As fans know, there are only four episodes remaining in season 5 of The Americans — and only one more season after the finale. The real bummer is that the show, set in the '80s during the Cold War, is better than ever, raking in rave reviews with its intriguing character arcs and incredibly relevant political plot lines. (Did somebody say Russian scandal?) But unlike viewers, star Matthew Rhys isn't all that broken up about the series coming to a close soon. He explained why he's glad the show is winding down in an interview with Entertainment Weekly on Tuesday. Basically, Rhys is happy to go out on a high note — and tonot have to work so intensely with co-star and longtime girlfriend Keri Russell 24/7.
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"I think we’ve done five great seasons," he said. "[The writers] were told two years ago, ‘You’ll have two more seasons,’ so to have two seasons to write very strongly toward a strong ending, I think, is a very privileged position to be in. And I am always weary of wringing the towel dry. I think when things are going well, pull the plug."
As for working alongside Russell on-set all day — and then going home together? "Awful, awful. The worst idea you could come up with. I broke all the rules! Fool here, fool," he joked. The Welsh actor said in all seriousness that he and his partner — who have a 1-year-old named Sam together — do their best to separate work from home, though it can be difficult. "You have to [leave it all on set], otherwise you go insane. You can't bring that amount of work home. We run lines begrudgingly, and that's the sum total of how much work we bring home," he explained. "It's great in many ways. It's also challenging, as anyone would I'm sure admit to work with your partner that intensely for that long. They have pros and cons, but you know it's short-lived." This is where the series' definite closure comes in. "It'll be six seasons and then it'll be done. So with that time-frame in mind, it's much easier."
Watch The Americans tonight at 10 p.m. ET on FX — and start counting down to the May 30 finale.