I really disagree with the recap of Alison's character. I don't see her as awkward or unsophisticated. She just doesn't know the rules and the game of the rich and famous crowd. Is Yvonne supposed to be sophisticated? She only comes over with her welcome basket as soon as Cole shows up at the house. Coincidence? Not likely. She's a snooping gossip who later feels threatened by Alison. I think Alison has her own quiet strength and is learning to stand up for herself. And I'm actually impressed with Alison's restraint when Yvonne keeps passive-aggressively belittling and correcting everything Alison does after she's deemed her to be a harlot in her own mind. Alison had the maturity to try to address her unfair dismissal which is more than you can say for both Robert and Yvonne who don't have the balls to talk about what's bothering them directly. And ya, Alison rides a bike, maybe she enjoys it. It's a small town and I like how simply she lives life. To me, her small-town traits to me make her more authentic. And I like her forwardness with Helen. That moment was a crucial chance for Alison to finally tell Helen that she meant her no harm and it was also a great opportunity for Alison to hear a hard truth from Helen. And yes, Cole is a broken man who finds some solace in a very sad situation. It shows how low he has fallen emotionally but luckily Luisa also shows some emotional desperation which makes them somewhat even and able to understand each other.
1
The only actress that shines in this entire series is Helen. She might drive one crazy with all her mood and decision changes but her acting is perfect and she is the most interesting character in this series. So versatile!
1
Boring and depressing show...now there's a good combination.
2
Alison is shaken by Noah saying in his book that his lead female character was sex personified. Yet when she opens up to the older guy while helping with exercises, her main feeling about Noah was the "electricity that shot through her body," or something like that, when she met him. They're on the same page.
1
I*d say the whole point of this series is how two wretchedly self-absorbed people blew up everyone else*s worlds for nothing. It*s not a grand *made-in-the-heavens* love story for the ages; it*s just selfish, petulant lust. Noah is willing at every turn to sacrifice Alison for the conveniences of the moment; Alison just can*t understand why anyone would think she*s, like, a bad person...
The only jarring note in the story, for me, is how a character as genuinely charming as Helen could produce a child as truly dreadful as Whitney. Helen*s inability to get out from under her appalling parents is more because of her own reluctance to hurt anyone than because of some utter spinelessness or something. But Whitney is the Bad Seed redux...
And I think the extended failure to get appropriate medical help for the son, long before the dramatic crisis of the upcoming episode, is highly unrealistic for a parent like Helen. The kid has writhing-in-extended-anguish episodes and she doesn't have him in the office of a highly-recommended GE specialist forthwith?
The only jarring note in the story, for me, is how a character as genuinely charming as Helen could produce a child as truly dreadful as Whitney. Helen*s inability to get out from under her appalling parents is more because of her own reluctance to hurt anyone than because of some utter spinelessness or something. But Whitney is the Bad Seed redux...
And I think the extended failure to get appropriate medical help for the son, long before the dramatic crisis of the upcoming episode, is highly unrealistic for a parent like Helen. The kid has writhing-in-extended-anguish episodes and she doesn't have him in the office of a highly-recommended GE specialist forthwith?
3
question for Treem: why was it necessary to have an explicit sex scene?...it added nothing to the story...suggestion has always been more seductive since the dawn of time....the 'hint of lace'...
1
Mike Hale missed the bit where Scotty says he has a "hedge fund" guy interested in investing - it has to be Max, now shagging Helen but who also, I'm convinced, was the actual father of Whitney's baby (remember the big deal about her going to a clinic on Wall Street?) If he was a more major character I'd peg him as the killer. And I agree with you guys below wondering about Whitney, based only on that one lingering look from Noah in the first episode of season one when the family were walking downstairs to the car before they left for Montauk. It always struck me as weird. And for two seconds I thought omfg the affair is between father and daughter. But look, Dominic West never has chemistry with anyone. It's not Ruth Wilson's fault. Alison is clearly a mess. (Anyone else still with questions about exactly how her son died?) Still, great to see Joanna Gleason. She looks fantastic.
son died of "secondary drowning"--will google
I spend every week waiting for one smart line of dialogue coming out of Alison's mouth, in vain. When she opens her mouth, it's mostly to gasp for air at the indignities of the embarrassments she is subjected to. Witness a guy almost shoot his dog? "Sure, ugh, I guess." Being humiliated by an out-of-control teenager? "I'll wait outside." Being treated like a maid by her hostess/boss? "Is something wrong?" The screenwriters must really hate Alison, since they grant the excellent Maura Tierney one great delivery after the other. Though Alison may elicit fewer groans than the character of Noah Selloway. Thanks for the chuckles, The Affair!
