4) The Americans
The greatness of the second season of The Americans was announced early in the premiere, in a scene that sees Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) dressed in Texas formal wear, his hair and accent set to match the disguise. It’s a ridiculous disguise in light of our knowledge that Philip is really a deep-cover KGB agent, but spies are trained to make the ridiculous look unassuming. What follows is a burst of violence, comedy and melancholy that showcases in micro the chameleonic nature of The Americans, where every scene and action has to be translated between allegiances both personal and political.
Season 2 drew out the show’s web of intrigue, with a shocking incident leaving a vacuum in the Jennings’ secret lives that drew in assassins, diplomats and their own children. Though plotted with razor wire precision, the show’s exhilarating game of undercover espionage always had the marriage between Philip and Elizabeth (Keri Russell) to bring the action home. The Americans is a first-rate thriller, yes, but it’s the messy personal conflicts that made every episode an enthralling fight to see what these characters could hold onto when their lives become one long operation of ideological triage.