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The Best Episodes of The Americans

Every episode of The Americans ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Americans!

Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent.

Genres:CrimeDrama
Network:FX

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "The Americans" is "START", rated 9.7/10 from 4874 user votes. It was directed by Chris Long and written by Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields. "START" aired on 5/30/2018 and is rated 0.3 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Jennings, Elizabeth".

  • START
    9.7/10 4,874 votes

    #1 - START

    Season 6 Episode 10 - Aired 5/30/2018

    In the series finale, the Jennings face a choice that will change their lives forever.

    Director: Chris Long

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Jennings, Elizabeth
    9.4/10 2,220 votes

    #2 - Jennings, Elizabeth

    Season 6 Episode 9 - Aired 5/23/2018

    Elizabeth wrestles with competing loyalties, and Philip has an encounter that turns into much more than he had bargained for.

    Director: Chris Long

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Harvest
    9.2/10 1,932 votes

    #3 - Harvest

    Season 6 Episode 7 - Aired 5/9/2018

    Philip and Elizabeth come together for a perilous operation unlike any they've ever had before. Stan and Henry spend a little quality time together.

    Director: Stefan Schwartz

    Writer: Sarah Nolen

  • The Colonel
    9.0/10 2,662 votes

    #4 - The Colonel

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 5/1/2013

    When Philip and Elizabeth are ordered to go through with a meeting that could potentially be a set-up, they find themselves confronted with unexpected truths about their relationship. Stan's investigation puts him and the FBI even closer to Philip and Elizabeth.

    Director: Adam Arkin

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Stingers
    9.0/10 1,959 votes

    #5 - Stingers

    Season 3 Episode 10 - Aired 4/1/2015

    Philip and Elizabeth deploy a plan for the C.I.A.’s Mujahideen visitors. Tensions at the Jennings’ home escalate.

    Director: Larysa Kondracki

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • The Great Patriotic War
    9.0/10 1,808 votes

    #6 - The Great Patriotic War

    Season 6 Episode 5 - Aired 4/25/2018

    As the summit fast approaches, Elizabeth enlists Philip’s help for a mission that could yield game-changing intel.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Hilary Bettis

  • The Summit
    9.0/10 1,702 votes

    #7 - The Summit

    Season 6 Episode 8 - Aired 5/16/2018

    With the arms control summit under way, a shocking revelation from Philip throws Elizabeth - and her work - into turmoil. Stan follows a dangerous hunch.

    Director: Sylvain White

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Echo
    8.9/10 1,983 votes

    #8 - Echo

    Season 2 Episode 13 - Aired 5/21/2014

    No one is safe as Philip and Elizabeth evacuate their children while trying to complete the mission. Stan holds Nina's future in his hands.

    Director: Daniel Sackheim

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Travel Agents
    8.9/10 1,666 votes

    #9 - Travel Agents

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 4/27/2016

    The KGB and the FBI both race to track down a vital agent… everything is at stake.

    Director: Daniel Attias

    Writer: Tanya Barfield

  • Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep
    8.8/10 1,938 votes

    #10 - Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep

    Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 3/25/2015

    Philip and Elizabeth struggle with the gravity of unexpected collateral damage. Stan and Oleg hatch a risky plan to help save Nina.

    Director: Stephen Williams

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Chloramphenicol
    8.8/10 1,745 votes

    #11 - Chloramphenicol

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 4/6/2016

    A devastating flaw during a mission forces Philip, Elizabeth, William and Gabriel to confront the depths of their patriotism… and their mortality. In Russia, in striving to be a better person, has Nina put her life on the line?

    Director: Stefan Schwartz

    Writer: Tracey Scott Wilson

  • March 8, 1983
    8.7/10 1,753 votes

    #12 - March 8, 1983

    Season 3 Episode 13 - Aired 4/22/2015

    Elizabeth and Paige take a trip that lands them in treacherous territory. After an emotionally charged mission, Philip turns to an unlikely source for solace. Stan’s plan to save Nina culminates in unforeseen ways.

    Director: Daniel Sackheim

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears
    8.7/10 1,670 votes

    #13 - The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears

    Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 5/4/2016

    The Jennings’s approach their breaking points as both Philip and Elizabeth must handle loyal agents. Will they make it through with their patriotism – and sanity – intact?