1
Agreed, but it isn't funny who has the Emmy? I know it's TV but I really wish Allison would grow a pair. If she wasn't happy with Cole then so be it, but don't leave one guy for an egotistical self-absorbed man who lived off of his in-laws for years, and who does not respect his marriage and family. Are these the characteristics Allison should be looking for in the man she wants to share her life with?
Only a million dollars for LUNCH? Oh please. Lobster Roll is s cash cow and would be even more of one as a nightclub under new ownership. You'd be looking at 4 to 5 million. .
If Cole is living in the trailer, why isn't Allison leasing the house out to renters for the summer? She could give Cole some of the rental money and he could park his trailer behind the cab shack. I'm sure the people in the condos surrounding the train station wouldn't mind.
It would be funny if Cole got the money for the Lobster Roll from Allison. Maybe Cole knows something Allison wants kept quiet. Cole makes her a business proposition, Allison sells the house, she becomes a business partner with Cole.
If Cole is living in the trailer, why isn't Allison leasing the house out to renters for the summer? She could give Cole some of the rental money and he could park his trailer behind the cab shack. I'm sure the people in the condos surrounding the train station wouldn't mind.
It would be funny if Cole got the money for the Lobster Roll from Allison. Maybe Cole knows something Allison wants kept quiet. Cole makes her a business proposition, Allison sells the house, she becomes a business partner with Cole.
1
The key to the nightclub is alcohol. The profit margins on alcohol are astronomical.
1
What we see is how the characters see themselves. Alison can't get past the death of her child; she feels emotionally exposed, vulnerable, sad, raw. She's self-medicating with lust. She may really love Noah but, then they barely know each other. Noah feels powerless and abused by his wife's parents who have always looked down on him. He's very insecure about his talent. He carries a huge chip on his shoulder. He's moody and selfish. Helen loves Noah but has had her world crash around her. She's full of self-hatred--her husband has abandoned her and their children. She's grasping to find herself . Cole also still loves his wife but he's struggled trying to cope with her grief and his own. None of them are bad people. This show is the most emotionally wrenching thing to ever be on TV. Is there an objective viewpoint? Whose would that be? It's brilliant.
13
OK, I actually found this episode one of the most riveting of the two seasons. By letting us in on The Book, we can both see how it will become a best-seller (because it is so hot) and go through Alison's pivotal moment with her, her sense of outrage, having put so much on the line only to be portrayed by the man she trusts as a sex object. But as Noah says, "it's a novel," and what I imagine he means by that is that he has taken the occasion of his affair with Alison to write another story altogether, one that has some primal depth and will sell (especially if the protagonist of Noah's novel murders his, well, paramour, in the end). I think I've just written part of Episode 6. Unfortunately, I don't think we are going to witness the self-empowerment of Alison anytime soon. It IS a dopey affair between two short-sighted people, and it IS something that will destroy the lives around them. For my money, exposing this damage is the major strength of the series.
5
Cole has my vote.
3
After 15 episodes, how do the words of the title song fit the story? it has been reported that Fiona Apple's previously unreleased song "Container" was revamped & performed specially for the "Affair" after being chosen as the opening theme by the writers.
1
Because this affair still have ripples from that first scream.
4
The repercussions from their actions that led to this affair and everything after will last longer than they could have realized, possibly long after they are gone ("the echo I created outlasted my last breath"). The water is super significant not only with the bulk of this story taking place at the beach, but the loss of Alison's son due to (dry) drowning and also Noah's love of swimming. Alison even tries to walk into the ocean early on and never come out since she is obviously still tormented about her son.
1
Can we be sure that the flashbacks of a car running into a person on the road is actually Scotty? Review the flashbacks in the episodes: the person who is run over is short, very slim and has a black bob haircut. Could Alison have accidentally killed Whitney?
