The BEST episodes of The Americans (2013) season 1

Every episode of The Americans (2013) season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Americans (2013) 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.

Last Updated: 9/13/2024Network: FXStatus: Ended
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The Colonel
star
8.19
3432 votes

#1 - 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.

Directors: Adam Arkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Oath
star
7.90
3407 votes

#2 - 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.

Directors: John Dahl
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Pilot
star
7.82
5513 votes

#3 - Pilot

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/30/2013

The Americans is a period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington D.C. shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. 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.

Directors: Gavin O'Connor
Writer: Joe Weisberg
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Only You
star
7.81
3238 votes

#4 - 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.

Directors: Adam Arkin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Safe House
star
7.78
3391 votes

#5 - 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.

Directors: Jim McKay (II)
Writer: Joshua Brand
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In Control
star
7.75
3979 votes

#6 - 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.

Directors: Jean de Segonzac
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Trust Me
star
7.73
3538 votes

#7 - 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.

Directors: Daniel Sackheim
Writer: Sneha Koorse
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Mutually Assured Destruction
star
7.71
3599 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.

Directors: Bill Johnson
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Duty and Honor
star
7.70
3461 votes

#9 - 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.

Directors: Alex Chapple
Writer: Joshua Brand
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Clock
star
7.70
4525 votes

#10 - 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.

Directors: Adam Arkin
Writer: Joe Weisberg
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Gregory
star
7.70
4163 votes

#11 - 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.

Directors: Thomas Schlamme
Writer: Joel Fields
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
COMINT
star
7.66
3656 votes

#12 - 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.

Directors: Holly Dale
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Covert War
star
7.62
3204 votes

#13 - 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.

Directors: Nicole Kassell
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV