Sean - I'd love to see your follow up on why Ruth Wilson really left the affair. Her interview in a subsequently published NY Times article makes me think she spoke up about sexual harassment and then got pushed out as a result, with a financial settlement with confidentiality provisions to keep her quiet. Would be a real pity, especially in a show written and produced by a woman. Please don't let this question fall away as you tackle Season 5 (which, according to recent press, will be about Joanie's future investigation into what really happened to her mom).
amazing review
I found this episode extremely difficult to watch but I guess that means it was ultimately effective and a great hour of television.
To me there is no question that Part 2 is the 'reality' but I'm wary of seeing the first part as some sort of romantic fantasy on the part of Alison. Instead I see it perhaps as closer to a narrative game by the writers, as if they are saying 'is this what you want?' or 'this is what we could have done...but we're going to go with something a bit darker and culturally reflective instead'.
Speaking of which, I found the episode really powerful in the way it reflected the toxic impact of men not having the tools to articulate their emotions/pain, and instead often expressing it through anger and violence of some kind. I think Part 2 was such an uncomfortable watch because you could feel how vulnerable Alison felt alone in the company of this man and there was a palpable sense of dread and inevitability throughout.
Given all of the talk about dreams (in the episode itself and in the people commenting on the two sequences), does anyone think it's meaningful that Ben described Allison as "the woman of his dreams"?
2
I rewatched it and in the first POV, Ben fidgets with his watch throughout the conversation and when they are dancing, it looks like the time displays as all 0's. Not sure what that means, if anything.
4
I was in a situation similar to Alison's and was able to escape her ending because I made a point of diffusing it. I read the situation as dangerous so I did everything I could to make him feel that he was in the right and that I wouldn't do anything to challenge him. Luckily, it worked.
I kept wishing that Alison wasn't so confrontational with Ben. He was an obviously violent, troubled man. For a mental health professional, Alison's instincts were so off. It's what made her character so difficult to connect with.
4
@word camera We don't know yet, two versions.
It was sad that she didn't commit suicide - and my son took his own life 18 months ago, so I can take the pain. Alison's character deserved to die in the water with Gabriel's pain, and the writer's took that from her to avoid what they felt was cliche or too obvious. What a shame.
1
Thank you for this recap, which echoed a lot of my own feelings about this strange episode. I am not convinced that Ben did it, because it seems like Allison was so far out on the edge. She could have imagined both scenarios and ended up falling into the ocean in some sort of existential panic. What I can’t quite understand is how all this happened without more concern over Joanie. Her father takes off on a quest and her mother goes AWOL, and her grandmother seems unconcerned until Cole calls. Was Joanie with Luisa all that time? Wouldn’t there have been more alarm over Allison’s whereabouts as a missing parent? If Luisa does turn out to be responsible for her death, it would be hard to blame her.
1
@Laura Rushton — I am also thinking that both scenarios were dreams or fantasies. Alison might have committed suicide (or drowned) in the bathtub, and then been taken to the sea as a "burial." (Secondary drowning.)
The real cruelty in the death of Allison is the total removal of any chance that Luisa will ever get a fair deal with Cole.
Allison's self-destructiveness has no cure. If Joanie's birth couldn't shake her out of herself, nothing can. If life with Athena hadn't prepared her for the likelihood of her father being a useless and wretched human being, with only the details of how to be discovered, than she was doomed to live in a state of barely-suppressed hysteria forever.
But Luisa is a thoroughly decent human being. She is generous even to the people who trample on her. Cole lured her into a simulation of a happy life and refuses not to betray her. Now Allison will be with him like a worm in the brain. If raising Joanie is to be her only consolation, that's a diminishment of Luisa's value in a truly revolting way and shame on the writers for it.
8
from what I have read.ruth wilson is leaving over money.what a surprise.with that being said, season 5 may not revisit her character, in the flesh as it were.may investigate the men in the show or coles new wife, but say goodbye to allison.
1
@jack eaker On CBS This Morning Thursday, she said she was not allowed to disclose her reason for leaving as part of being allowed to leave.
@jack eaker "from what I have read.ruth wilson is leaving over money.what a surprise." On Thursday's CBS This Morning, she said that to be released from her contract , she was not allowed to discuss reasons why she left.
and again some disagreement points from previous episodes - Ben's wife fixing his office, with a very lovely attitude and tone of voice... while he is "done" with their marriage long time ago, according per him she is aware as well. another thing - he described her as a woman willing to be with a Man (capital M), why would she put paintings in his office with a hammer?
3
These are some small things I noticed when I watched the episode the second time.
1) The fridge has lots of drawings and photos in the first half; very few (if any) in the second
2) In the first half, there are some shots of Alison in which the side of the fridge is in the background. Alphabet letter magnets hold up some of the pictures. One set hold up a painting and spell "IF"
3) Recall that in at least one perspective in the first episode, Alison cuts her finger and puts on a child's bandaid. The child's bandaid is subsequently noticed by one of the kids at the Lobster Roll.
3) Is this the first time this season that we've seen Alison in pants?
4) She tells the secondary drowning story and accepts responsibility. There's a scene in the first episode when she describes the same incident to the family doctor (minus the part about being angry with Cole) and he tells her that secondary drowning was so dangerous because there's no way to know, and that even if he'd gone to the hospital, it doesn't mean he'd have lived. She asks him if Gabriel would have been alive if they'd gone to the hospital, he answers, "I don't know."
5) I had never heard her speak much of her previous marriages. She says that with Noah, he was the dreamer and she was the homebody who kept him grounded. I had never thought of her as a "homebody," during their relationship.
8
It also occurred to me that both parts might have been fantasy: the first a wish fulfillment dream, and the second, a fearful nightmare. Mainly because Ben first seemed too good to be true, and then he seemed to awful to be true. But we know that Alison is dead. One thing no one else has mentioned is the possibility that Ben's wife killed her. Or that she committed suicide in her bathtub, and someone, maybe Ben, took her to the ocean to die. (Thus, secondary drowning.)
5
@jona yes. I totally agree with you. Too awful in the second version, and we know her memory is only reliable until a certain point...just murky territory because wouldn’t she recall who attacked her?
1
@jona "One thing no one else has mentioned is the possibility that Ben's wife killed her."
What? *Many* here have mentioned it,
1
@PrairieFlax - Many wrote that Luisa might have killed her. Luisa is Cole's wife. If people wrote that Ben's wife killed her, I must have missed that.
1
I believe there is a third story to Alison’s death that holds the truth
Maybe that’s season 5’s focus
5
@Paul I would totally agree with that, because then they could just end the series right now. Since they need a storyline for season 5 this would be the way to wrap it up.
This might be completely ridiculous but has anyone considered the possibility that Ben and Luisa are somehow linked? In other words, maybe Luisa asked Ben to "distract" Alison so that she wouldn't be in the way any longer.
3
We suffered through countless scenes of confusing interviews with the prime suspects in Scotty's death over two seasons. Noah then took the wrap for a crime he didn't commit and we finally saw the blow-by-blow "accident" that killed Scotty. Now, when a lead character meets her traumatic demise we are left with unanswered and unanswerable questions. What is the narrative goal in making Alison's death/murder a seemingly subjective experience?
6
@KfK "What is the narrative goal in making Alison's death/murder a seemingly subjective experience?"
That is the entire premise of the show.
6
@PrairieFlax
shooting two versions of Alison's POV is a novel idea that does reflect the show's premise. But, the conceit doesn't work in one fundamental way: Either Ben killed her or he didn't. The act of murder --the taking of someone's life--and its cover-up are not "he said/she said" events. If the show wants to play Agatha Christie with the motivations of those who may want Alison dead, like Louisa, that's fine. But you can't tell Alison's POV from two diametrically opposed and incompatible positions and thereby implicitly maintain one POV never actually happened. That's not an exploration subjectivity in my opinion; that's gimmickry.
3
@KfK
I guess I’m alone here.
Yes, it was still “In Treatment For Dummies,” but I was loving this season.
No hit-and-runs, psycho prison guards - the writers had found a richness in their characters. They let them breathe, lead the way. They grew, dealt with disappointment, faced their own mortality, and found new loves. And so I thought the show had gone from melodrama to real character-driven drama.
But then...
2
Has no one registered the the song Azucar Morena by Carla Morrison playing loudly over the love scene??? The whole video of that song is about a seemingly single woman having a lustful crush on a man with 'skin like brown sugar' (ie Ben), flirting with him, pursuing him and making it obvious she wants him, but it then turning out she has a husband/boyfriend/partner she loves and leaving her object of lust devasated?? Has to have something to do with it - Ben said it was his favourite song.
4
@Susan Sammons
I am not familiar with the song, the artist or the video so I completely missed its significance. Thanks for pointing it out.
1
@Susan Sammons the song is beautiful, brought the scene to the pick! i youtubed it later, but no other feelings besides
@Susan Sammons I mentioned it below. I loved the effect of the song on the scene, but I am totally confused about the meaning of it. Also - I have to say, that being Ben's favorite song doesn't really make sense as a cultural fit - not all Spanish speakers are the same... a Puerto Rican vet from the Bronx in his 40s probably isn't calling some mexican hipster/indie music his favorite song, especially when it has no relevance to his life or this situation - neither Alison or his wife are Azucar Morena ... in fact, Alison is about as far away from being called a morena as possible? So is he referring to himself as the azucar morena as a seduction technique? That's weird. To me it made more sense as a song of Alison's choice - something in Spanish, that she associated with Ben culturally without really understanding how it was not a fit. Just like so many other things she did not understand about him.
