THE AMERICANS

Here's what we didn't learn about The Americans from showrunners and co-creators Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields during their ATX panel on Saturday morning: Anything about Season 6.

Both were careful not to give anything away about the final season, which will premiere in 2018. The closest we got to an answer was the acknowledgement that there's a lot to tie up in just ten episodes, so "a lot of things will be happening." That's about all we could expect anyway, as the secrets and the fate of Philip, Elizabeth, Stan, and maybe even the Mail Robot still hang in the balance.

Joe and Joel understand the criticism from fans and those that cover the show respective to the relative slow pace of the fifth season. It wasn't by design, but each season of The Americans, according to Fields, is supposed to feel different. There was so much action and so many big moments in Season 4 that simply couldn't be done again, so the plan was to focus on the people, the emotions, and the Jennings family as a unit. It was about the "psychology of the characters," as well as their backstories and what drives their actions.

The final scene of the season was one that existed to show growth. Weisberg said it was largely about illustrating how far both Philip and Elizabeth have come over the course of the last five years. These two have gone from operatives to friends to lovers to legitimately married, and they've also evolved as parents that want the best for Paige and Henry. Their hesitation on orders from the Center, and their willingness to speak up to the likes of Gabriel and Claudia are things we wouldn't have seen three years ago.

Why Est? Sometimes, things take on lives of their own. Originally, Joel Fields said the idea of Est came about because the writers wanted to give Sandra Beeman something more to do. Then, they decided to have Stan attend, and eventually it got to Philip. After researching the techniques and the seminars, they realized the philosophies could help to flesh Philip out and add another layer of vulnerability and emotional resonance. The viewers could latch onto him in a way they couldn't before. They also made sure not to treat Est in a "negative or snobby" way, subverting the manner in which things like it are often portrayed in entertainment.

Joe Weisberg pointed out how often he's had to defend Elizabeth as a character. The words "cold" and emotionless used to be the norm, but Weisberg always fights against those comments, explaining why she is who she is and also describing how much she's changed along with her husband as time has passed.

Do they read reviews? Fields says he ends up going down the rabbit hole quite frequently, and especially in the first year, those comments often led to major discussions in the writing room. Weisberg tells himself every week he'll go to sleep and then read the recaps and think pieces the next morning, and invariably ends up awake at 12:30 absorbing every word. Fields joked that often the more essay-style reviews (of which I hope mine qualify) are deeper and more interesting than the episodes themselves.

How will it end? Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields mentioned The Sopranos, Mad Men, and NYPD Blue as shows that had finales they loved. Weisberg was a huge Blue fan, and loved how Sipowicz ended up in control. As far as The Americans goes, Fields put it in very plain terms. "We just try to follow this story. The goal is for it to be satisfying for what it wants to be." Weisberg made it clear there would be plenty happening in both the action and story world, and both like the idea of a shorter season.

Usually, the two construct the front half of the season and then work on the back half, but the final season presents a new challenge. Fields said it's almost impossible to write episodes 4-7 without knowing what's to come in 8-10. Ordinarily, they can write half and then work through the next seven episodes, but here they must know the ending for everyone to make sure all characters are placed in logical positions prior to their individual or collective exits.

One audience member asked a pretty amazing question as to whether it's possible to create a show sympathetic to ISIS. Weisberg believes it would be difficult, but might not be impossible. He saw one interview with someone with ISIS ties that explained their arguments in a way no American news outlets or sensationalists could, and he finally understood more of the motivation and the passion. He didn't seem interested in actually doing it, but Fields mentioned a new series overseas that shows everything from both an Israeli and Palestinian perspective. It's a bold idea, but it actually works.

Finally, the acting got its due. Joel Fields put it very eloquently when he said, "What we've learned is, whatever we can dream, they (the stars) will amplify in beautiful ways." One example was Keri Russell randomly, subtly scratching her leg this season. Joel couldn't figure out why she was doing it, thinking she just had an itch of some kind, but realized she was actually just following through with the story. The week before was the episode featuring all the bug bites, and Russell was ensuring everything made sense. That's incredible attention to detail, and it's also ridiculously professional.

ALIAS WRITERS REUNION

After looking at the general admission line for this panel, you have to wonder if the festival organizers wished they had put this one in a bigger theater, rather than the fairly small Trinity Hall. Ken Olin, Sarah Caplan, Andre Nemec, Josh Applebaum, and Monica Owusu-Breen all joined Entertainment Weekly's Sara Vilkomerson for an hour to discuss one of ABC's most celebrated shows of the past few decades.

Alias was all about Jennifer Garner's performance, and to a person, everyone on stage raved about her willingness to do the physical stuff, to play both the serious and the lighter moments, and to commit professionally to the role in every way. She was the show, and she took care of it as someone who knew just how important she was to every episode.

The series featured a plethora of guest stars and cameos, which Sarah Caplan says she believes were just people JJ Abrams wanted to meet and hadn't at that point. Alias was one of the first network shows to really challenge the idea of a week-to-week episodic structure and go for more of a serial idea. There was a standalone component, but the lore and the mythology behind the show is what led to no empty seats in Austin on Saturday.

The biggest discussion outside of Garner was of the pilot, which still stands as one of the better series openers we've ever seen on network television. It was long, it was detailed, it set up so many different aspects of the show that would carry forward to the end. Ken Olin said Alias was largely about a father and daughter, with the spy craft as a prism to put them in the worst of circumstances.

Josh Applebaum said when he first read the pilot script, he was blown away. He still believes it to be the best such effort he's ever seen. When he picked it up, he started reading. It was supremely long, thick pages, and had an extended introduction. But it was magic, and everyone involved with Alias has nothing bad to say about it.

Sarah Caplan worked on Felicity with Abrams before doing Alias, and as soon as she mentioned the vehicle that put Keri Russell on the map, the crowd erupted into applause. When she was asked about the end of the series, she said it came at the right time. Olin mentioned how much Garner wanted to start a family and even how they worked around her pregnancy and found a way to make it work within the show. But five seasons felt like a good number, and the series didn't outstay its welcome.

One thing Ken Olin learned as the series went along is that Bradley Cooper had a marketable, strong sense of humor. Imagine that. He could do the drama and the comedy, just like Garner, and obviously other people figured it out as well, because the guy has had a pretty decent career since Alias left the airwaves I'd say.

Michael Giacchino's score was praised as well, which isn't a surprise, as his work has been stellar for as long as I can remember caring about such things, and he's worked with Abrams on numerous projects, including Lost and Star Trek.

sweet vicious

ATX Television Festival: Saturday Diary