The series is set during the Cold War and follows Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB intelligence officers posing as an American married couple living in Falls Church, a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., with their American-born children Paige and Henry.
At a high school in Maryland, a boy named Tuan (Ivan Mok) befriends a classmate, Pasha (Zack Gafin), a Russian-born student who struggles in making friends.
Claudia (Margo Martindale) and Gabriel (Frank Langella) are informed of Misha's plans to arrive in the United States, and they fear that he might try to find Philip.
At home, Philip and Elizabeth still disapprove Paige (Holly Taylor) dating Matthew (Daniel Flaherty), as they feel it could impact their identities.
The site's consensus states: "'Amber Waves' kicks off a new season of The Americans with compelling questions of loyalty, impressive contrasts of character, and a sense of desperation building to a dangerous boil.
"[5] Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a "great" 8.5 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "A busy Americans season premiere quickly reminded viewers how engaging this series is, with the Jennings now living a second suburban life, (fake) kid included, and having to do some incredibly ghastly things in the name of their country.
"[7] Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "In time, of course, we'll see that this is just another temporary cover, and that they're still mainly living in the house in Falls Church with Paige and a now power forward-sized Henry.
"[8] Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "This FX series has always been a heavy one, but now it's carrying an extra burden: the ongoing revelations about how Russian operatives may have compromised a U.S. candidate for president.
"[11] Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the episode an "A" grade and wrote, "the Season 5 premiere of The Americans delivered everything we've come to love about the show: smart surprises, honest conversation, and quite a few lingering questions.
"[12] Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine wrote, "Most shows' season-premiere episodes are flagrant acts of inelegant bookkeeping — a means of, say, tying up the previous season's loose ends and introducing new characters and plotlines.
But The Americans isn't like most shows, unafraid of throwing wrenches in seemingly well-laid plans and, here, folding the theme of food into the narrative in peculiar, ruminative ways — which is to say, without making it sound like a talking point.
"[13] Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "If 'Amber Waves' has a flaw its that a bold beginning and superb ending detract from the plot moving that comes in-between.