Usually, it’s exciting when beloved TV shows get a revival, but this is not the case for the potential revival of The Americans’ finale premiered in 2018, bringing a fitting conclusion to the Jennings’ story.

Despite FX’s The Americans having a perfect ending, there have been whisperings about a revival of The Americans for the past few years. The most recent mention of an Americans revival was by Matthew Rhys, who said he would be “all in” for another installment of The Americans. Rhys’ comments make the possibility of a reboot of The Americans feel more real than they have in the past. However, despite enthusiasm from the show’s cast and crew, The Americans revival is better off not happening in order to retain the original show’s legacy.

The Americans' Ending Was Absolutely Perfect - It Doesn't Need A Revival

Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in The Americans

The last episode of The Americans is one of the best TV finales of the 2010s, and for good reason. While the finale of The Americans is not necessarily a happy ending, considering Philip and Elizabeth have to leave their children behind when they return to Russia, the final episode is a fitting one that perfectly wraps up the Cold War drama. Because of this, it’s difficult to imagine a reboot of The Americans, as it’s almost impossible to top the heights that the original series reached with its finale.

Potentially ruining the positive legacy of The Americans’ series finale by doing a revival is a concern expressed by series lead Keri Russell, who played Elizabeth Jennings. In contrast to the pro-revival comments from Matthew Rhys, Russell said regarding an Americans revival that “...it was such a good ending. I don't think I would mess with that one.” Russell’s sentiments represent the fear that rebooting The Americans could cheapen the finale, missing what made it so good in the first place. Therefore, it’s better to let The Americans stand on its own without reviving it.

Could The Americans' Revival Actually Happen? What The Story Could Be

the-americans

Despite the talk of a potential revival for The Americans, whether such a project will actually exist is still up in the air. The most definitive information about an Americans revival comes from Philip actor Matthew Rhys, who stated, “...we joke about doing a two-hour special” in which the show catches up with what the main characters of The Americans are up to post-series finale. In spite of Rhys’ statements, there are still no conclusive statements on if a reboot could actually come to fruition, so those opposed to the existence of such a project can rest easy for now.

Whether a revival for The Americans might actually happen, it’s still fun to speculate about what its potential story could be. Given the events of the series finale, it would make the most sense for an Americans revival to take place in the future, giving viewers a glimpse of what has happened to the characters after the events of the FX series. Keri Russell posited that a revival to The Americans could center around what happens to the Jennings kids, which could be an interesting angle. There are several possible avenues a revival to The Americans could take, making a series reboot intriguing, regardless if it should happen.