Since premiering four years ago, the one common gripe among fans (and me personally) of the spy drama The Americans is that, despite getting high praises from critics, nobody else is watching it.

Set in the Cold War, The Americans is a spy drama that follows the Jennings where the husband and wife pair of Philip and Elizabeth (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell) are KGB spies posing as a regular American family in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. And to spice things up, Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), an FBI agent, just moved in across the street.

Having created by a former CIA agent, Joe Weisberg, gives this show an authenticity not present in other run-of-the-mill spy shows. It’s very much different than the usual mainstream spy shows and movies we’ve grown to adore. It’s more reminiscent of John le Carré’s novels, where the more realistic — and occasionally boring — side of spy work is at the forefront, rather than the gadget-heavy action-adventure romps that are present in the Mission: Impossible and Bond blockbusters. And aside from being a period piece, perhaps that’s what keeps The Americans from breaking into a much wider audience.

In an article by International Business Times, the show only averages below 3 million viewers every season. For a consistently critically-acclaimed series, not to mention one that’s currently on its fifth season, that number of viewers is dangerously low. In any other major network the show would be a prime candidate for cancellation. However, the execs at FX, the channel it’s on, loves the show apparently, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s still on air. You can check out the link for the hard stats.

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Its narrative is one of its strongest suits but can get complex at times, especially if you’re not familiar with the Cold War references. Each season takes a real event from that era and incorporates it seamlessly into the story in some form or another. Of course, it takes some liberties with a few things, but it’s all for the benefit of the story.

The bulk of The Americans‘ spy work happens when Philip and Elizabeth are out in the field wearing disguises that showcase the professionalism and sometimes gritty work that the pair have to partake in. Although dire and tense, there’s magic in the way they carry out their “missions” with little to no hesitation. The beautiful deception is attractive, and you just have to admire their execution of the work that they do.

But underneath it all, The Americans is a essentially a nuanced look at relationships, marriage and family. Aside from all the spy work they do, we see Philip and Elizabeth come home to their family at the end of the day, balance their daily lives between raising their two children (who get more involved in later seasons) and building and maintaining relationships with people of interest, all the while dealing with marital spats from time to time.

The show also loves to explore the conflicting ideologies of the time through differing perspectives. While fulfilling his duties, Philip has a more relaxed and pragmatic view of USA, and over time realizes that it’s probably not the enemy that it’s made out to be. On the other hand, Elizabeth remains truly loyal to the cause and believes she’s on the right side of the fight. The war is black and white in her point of view – America must fall. The depth of the shows’ characters give The Americans a tense dynamic, which getes even more strained when their daughter Paige gets more involved in later seasons. Add Stan to the formula and we’ve got a kettle that’s going to reach its boiling point sooner or later.

Now on its fifth season, The Americans continues to build upon the dynamics of family caught in a silent battle between two nations while exploring the restrained brutality of the Cold War. It’s a dark show no doubt. There are some moments where the show allows itself to breathe, but those are few and far between. Watching it can be taxing, but the overall experience brought by its compelling narrative and character studies make it one of the best shows on TV right now.