The Best Episodes of The Americans Season 1
Every episode of The Americans Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Americans Season 1!
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.
Season 1 Ratings Summary
The best episode of "The Americans" season 1 is "Pilot", rated 8.2/10 from 3689 user votes. It was directed by Gavin O'Connor and written by Joe Weisberg. "Pilot" aired on 1/30/2013 and is rated 0.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Clock".
8.2/10 3,689 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 1/30/2013
The arranged marriage of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings grows more passionate and genuine by the day, but is constantly tested by the escalation of the Cold War. Tensions heighten upon the arrival of a new neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI agent.
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Writer: Joe Weisberg
8.0/10 2,798 votes#2 - The Clock
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 2/6/2013
When Philip and Elizabeth are given an urgent task to plant a bug in Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's office, they risk exposure when an unwilling maid of the Weinberger home refuses to cooperate. Stan closes in on a member of the Soviet Rezidentura in an effort to uncover the identities of deep cover Directorate S operatives.
Director: Adam Arkin
Writer: Joe Weisberg
7.9/10 2,598 votes#3 - Gregory
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 2/13/2013
Philip and Elizabeth discover that their murdered colleague Robert had a wife they never knew about. As they try to determine what she knows and where her allegiance lies, Stan's investigation into Robert's death puts him hot on their trail.
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Joel Fields
8.1/10 2,446 votes#4 - In Control
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 2/20/2013
When an assassin attempts to kill President Reagan, Philip and Elizabeth scramble to handle the fallout within the KGB. Meanwhile, Stan pressures his source within the Rezidentura to find out if the KGB was responsible for the attempted assassination.
Director: Jean de Segonzac
Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields
7.9/10 2,307 votes#5 - COMINT
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 2/27/2013
A crucial agent crumbles under emotional distress and threatens to topple a valuable network of KGB informants. Professionally, Philip and Elizabeth are tasked with infiltrating the FBI's new communications encryption system while personally they are forced to grapple with one of the darker aspects of life as a spy.
Director: Holly Dale
Writer: Melissa James Gibson
8.6/10 2,454 votes#6 - 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
7.9/10 2,230 votes#7 - Duty and Honor
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 3/13/2013
Philip and Elizabeth's troubled marriage is further tested when a mission to discredit a Polish pro-democracy leader reunites Philip with his old flame.
Director: Alex Chapple
Writer: Joshua Brand
7.9/10 2,158 votes#8 - Mutually Assured Destruction
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/20/2013
Philip and Elizabeth must stop an assassin from taking out key US scientists, while Stan and the FBI hunt the same man. Grannie shocks Elizabeth with the truth of what happened between Philip and Irina in New York.
Director: Bill Johnson
Writer: Joe Weisberg, Joel Fields
8.4/10 2,207 votes#9 - 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
8.3/10 2,161 votes#10 - 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
7.9/10 2,047 votes#11 - Covert War
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 4/17/2013
Events in Moscow strike a personal chord for Elizabeth, leading her to take on a dangerous mission she can't complete without Philip's help, and placing the couple on a collision course with both Grannie and the FBI.
Director: Nicole Kassell
Writer: Melissa James Gibson, Joshua Brand
8.2/10 2,040 votes#12 - The Oath
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 4/24/2013
One of Elizabeth's agents has key intel for sale, but she and Philip find themselves taking increasingly greater risks for what could well be a set-up. Meanwhile, Stan's pursuit of Directorate S suddenly begins to yield unexpected results.
Director: John Dahl
Writer: Melissa James Gibson, Joshua Brand
9.0/10 2,655 votes#13 - 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