1
Perhaps someone has already shared this, but I'm not sold on Ben killing Alison. I find it strange that they did two viewpoints from Alison if nothing in first ends up being truthful. A dream..yeah yeah. But my theory is that Ben's recount to Cole is the most accurate. Did he go to her house? Yes. Did he relapse as a result of their conversation? Yes. But my theory is that someone should be looking at Luisa. She hates that she lives in Alison's shadow and the last we saw of her she was suggesting to Cole to ask Alison to give up parental rights so that she can use Joanie as a way to gain citizenship. I think what happened was Ben left but then there came another knock at the door which was Luisa asking Alison to give up her parental right. Alison, already stressed about learning about her father, the incident on the plane, jail, and now Ben, was infuriated and it ended in a physical altercation where Luisa caused her to hit her head and then it played out similar to what Ben did in Alison's second viewpoint. Having a new character kill off a cornerstone character and to have it so neatly wrapped up seems too easy to me. I think, if Cole continues to dig into what actually happened, we could see an alternate ending to Alison's demise, told from Luisa's viewpoint--or a third Alison viewpoint if you will. Otherwise what will they focus on during the last season? They spent more time than needed on Cole's brother's death--Alison deserves more than what's she getting, IMO.
15
@Jenni
I think your theory is very plausible.
Luisa is certainly not fond of Alison and your summation of Alison's stress level is spot on. So it is easy to see how any dispute between them could escalate.
I also like your point that the idea that Ben did it is just too easy. That makes a lot of sense when you look at the way the story of Scotty's death was revealed.
Plus your take just seems like much more fun in some way.
4
Much like the awful season finale last year, why is so much time being spent on a new and boring character? First Julia, now Ben. Surely, the show had enough “regular characters” with plenty of their own issues and motivations to help bring about Alison’s demise. It would’ve been a lot more interesting than the tired old cheap trick of just bringing in someone new at the end to be the murderer. Didn’t they just have one date on the boat? Seems a little much if all of this is coming out of a few hours on the boat and that excruciating “therapy” scene. And why was Alison considered to be a “victim” her entire life? Because of not knowing her father and having Athena as a mother? I had always been under the impression her issues all stemmed back to Gabriel’s death. What did I miss? Not holding out hope for the season finale. Is there a season five?
2
@Jenni 1st part - Alisons dream. 2nd part - reality until she becomes unconscious. I believe Ben could drink and get angry and then become aggressive, ends up in a fight. Could he leave her just as is by the wall bleeding? Then Luisa comes and dumps her to water... But again the part where Ben lies about his marriage and family doesn't make sense to me.
I have not read all 212 comments but I was surprised to find that, of those I did read, no one else has questioned the first-version-as-a-dream theory. If it is a dream, then Alison somehow knows Ben's backstory before he tells it to her. It's either clumsy writing (certainly possible) or a sign that neither version is the whole truth—which is the overall message of the show.
4
@Barbara N. People have indeed mentioned v.1 "as-a-dream theory" here.
1
Since this mess of a program which started out as being brilliant and innovative has lost it's steam and creativity. I am guilty of my love hate relationship with it because of the acting and to see how far it can go.
Noah's character has become a total joke. His relationship with Anton and the total roadtrip is beyond contrived.
Anyway I don't see what they can do with season if we know that Ben killed her, so there has to be a twist. Whether it's Noah's masterpiece has crossed my mind but that would be such a cop out. I do think there will be more to this or this season could have been the series finale.
I think they should have ended it at season 2. What made this show special was the affair and the four perspectives. I miss Cole's family dynamic as well as Helen's parents. That whole element is gone. I hate the fact that Helen's storyline is in LA. I loved the fact that most of it took place in Montauk.
13
@Patricia I definitely think this season more like season 1 and 2. Season 3 really got off track. With Vic
situation and now Allison, really some suprising twists this season. If someone had to kill Allison, I still think Luisa would have been more compelling. its hard to get invested in Ben having only known him for a couple of episodes. But maybe that is another twist. It sure is convenient for Luisa how this all played out.
3
@Patricia
I agree with a lot of your points.
I have a love hate relationship with the series too. I have always thought the actors were great. Until I saw it in your post I had pretty much forgotten how good the stuff was with the families of Helen and Cole.
About Alison's demise I think you are probably right that there is more to come. @Jenni in Tacoma posted a nicely developed theory involving Luisa.
I have often thought they should have called it quits after season two. But I guess there is a lot of money involved for a lot of people so who am I to judge. IIRC there was even some doubt that it would be renewed for a second season. At least renewal wasn't a sure thing at the end of the first season.
3
@SMT
I agree with you wholeheartedly in regard to season three (I think most people would) and I think your ideas about Luisa make a lot of sense.
For me the overall intelligibility of season three is illustrated by the following. I recall Noah running around trying to hide the fact from his probation/parole officer that he had been out of state, next thing I see, he's in Paris. Maybe they gave some kind of explanation for it but I am not going to watch it again. I really lost most of my interest in what was happening during that season.
I'm surprised that nobody mentioned the idea that she faked her own death, and swam off somewhere to start another life.
1
@Valso i did, just to myself. its her in a dark hoodie carrying herself to the water...
@Valso Because they found her dead body
7
Ramon Rodriguez was wonderful in Part 2 but Ruth Wilson, as always, was pretty much tiresome.
The character is self-obsessed as all heck, but even so, a woman like Allison would have the wit not to toss gasoline on a wildfire like Ben, at that moment, by threatening to tell his wife. She would do anything necessary to get him safely on the other side of her door.
Nevertheless it was a heartpounding second half.
It's just too bad that Allison's character wasn't allowed to become that of a mother granted the next-best second chance. You lose one kid, you're blessed, unexpectedly, with another, and yet that child isn't the bedrock of your life? You run off every possible time you can to waste yourself on another awful guy?
12
@SCA Watch Ruth Wilson in Luther to see what she's capable of (the actor, not the character she plays).
9
@BobAz: I tried watching "Luther" a few years ago. Ruth Wilson was one of the reasons I couldn't stand the show...
Ruth Wilson out did herself. She is a splendid actress.
19
Occasionally a medium transcends itself. It’s amazing how powerful a wonderful actress and extraordinary writing became in a prime-time TV “soap opera” on Sunday night. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I was fascinated by the “dance of death” the writers created. Ruth Wilson surpassed herself with an emotionally nuanced performance. Yes, I knew what was going to happen, but it was still both riveting and painful to watch. And the Times recap was great too. But having watched Ruth Wilson and this show for four seasons, I was not surprised by the emotion in the climax. If this were not TV, which is considered a lesser medium, I think we would be talking about Alison’s tragedy, which we “fans” have now seen come to its inevitable conclusion.
5
I love Sean's recaps, and the comments of the readers here. They help me understand a lot that otherwise just goes by me. That said, I found a lot of this year's episodes to be contrived, and boring. I actually gave up after the hippie fest. After a while I went back to see episode 8 on streaming. The first 45 comedic minutes were entertaining, and the last 15 minutes I was surprised but not shocked as most others seemed to have been. After hearing about Anthony Bourdain's suicide, no one's suicide is a shock on screen or real life. As for episode 9, I wonder where we really are. Sean seems to think that the first half was a dream, and the last half is the truth. But what if the last half was the nightmare following the dream? The murder would have left a suitcase full of clues, blood residue in the apartment, in the killer's car, DNA in the car, fabric threads in the car and possibly the killer's clothes. The chances a real PD would have just shrugged their shoulders and said Alison's death was a suicide seems pretty unlikely, especially when they found out she had a relationship with a married man, who was a vet with a history of alcohol abuse and PTSD. When a woman dies, the husband or boyfriend is always the first suspect. A single interview is the most unlikely. I know it's fiction, but still. Looking forward to the finale.
8
Now that Ruth Wilson has left the series I wonder what the final season will focus on. This past episode was indeed engrossing, but sad. I was hoping to see Alison somehow turn her life around. Great acting.
5
@wjbgcj This is a really interesting question. Is it possible now to have a "happy ending" to this series????
I've watched it twice. Like Cole, I knew Allison didn't kill herself, and I'm glad she didn't because it would not have been believable. She would never commit suicide because of Joanie -- that would be extreme neglect of her only child, the very thing she blamed herself for in the death of her firstborn. How could she repeat that mistake? No, she just wouldn't do it.
The first two seasons were really good. The third was not (I had to fast forward through some of it). This season has been better but still not up to par. And I can't imagine the show returning for a fifth season without Allison. She was like the center of it all. I'll miss her.
6
The first thing that I noticed in the transition from part one to part two was the different Jason Isbell songs that Alison was playing. Both are from his album Southeastern which is devoted to the author's struggle with coming to terms with addictions and getting clean.
Part one opens with "Cover Me Up" which you could call a redemptive love song I suppose. It is about people going through some hard times and finding some peace and happiness. It has an overall hopeful tone.
Part two opens with "Live Oak" which is another sort of love song. It features a dangerous man on the run ashamed of his past (robbery, murder) and a woman who seems drawn to him on account of his demons rather than in spite of them. It is not a happy song and doesn't end well for the woman involved. Not what you would call hopeful exactly.
What struck me was the stark contrast between the two songs and the parts of the episode in which they were used. At the start of "Secondary Drowning" I didn't have much hope of a happy ending for Alison but when I heard the opening lines of "Live Oak" that was enough foreshadowing to remove any doubt that something unpleasant was in the offing.
18
@Steve Thanks for this post. It's really interesting.
5
@Steve Thanks for this insight, Steve! I was curious about the songs after reading Sarah Treem's tweet (quoted below), but am not familiar with Isbell.
"If you’re a fan of Jason Isbell like I’m a fan of Jason Isbell, pay close attention to the songs we use in episode 9. They’ll tell you everything you need to know."
1
After re-watching the episode, a certain point stuck out. In Part 2 of the episode Allison injures her finger on the leaky sink and applies a band aid. That did not occur in Part 1. If you remember the part of the previous episode when Cole and Noah go to identify the body, the cameras focus on Allison's hand and she is wearing a band aid. That leads me to believe that Part 2 was closer to the truth.
21
@Caryn well that is a good catch. I am going to have to revisit 8.
That was an odd episode with the two versions of Alison's reality. One takeaway I got is that this is the end of The Affair after next week's finale. I can't see how this series could continue without Alison. Maybe it was planned that way and that's fine. We all knew that Breaking Bad had to end with Walter's death.
