In the twilight world ofThe Americans, the prick of conscience can be deadly.
For this crime of the heart, Nina was shot through the head.
If only she was back in the 50s, and, probably, a man.
Credit: FX; Netflix; AMC
But we remember Ninas punishing exit* and we worry.
Where will all this well-meaning free-thinking lead Team Jennings?
Mimi and Camilla onEmpire.Abbie onSleepy Hollow.
The bloodbath deserves separate analysis, but I do think Ninas termination was necessary.
(For a quality defense of this choice,I recommend Matt Zoller Seitz on the subject.)
Chloramphenicol concluded the first act of yet another terrific and apparently poorly watched of seasonThe Americans.
Seriously, I get how the shows high concept irony is too much for some.
Exhibit A: FXsThe People v. O.J.
Director Ryan Murphy found an image to express what we were all thinking.How can this man live with himself?
It also framed a final half hour, a succession of pained and flawed reflections.
Most shameless was Robert Shapiro (John Travolta), who blamed Cochran for everything despicable about their defense.
Together, these scenes finished out the shows aspiration to present a Rashomon view of truth.
Clark and Cochrans perspectives in particular argued for the storys relevancy.
As I wrote inmy original review:The People v. O.J.
Simpsonwas basically a creation myth for contemporary culture.
Clark may have been on the side of justice, but she was outmatched by a superior opponent.
Cochran served his client with a vigorous defense, but he also played dirty.
Like Simpson, all have to look at themselves in the mirror, too.
Those scenes showed us their strategies for doing so, the stories they tell themselvesaboutthemselves.
Each episode is a burp gun of banter, punchlines and gags.
Am I the only person in this city who doesnt do whatevs, whenevs?
she cries during a moment of weakness.
Well fudge that sugar!Fudge it to heck!
The moral universe created by Fey and Carlock pushes back against Kimmys bid to break bad by going buggy.
A plague of silverfish is involved.
Like two other self-aware series about conscience,Mr.
RobotandBetter Call Saul, Kimmy Schmidtpresents pop culture as pernicious and unavoidable.
Shouldnt he feel terrible for abandoning her at the reception?
He doesnt think so.
Kimmy sets him straight, so to speak.
The show is pro-diversity and anti-bigotry and believes ardently in all that self-realization jazz.
Theres sweetness aplenty in season 2, too, and its a necessary balance to all the salt.
But fudge the sugar!
I love it whenKimmy Schmidtdoesnt spare the edge.
The questioning pushes on some touchy areas of the American conscience.
How do we respond?