Alison has plenty of reasons to want Whitney to die: Whitney threatened Alison when she refused to help Whitney contact Scotty; Whitney told Helen about the fact that Noah and Alison were shacking up, complicating Noah and Alison's relationship; Whitney is the one clear antagonist on the show whereas every other character is complex and neither good nor bad.
But then Noah takes the fall to keep the mother of his child, Alison, out of prison.
Digression: in the flashbacks, there is a rowboat with a name painted on the side of it... Why?
Alison has plenty of reasons to want Whitney to die: Whitney threatened Alison when she refused to help Whitney contact Scotty; Whitney told Helen about the fact that Noah and Alison were shacking up, complicating Noah and Alison's relationship; Whitney is the one clear antagonist on the show whereas every other character is complex and neither good nor bad.
But then Noah takes the fall to keep the mother of his child, Alison, out of prison.
Digression: in the flashbacks, there is a rowboat with a name painted on the side of it... Why?
1
I've paused the DVR during one of Noah's flashback segments of a car running into a person on the road, and the person standing there did appear to be a female. It looked like she was wearing a top with thin straps. If I recall correctly, she has her back to the camera and then turns slightly towards the camera. Of course, that could just be some sort of muddled dream recollection in Noah's mind.
Directed by Laura Innes. Did anyone notice that blast from the past?
7
Did ER ever explain her character's disability?
1
Did not; she was the doctor with the limping gait on "ER"; good for her!
Good catch. I missed that.
1
There should be a better way to get to older recaps. In the past, the last couple of recaps would be linked under the most recent recap. Also, when you go to the recaps section of the TV section of the website, the last recap for The Affair is episode 2. There's no easy way to find the recap for S2E4. So everything is all over the place.
14
Yes, please do something about this. I don't know how to get to the other recaps other than to go back to the Television section and look up each individual recap.
3
The writing was truly awful. So bad, that I thought it was purposely meant as a joke or maybe to take a swipe at pretentious authors?
Her scene at the beginning with Robert was just unbelievable acting. Her face was so nuanced in registering different emotions. I watched it 3 times. I do agree that the close-up could have been dropped and just implied.
Dominic West and Ruth Wilson are both great actors; but the biggest problem for me in the whole series is that they really have ZERO chemistry in my opinion. I buy into it for purposes of watching the show; but I don't feel it.
Her scene at the beginning with Robert was just unbelievable acting. Her face was so nuanced in registering different emotions. I watched it 3 times. I do agree that the close-up could have been dropped and just implied.
Dominic West and Ruth Wilson are both great actors; but the biggest problem for me in the whole series is that they really have ZERO chemistry in my opinion. I buy into it for purposes of watching the show; but I don't feel it.
10
My bone to pick with the writers is regarding how much they give away with the flash forwards. For example, there are several moments in this episode which provoke suspense: Will Alison stick with Noah after 1) reading the sex charged view of her in the book 2) hearing Helen's assessment of him 3) feeling neglected and abandoned by him 4) realizing she won't easily step into stepmother shoes? Could she go back to Cole after fleeing back to Montauk and sharing a night with him at the beach house- a house formerly imbued with sadness due to their son's death, but perhaps viewed in a fonder light after her experiences with "big city" life and people?
Unfortunately, due to the flash forward device, these questions have already been settled- we know she marries Noah.
Unfortunately, due to the flash forward device, these questions have already been settled- we know she marries Noah.
9
Yes, but we don't know what happens immediately after that.
1
I think I understand Coles great interest in the baby when he met her in the court scene. Could this be Coles baby and not Noah's?
3
Maybe she goes on to have an affair with cole? There was that long stare in the courtroom from Cole....but maybe that was to do with the polt of him having something to do with his brothers death. A good bit still unknown yet.
When the POV is Alison's, she always appears neurotic and sad. Isn't that the point of this show? To show us how each character views herself? When the POV is Noah's, Alison is beautiful and loving and sometimes aggressive. When the POV is Helen's, Alison is strong, beautiful, bewitching.
7
I agree!! not sure if anyone mentioned it, but did you hear the part where rodger said to her (something like) he didn't buy the whole lighthouse story of how they (Noah and Allison) met? wasn't that told from Noah's perspective for that scene a couple of episodes ago? in her version of that scene (at the dinner w Yvonne and Rodger) she doesn't tell the story. it's interesting how it was mentioned in this episode though, like maybe she's not the person she would like us to believe?