3
As riveting and beautifully acted as this episode was, I have to admit I was/am more than a little confused. Some of the comments have helped me sort it out a bit, and I agree that the "truth" was somewhere between the two versions, somehow. As someone mentioned, neither Alison nor Ben were at all "themselves" in the second version. They seemed more like the characters that we had been shown recently in version 1, even though that ending doesn't get us to her death. Version 2 gets us to where we need to be but in a way that doesn't seem at all consistent with the characters' actions or personalities of late. So yes, I'm very confused. Someone's suggestion that the second version may be Noah's fiction is interesting....
6
Watching this episode was painful. We knew Ben was a ticking time bomb. Showing us what might have been made it harder to watch what probably happened.
7
I preceived the episode exactly as it was written in the New York Times. I watched it last night and talked it over with my friend and couldn’t have written the article as well of course but could not agree more with the writers comments and his perception of the episode. Spot on!
1
I have a different take on the 2 "Alison" perspectives. Whenever this show depicts 2 perspectives I've thought the truth lies somewhere in between. This time the 2 perspectives are both Alison's and they differ just as any of us, as we remember an incident, sometimes have different versions. I didn't see Alison's first story as being entirely a fantasy any more than I saw the second version as entirely true. I do think he could have arrived at her house in a hopeful and loving frame of mind but then started drinking when the evening didn't go as he had hoped and then that led to rage and murder. Maybe he did/did not know the kid was carrying a weapon and the truth was in the ambiguity.
10
I do wonder what direction her character would have taken if they they met Ruth Wilson's demands for a salary boost.
I can see why she wanted out since her storyline became boring. If she were go get back with Cole, that would have been to easy.
I feel the whole show isn't "The Affair" anymore. Noah's is almost as bad as last season 3. I think this show should have ended after the second season since there isn't anywhere to go with these characters anymore.
That being said, I don't watch it live and end up fast forwarding, but not this episode since it was riveting and absolutely heartbreaking.
7
Tremendous episode and acting. Ruth Wilson's acting and character will be missed. It seems like the heart of the show is gone.
Sadly, what struck me was that once Alison finally stood up for herself (thanks Helen!), she tragically became a victim. In light of the #metoo movement, it's a bad message.
10
@Siobhan
Agree that Alison finally standing up for herself was bittersweet and not a "me,too" happy ending. Yet, if this character had to leave the show, at least she left with some of the dignity that eluded her in past episodes.
8
@nancy hicks... that was quite a strong episode. Living abroad, i had drifted away from this series, but this episode stood alone for its taut brilliance.
1
@Ken Rabin This episode was done as a play, with a solid theater director and actors. It really stood out in that way.
2
I just watched the episode. I was busy last night, at a concert, and as much as I enjoyed seeing Jeff Daniels play and sing and story-tell, truth be told there were a few times I found myself wondering what was happening on The Affair. Now I know. I really can’t add to the comments about the way the show has gone and what will happen next episode or the next season. Rather, I’d like to comment on that rare, for me at least, tv show that draws one in with perfect casting, superb writing, and astounding acting. Pure chance brought me to the show. I vacationed in Montauk while filming of season 1 was taking place. That got me interested and made me watch. Then I saw Constellations with Ruth Wilson on Broadway. In a perfect storm of timing, Maura Tierny attended the performance that night. After the show, Maura left and got into a black limo. A few minutes later, Ruth left and got into the same car. Most people were watching the stage door for Jake Gyllenhal and so the two slipped out virtually unnoticed. I have to tell you, I was drawn to Ruth in the way that Cole, Noah and Ben were, there is just something about her as her character is written, but mostly, because of Ruth Wilson’s portrayal. I mean, it’s impossible to think of another actress who could have played her, isn’t it? I walked to the limo and waved to Allison and Helen.Both smiled and waved back.But it was of course Allison’s wave and smile that I recall and that is still in my mind’s eye. Magical actress and show.
13
@RJC27 I also saw Constellations and she was wonderful. How lucky you were to see Maura Tierney and to see them both exiting. I went to see the show more for Ruth than for Jake.
I've been very disappointed with this show but watch it because of the acting and writing even if I feel the plots have become trite, boring and in Noah's case quite predictable and annoying. I also knew once that annoying Sienna neighbor was in the picture where that story was going.
I love your comment, and I will miss Ruth Wilson as Allison.
6
I need to rewatch before truly commenting, and I'm astounded that thus far there are 145 comments. I'll just say this about the review; I'm relieved Alison didn't kill herself. Yes, the show and Ruth Wilson could gave handled it brilliantly, but I don't think the viewers wanted that.
6
@Nicki We aren't sure she didn't kill herself, that was just one version, although it appears to be the most logical.
3
@Nicki What an interesting comment! I don't think Alison would have killed herself, regardless of how much despair she was feeling, because of Joanie.
What if part 2 is not reality - but the next bestseller Noah will write? Allison seemed not herself in this 2nd half, as much a pulp fiction caricature as Ben. And I’m saying this as someone who always loved and rooted for Alison and think the world of Ruth Wilsson.
Weak episode imho
8
@CitizenTM Omg! I hadn't thought of that. It fits perfect with the other seasons.
@CitizenTM Actually that's a great thought!
1
@CitizenTM An interesting thought, but I really don't think Noah is that good a writer. His books was insanely popular because it was pulp. This episode was more like tragedy.
1
Brilliant episode, great performances generated by a lack of parity in wages for the principal actors. Nevertheless I don’t think Allison would have taken her life. She finally found her voice. Ben, on the other hand, in his self-disclosure re: killing an annoying child revealed himself to be a sociopath.
17
There's another strange item. I 'm not sure if the scriptwriter isn't clear about Long Island geography- but Cole and Alison live in Montauk- they were townies. WHen Cole brought the addict to an AA meeting, it appeared to be a local one- they addict was crashing on Cole's property- yet there was Ben. In this last episode, Alison asks Ben where he lives and he says Hicksville. Hicksville is a good 2 hours from Montauk- so why would he be at an AA meeting 2 hours away from Hicksville- I am sure there are meetings near Hicksville.
5
@robin I remember picking up on that too at the time. I made a mental note and thought, "he was lurking around, hoping to run into Alison, that's why he was in Montauk."
2
@robin He had a date with Alison later that same day, so he sought out a meeting in Montauk.
2
doesn’t he work closer to Montauk?
I think the story went overboard having Alison die. The only reason she was killed was because Ruth Wilson wanted to leave the show. I guess they will spend next season making viewers wonder if Been will get caught.
3
The 1st segment was Allison's romanticized daydream of the evening--what she hoped would take place. A Ben, bearing flowers, who'd come clean, who'd beg her forgiveness after declaring that he'd ended his marriage. Who'd mend things that were broken; dance with her; nourish her with terrible pancakes and beautiful lovemaking. Who'd be gentle with her wounded heart.
Once the thunder & thumping on the door began, and the 2nd segment started, we quickly realize the 1st segment was fantasy. Here's Ben demanding food and attention: he's combative, mean, self-serving, nasty. The floaty floral dress of Allison's romantic daydream is replaced by a similar, but more grounded, floral top (& jeans). This Ben is coarse, blunt, & vicious.
She cut her finger on the broken faucet & put on a band-aid, which we'd already seen on her decaying hand in the morgue last week--that's how we know the 2nd segment is what actually took place.
This Ben showed Romantic Dreamer Allison how quick to violence he could be once before, when they met (remember the abusive ex he attacked). But she perceived that as a knight-in-shining-armor move--not the fast, furious blows of a terribly damaged war veteran.
Newly clear-eyed, assertive Allison now sees things as they are--too late! Her refusal to take the blame for "seducing" Ben is met with explosive anger: he realizes that he needs to exterminate what he regards as "something in the way": Allison. Just as he rationalized killing the kid in Afghanistan.
33
@Deborah Newell Tornello
Perfect synopsis. Unfortunately Alison didn't realize he was a psychopath before it was too late. In the moment he lays his head on her chest, and she tells herself "You can do this", she finally gets it.
2
@Deborah Newell Tornello I thought the writers did a good job here. Alison wanted to be a counselor, but nobody warned her of the dangers that being a counselor can bring. Her inexperience helps to make what happened believable. I taught for a few years when I was younger, and I had a young man who was out of control in my class, but I did nothing. I later read in the paper that he killed an old woman with his reckless driving. I have always been haunted by this, even though I am not convinced I could have done anything to prevent the accident.
3
So Ruth Wilson asks to be treated as an equal to her male counterparts and she's killed off in the script. Seems sadly ironic since she's killed in the story for finally standing up for herself against a self-serving man. What exactly is the message here really?
27
@Lincat Yes, I thought the same thing. IF it's true that Ruth Wilson's character Alison was killed off because the actress asked for a raise so that her salary would equal that of her male co-star Dominick West, that would be more than ironic. It would be doubly unfair and unconscionable since Sarah Treem, the creator, producer and writer is a woman. I sincerely hope that's not the case.
5
@Lincat She wasn't written out, she gave notice of her desire to depart the show before the writers began constructing this season. That's my understanding, but it's possible salary disparity had a hand in her decision.
1
@Lincat I don't think we know for sure why Ms. Wilson decided to leave the show, do we?
I believe Part I was fantasy and Part II was reality. The dripping faucet, mentioned by Ben in the Part I, is an illustration of how Allison wanted the night to play out. That it was fixed so easily by Ben was Allison's hope that the night would have a happy ending. The faucet still dripping, was reality about to hit to Allison in the face. The reviewer blanketed all veterans who suffer PTSD as "war criminals." Ben, as a character, is a homicidal maniac. Ben was under stress yes, but he has an innate trait to kill, either in war or not. Being in or out of a battle zone hasn't changed him. There is there no indication he mourns his loss of innocence or the child he killed. He calls the the dead child, vermin. A PTSD victim would be normally suicidal for killing anyone, let alone a child. That's true even if one kills in self-defense. Ben shows no empathy for anyone. He is an extremely selfish person. This selfishness was not something he acquired in Afghanistan. He had it already and someone who threatens or even annoys him could be killed. That he was a veteran, helps people have empathy for him. But in his case, it's misplaced. Don't broad brush all PTSD sufferers as such. Different people act differently under the same circumstance. By painting everyone the same just to prove your individual political point, you strip away others' humanity; write with empathy, not a haughty indifference .
