The Americansdelivered perhaps the most shocking moment in the acclaimed FX’s drama’s history Wednesday night.
It’s great to hear.
Seeing her miserable in her cell for so long brought out my empathy.
Credit: Patrick Harbon/FX
But it wasn’t like we made a sudden decision to kill her.
This was something we were working toward over many seasons.
For us, this was something we had been plotting since season 2.
The question was how long would it take to play out.
It hewed pretty closely to our plan but we expected to play out sooner.
So when Nina went to Russia, you always new she was never going to come back?
WEISBERG: That’s a complicated question.
But we did not know she would necessarily die.
We were willing to follow her story in the Soviet Union in whatever direction it happened to go.
It happened to go in this direction.
FIELDS: But by the beginning of season 3, we had [planned] her death.
We expected it to happen by the end of season 3.
We follow that to the letter in the show when Nina was executed.
They wanted it to be as much of a surprise as possible.
When did you tell Annet, and how did she take it?
WEISBERG: Even though we have a show about spies, we don’t like keeping secrets.
We really thought it was better for her not to know until it was pretty late in the game.
Actors understandably get incredibly attached to a character.
Writers do too, but in a way it’s more personal for an actor.
It’s always a tough day.
You mentioned the staging of the scene.
It was terrific, completely shocking.
WEISBERG: For us, there is no bigger compliment than you went to get a drink.
We wanted you to not know it was coming!
FIELDS: The staging of that scene was discussed ad nauseam, right down to the finest point.
It has a quality that’s beautiful and real at the same time.
And that dream sequence I think is just extraordinary.
That was our staging, but also their staging.
In was interesting to follow their actual staging, and to think about something like that being choreographed.
WEISBERG:That’s when you go to your kitchen to get a drink!
Was the placement of this moment part of the discussion?
FIELDS: I wish we could tell you we’re that strategic.
We don’t pay attention to any of that in the show.
The same with Nina.
Once it landed there, it seemed right to us.
FIELDS: Takethat, last year’s finale!
My next question is whether Oleg and Stan, but mainly Oleg, find out about this.
That seemed to shift in last year and is now continuing this season.
Has there been an evolution in the way you’ve approached plotting out the show?
We plotted the show much more episodically the first season.
That’s our feeling about the shift that took place.
FIELDS:Also, as the storytelling progressed, the challenges the characters faced felt more organic.
They were growing out of the circumstances that they had been placed in.
The beginning of this season, for example.
This season there was so much momentum we didn’t even have to think about it.
Another interesting choice recently has been the move tonotkill off Pastor Tim, at least for now.
FIELDS: I think we can say there’s been discussion, and leave it at that.
WEISBERG: Different people probably feel different ways, or even differently inside themselves.
A part of me is rooting for that and a part of me isn’t.
A part of me would be relieved, and a part of me would be devastated.
That’s a rich experience.
We were like: That’s a classicAmericansscene, just two human beings struggling.
Have you talked about thathow much you think they could get way with?
WEISBERG: We used to talk about that a lot, particularly in season 1.
Would we lose the audience?
We talked a lot about where those lines were.
Those things become unknowable.
We’re at a place in our story now where we really don’t have those discussions.
We follow the story where it wants to go and let the chips fall.
Philip is suffering so much himself with what he does.
That doesn’t mean they don’t do horrible things.
Elizabeth in the first season she killed that security guard in that fancy neighborhood after Reagan was shot.
About three times he said, “I got to radio this in.”
She said don’t do it and go.
She was willing to let him drive away, and he could have radioed around the corner.
Can you tease up the rest of the season?
WEISBERG: This is a good season of chickens coming home to roost.
There’s a lot of intensity.
For more, check out Anthony Breznican’srecap ofThe Americansepisode “Chloramphenicol.”