4
Who's Rodger?
I don't understand the complaints that the characters are unlikeable. They are characters who are in difficult, complicated and very unpleasant situations, either because of their own bad choices or the bad choices of their significant others. But that doesn't make them unlikeable, just more real. If the characters don't have enough redeeming qualities for you, well, it's the story of an affair that breaks up a family with children, a couple whose grief has nearly destroyed them, and the destruction the affair causes to everyone involved. These situations don't tend to bring out the best in people.
23
What if the show is cancelled before we found out the identity of the killer?
5
Cannot stand Allison's wimpy, depressed character. The endless scenes of her unhappiness have to go, I m falling asleep. Love Helen's pluck, anger and determination. More Helen, please!
10
Yes, I think we the audience are supposed to root for Alison but Helen is nowhere as unlikable as the writers are trying to make her; and that is due entirely to Maura Tierney owning this role.
I am firmly #TeamHelen. She just married a jerk.
I am firmly #TeamHelen. She just married a jerk.
5
Ms. Tierney is amazing and yes more of her story line please and less of Noah......yawn.
3
I'm not sure we're supposed to root for Alison. Perhaps the main point is that over time we see Alison either reveal herself to be (as some posited) or develops into a very unlikable person. I have to think that they didn't want such unambiguous sides if they hired Maura Tierney to be Helen, because she will entirely wreck those plans.
2
What could make this show possibly salvageable could be the addition of another POV. Picture the scene: A book club that chooses to read the dreadful "Descent" for their summer "trash" reading. The commenters and comments about the book and characters could be lifted from these NYT's comments and include comments from previous episodes. Much more interesting and insightful than the actual show, "The Affair".
7
Question -- does Allison own the house she and Cole lived in, or did they own it together? I thought I heard reference to it as "her" house. Did she inherit it from her mother? Why, when she found out that the family ranch was worthless and she wasn't going to get anything from it, did she appear so distraught (unable to take the money and start a new life?) - when she was sitting on her own real estate worth quite a bit of money? Is it hers to sell? Did she not want to sell it out from under Cole?
1
I think we haven't learned the answer to this yet.
1
They keep saying it is her house, but they don't explain why she doesn't just sell it and take the millions it's worth. And, why is Cole living in a trailer in the driveway? Weird.....
1
Season 1, the house belonged to Alisons grandparents. Remember her grandma was in a Nursing home. She visited often, then she passed away.
3
I really enjoy this show and find it satisfyingly twisty-turny with excellent acting. One thing that struck me last night - have we ever seen Alison drive a car? Last season she biked everywhere and had to get rides often. This season she continues to bike (although not sure how she would have traveled to the motel in Jersey City...?!) Oh well, scratch that thought, probably...although it's interesting to think of in the context of Scottie's death. Great recap, BTW!
4
Allison borrowed & drove Oscar's truck in season 1.
1
I remember that JWK. It was right after she cut herself with the shell too deeply, and she was rushing to get to her doctor's office for treatment.
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It happens to be exactly 7 years since I met Maura Tierney; I had a lovely chat with her and her then-guy. No, I won't reveal his name. "MTF" in my screen name stands for "Maura Tierney Fan", which I added after her bout with cancer and her openness/advocacy about women's health issues.
She and Joshua Jackson are the best TV actors on this show. Catalina Sandino is great too IMO. The leads get to portray much ambiguity, as is fitting; and of course they have to shoot many scenes from 2 viewpoints, which can't be easy; but I would be happy if the allotment of screen time were flipped.
Anyway, Mr. Hale refers to Ms. Tierney's description of Noah as "entirely credible". One thing I noticed in person is that she pays intense attention during an interaction. I believe she observes and hears so much nuance that she may well know another actor's character better than the actor does. That's how she can talk about another character with such believability, I think. I'm guessing that's why Tom Hanks sought her out to play his character's wife on stage when he and his real-life wife put their own money into getting a play produced -- even though Ms. Tierney had never been on a Broadway stage before that. It's because she can react so quickly in live performance (my assumption, based on how 'present' she can be).