10
@Kevin....There were quite a few political themes this season.
1
Well Sean, you beat me - watching this alone very late last night, I couldn't stand the tension from the start - I had to read this recap before I could make it through the whole episode and then ultimately skipped over the attack. A few things to add. The format made me think of Noah's statement to Alison on the beach in Season 1, Episode 2 about living two lives at once. I went back and watched it. He said (or at least Alison's view had him saying) "There's this hypothesis in theoretical physics that I used to love back at school, about time travel. About what would happen if you could travel back in time and make a different choice in your past, how that would affect your life in the future. So the theory goes that, um, your true life, your first life, continues as is, unchanged, but at the moment of decision, a new life splits off along a tangent into a parallel universe. So you could, in a way... live both lives." I wonder if this was a purposeful connection to this episode. Also, I loved the use of the Carla Morrison song Azucar Morena. It doesn't make total sense (pretty unlikely that that was Ben's favorite song, but was this all Alison's fantasy anyway?) but it was beautiful for that scene. Agree with others below that one loose issue is why Noah went from being so protective (instinctively calling A"my wife" when trying to get her out of jail in LA) to just dumping her at Helen's place - hope this is further explained because it doesn't make sense at all.
4
@MGS I know others have also wondered about Noah leaving Alison at Helen's but wasn't it just because they were driving when she started hyperventilating and went to Helen's because Vik is a doctor and could give her something to relax her. Then, she stayed there overnight in case she needed further medical attention.
I agree that it was all kind of awkward but it sorta made sense --or at least I believe this was the thinking behind it.
@MGS I think Noah may also have dropped her off because he was hoping to develop his budding relationship with Anton's mother, and having his ex-wife stashed at his place would likely derail things. He wasn't expecting Alison to visit with no notice and without Joanie, and when she showed up unexpectedly and alone, he may have figured that nothing good could come of it, so preferred to leave her with Helen and Vik. Her panic attack gave him the perfect excuse.
2
@CF this would be very disappointing if true. Signed, fan of Noah.
Last night's episode was gut wrenching even though we knew Alison was dead. I believed Cole last week when he said Ben killed her. That didn't make it any easier to watch. I too, was yelling at my TV telling Alison to get him out of the house. I'd always hoped that Alison and Cole would reconcile. Ruth Wilson was the heart and soul of The Affair. In the hands of a lesser actress, Alison would have been merely a sappy victim and not a complex character struggling to survive. Alison's appeal was in her vulnerability; she was never a siren or vixen in the traditional sense. Her death leaves a gaping hole and potentially unrecoverable wound for Season 5.
15
@Laura I wonder if Cole will still stay with Luisa. I still think the writers missed an opportunity, These turn of event sure make Luisa's life better. She now has a reason to stay in the country, Cole will probably just stay with her so Joanie has a mom. I could see where Luisa and Allison get into a fight and that is how Allison dies (even if it was an accident) It was hard to get connected to Ben's character since he had only been on a few episode. Maybe another twist in store.
After reading the comments, I thought, "Of course! Part 2 of the episode is Noah's next book. JP
3
I really look forward to this column and the comments because I was left with a mess of contradictory emotions and questions after last night's episode. Yes, we knew it was coming but it didn't make it any easier to witness. How the coroner could miss the fact she experienced a pre-death skull fracture is my main question at this point. Because that, if noted, is how Alison's death will lead to Ben's arrest.
10
@Shane I was thinking the same thing. How would the coroner not see that her body had a fractured skull? Bothered me as soon as I saw Ben slam Allison against the wall. We shall see how this progresses next season I hope.
@Shane in last week's episode, the coroner said that the fracture was consistent with hitting the rocks.
2
You nailed it. My heart was broken yesterday. This show, these characters have gotten under my skin. Allison, this was not how it was suppose to go for you, but when you play with fire you will get burned or drowned. I ask myself would I have answered the door and the answer is no. At the end of it all, other than sharing some of your deepest darkest secrets, Ben is a stranger with an unknown past and vulnerable. There's a reason why you are not supposed to date when going through a program. And there you are alone in your apt with a virtual stranger with only bad news to share. That should have been done via text or just plain old ghost him. :-( RIP Allison Hope you come back in the next.
5
First, kudos to Sean's brilliant and moving summary. Yet I am not disappointed that Alison's death was not a suicide. She had finally found the strength to reject a man who would hurt her, and she could take justifiable pride in the life she was building. She is right, Gabriel would have been proud. That this new found strength would result in her death is the tragic arc of the story. We mourn Alison but we are also left respecting her.
One big red flag she ignored - Ben starting to drink after (supposedly) a year of sobriety. When he kept drinking and wouldn't leave, she should have grabbed her keys and left.
11
I was thinking the whole time... where’s her cell phone to dial 911. She’s smart and been in a lot of bad situations, I was wondering why she didn’t have a baseball bat or thought of a way to outsmart him... that’s the flaw in this ending.
Ben gave off creepy vibes from the beginning. He was way too into her way too fast. Also, he’s the one playing the role with an accent so is he being racist against himself?
3
Luisa knew him, knew he was homicidal and hired him to seduce Alison and murder her. Wasn’t Luisa just saying something about having an accent when she was stopped by the police a few episodes ago? And then Ben suddenly develops an accent? Maybe they grew up together. And, as someone already pointed out, Ben was in Montauk for an AA meeting when he works and lives hours away. Luisa has always been insanely jealous of Alison, however, even as I am typing this I realize this is too neat of a Law and Order type solution for this show.
1
Two amazing episodes back to back. I also love that both scenarios are from Allison's perspective. At the end, I actually went back to part one to make sure I had that right. And great work by Wilson and Rodriguez, so compelling. I will miss Allison greatly, as will the other characters.
I'd also like to take this time to remind everyone that the leading cause of death for women 15 to 35 is murder. I know this show is fiction, but I'm a prosecutor and I've handled a number of these domestic violence murders. All of them are very disturbing. Hug your daughters tonight, and teach them to be careful with these guys. It's all too real.
72
@E, please continue to prosecute this scum. I survived multiple murder attempts in that age-range by a person who I adored. Girls do need to be taught a depressing truth. Not to the point that it disables them from dating at all, but just to raise awareness that any person, no matter how charming, can have a dark, violent core. I cried over Alison's murder and she is fictional. It seemed way too real.
17
@E Is there any common thread or pattern that you have seen in these cases that people can learn from or avoid? Thanks.
Thanks for sharing what happened to you. The more people know about this, the better off we all are. Light is the best disinfectant.
4
What do we know about the timeline between the last time we saw Alison (at Helen's, just after arriving in LA) and her being at her place in Montauk? Is it during that time that she would have moved her money over to Joannie's account, as the detective noted?
Still a lot to learn about what happened in the interim there. Part of that is, what did she and Noah discuss? He said she was 'at the end of her rope.' If she was in LA for several more days, presumably she was with Noah and they talked about what was going on with her. Did he say something (or fail to say something) that he comes to regret? Yes, she was 'a mess' when she got there, but what else happened?
6
@MC All we know is that Alison had a court date in California, then at some point skipped out back home to Montauk, and never even called Ben, who shows up at her door unannounced, a recovering alcoholic carrying a bottle of wine and flowers in Part 1, but no gifts in Part 2.
While in California, Alison must have talked to Noah, and it’s still unclear why Noah left her overnight at Helen’s house instead of taking her to his own home, other than to give Helen the chance to give Alison some New Age advice that she could change her life and write her own story. Huge gaps are all par for the course, but you are right, there are many unanswered questions.
Spoiler Alert: from the previews we see Alisons funeral on the beach, with Cole grabbing her urn full of ashes and running away. Toward the ocean perhaps, to join her? And finally an ominous scene that looks like Cole (or it is Ben?) throwing someone into the water. Ominous indeed.
3
@MC In the preview I think he tells Helen something like "I let her down". At the end of her rope? Well if you had been arrested for a disturbance on an airplane and were facing a trial and probable jail you would be too.
@john s. He went to Helen's house because Vic was there and could treat her for anxiety.
Was this the first time the show talked about "secondary drowning"?
@wayne griswald No, there was an episode in a previous season wherein Allison talks to a therapist about Gabriel's death, and secondary drowning comes up. She was cutting herself to deal with the pain, and taking bandaids from the hospital to deal with the wound.
1
@wayne griswald
Gabriel's drowning was always called secondary drowning from the very beginning. That's why Alison was so guilt ridden. Cole asked her to take him to the hospital but Alison said that as a nurse it was unnecessary-thus her guilt.
3
@wayne griswald
This episode gave us secondary drowning big time in that Ruth was drowned in part 2. A little "joke" there....
No Sean Collins....suicide was not at play.
She would never get over her son's death, but she learned how to live with it. She finally found her voice to "say no" to a man who was trying to manipulate her. I thought it was brilliant to show two separate scenarios from Alison. Everything from Part 1 was what she wanted to happen even the nice weather. Part 2 obviously was the tragic reality. I think she had both playing in her head simultaneously. I was sure last week that Ben killed her, but it was brutal to watch it play out. How he threw her in the ocean while unconscious causing her to drown was beyond horrendous. I hate that she is dead; and that she was murdered.....and I hate that she was killed by a man that she wanted to love.
13
@Neelie I don't think she ever said no - to any of these guys. Except for the drunk on the plane way too late not to be troublesome. This is what was, to me, so utterly exasperating about her character.
1
Ruth Wilson is a brilliant actor. Her facial expressions are riveting.
No one drafted the psychopath, into the Marines. With one episode left, I hope Detective Jeffries' observation that he's "seen this rodeo (suicide) before" is proven wrong.
7
In the second part Ben lies to Alison about everything in his life regarding family and marriage. What is the point if he came not to kill her first of all. Even if situation goes out of control lets say and they fight like at the end, he didnt have that plan, he came to talk. He does not say a word of truth Besides KNOWING Cole is aware of the situation and besides he promised him to unveil the truth to Alison. This Ben in the second part doesnt exist as a character. This is Alison imagination sort of? Noah's?
