Hello, spoiler special subscribers. I'm June Thomas, managing producer of Slate Podcasts. I'm slipping

into your feed to let you know that a new season of the Americans podcast launched today,

March 29th. Every episode is packed full of spoilers and behind the scenes chats with the show's

cast and crew. I'm not going to put every episode into this feed, but if you'd like to hear more Insider

Scoop about season six of the Americans, please subscribe to the Americans podcast.

Thanks, comrades, and now enjoy episode one.

The following podcast contains spoilers.

We strongly recommend you watch the episode of the Americans we're discussing

before you listen to the podcast. New episodes of the show air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

As we move towards the ending, it's as if we're in a shrinking tunnel. You're moving forward towards this

target and everything is getting narrow and narrow around you. So the margin for error and

your ability to correct is constantly lessening and that has just intensified the whole podcast for the sixth and final season.

I'm June Thomas, managing producer of Slate Podcasts, and your host for the series,

which goes behind the scenes of the show. Later, I'll chat with the Americans costume designer,

Katie Irish, about how she conveys character through clothes. And director Chris Long will explain

why the streets of Mexico City might have seemed a little empty.

But first, let's hear from showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields,

who wrote this episode, Number 601, Dead Hand.

I began by asking them why they jumped ahead to 1987.

What was so special about that year?

Joe Weisberg offers the first response.

A big part of 87 was what was going on in the Soviet Union. So that's the big association that Gorbachev took control in 85. It was by 87, the perestroika and glass-nosed had kicked

...