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The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast
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The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast

Author: The Mayday Network

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NEW EPISODES THURSDAYS

The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast
revisits the acclaimed FX series The Americans through the lenses of history, intelligence, geopolitics, culture — and great television.


Hosted by Julie Roginsky, Michelle Kinney, Olga Lautman, Nina Jankowicz, Jeff Jarvis, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (Ret.), and Craig Miller, the show brings together experts in Russian affairs, disinformation, national security, journalism, media, and culture to rewatch one of the greatest TV dramas ever made.


We’ll dive into the real spycraft, Soviet “illegals" program, and the Cold War history behind the story. But we’ll also talk about the music, the performances, the Reagan-era pop culture, the wigs — and why The Americans remains one of the smartest and most entertaining shows ever made.


Because the Cold War didn’t just shape history. It shaped the world we’re living in now


The Mayday Network is a women-founded, women-led independent media network.


The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent podcast and is not affiliated with FX or the creators of The Americans.

12 Episodes
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Elizabeth is unraveling — Zhukov is gone, Gregory is gone, and Philip just got an apartment. he Jennings' marriage is in shambles. Sandra finally calls out Stan, Martha forces Clark to meet her parents (YIKES)!   Hosted by Michelle Kinney and Julie Roginsky with Jeff Jarvis, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso, Olga Lautman, and Nina Jankowicz. We break it down — what was happening in the world when this episode aired, the Cold War context, the spy craft, the languages, the women's movement undercurrent running through every scene — Russia experts, culture critics, and disinformation fighters, all in one place with analysis you won't hear anywhere else. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star in what we believe is the greatest television drama of the 21st century — and if you're not watching them in this, you're missing everything. New to the show? Start here. Follow The Mayday Network for more reporting, analysis, and rapid response — new content every day.
Episode 10 hit differently this time around. Gregory is gone — and we barely knew him, which somehow made it worse. Elizabeth breaks for the first time. And Stan, who we always rooted for, is looking more and more like the actual villain the older we get and the more we've lived through. We remember watching this back in 2013 and we're processing it in 2026 through a different lens. A lot has changed in this country. Especially when it comes to the behavior of men and what women refuse to tolerate. We're going to miss you, Gregory. It's been real. This week's panel: Hosts Michelle Kinney, Julie Roginsky with Nina Jankowicz, Olga Lautman, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (ret.), and Jeff Jarvis.   The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent rewatch podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the creators or producers of The Americans. New episodes every Friday on YouTube, Substack, and Apple Podcasts.
Things got a little crazy. Agent Amador got himself into the wrong mess. Nina is trapped with no way out. Julie is still baffled: why are the English subtitles not giving us the real Russian? And the wig survived circumstances it had absolutely no business surviving. This week's panel: Michelle Kinney, Julie Roginsky, Nina Jankowicz, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (ret.), and Jeff Jarvis. New episodes every Friday on YouTube, Substack, and Apple Podcasts. The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent rewatch podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the creators or producers of The Americans. New episodes every Friday on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.  
It seems everyone on this show is getting it on this episode. Everyone except Philip and Elizabeth, who are having the same fight again. It is a full women's panel for Episode 8 and we cannot stop laughing — the wigs, the honeypots, and the wigs during the honeypots. This week's panel: Michelle Kinney, Julie Roginsky, Nina Jankowicz, Olga Lautman, and Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (ret.). New episodes every Thursday. The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent rewatch podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the creators or producers of The Americans.
The full panel is back for Season 1, Episode 7 — Duty and Honor. Honeypots, the Polish Solidarity movement, Philip's reunion with Irina, and the lie he tells Elizabeth when he gets home. PS Matthew Rhys is just the best. We stand by that. This Week's Panel: Michelle Kinney, Julie Roginsky, Jeff Jarvis, Nina Jankowicz, LtCol Jaclyn Urso (ret.), Olga Lautman, and Craig Miller A Soviet refugee, Russian intelligence expert, a disinformation specialist, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, a media critic and journalism professor, culture pros, and storytellers who tie it all together dig into the real history behind the greatest television drama of the 21st century. The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent rewatch podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the creators or producers of The Americans. New episodes every Thursday on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.
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