4
@Kate KayAgreed. The Ben in Part 2 was an over the top villain. Maybe this was just how Alison's spirit sees him. But it all played out more like something from Noah's (or someone's) imagination.
1
Last week I was so sure Ben was a red herring. I was so sure there was a cruel irony to Alison's death- that she had internalized Helen's words and was finally able to re write her narrative, and met her death through an accident. I was so sure that it was Luisa asking for custody of Joanie, a confrontation with a desperate Luisa, culminating with a chase toward the jetty where Alison fell. I should have known it was Ben, and Alison's newfound determination to rewrite her narrative was the true irony that resulted in her death. Looking back, it is apparent that Ben left clues as to his true state of mind, tendency towards violence (PTSD , alcohol or otherwise) and as a liar. Now Cole will be forever guilt-ridden that he acquiesced to Ben's request the he (Ben) tell Alison he was married. BUT- where was Joanie throughout this episode? If Alison had returned from California a week earlier, and Cole was still in California, Luisa was still caring for Joanie? This was exactly her contention that she was integral to Joanie's care.
I suppose next yera's episodes will progress towards identifying Alison's killer and determining the fate of Joanie.
1
@robin My theory is Luisa too, actually. And I'm still not convinced it isn't. I think Joanie could've been with Alison's mom. But I think that it went down more like Ben recounted to Cole: they fought, he left, he relapsed. But then I think Luisa showed up to pose the question of relinquishing parental rights so she can get her citizenship--because she knew Cole wouldn't ask. And that ended up in an altercation that ended Alison's life. Ben as the murderer seems too neat and tidy and Alison's character deserves more, IMO. I hope Cole continues to dig but if it was Ben though, what will they focus on next season? I think it fits better into how an affair can have the trickle effect if it was Luisa, not Ben. Because without her affair with Noah, there would (presumably) be no Luisa. Her infidelity ultimately cost her her life. My money is on Luisa (still). Guess we'll see next season. :)
1
@Jenni Totally agree with both of you, Hope the writers are listening...
From the set design and wardrobe perspective, I find The Affair very interesting. In the first story Alisons is in a dress, the front of her fridge is full of Joanie's drawings, the lighting is soft, her apt feels abundant. The second story, Alison is wearing jeans, her fridge has some magnets littered on the front, walls are bare and the lighting is cold. Of course, the writing and acting is superb, though the dual set design for me is the supporting role that is weaved into every episode.
30
@Mary
I did not pick up on the bareness of the condo- which appropriately falls into Luisa's contention that she is integral to Joanie's care and that Alison is not able to be truly committed to an other child.
4
@Mary
I picked up on contrasting set designs too. 1st -window wasn’t draped in typical cafe curtains..interior fabric came down to window sill. There was a half drunk bottle of liquor in front of lamp on table. Sofa was pottery barn and not cluttered. Refrigerator had many magnets and picture. This represented the ordered life she wished to have. #2 represented her Real life. No curtains on the windows, drinking alone, no real investment in Joanie’s life. I thought set design was brilliant and so reflective of her true self.
1
I'd really like to know if there's any truth to the rumor that Wilson is leaving the show in any part due to a lack of pay equity. If that's the case, it only makes me more frustrated to see Alison's tragic fate unfold. Why is she portrayed consistently as a victim of both her past mistakes and her male partners' poor behavior toward women? She was a loving mother and was establishing a new career for herself. Why did she have to fall backwards instead of move forward ... and become a victim of violence to add to all the other victimizing she endured? I hate to think that Wilson, a hugely successful and admired actor, is also a victim in her own career. If she did leave the show because she couldn't get equal pay, the parallel between her and Alison is disturbing. I truly hope Wilson wanted out for other reasons and, especially, new opportunities.
6
@writerann Yes ... I was also left devastated and depleted by this episode. There was no cathartic release through Allison's end. It left a lingering bad aftertaste . . . I wondered whether the production team was unable to separate their bad feeling about Ms. Wilson's demands from the manner in which they designed Allison's punitive end.
4
@writerann I read that she is on another show next season.
@writerann She talked about the pay inequality and didn't say it was the reason for leaving the show, just made it as a comment about all female actresses, the show revolves around them but they are not paid as much...interesting she said she shouldn't be paid more necessarily but that her copartner should be paid less.
1
I’ve watched this episode twice. The two Alison perspective had me looking for clues. I wasn’t thinking the first half was her hope or wish and the 2nd half was reality. I remembered Jeffries speaking to Noah and Cole that her apartment was spotless. A killer would clean up the scene of the crime itself but wouldn’t put away all of the STUFF that was on the tables, couch, living area etc. The first half had a clean apartment. The second half was cluttered. We don’t know when the storm happened in the actual timeline of Alison’s events. We know she probably died during it but we don’t know if her interaction with Ben happened at that same time or not. Go back and watch it again. Clean apartment 1st half. Cluttered 2nd half.
10
@Sturtel
If it is scenario #2, Ben cleaned the condo after he disposed of Alison's body - thus there was a clean condo when Lt Jeffries inspected.
5
@Sturtel it also pays particular attention to the statue that Athena had brought to Alison's place in the prior episode. It could come down to Athena questioning the whereabouts of the statue (if Ben removed it)
1
So there was no integrity in the plot or artistic reason to kill off Alison:
" The show’s co-creator, Sarah Treem, gave an interview on Monday in which she said the decision to kill off Alison was made when Wilson said she wanted to leave.
‘Ruth wanted to leave the show,’ Treem told The Hollywood Reporter."
4
Having lost a number of people in my life, there's never in reality a reason for death. So to me, the lack of a reason makes it all the more real.
7
This soap opera is running out of steam. Soon, like many soaps with deaths and the return to life, the writers won't know what's going on. How do we know which version of Alison's memory is correct? Because of last week's episode? Let's wait until next week. However, one thing makes me think that Ben is the culprit: that mess he called "dinner" should have been a head's up. Maybe he poisoned her?
Also, the continuity is off. Ben didn't have to root around for alcohol. There was a bottle and an empty box clearly in view before then (33 minutes 53 seconds and again 42.48 into the episode). It did help to show his anger I guess...
5
I don't know. I know Ben was fragile and suffering from PTSD, but EVERYTHING about him in the second half was menancing. It seemed like such a leap from what we'd seen before. And unfortunately, another aspect of 'This Ben' is that he was Hispanic. Somehow a hispanic accent showed up when Ben was mean and scary. Too bad about that.
I'm not saying that the general storyline was implausible, but the writing/acting seemed a bit heavy-handed. I expect a bit more subtlety and nuance from this show.
8
I took it as a heightening of his Bronx accent.
10
@Adrian I see it as racist.
@MC Again, we are seeing perceptions of what happened, not necessarily reality.
The portrayal of Ben in the 2nd half of the show seemed totally out of line with how he had been portrayed in the past, everything about it. And it didn't make sense either, maybe we will see what happens next week, or I wonder if the writers will stretch it out to next season?
1
maybe she will be back, in memories and the thoughts of other characters.or maybe, it was all a dream and she will be found in the shower...with bobby euwing for all those that remember dallas.this episode was engrossinly boring, as much of this show has been.engrossingly boring, seems like my very own story.and I suspect many other viewers, and thats why we watch.
1
Yes, disappointing (as usual). After last week, I was hoping for a great and unusual episode. Instead, we get a story that could run on the Investigation Discovery channel.
2
In a stroke of good fortune, my computer screen went blank during the last few minutes of episode 9, and all I got was the dialogue. I was happy to have been spared the sight of Alison's gratuitiously violent demise. It's been interesting to observe this show's confusing trajectory, and it must be a relief to Hagai Levi to know that he bowed out at it's highest point. He spoke of recognising very early on, when it began to shift from art to Hollywood, and of course he was right. The intimate, everyday events told from varying perspectives were it's best selling point but this was lost on the show runner. Over time her team of cohorts introduced a mishmash of heavy-handed, unnecessary drama that deviated from the original essence of the show. Alison's biography includes unknown paternity, a mother who abandons her, insecure teenage sexual promiscuity, the loss of a child, sexual assault, infidelity, self harm, depression, culpable homicide, a fight for custody, etc etc and ultimately her won murder. The stuff of soap operas albeit cased in art house trappings. Her character deserved better. Perhaps The Affair is a morality tale after all: Don't be unfaithful, because you will open up a pandora's box that will bring down upon you the wrath of God. Ruth Wilson asked to be written out of the show, there must have been a better way to set Alison free.
4
@Elle
Noah is at the center of every chaotic event.
He is the omniscient character in his 2nd novel, as he was in his first.
He is the narrator, retelling his novel, tragic as promised.
He is emulating his father in law’s ny times BEST SELLING FICTION. “104 weeks on the best seller list” & counting!
Feel better, now?
5
This is Noah’s novel he was writing in episode 1.
Alison will be back in Season 5 ...with Cole & Joanie happily ever after.
3
@furtive
Not unless they pay her the same as Dominick West. That's why she asked to be written out of the show. Sexism rears its ugly head yet again. Hollywood never learns.
4
@furtive
Unless, as Noah's novel that ended with the male character killing Alison was not him but was Ben, and we will discover it was all fiction and he is still married to Helen suffering his difficult in-laws in the Hamptons.
@Margo Channing
I happen to know what you say is not true.
What a painful and devastating episode. Even though we all know Ailson dies, and that she was probably murdered, the brutal and senseless way in which she dies (as the result of having yet another “affair”) made her ending seem all the more painful to watch.
While is was Ben who killed Alison, in a sense it was also Alison’s realization that she was unknowingly having an affair — and not just dating a single man — that led to her demise. Even though she herself had been a willing participant in past affairs, she did not appreciate being involved in one unknowingly, or being lied to. She wanted to live a different life, but lies were always a big part of the one life she actually had, yet ironically it was someone else’s lies that led to her sad fate.
