On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 99 percent approval rating with an average score of 9.2 out of 10 based on 45 reviews, with a critics consensus of: "With its fourth season, The Americans continues to deliver top-tier spy drama while sending its characters in directions that threaten to destroy their freedoms – and their lives.

Club gave it a perfect "A" grade and wrote, "If the fourth season reminds viewers of anything, it's that The Americans has a masterful control of tone, doling out horror and slow-burn dread like very few of its contemporaries.

"[24] Ben Travers of Indiewire also gave it an "A" grade and wrote that the season "is on the equally stellar level of its predecessors".

[25] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com praised the series and wrote, "It is that depth of character and nuance in the writing that elevates The Americans, along with its willingness to offer stunning narrative developments.

Ryan wrote that it "grows louder by the day" and pointed out that Elizabeth and Philip are now "even more untenable, and the show has never been one to drag out developments past their potency".