Crossbreed (The Americans)

In its original American broadcast, "Crossbreed" was seen by an estimated 0.71 million household viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.2 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.^[3] This was a slight increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by 0.70 million household viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics.^[4]

"Crossbreed" received extremely positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 100% approval rating, based on 13 reviews. The site's consensus states: "'Crossbreed' quietly heightens the stakes in The Americans' fifth season while opening the door to a beloved character's departure - and an unexpected meeting."^[5]

Erik Adams of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "The quiet, confident work that Frank Langella has done on The Americans could go unnoticed. Consistency often is. But there’s nothing like the line 'I'm just tired. And old,' to make you realize you've been taking the Tony winner for granted. Without ever raising his voice above that reassuring purr, Langella stirs so many feelings in 'Crossbreed.' There's heartbreak at his reluctance to leave Elizabeth and Philip."^[6]

Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "A very heavy episode overall, but several dryly amusing moments, from Philip assuming all psychiatrists ask about dreams to the look on Elizabeth's face when she realizes Paige is making the same argument Philip has about how long it’s been since they saw what the Soviet Union was like in person."^[7] Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "As the show ends, Paige reaches out and shakes the hand of a kindly old man. Just as Gabriel is ready to say goodbye, he gets one last hello."^[8]

Mike Hale of The New York Times wrote, "'Crossbreed' extended the season's atypically peaceful vibe — tension, without real danger. But the emotional stakes were high. Written by Stephen Schiff and directed by Roxann Dawson, the episode was ambitious, weaving religion, psychoanalysis, Marxism and martial arts into a late-20th-century thematic tapestry. And it played nimble, complex variations on the idea of fathers and sons (and daughters) and the secrets they keep."^[9] Scott Tobias of Vulture scored the episode four out of five and wrote, "'Crossbreed' gives Gabriel — and Langella's performance — some long overdue acknowledgement. As Gabriel abruptly announces his retirement, it's a clarifying moment for his character and for Langella's value to the show."^[10]

Caroline Framke of Vox wrote, "It's a pretty sedate hour, all things considered, but it's intimate and revealing in a way I've been waiting for all season. From Elizabeth trying to find Young Hee to Gabriel telling Philip the truth about his father, everyone's attempts to reconcile with their past failed big time."^[11] Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine wrote, "The Americans isn't a very political series, or rather, it isn't an explicitly political one. Certainly, 'Crossbreed' feels the closest that the series has come to offering up a commentary on the fundamental idea of communism, and yet, given the rather pointed reference that Paige makes to her communion in the process of telling her mother that she's getting something valuable out of the Marx that she's reading, it's also more accurate to say that the series is generally about people’s struggle to abide by the tenets of any belief system that's been essentially forced on them."^[12]

Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek gave the episode three and a half out of five, writing that it was the "worst of the season so far", but adding "this remains an excellent episode of TV and and[sic] episode show. Each passing episode of season 5 feels like it's building to something radical and special. It's widening gyre time and no amount of psychiatrist side quests or Mischa setbacks can distract from this moral center and its inability to hold."^[13] Matt Brennan of Paste gave the episode a 7.6 out of 10 and wrote, "For all its flaws, 'Crossbreed' depicts characters on the precipice of change they can neither predict nor prevent, and in this context, Gabriel's reflection gathers to it the power of a premonition."^[14]

At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, Matthew Rhys submitted the episode to support his nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.^[15] He would lose to Sterling K. Brown for This Is Us.^[16]

• "Crossbreed" at IMDb