I had Ben pegged from the start as a Scott Peterson type, the married guy who wants to see other women and who would kill to have the life he always wanted. He gave off that creepy vibe that guys who are trying way too hard to impress a woman always seem to have, because behind their perfectly crafted stories is a great big lie that they will do anything to hide. Seeing his rage at a woman he barely knew was truly frightening.
Having two Alison points of view in one episode was brilliant, I interpreted Part 1 as the story Alison would have written for herself, and Part 2 as the story that actually happened. Excellent performances by both Ben and Alison; she will be sorely missed.
37
Allison wasn't dead when he threw her in the ocean that is why her lungs filled with water and she drowned she wasn't strong enough to swim to the surface. It was dark and stormy too she had no chance of survival
The fact that she dreamed about Gabriel as a teen telling her to go was the saddest part that she couldn't let him go. Her grief made her see everything differently
I think the clue is that even when ben was kind and loving in the first half he still admitted to killing a child and raping his wife while tied up. She did what she always did with men in the first half in the second half she changed her behavior and saw him more clearly. That's why we saw a different ben in the second half because we also saw a different Allison.
34
Thanks for pointing out the relevance of “secondary drowning” here, which Sean might have made more explicit in his recap.
6
This episode was magnificent. The way they showed Alison's point of view, perhaps a dream, and Alison's reality was brilliant. Both this week's recap and last weeks were spot on, however I disagree re: suicide. Obviously the writers had no way of knowing re: recent suicides, but last week I thought it was a cheap trick, to take Ruth Wilson off the show in that way. An emotional manipulation of sorts. I couldn't sleep last Sunday evening, after the show, and yes, I know it's just television. All week I was haunted by the possibility that Alison threw in the towel. I thought the writers should have paid Ruth Wilson what she was worth, and let the story play out next season. At least tonight her death made sense. We need things to make sense, even in a series.
Amazing acting. Gut wrenching episode. Ruth Wilson deserves another Golden Globe. This season makes up for how awful last season was. Thank you Sean Collins for your exquisitely written recap.
28
@Susan this season was pretty awful too! Let’s just hope Noah and Helen don’t get back together or I will throw myself into the ocean.
5
@Susan
Ruth Wilson was not taken off the show. She wanted out.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/affair-death-explained-1132269
4
@Sandra Shreve
Yes she asked to be taken out of the show after she learned that she wasn't paid as well as Dominick West was. I'm with her. She won the Golden Globe, he didn't. She was an integral part of the whole show. The producers lost my respect and Ms. Wilson will be missed.
1
Soap operas, and that’s what this show is a soap, shouldn’t take themselves so seriously. Noah and Helen are so much more interesting than anything involving the lugubrious Alison.
9
Yes, a very VERY disturbing episode that harkens back to the original brilliant concete of Seasom 1 where every episode was a roshomon seen from two different perspectives. Unlike many other comments here I do NOT believe she died the way it’s depicted in last night’s episode. Way too much on the nose. Her death (and possible suicide) was tipped off by her epilogue monologue and as one viewer commented we do not know who threw her into the water. In a very badly conceived and written season four finally we had a brilliant and very disturbing episode which harkens back to season one written by Sarah Treem and directed by a great theatre director Sam Gold. I know for a fact Josh Jackson is NOT returning to the show so my guess is all will be wrapped up next Sunday as it should be. There is NO Affair without Alison and Cole it would be ridiculous to continue. But don’t be so certain Alison did not take her own life after she sees something on his cell phone which they sort of hinted at last night when she goes to unplug it from her charger...a very heart stopping moment in an hour of heart stopping moments. Bravo to all involved! But it ain’t over till it’s over. It could very well be a “Six Feet Under” finale one which I still think is the best series ending ever!
8
What’s this insider knowledge you have about Joshua Jackson? There’s no way this show survives for a 5th season without him.
2
@Lee Tannen The detective said she transferred money into Joanie's name the week before. Also, he said that the condo was immaculate. Even if Ben cleaned up, blood would have shown up in the condo somewhere.
4
@Mme Tortefois she made a trait for her daughter and put the Lobster place sale money in it. I think it’s a red herring .. when she did that she was happy with her job and Ben.
This recap captured what I felt throughout the episode. I tensed up, riveted . One of the darkest episodes of TV I've watched. agree with what you said about the depiction of Ben's attitude towards the kid he killed. So well written and acted, but I would have so preferred Allison's death to b accidental
1
The most brilliant moment in tonight's episode was a tiny one. The pivotal washing of the dishes that revealed the faucet was never fixed and in that second the viewer realizes all that came before was not real. Terror from that point on. What a fabulous team of writers, actors, costumers, film crew and designers.
62
@Eva Hargis I felt the same moment !
2
@Eva Hargis I completely agree. For a second I thought the sink broke again (was thinking "yeah, great job Ben - lol). Then the change in lighting and the thunder... so foreboding. So awful and creepy. It felt surreal - almost like I was in the dream with her. Extremely well done!!
1
The heartfelt comments below go to show that this character grew so much over four seasons. In seasons one and two, these pages demonized Alison for being a home wrecker & emotionally damaged. She really grew. & it’s very sad to see her story end this way, in tragedy. She never got what she needed until that final conversation with Helen. Ironic, isn’t it?
15
Has anyone else thought that it was odd when Cole's second ( current) wife Luisa wanted Allison to give up primary custody of her daughter so that Luisa could claim citizenship as primary caretaker ??? The reason I bring up is because I sense there could be a connection between Ben and Luisa. Maybe Ben is a relative of Luisa or somehow set out to meet Allison and somehow convince her to help Luisa ? Just a thought since they have another season planned . Anyone else think of this scenario ?
13
Spent the last 90 minutes after watching this episode trying to decipher how the lyrics to Fiona Apple's haunting "Container", the show's theme, can provide a clue to the "real" truth of what I watched. Besides the obvious "sink back into the ocean", I'm at a loss so far.
There was a brief moment before watching this week's episode, reading only the preview blurb, it seemed this week and last would be aired out of sequence.
Now, though, I see the rationale: as viewers we're led to believe the suicide version. All the signs, not only of the present, but also Allison's past, tilt us toward that being a credible outcome. We don't see the "Allison" version until this week. Last week's were others' versions of what could have happened.
We're never sure as viewers where the "real" truth lies, we only witness others' interpretations of it. Thus, looking forward with great anticipation to next week for some clarity.
Now, back to deciphering the lyrics....
5
@R Farr
Put on "closed captioning" and you can easily read the lyrics.
1
Thanks, my bad; I have the lyrics already. I'm just trying to figure them out. If the singer is supposed to be Alison, she is speaking to a child from beyond the grave. Just trying to connect the dots as to how the people/events in the song lyrics might relate to how the show's plot is unfolding.
I'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop about Ben. Ben was a combat veteran diagnosed with PTSD who was only in the early stages of recovering from alcoholism. There were scenes in the earlier episodes when Ben indicated he might slough off his recovery in order to "be happy," he was impatient with it's restrictions on his behavior. Ben also seemed swept away in an idealized fantasy with Alison that led him to dismiss her feelings or even to seem not to hear her at times. And remember how quickly Ben sussed out the guy who assaulted Alison at the counseling center?
It was strange Alison got as far into this relationship as she did, given that she was intelligent and had been a nurse and a trauma counselor. It was strange she didn't think Ben was sketchy - especially once she ran into his wife. Some people would have seen that as the moment to disengage from a deceitful man moving rapidly into an emotionally intense romantic fantasy - whose narrative was founded on a lie that Ben concealed. But it was Alison's history to make impulsive & destructive decisions. The whole series is about characters making destructive, selfish decisions on impulse in the heat of passion - often with little regard for the consequences to themselves, their spouses or their children. So this has always seemed a possible direction for the series to go.
Both actors were tremendous & I've often been impatient with Ruth Wilson - but in this episode she was tremendous.
21
@fast/furious I think she did want to disengage from Ben, and was trying. But she made the mistake of giving him a chance to keep talking, not wanting to be "mean" or act like she didn't trust him. She fell for his crying on her shoulder, "just give me a minute", routine just long enough for him to attack her, even though she planned to kick him out. Many victims of domestic abuse suffer their worst fate at the moment of breaking away. They don't believe he will actually do the worst. A woman shouldn't have to run away from her own home, but sadly it turns out that would have been best.
On another note, she should have suspected he was married when he first proposed they keep meeting each other at conferences.
3
I've been amazed by how the writers of The Affair have captured so many of the most quiet, internal thoughts of a grieving parent. Allison's monologues in ep. 9-- and even the subtle language choices (referring to "this life")-- so resonate.
8
When Allison changed how she saw herself it changed how she saw Ben
Her furniture was different her apartment was different and he was not going to be gentle with her heart
12
@KG
Her furniture was different her apartment was different and her clothes were different
Even when ben was “kind” in the first half he admitted with shame that he violently tied up and raped his wife traumatizing his child in the process
Allison was not able to see ben clearly at first once she found her voice and saw herself differently everything external changed
6
I study narrative for a living, and I appreciate the strong commentary from everyone here. I've learned a lot. I agree that it will be fascinating to see where the series goes from here, next week and beyond. When one thinks of the work of writers like Faulkner and James, this series makes a lot of sense. But I share the ambivalence of those who expressed displeasure with what happened tonight. I don't know what to think. But that is part of the pleasure.
8
@Sheila Teahan
You are on the right track...this is noah’s 2nd Novel he has published...we are the VOYEURS of his prodigious imagination & storytelling.
“Confessions of The Wizard of Id: Paradise Lost”
@furtive Very interesting. Are you suggesting that the events of last night are a product of Noah's imagination?
@Sheila Teahan
No. It is HIS finished published book.
All past events.
We are the readers, or he is doing a public reading...at Princeton?
Next week finale or next season, we will be back in the present.
Past is prologue....
From the hysterically melodramatic shot of the foreshadowed over-signified karmic statue which had been heavy handedly inserted into a previous episode to all the overly self-aware overly on the nose didactic explanations for what the writers wanted us to think about Alison but didn't trust the visuals or acting to convey, this was oh so predictable and excruciately boring. And the music was so obtrusive! Can't decide if Allison's prolonged suffering in this episode would appeal more to masochists or sadists.
