History Series / JohnAdams

* RedOniBlueOni: John Adams is Red to Thomas Jefferson's Blue. Also, AlexanderHamilton's Red to Jefferson's Blue.

* RedOniBlueOni: John Adams is Red to Thomas Jefferson's Blue.

* {{Squick}}: The show does not shy from showing 18th century medicine in its grisly form.

** Adams' meeting with George III, in all its awkwardness, surely counts as an example. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvn-bYVR2YI Behold.]]

* DeadpanSnarker: George Washington certainly had his moments.

* CallingTheOldManOut: Charles does this to John in "Unite or Die," when he describes their lack of contact when John and Abagail were in Europe.

* FakeAmerican: Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, Rufus Sewell as Alxander Hamilton... Admittedly, the characters should necessitate this kind of casting, because the Founding Fathers were British subjects before they were "American", and the colonies were culturally similar.

* SouthernGentleman: Edward Rutledge of South Carolina. When he privately informs Adams that his colony - pardon - ''state'' is willing to vote for independence he says that one of the reasons the southern delegates delayed for so long is that they are used to a more "courtly forum".

* SouthernGentleman: John Rutledge of South Carolina. When he privately informs Adams that his colony - pardon - ''state'' is willing to vote for independence he says that one of the reasons the southern delegates delayed for so long is that they are used to a more "courtly forum".

TearsOfJoy: Adams awakens after a serious illness to the news that the British have surrendered at Yorktown. After several moment of digesting the information he breaks down in tears and kisses the messengers hand over and over.

** Can also serve as a TearJerker and NightmareFuel for some, conflicting emotions and all. Sure, the mob was angry over a rightly felt injustice, but to see a man screaming in agony for only trying to do his job is enough to make anyone feel for the unbearable pain he must have gone through.
* WhatTheHellHero: Invoked by Adams following the TarAndFeathers scene.

* DanBrowned (some minor historical inaccuracies, but...)
* DeadlyDecadentCourt (''Vive la France'', baby.)
* FakeAmerican (Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson, Rufus Sewell as Alxander Hamilton... Admittedly, the characters should necessitate this kind of casting, because the Founding Fathers were British subjects before they were "American", and the colonies were culturally similar.)

* FishOutOfWater (To say that Adams doesn't fit in at the French court is an understatement)

* HappilyMarried (John and Abigail Adams. A stark contrast to the French court.)
* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne Adams' only response to a scathing newspaper article that hurls numerous physical insults at him is "I'm not crippled."
* KavorkaMan (BenjaminFranklin - ambassador, inventor, statesman... skank? By all accounts, however, this is correct.)

* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized (Hot tar. OW.)
* SheCleansUpNicely (John Adams is visibly impressed when his wife puts on a nice dress at Versailles. Apparently TruthInTelevision.)

* ShownTheirWork (far more accurate than most works about TheAmericanRevolution)
* SmartPeoplePlayChess (combined with a fair amount of {{Squick}} for Adams and hilarity for us when Adams heedlessly barges into Franklin's quarters at the American Mission in Paris...only to find Franklin playing chess in a bathtub with Madame Helvétius.)
* TarAndFeathers (Adams witnesses a British tax collector being tarred and feathered by an angry Boston mob)

* WhatTheHellHero (invoked by Adams following the TarAndFeathers scene.)

** Can also serve as a TearJerker for some, conflicting emotions and all. Sure, the mob was angry over a rightly felt injustice, but to see a man screaming in agony for only trying to do his job is enough to make anyone feel for the unbearable pain he must have gone through.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Although American audiences may be somewhat prejudiced, the inaguration of President GeorgeWashington feels this way. It's also [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Declaration of Independence when it shows the delegates sitting silently in a room during a thunderstorm pondering the immensity of what they just accomplished.
** ''Liberty will reign in America!''

* {{Squick}} Do you hate needles? Heh, who doesn't? DEAL WITH IT. Be thankful you weren't born in the 1700's! Where instead of a ''little poke'', you get a ''crushed up infected BOIL shoved into an open wound''. And then probably die anyway.
** Not to mention the horrific implications of an early 19th century mastectomy!

* TearJerker. After knowing Abigail Adams the entire series her death and, especially, John's reaction to it makes us feel the loss that he felt after decades of her as his best friend and wife. Likewise the death of ThomasJefferson, even though the two of them had split apart for many years, the fact that he and Adams were two of the last great Founding Fathers and died on the same day reminds the viewers of the passing of an age.

** ''Liberty will reign in America!'m

*ShoutOut (Possibly unintentional. At one point about midway through the series, Adams is pacing and ranting about something and Abigail says to him "For God's sake, John, sit down". Her words are identical to the repeated line from "Sit Down, John", the opening number to the much-loved musical ''[[SeventeenSeventySix 1776]]'' about Adams' labors to convince the Second Continental Congress to unanimously adopt the Declaration of Independence.