Stars: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Noah Emmerich, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati | Created by Joseph Weisberg

There’s this plot conceit that many shows, especially thrillers have. Call it a ticking timebomb conceit to perhaps call to mind a sneaky metaphor. It’s the idea that someone, has a secret, perhaps a dangerous one, brewing way beneath the surface. A secret worth killing for. Look at Walter White. He’s a meth chemist. A profession not exactly on the legal side of business. Or Dexter Morgan. He’s a serial killer. There’s no underlying anything there. If these men had there cats come crawling out of the bag, they’ll be up that creek we all go up in our lives, and they most certainly don’t have a damn paddle to cling to. The Americans is ticking bomb television. And the secrets that our anti-heroes cling to are most certainly a terrifyingly pandemic one.