7
Oh, Alison. I feel like this show has been setting us up for something tragic to happen to such a tragic character, yet I still wasn’t ready.
It’s like some people are victims of fate, and Alison surely was. Even with her newfound confidence and ambition, she was never going to succeed. Is this what the episode was telling us? Is there something to be said about Helen being the one who gave Alison the advice that eventually got her killed? It’s so much. Just so much. Brilliant.
10
I watched the first showing of the episode last night and was mainly confused about two episodes through Alison's viewpoint that were so different. I watched a second time. It seems the first episode, with a sensitive somewhat appealing Ben, is meant to be her fantasy about him, and the second is what really happened. Now, we wonder why the detective, so thorough about the earlier investigation about Scotty, is so clueless -- he says Ben has an alibi and is fine with it. The detective is fine with an earlier conversation with Alison, years before, which suggested she'd be fine with suicide by 35. Strange hole in the narrative. Would there not be some physical evidence at Alison's home about her being roughed up? Could Ben really have attended an AA session the same evening, although it was dark and seeming late for such a session -- which he claimed he attended after getting drunk? The detective did say this checked out. Detective is also fine with Ben's story that he got drunk after meeting Alison, and the bar can vouch (pre AA session). These two elements don't add up so well. Cole's instincts were right. Guessing the next season is all about unraveling Ben's lie.
25
@KB Please remember, showing a story from two persons perspectives doesn't necessarily show you a true and a false version...the truth is probably different than either.
6
@KB
That detective was so wrong about everything, it's a wonder he's still employed. I hope Ben gets his just desserts .
3
Sean's reviews are very positive and generous, and I enjoy reading them all. But I don't like what's happened to the storyline with Alison being killed by a new character who is a violent boyfriend. Now the acting in this episode by both actors was amazing. But the cheap suspense of the boiling water and the knives, etc. was asking a lot of a faithful viewer. From the start there was no chemistry in this match. The storyline makes it seem like Alison has no more feelings for either of her ex-husbands. And would Alison really be so stupid not to see how dangerous the situation/person was a lot sooner? For Alison to get written out of the story and killed off is a bad move. She is the heart of the story/show.
Like others have said, introducing all these new characters in Season 3 and 4 has made the show much worse. I echo a commenter from last week who said we've have preferred to see more of the characters they stopped showing. There seems to have been zero character development for Noah. And Season 3 was indeed a complete waste of time.
Just for the record, Helen is my favorite character. Cole is wonderful too. But the show won't be good without Alison. The story has really gone downhill after Season Two. I'll watch this series to the "bitter end" but tv series like these all seem to falter with their writing after a few seasons, with the exception of "Mad Men." Seems like a lot of potential greatness is wasted.
9
@Hugo Furst
I thought "Mad Men" had the worst ending I've ever seen. The COKE ad as the end - the complete abandonment of the series-long suspense of Don Draper having assumed another man's identity and being 'married' to the real Don Draper's widow - was really horrible, as though Matthew Weiner had thrown away everything the series had been about - the focus on authenticity and identity. We learned in the series finale that none of that matters if you can think of a funny gimmick for the last episode. I was so shocked I've never watched a single episode of the show after that. It ruined the entire series for me.
3
Stunning episode, but one that leaves me with questions. Are we certain that the second part is all what really happened? The structural device of two perspectives has been deployed in this show to suggest that the “truth” lies somewhere between. If that holds, then the events of that night might be a blurring if the two, which frankly would be more consistent w the character of Ben. (Another commenter expressed surprise about Ben’s behavior - out of character, and I concur.) He has always been a multilayered character, but his inner violence has always been subtly shielded beneath a careful surface of charm and affection. He’s never been so overtly terrible as he was from the start of Part 2.
Do we know for sure that Ben is the person who carried her to the ocean? I don’t recall seeing his face in the scene.
Jumping ahead. Who covers for him when he’s questioned by the police? I think his alibi will involve the drugged out surfer dude who Cole tried to rehabilitate earlier in the season.
Ruth Wilson & Ramón Rodríguez were both tremendous. The former will be thoroughly missed.
11
@Adrian: Ben's alibi was that he was at a bar drinking and later went to an AA meeting. He could easily have done both after he dumped the unconscious Alison in the water to drown.
I agree that his behavior from the start of part 2 seemed out of character. But he had confessed to violent behavior toward his wife when he was wasted, so after he started drinking at Alison's, anything would have been possible. If those two versions are from Alison's point of view, and there were no other witnesses, what is the precise truth about the events of that night?
No doubt Cole will pursue his homicide theories and the detective involved in Scottie's murder investigation will be dragged into it, leading to a cliffhanger at the end of the season.
My heart was in my throat for all of part 2, up until the decisive moment. The tension was almost unbearable. How ironic and horrible that she had described herself earlier as a victim in her relationships and was ready to put that behind her when her life was brutally cut short.
8
I don’t know if it was here or in comments on twitter, but one viewer noted it was 9:30 or so when he got violent, according to his watch. The AA meeting started at 10pm. So, I doubt he would have had time to clean up & take her to the ocean, go to a bar and get more wasted, and go to the meeting. The alibi that supposedly checks out is obviously going to unravel at some point. I think it will be a matter of who is complicit.
Of course, if it’s true Joshua Jackson is also leaving the show as @Lee mentioned above, then we may never get the full investigation.
5
@Adrian
Maybe Ben went to the bar before he came to Alisons apartment -- he seemed very volatile when he got there pounding on her door. He could have killed her and dropped her into the ocean and appeared at the meeting late. If you remember he started drinking shots soon after arriving at her place. This may have been a continuation of what started at the bar earlier.
2
In the preview for next week Vic is dying, Wendy complains about abnormal birthdays, Helen slaps her neighbor at what looks like a medical facility, there seems to be an argument over possession of Allison's remains, Cole is running down the beach wearing a suit with an Urn, a unidentifiable person is throwing a body into the ocean at night over the rocks.
6
@wayne griswald Who is Wendy? Do you mean Whitney? What about Birthday? Helen is slapping her daughter Whitney. Did I miss seeing the neighbor that both Helen and Vik slept with?
1
@Gigi Yes it was Whitney, she appeared to have come back to this mess for her birthday! Helen slammed her neighbor they both slept with using a bag. I watched the preview about 10 times. Before I saw Cole running with the Urn, he was racing his jeep through an intersection with a church in the background, didn't catch the significance of that .
@wayne griswald where does Helen hit the neighbor? I saw Cole running too.. and a flash at a grave- I was thinking it was Gabiel's tombstone. What is the box that Luisa is carrying at the service as Cole talks to Athena?
Brilliantly written and acted. Devastating second half. I have often been frustrated by the conceit if the narrative, but in this episode it went full circle.
Gone like an 'ant or a mouse" you don't want running around...So painful to have her life trivialized and quashed by Ben. And we know how Allison died and who killed her! I imagined we were going to have a long wait with lots of possible suspects explored. (I even imagined Cherry!) Wonderful recap Sean. My thanks.
2
Brilliantly-written episode; its depth stunned me. I respectfully disagree with those who think Alison should have died by suicide. If she had, suicide would have been glorified. I lost my father to suicide in 2013 and it should never be portrayed as an option.
Instead, she could have sought help from a mental health professional. That would have generated empathy for her extreme suffering. It would have mitigated the stigma of seeing a doctor for mental health.
I'm so relieved Alison didn't die by suicide.
13
@JD I agree Alison didn't get enough good help. She rushed her recovery and good mental health advice could've showed her that she still needed to build a network of support (aside from relying on a lover). She also was too hasty to work in an emotionally draining job.
Though she didn't suicide, I'd say anhedonia did make her careless with her life, so it was a contributing factor. If she felt better about herself and her worth, she could have made better choices eg never would have let Ben in the house and wouldn't be so susceptible to wanting to salvage a bad relationship
She needed to change her inner pact to die by a certain age to instead be to try everything she could to feel deserving of better. Keeping a bad inner belief is like leaving a malignant tumor in the body. It may not be growing now, but it is a timebomb for later. Embracing a new mindset through therapy or medication or whatever is vital.
Its too bad the show couldn't highlight that there'd be a mood disorder group or grief group she could've attended, to give her more ideas like these for building herself up to withstand life's storms.
7
@JJ I do wish the show would have shown Alison trying to get mental health support and the struggles that go along with it.
I agree with other commenters that this episode was devastating and hard to watch. It reinforces one of the show’s central themes, namely, that each of us is trapped in our own story and, so-called positive thinking to the contrary, there is very little we can do to change the narrative. This is a stark, fatalistic vision the series has presented brilliantly. In four years, none of the characters has really changed. Each is broken in some fundamental way. Their wounds are not reparable. Tough medicine indeed.
One of the other things this show has also done so well is use images to convey meaning. For example, water is everywhere. Yes, it gives life but also ends it. The use of water dripping from Alison’s sink was a masterstroke. It creates great tension and lets us know that the flood of death is coming.
44
I expected to be disappointed, but it was one of the most brilliant, riveting, creative hours of television I've ever seen. Beautifully acted by both actors, incredible concept and implementation.
The subtle differences in Alison's personality between the two segments. Differences in both characters' physical appearance and demeanor. Was the first part what she wished happened, or was it what would have happened if she hadn't chosen that particular moment to test out her new-found assertiveness? Was her only choice to continue to be used, or die? Or was it a matter of luck and timing that she struck a more assertive chord with a man who was about to kill no matter what? Would he have killed a more conciliatory Alison who viewed him through rose-colored glasses? What would the cost have been if she'd allowed a relationship with him to develop?
I could not wait to read your recap, Sean. I knew you would get it right and give me new things to think about. Wonderful analysis and writing. I can't stop thinking about the episode.
Thank you for such a thought-provoking piece.
45
The acting was brilliant...
their body language,
facial expressions. The
writing and directing excellent.
The set reflected her emotions.
In the first segment we saw
Allison as she strived to be...
expressive, in control and forthright
but so desperate for love.