    Director: Matthew Rhys

    Writer: Stephen Schiff

  • Dyatkovo
    8.7/10 1,488 votes

    #14 - Dyatkovo

    Season 5 Episode 11 - Aired 5/16/2017

    A surprise assignment from the Centre divides Philip and Elizabeth, forcing them into a moment of profound crisis. Stan gives Henry a tour of the FBI.

    Director: Steph Green

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Trust Me
    8.6/10 2,462 votes

    #15 - Trust Me

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 3/6/2013

    A mole hunt within the KGB causes suspicion amongst allies and shatters trust within the Jennings' marriage. Meanwhile, Stan's plan to keep his mole safe puts her at even greater risk of discovery.

    Director: Daniel Sackheim

    Writer: Sneha Koorse

  • Dead Hand
    8.6/10 1,842 votes

    #16 - Dead Hand

    Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 3/28/2018

    It’s autumn, 1987, and as a major arms control summit looms, Elizabeth is pushed to her limits as never before. Philip, meanwhile, has settled into running the newly expanded travel agency – until an unexpected visitor makes a disquieting request.

    Director: Chris Long

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Rififi
    8.6/10 1,603 votes

    #17 - Rififi

    Season 6 Episode 6 - Aired 5/2/2018

    A sudden assignment pulls Elizabeth away from her family at a crucial moment. At the FBI, a major development leads Aderholt to approach Stan about an urgent investigation.

    Director: Kevin Bray

    Writer: Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger

  • Martial Eagle
    8.5/10 1,851 votes

    #18 - Martial Eagle

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 4/23/2014

    Philip and Elizabeth’s long-planned mission turns ugly, impacting each of them in different ways. Stan digs in deeper at work as his personal life continues to unravel.

    Director: Alik Sakharov

    Writer: N/A

  • I Am Abassin Zadran
    8.5/10 1,531 votes

    #19 - I Am Abassin Zadran

    Season 3 Episode 12 - Aired 4/15/2015

    Martha hosts an unexpected guest. Philip and Elizabeth must work a formidable Mujahideen commander. Paige acts out.

    Director: Christopher Misiano

    Writer: Stuart Zicherman, Peter Ackerman

  • The Rat
    8.5/10 1,510 votes

    #20 - The Rat

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 4/20/2016

    Martha must finally face the truth she has denied – and her life may never be the same. Plus, a chilling new development in William’s work forces the Jennings to face the realities of what a biological war would mean.

    Director: Kari Skogland

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Dinner for Seven
    8.5/10 1,447 votes

    #21 - Dinner for Seven

    Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 5/25/2016

    Elizabeth completes the last steps of a very personal operation… but at what cost?

    Director: Nicole Kassell

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Safe House
    8.4/10 2,214 votes

    #22 - Safe House

    Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 4/3/2013

    Philip and Elizabeth are put to the test when a routine mission goes horribly wrong. Stan and the FBI are pushed to their limit when one of their own goes missing.

    Director: Jim McKay

    Writer: Joshua Brand

  • Comrades
    8.4/10 2,020 votes

    #23 - Comrades

    Season 2 Episode 1 - Aired 2/26/2014

    Elizabeth comes back from her injury and straight into what should have been a routine mission – but it goes awry, leaving her and Philip in fear not only for themselves but for their whole network… and family. Paige's suspicions have only grown in her mother's absence. Meanwhile, Stan continues to fall for the Russian agent who has started to play him.

    Director: Thomas Schlamme

    Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields

  • Walter Taffet
    8.4/10 1,574 votes

    #24 - Walter Taffet

    Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 3/11/2015

    Philip and Elizabeth feel the weight of a new family secret while following up on the KGB’s interests in South Africa. Stan faces struggles both at work and at home. Martha confronts a shocking development.

    Director: Noah Emmerich

    Writer: Lara Shapiro

  • Only You
    8.3/10 2,167 votes

    #25 - Only You

    Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 4/10/2013

    Stan pursues a lead that puts him on the trail to one of Gregory's crew members, closing the gap between him and Elizabeth, and reigniting some of the deepest conflicts between her and Philip.

    Director: Adam Arkin

    Writer: Bradford Winters