When you’re dealing with K.G.B. spies embedded deep in U.S. suburbia, there is always room for a surprise or two. And The Americans has rarely disappointed in that department. Whether it was a devastating death in Season 4 or a surprisingly sexy dental operation in Season 3, the FX series has often kept fans guessing. But there’s never been a surprise quite like the one that casually popped up midway through Season 5, Episode 3, “The Midges.” And, no, we’re not talking about how staggeringly good both Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell looked in that cheesy cowboy hat. For more details and a discussion with the surprising star of the episode, join us after Elizabeth Jennings tucks those spoilers neatly out of sight.
No, you were not dreaming, comrades. That was Alison Wright’s Martha Hanson, wearing a headscarf and squinting briefly at a can in a derelict market halfway through the episode. Poor, loyal Martha was last seen being unceremoniously packed off to Soviet Russia in Season 4, possibly never to return. The Americans creators kept so mum on her fate—and Wright has been so busy appearing on Sneaky Pete, Feud, and in the new Broadway play Sweat—that Martha fans were beginning to worry she had not survived the trip. Thankfully, Wright recently spoke with VF.com over the phone to put minds at ease and explain the enduring appeal of everyone’s favorite former secretary.
V.F. Hollywood: I heard you’ve been relentlessly hounded since last year about whether or not you were coming back?
Alison Wright: Oh my god. Nonstop, nonstop, all the time, every day.
Are you relieved that Martha’s fate is finally confirmed?
You know, you can hound me all you like. I can handle it. I’m excited that people are going to get an answer. I’m really excited, and feel very privileged that people care so much about her story and are so invested in this character that we’ve created. It’s wonderful when people come and talk to me about it, and I can see in their faces how much her story has affected them. God, that’s what we’re here to do—exactly that, right? It’s a real privilege.
The person I was watching with gasped with glee when they saw you. We don’t get a lot of occasions for happy surprises on The Americans. What do you think it is about Martha that makes her connect so well with audiences?
She’s what all of us would most likely be in this scenario. We’d like to think that we’d be the Jennings—that we’d be bad-asses. But the likelihood is that we'd be the Martha. I think perhaps people can recognize that. Let’s forget that the attractive, dashing Jenningses are K.G.B. agents, they have this truly exciting kind of life, and they’re cool. But despite the appeal of their story line, it’s really apparent to see what they did to her and what this machine does to the average person. It chewed her up and spit her out. Yet she’s still fully invested and willingly gave her heart, and I think that is very tragic and sad.
You’re so busy these days. Did you even have time to film more scenes for Martha this year, or is that little cameo all we’ll get?
I can’t tell you that!
And here you thought the hounding was done! This degree of secret-keeping is rather new for The Americans, though, of course, it’s become de rigueur for shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Is it stressful keeping this tight-lipped?
No, no. If I’m a viewer and I love something, I don’t want to have anything spoiled for me. I want to have this whole experience, and if we can keep it hidden from people what the story is and how it’s going to develop, that’s just the most exciting for the viewer. It’s also the fairest way to have the experience. We get to see into productions now because of social media, and all these articles that are being written or random photographs on the street. Ultimately, that spoils the magic. Why would you want to do that? You want the experience to be as rich as it can be for the viewer. I’m happy to keep my mouth shut. I think it’s preferable. It doesn’t have the same impact if you know about something before it’s going to happen.
O.K., then—let’s couch this final question as purely hypothetical. In this episode, Martha gets to wear a headscarf, but you’ve never gotten to wear one of the show’s famous wigs. Are you holding out hope for a wig-filled future for Martha?
Yeah! Of course.
