FX
Despite being on FX, the long-running drama series The Americans was able to pull off one of the most shocking sex scenes in the history of TV, a ’69’ between its two main characters played by Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell. The pair of award-winning actors are also married in real life.
Speaking to BroBible’s Post Credit Podcast ahead of the release of his excellent new horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay on AppleTV, Matthew Rhys broke down one of the most infamous sex scenes in the history of TV.
Emmy-winning The Americans star Matthew Rhys breaks down the infamous 69 scene from the Season 2 premiere
The specific episode is “Comrades” — Season 2, Episode 1, which aired March 26, 2014 — and featured the daughter character Paige walking in on her parents engaged in the intimate act, shocking both her and the audience.
Eric Italiano, BroBible: I want to swing over to The Americans, which I admit I have not watched — but I am aware of one of its most famous scenes. And I mean this with all due respect because I know she’s now your real-life wife, but there is an infamous 69 scene. How did you guys react to seeing that in the script, what was filming like, and how has that scene grown with you?
Matthew Rhys: I don’t know if it’s grown with me — I think it’s been left in the archive of that show where it should remain. I remember questioning the writers about it: why specifically that? What are you trying to convey? In the scene it’s meant to shock the child in the moment, and really that was meant to shock the viewers too. They said they had two people set up as polar opposites in that moment, and they wanted to present something that seems incredibly intimate that would ultimately shock not only the child but the audience itself. When they said that, it certainly didn’t feel gratuitous — there was real reason behind it.
Eric: I think the most amazing part about it is that any reading I’ve done on it isn’t “can you believe this shock value” — it’s “can you believe they mined actual dramatic intention out of a 69.” Which is not easy to do, because I think there’s a danger of it becoming comedic as well.
Matthew Rhys: Exactly. And it was directed by Tommy Schlomi, one of the great TV directors from The West Wing. It was deft in its handling and I felt totally at ease with him helming that.
Widow’s Bay will premiere on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through June 17, 2026 on Apple TV, with a special two episode release on Wednesday, May 27. Check out the official trailer below.