In the second part she
could not even articulate
the word "married" in her
effort to confront Ben but
she refused to be his victim
and paid the ultimate price
for trying to be strong. The
episode was devastating and
had "big truths" expressed
in the hour. Could she have
ever been happy? Although a
suicide would not have been
surprising, a murder is somehow
a way to state that she was not
giving up on life, on herself and
on some hope for her future.
Ruth Wilson is a superlative
actress, at the top of her
game with a big career ahead
of her.
23
This will probable be the last season. I can't see another season with the rest of the cast. If they do decide to do another season, I hope we don't have to wait a year.
1
They’ve already confirmed another season.
13
This hour of The Affair, both parts from Alison’s varying perspectives, was right up there with Mad Men’s, “The Suitcase,” which, in my opinion, is still the most nakedly revealing of any I’ve seen on episodic television.
I bow to Ruth Wilson for the raw emotional power she infused Alison with, a true tour de force. As for Ramon Rodriguez, he will be a force to be reckoned with, given that he was equally believable in both segments. Often it’s a series’ penultimate episode that packs the wallop, so I’m eager to see how this season wraps up next week.
21
I loved "The Suitcase" - simply 1 of the most memorable episodes of that program.
This episode, however, drove me nuts. This character drives me nuts. I want to tear my hair out at this character who continues to invite men into her life to wreak havoc on her frail psyche - I am a survivor myself and have spent time with domestic abuse survivors in hospitals, and try as hard as I can to comprehend how low a person feels to need this kind of attention - however negative - so much as to invite it back into her life for a cup of tea.
Alison is this person. I realize that it is exasperating to watch her in both versions, her dream and her reality, because I am out here helpless to take the reins and throw out this guy. I can surely understand why Ruth Wilson wanted to leave the show, this character got darker and darker and it looked like this downward spiral was never going to be altered. It became exasperating to watch her inability to speak or move.
As for the rest of this show, it seems like this murder is a setup for the final season, turning the program into a 'whodunit' with our favourite detective returning on Cole's insistence.
8
@JA I don't see how Alison invited either of these men into her life. Noah and Ben both initiated the relationships. I found Ben very threatening and creepy from the get-go. He popped up in social scenes and around office doorways unexpectedly, even startled Alison by touching her from behind. If anything, Alison's fault was in tolerating them at all.
Sean, your recap captured how I felt. I was tense and could hardly breathe throughout the episode-riveted! agree with how Ben's killing of the kid was depicted. Excellent writing and acting, but I so wish that Allison's death would have been accidental. Wish even more she would have got equal pay and continued next season!
9
I feel cold and empty after this episode. Why did Allison even let Ben in at all?
Terrific episode, and this season is the best one yet. Better than the first season.
7
@Paul I wondered the same thing too. If she was going to confront him/break up with him, wouldn't she have met him at the restaurant? Alcohol in excess can definitely bring out the worst in someone who has been previously sober (or not).
5
@Susan
Alison has always been reckless with her own life. She has always trusted the wrong people. It is consistent with her character that she would let him in.
An absolutely brilliant and devastating depiction of what's euphemistically called "domestic" violence: the longed-for fantasy of a woman who hopes against hope that this time it will be different, and then the quick, brutal reality of a man who blames her for his own violence as he delivers her to her Death. Ruth Wilson inhabited and gave us Alison with extreme pathos and empathy. The second part of the episode was so painful and anxiety producing that at the end I found myself saying out loud, Oh my God, he killed her.
60
@Annie Louise: The difference in this case is that Ben had never been violent toward her before, and she had no reason to suspect him of it before letting him in.
Why is the term "domestic violence" euphemistic? All it means, precisely, is violence that takes place in the home (domicile).
3
@Annie Louise
He thought he'd killed her, and apparently dumped her body in the ocean. But the autopsy said she drowned, which means she wasn't really dead when he dumped her. That must have occurred later in the water. Poor Allison. At least she seemed to have decided she was worth saving, and she wanted to live. Unlike this reviewer, I'm glad she didn't commit suicide. She was making progress; she even had moments when she felt proud of that fact. It was a tragic end, obviously, but at least she hadn't reverted to the broken soul she started out as in the series. I was afraid that was going to be how this ended. Thank goodness it didn't.
3
@Flan
I don't think he thought he killed her. I think he was thinking about how his wife would absolutely find out that he'd cheated, and he'd be arrested for attacking her (like the man who attacked her earlier in the season with the small child yelling for his daddy). And he decided to murder her to protect his secrets and save himself from punishment. Every person, but especially a marine who gets basic first aid training, would know how to check a pulse.
Sean, your recap is beautiful, haunting and so full of feeling
Thank you
27
The end of this episode gutted me. Her interior monologue was devastating. She suffered the worst thing that can ever happen to a human being - and in her final moments left me wondering if happiness could have been hers or is it invetible that someone with her pain and sadness is just waiting to die. In any event - I found the second version of Ben a little hard to digest - I didn't think he gave any indication of the person that presented himself at Allison's that night. It was hard to believe this was the man who rescued her at the beginning of the season. Nevertheless - it was a great episode and has left me devastated.
26
@Dana I was gutted too. I do , however think Bens showed signs at the beginning. If I recall he was pretty violent with the father who confronted Allison. Also , he was a recovering alcoholic who had just had a lot to drink.
Something was also off with his timeline in Episode 8
18
@Dana I think that version showed itself at the AA meeting, through Cole's eyes. Maybe one of the things we learned is that Alison wasn't able to see men clearly, until it was too late.
9
@Michelle @dana He was also violent with Cole. That's when I knew he was bad news.
1
As a survivor of suicide (my husband died by suicide back in 2004 leaving me with 5 young children) I echo your sentiment. I think that the writers of "The Affair" had a great opportunity to explore the subject and remind viewers that suicide is not "a bad choice" but usually the foreseeable result of untreated or under treated depression. Alison surely had been trying to cope with her demons but no one would say that she had 100 percent success....sadly suicide would have been an expected result.
On a related note, there has been an upswing of tv and film with suicide as the main topic. If there is any "good" to come out of this, it would be to remind people that the brain, part of the body, can succumb to illnesses...often highly treatable but an illness like cancer or heart disease. Therefore, how about when someone dies by suicide, instead of the usual wording in the obituary, "died unexpectedly", we say what it is. Suicide. Let's call it by the name and reduce the stigma.
39
@Abby Dart I am so sorry you lost your husband to suicide. I do not necessarily agree that suicide is similar to heart disease or cancer... as someone in mental health I think suicide is different and should not be normalized. I don't have to tell you that it is a horrible way to leave loved ones, especially children. You don't think ending ones own life, when one is not physically ill is a "bad choice?" As a three time cancer survivor, I can understand deciding when one wants to end suffering, but psychological suffering can be addressed and treated. Perhaps families don't think it's anyone's business that their loved one committed suicide. Don't people still deserve some privacy, even in death?
7
@Susan Suicide seems to be a normal part of life, unfortunately. I don't think we are really anywhere close to understanding it. However we know that the cells of our body do it, in many cases it is programmed. I don't think we understand the link with depression, some can suffer really severe depression and not commit suicide, others commit suicide without obvious depression. There are many reports of other mammals killing themselves, we are not sure whether it is analogous to human suicide or not, many think so.
3
@Susan
I don't think it's always true that psychological suffering can be addressed and treated. Many people can't afford long term psychiatric care, which is often necessary for recovery from severe/suicidal depression - often people in that situation need to rebuild their whole character and way of coping in life, which can be a lengthy, difficult process - most people can't afford that kind of long term psychotherapy. An important thing we saw about Alison in this series was the life impact of not having a father or even knowing who her father was, as well as the seemingly unresolved grief about her son's death. In addition, there are also many people who suffer severe depression for chemical reasons, and antidepressant medicine doesn't always work for everyone. There are people who commit suicide who are ill beyond just impulsively making "a bad choice."
6
Just devastating. I watched this episode in the morning and have hardly been able to think of anything else all day. The meaninglessness of Alison’s death feels overwhelming.
14
How did you watch yesterday’s morning when it didn’t air until last night?
@Jessica T If you have Showtime On Demand, you can watch a lot of the shows slated for that evening earlier in the day, and The Affair is one of them. I watched it in the afternoon yesterday.
@Jessica T@Erica I saw the episode shy of a full day before it was aired on TV. I started watching Episode 9 at 12:00 AM Eastern Time on Sunday (8/12) when it was released on Amazon streaming, through which I subscribe to Showtime. I also could have watched it by going directly to the Showtime site and then logging in, by virtue of my subscription through Amazon. For Episode 10, you can start watching before you go to bed tonight, if you stay up late enough, or when you first wake up on Sunday morning.
What an agonizing episode. So very hard to watch. What makes it more agonizing is why Alison had to die. The producers didn’t pay her on equal scale to Dominick West. Progressive Hollywood and the producers blew it big time. Ms. Wilson you will be missed.
34
@Margo Channing Pay may be a factor in other projects, but had nothing to do with why Ruth Wilson left. I know.
5
well that’s what has been reported. if you know differently, the case remains that she should have received equal pay. whether it was reason for her leaving or not is moot.
8
@Adrian Hi Adrian, thanks for that info. Where was it reported? I'd like to see what they said.
I agree that it was brilliant and devastating.
8
@Sheila Teahan
A great novel, best seller. Makes Noah the Sidney Sheldon of the decade!
1
This episode was so well-done, and even made me feel nervous through the more happy ending-focused first half. I’m so frustrated that it was Ben as i don’t feel he advances the narrative and that his being the one to kill her does either. Seems clear Cole will figure out it was murder (if anyone else in here watched Veronica Mars, can you believe it was yet another statue as murder weapon?!). Holding on to hope that the realization comes soon, and that Noah, Cole, Helen, etc. don’t feel she chose to end her life.
A side note — I heard Candle in the Wind today and it is totally Alison’s song (“From the young man in the twenty second row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in”)
10
@Alison: The statue was not the murder weapon. Ben threw her against the wall and she hit her head. The shot of the statue on the floor next to her was an ironic touch -- her mother had given it to her as a token of protection.
15