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The Americans will return on Wednesday, March 16 at 10/9c, FX announced Saturdayat the Television Critics Association winter previews.
Season 4 of the spy drama, which was held from its usual late January return date, consists of 13 episodes and will pick up on the heels of the third season finale, after Paige (Holly Taylor) told Pastor Tim (Kelly Aucoin) that her parents Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) are spies.
"The game has certainly shifted in terms of parenting Paige," executive producer Joel Fields said. "The question of focusing on her recruitment is now secondary to how to manage this family's survival [after] what's gone down."
Keri Russell is pregnant with Matthew Rhys' baby
Russell, whose pregnancy will not be written into the show, said there's still "resentment and anger" between Elizabeth and Philip over their decision to tell Paige the truth. But the honesty and fallout over Paige spilling the beans to Pastor Tim might actually bring mother and daughter closer together. "I think the interesting thing for me this season has really been about opening Elizabeth's perspective," Russell said. "This season feels a lot about the emotional cost the last three years have had on these people. I think there is a new opening for Elizabeth, especially with Paige. I think that's a very parent thing. You think you know what's right, but you have no idea [what your children will think]."
Season 4 will also cover real-life events such as Reagan's Star Wars speech and the TV movie The Day After. Though he and creator/executive producer Joe Weisberg don't have an end date for the series in mind, Fields said they view the fourth season like "we're coming toward the end of the second act" of a three-act structure.
"Whether it takes a fifth season or a fifth and sixth season to tell the rest of the story, I think we'll discover as we start to dig into next season's work, which will happen as we dig out of this season. ... We'll do what's right for the storytelling."
FX also unveiled the key art for Season 4 Saturday. Check it out below.