The Americans: Five reasons why Paige needs a spinoff
The Americans ended as one of the best shows ever, but that doesn’t mean everything wrapped up well. One character in particular has so much more to tell.
Paige (Holly Taylor) is perhaps the most compelling character from The Americans. She was the only American-turned-Russian of the group, and the only one truly stuck in the middle of all the spying. Her parents started to really feel for their adopted home, but ultimately returned to Russia. Paige, however, demonstrated the pull of America’s lasso had her firmly encircled.
So what would happen to Paige next? There are so many possibilities. Having said that, here are five good reasons why Paige needs a spinoff.
Holly Taylor is still fully involved in the role.
Spending all of your teenage years on The Americans has to be just about as indoctrinating as a situation with Russian moles for parents. In an interview with Deadline Holly Taylor says, “My brain still thinks I’m going back to shoot Season 7 in the fall.” She goes on to further say she is pushing for the spin-off.
The return to America is open-ended.
When Paige stepped off the train it was clear she was staying in the U.S., but nobody could have expected her last scene to be pounding vodka in a desolate apartment. There needs to be closure. There are three general possibilities. First, Paige ends up changing her name and living as best she can. Boring, but possible. Second, she continues her spy mission, aiming to make her parents proud, embedding herself into upper levels of the government like her mother wanted her to do. Finally, it’s possible she seeks out Stan, tells the whole story, and ends up working as an important asset for America. Either of those final two scenarios works well in a 10-episode format.
Paige still has a lot of maturing to do as a spy.
Punching out drunken frat guys is one thing, but it’s clear she has a lot more to learn about being a spy. She continuously screwed up under her mother’s watchful eye, and it would be very compelling to watch her hoe the road alone. Based on the abbreviated sparring match with her father, Paige may just end up having to duplicate her mother’s honeypot M.O. in order to be a successful spy.
Is there a family reunion on the horizon?
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How awesome would it be to see Paige try to reach out to Henry (Keidrich Sellati)? She could arrange a meeting location after a while, replete with covert signals, dead drops, and every other espionage tactic her mother taught her. Furthermore, it’s possible after enough explaining Henry understands his parents’ actions, and even forgives them. If so, then Paige and Henry could end up replaying their parents’ lives, including the part where he doesn’t want to be a spy but she persuades him. Together they continue spying and cope with the fallout of their parents’ double lives.
On top of all that, the Cold War ended shortly after the time-frame of The Americans finale. It’s possible Mom and Dad come back and try to put the whole Jennings clan back together.
What about the other Russians?
When Philip (Rhys) and Elizabeth (Russell) left America, the rest of the Russian spies didn’t just stop working. There wasn’t a mass exodus. There needs to be answers on at least two prominent figures. The easiest to explore is Claudia (Martindale). Does she return to her barren apartment to find Paige, and then mold her into a mini-Elizabeth?
More importantly, however, is the ambiguous nature of Renee (Holden). Is she a spy or not? If, indeed, Paige returned to spy, she would definitely have an encounter with Renee. It would be the best possible, slow reveal of Renee’s true nature. The current uncertainty about Renee is probably the most aggravating aspect of the entire finale. For all the grief Stan has been through, he deserves to discover the truth about his wife.
If The Americans were going to have a spinoff show, Paige is obviously the best choice. She’s a great character and has so much growth potential. Do you think FX would ever entertain the idea?