“The Americans” has a deep and discerning sense of irony, which is probably a prerequisite for a series about Soviet spies posing as suburban parents in Reagan-era America. Season 3 of this espionage drama begins on Wednesday on FX, and it may be the most provocative one yet.
Government officials sit around a table in a secure room, grim-faced as they stare at a video. A hostage is kneeling on the ground, hands bound, head bowed, surrounded by Islamic militants who hold a rifle at his head. Their leader speaks to the camera; when his rant is finished, one of the men fires a bullet through the prisoner’s head.
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“The Americans” is an unusually clever, subtle drama that uses the conventions of a Cold War thriller to paint a portrait of a complicated, evolving but not unhappy marriage. It’s not a comedy, but there are hints of black humor behind all the subterfuge. There are no real villains or heroes on this series. Mostly, the misguided lead the misled; action devolves into misadventure; and every season gets more complicated, and is all the better for it.
A version of this article appears in print on January 28, 2015, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Navigating a Cold War, at Work and at Home . Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe
