'The Americans' Season 5 Finale: 3 Things It Nailed, and 1 It Didn't

(Spoiler alert: Please do not read on if you haven’t watched Tuesday’s Season 5 finale of “The Americans.”]

“The Americans” wrapped up its penultimate season on Tuesday, which included a much-needed happy twist for a fan-favorite character, along with the choice use of an Elton John hit.

Among the pivotal moments for the heralded FX drama’s Season 5 finale was Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) opting to continue their lives as spies after learning that Kimmy’s father has been promoted to head up the CIA’s Soviet division.

Fans had a lot to say on Twitter during the episode. Here are three things they praised, in addition to one aspect of the finale that appears to have divided viewers.

Also Read: 23 'The Americans' Main Characters Ranked, From Worst to Best (Photos)

Success: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
Elizabeth and Philip contemplated saying goodbye to their bourgeois lifestyle during a montage that was set to the 1973 Elton John tune. Fans had plenty of positive feedback for the choice of song that aired as Philip and Stan enjoyed a little racquetball.

The use of 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' in tonight's season finale of #TheAmericans the best use of music since 'Twilight Zone' in Season 2.

— Marco Monteiro (@MMonteiro90) May 31, 2017

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road takes its place among the great montages. #TheAmericans

— Brad (@ThisKindaBrad) May 31, 2017

That "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" sequence was perfect & awesome. #TheAmericans

— Natasha Padilla (@NPadillaNYC) May 31, 2017

#TheAmericans has always used music well. But the bit with "Yellow Brick Road" may have been the most perfect match of music and scene ever.

— Matt Milner (@mwmilner) May 31, 2017

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Success: Martha is back
Martha (Alison Wright) appears to be getting some sunshine in her life despite her exile, as she is about to adopt an adorable Russian girl.

When Martha appears and all is right in the world. Incredible performance, @alison__wright #TheAmericans

— Jessica Field (@jessica_field1) May 31, 2017

martha's narrative arc in #TheAmericans is seriously one of the most bittersweet. i love when @alison__wright surprises us in episodes.

— ???????? (@lexaluthor) May 31, 2017

GIVE MARTHA AN ORPHAN AND HAPPINESS!!! #TheAmericans

— ???? jacqui ???? (@heyjdey) May 31, 2017

The quiet moment w/@alison__wright as Martha watching the orphan girl play was deeeep. So much subtext in her eyes. Brilliant! #TheAmericans

— MadameSoybean (@MadameSoybean) May 31, 2017

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Success: Paige swings away
Elizabeth and daughter Paige (Holly Taylor) did a bit of sparring in the garage, and viewers enjoyed the shot of adrenaline, along with getting to see Paige handle that shot to the mouth in much the same way that her mom would.

Paige and Elizabeth's mini fight club tho #TheAmericans

— Ashley Reese (@offbeatorbit) May 31, 2017

Anyone else thinking Paige might just cap her mom's ass with a little more practice? #TheAmericans

— Christy Roach (@christyintx) May 31, 2017

#TheAmericans I half expected Paige to be confronted by a mugger in the parking lot and beating the snot out of him.

— Vincent Grienti (@vince598) May 31, 2017

She keep slapping her ????????. I would never train with my momma. #TheAmericans

— ????️aDreal ????️ell ???? (@fewwillbechosen) May 31, 2017

But … did it lack big moments?
Was the episode a bit on the slow side, or is the show just continuing to create suspense as it heads into the final stretch? The debate rages on.

@TheAmericansFX I understand slow burn believe me but WHAT KIND OF PENULTIMATE SEASON FINALE WAS THAT?!?!? Take a lesson from #BreakingBad!

— Edie (@MyNamesParadise) May 31, 2017

Well, the finale of #TheAmericans S5 was every bit as slow and dull as the rest of the season. What a total letdown.

— Chris Carey (@VileZero) May 31, 2017

I say w love: problem w #TheAmericans this season is not that it was slow but that story beats repeated what earlier seasons did more deeply

— Christopher Shinn (@chris_shinn) May 31, 2017

The Js knew how they wanted to tell their story,it was beautifully done.A slow burn 4 some ppkl,but amazing storytelling 2 me #TheAmericans

— Nasty Woman Kiki (@Kiki1788) May 31, 2017

#TheAmericans is such a perfect slow burn of melancholy and dread. I love it.

— (((Mendelsohn))) (@JacobMendelsohn) May 31, 2017

'The Americans': 7 Reasons to Watch the Breakout Emmy Nominee (Photos)

After four seasons, FX's "The Americans," starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Soviet spies posing as Americans in the 1980s, has finally received Emmy Awards in the major categories. So should you start watching? Yes. Here are reasons why.
1. The Couple

The show is built around the dynamic between Phillip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, who became a real-life couple over the course of the show). Their relationship is complicated by disguises, the sex they have with strangers to steal their secrets, Phillip's marriage to another woman, and the fact that they got married for country, not for love.
2. The Family Drama

Yes, we know the real Americans won the Cold War. What we don't know is whether the Jennings or their two children survive it. That's the central drama of the show.
3. The Spy Drama

These are legit spy stories that would work even without the family dynamic. We have bugs, blueprints, toxic warfare, wigs... without any James Bond theatrics.
4. The 80s

"The Americans" wears it setting lightly, never succumbing to gimmicks. People have bad haircuts and eat frozen French bread pizza -- the kind of '80s foods we ate before carbs were blacklisted. But there are no silly jokes about President Trump or Governor Schwarzenegger or other awkward winks at the modern-day audience. It just feels like you're in the actual '80s, when nuclear apocalypse felt like a viable possibility.
4. Paige

The Jennings' daughter (Holly Taylor) is the show's secret weapon. A born-again Christian, she's torn between her parents (and the KGB's interest in recruiting her) and her belief in American-style social justice.
5. The Neighbor

The Jennings have the misfortune of living across the street from an FBI agent. A smart one. Agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) is a perfect foil to the couple, always perilously close to catching them.
6. The Pace

Season 4 of "The Americans," the most recent, revolved around whether a church youth leader would rat out the Jennnings as Soviet spies. Those kinds of small, interpersonal dramas power the show, and they play out like emdless Iron Curtain chess games. The more closely you pay attention, the more fascinating they are. What's that knight trying to do? And did you catch that pawn before it became a queen?
8. The Realness

Sometimes storylines on "The Americans" just end, hopelessly, with no one learning any lessons. It's devastating.

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After four seasons, FX’s Cold War drama is finally racking up Emmy nominations. Here’s why it deserves them

After four seasons, FX's "The Americans," starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Soviet spies posing as Americans in the 1980s, has finally received Emmy Awards in the major categories. So should you start watching? Yes. Here are reasons why.

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'The Americans': 7 Reasons to Watch the Breakout Emmy Nominee (Photos)

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