inherited some of her parents’ skills. Plus, has Oleg reached his breaking point with Stan?
Philip and Elizabeth are in a high-stakes race against the FBI to recover a hazardous package. Will they get there in time? And will Paige follow her parents into the family business?
The fifth and penultimate season has the Jennings struggling to contain the risks from Paige's growing relationship with Matthew Beeman. The Centre sends Philip and Elizabeth on an operation unlike any they've ever had before, straining their family and marriage to its limits.
Stan and Oleg wrestle with the harsh consequences of their complicated history. Philip and Elizabeth face a new mission with devastating implications for their country.
Philip and Elizabeth tell Paige more about the family business, but pressing new questions arise when an operation takes a ghastly and unexpected turn. A sensitive package jeopardizes Oleg’s life back in Russia.
Philip and Elizabeth have qualms about a new assignment, while a specter from Philip’s past creates unforeseen dangers. At the FBI, Stan makes a shocking play that could throw his career into turmoil.
Philip and Elizabeth receive surprising news about Henry -- and shattering news about a past operation. Stan might be falling in love, but Philip wonders if something darker is going on.
Gabriel stuns Philip and Elizabeth with a sudden announcement and a crushing revelation about Philip’s past. Stan and Aderholt draw a fly into their web, while Oleg and Ruslan ambush their first suspect.
As Paige becomes even more enmeshed in her parents’ world, tensions with Matthew Beeman come to a head, Philip and Elizabeth’s honeytraps take surprising turns, and Stan faces the consequences of overplaying his hand at the FBI.
A secret brings Elizabeth and Paige together. In Moscow, Oleg's own secrets put him under KGB suspicion. A new twist in the Morozov operation creates an opportunity that changes everything.
Philip and Elizabeth are thrown off balance when things with Tuan take an unexpected turn. Henry makes a startling proposition and Stan has a disturbing encounter with Frank Gaad’s widow.
Paige’s snooping leads Philip and Elizabeth to make a choice that could shift the balance of their lives forever. Stan and Aderholt’s recruitment of Sofia suddenly bears fruit.
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.
As Philip and Elizabeth grapple with a momentous decision, Tuan takes matters into his own hands in the Morozov operation. Back in Russia, Oleg’s investigation collides with the realities of the Soviet system.
Philip and Elizabeth race against the clock as a life hangs in the balance, while Stan faces an uncertain future.
It’s autumn, 1987, and as a major arms control summit looms, Elizabeth is pushed to her limits as never before. Philip, meanwhile, has settled into running the newly expanded travel agency – until an unexpected visitor makes a disquieting request.
Elizabeth targets an old source who could tip the balance of the upcoming summit, as Philip deals with business at the travel agency. Stan learns an old friend is back in town.
In the aftermath of a disastrous operation, Philip and Elizabeth clash about how to handle things with Paige. Stan struggles to contain the growing risks of Sofia and Gennadi's fraying relationship.
After picking up a distressing piece of intelligence, Elizabeth takes extreme measures to get close to a Soviet negotiator. Philip shares some stunning news with Henry.
As the summit fast approaches, Elizabeth enlists Philip’s help for a mission that could yield game-changing intel.
A sudden assignment pulls Elizabeth away from her family at a crucial moment. At the FBI, a major development leads Aderholt to approach Stan about an urgent investigation.
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.
With the arms control summit underway, a shocking revelation from Philip throws Elizabeth - and her work - into turmoil. Stan follows a dangerous hunch.
Elizabeth wrestles with competing loyalties, and Philip has an encounter that turns into much more than he had bargained for.
In the series finale, the Jennings face a choice that will change their lives forever.
