The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast
NEW EPISODES THURSDAYS
The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast revisits the acclaimed FX series The Americans through the lenses of history, intelligence, geopolitics, culture — and great television.
Hosted by Julie Roginsky, Michelle Kinney, Olga Lautman, Nina Jankowicz, Jeff Jarvis, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (Ret.), and Craig Miller, the show brings together experts in Russian affairs, disinformation, national security, journalism, media, and culture to rewatch one of the greatest TV dramas ever made.
We’ll dive into the real spycraft, Soviet “illegals" program, and the Cold War history behind the story. But we’ll also talk about the music, the performances, the Reagan-era pop culture, the wigs — and why The Americans remains one of the smartest and most entertaining shows ever made.
Because the Cold War didn’t just shape history. It shaped the world we’re living in now
The Mayday Network is women-founded, women-led independent media — built for a country in crisis.
The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent podcast and is not affiliated with FX or the creators of The Americans.
Listen on:
Episodes
5 days ago
5 days ago
The Mayday Network co-founders Julie Roginsky and Michelle Kinney launch The Illegals — a rewatch podcast for the greatest spy drama ever made — with a panel that could actually run an intelligence briefing.
Joining them for the pilot episode: author, professor, and media critic Jeff Jarvis, disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz, Russia expert Olga Lautman, former Marine Judge Advocate Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (ret.), and senior advertising sale director and cultural arbiter Craig Miller.
They dig into the show's pilot episode — the KGB sleeper agents hiding in plain sight in Reagan-era suburbia, the Cold War geopolitics underneath the drama, the casting choices that made it all work, and what it means to watch this show right now, in this political moment. The history is real. The tension is real. The wigs are not.
This is The Americans like you've never heard it discussed — with the people who actually understand what it was about.
The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent rewatch podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the creators or producers of The Americans.
The Illegals on Youtube: https://youtu.be/O0PI-nVOdnchttps://www.themaydaynetwork.com
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast revisits the acclaimed FX series The Americans through the lenses of history, intelligence, geopolitics, culture — and great television.
Hosted by Julie Roginsky, Michelle Kinney, Olga Lautman, Nina Jankowicz, Jeff Jarvis, Lt. Col. Jaclyn Urso (Ret.), and Craig Miller, the show brings together experts in Russian affairs, disinformation, national security, journalism, media, and culture to rewatch one of the greatest TV dramas ever made.
We’ll dive into the real spycraft, Soviet “illegals" program, and the Cold War history behind the story. But we’ll also talk about the music, the performances, the Reagan-era pop culture, the wigs — and why The Americans remains one of the smartest and most entertaining shows ever made.
Because the Cold War didn’t just shape history. It shaped the world we’re living in now
The Mayday Network is women-founded, women-led independent media — built for a country in crisis.
The Illegals: The Americans Rewatch Podcast is an independent podcast and is not affiliated with FX or the creators ofThe Americans.