She and her guy were wonderful to have a one-time conversation with; but I don't recommend approaching her: She made clear that she normally shies away from such things.
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It happens to be exactly 7 years since I met Maura Tierney; I had a lovely chat with her and her then-guy. No, I won't reveal his name. "MTF" in my screen name stands for "Maura Tierney Fan", which I added after her bout with cancer and her openness/advocacy about women's health issues.
She and Joshua Jackson are the best TV actors on this show. Catalina Sandino is great too IMO. The leads get to portray much ambiguity, as is fitting; and of course they have to shoot many scenes from 2 viewpoints, which can't be easy; but I would be happy if the allotment of screen time were flipped.
Anyway, Mr. Hale refers to Ms. Tierney's description of Noah as "entirely credible". One thing I noticed in person is that she pays intense attention during an interaction. I believe she observes and hears so much nuance that she may well know another actor's character better than the actor does. That's how she can talk about another character with such believability, I think. I'm guessing that's why Tom Hanks sought her out to play his character's wife on stage when he and his real-life wife put their own money into getting a play produced -- even though Ms. Tierney had never been on a Broadway stage before that. It's because she can react so quickly in live performance (my assumption, based on how 'present' she can be).
She and her guy were wonderful to have a one-time conversation with; but I don't recommend approaching her: She made clear that she normally shies away from such things.
5
She's the true Bostonian that she is, and I mean that as a compliment.
2
Lol, name drop much?
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@ PrairieFlax:
1. I recently made my first foray into Nebraska; about 2 hours in Omaha. I was visiting Iowa, so it was easy.
2. Did you read about her mother rescuing an old movie palace in Everett, MA? Great story, great gift to the community. Maura and siblings are in the ribbon-cutting photo. This was years ago, but after her father had passed away.
@ PrairieFlax:
1. I recently made my first foray into Nebraska; about 2 hours in Omaha. I was visiting Iowa, so it was easy.
2. Did you read about her mother rescuing an old movie palace in Everett, MA? Great story, great gift to the community. Maura and siblings are in the ribbon-cutting photo. This was years ago, but after her father had passed away.
The one thing I find compelling about the show is that Dominic West is not at all magnetic -- not at all attractive as Noah. Shows how could an actor he is.
2
Funny, I think it's the other way around. Dominic West is usually very compelling (of course I don't know him as a person); but Noah is very off-putting in almost every way.
5
Agree. But he has played bad guys often - and one in particular, the BBC production, "Appropriate Adult", based on a true story of a hideous serial killer in England. Also, Jasper, Sandra Bullock's horrid boyfriend in "28 Days", also the cad in "Mona Lisa Smile", the superficial anchorman in "The Hour" - all terrific performances in good films/TV shows. This character is the least interesting of these - petulant, self-absorbed. I guess that is what the writer/producers wanted - I thought it'd be more interesting if EACH of the characters had at least 1 character-trait that made them compelling, dare I say even sympathetic. As it is, Cole is about the only 1 of the 4 who fits in this category.
Are you two not saying the same thing? I have never seen Mr West in anything else and I can say that I do NOT find him to be compelling or even attractive, because of the character. He is, however, a very talented actor and I am sure that I will find him to be attractive when I see him play another role.
I think all the story about the murder is Noah's book. One clue, Helen's divorce attorney is also Noah's criminal defense attorney. Not likely.
I think we're seeing the story of his novel.
I think we're seeing the story of his novel.
6
It is a St. Elsewhere finale premise, is what it will turn out to be. Manuscript instead of a snowglobe.
3
So...at the end all the characters are actors in the movie version like French Lieutenant's Woman?
2
I had the same thought earlier but wondered if the entire story is the book and the affair Noah's fantasy gone bad and a cautionary tale. The scene of Noah's dream driving down the foggy road ends with a shot of Alison standing there and that appears to be one of his ideas for the book. (he told the editor early on that the character kills her at the end). Or perhaps Bruce or one of the other characters is the writer and Noah is a character from the book. I do think it is likely that there will be a twist of some sort at the end and we will realize that all or part of this story is from someone's book.
2
I think Max is the investor in the Lobster Roll. Also think there is more to Allison then the little girl. Think she's playing Noah big time.
4
Me too. I think Max is the investor. I think Alison's baby might belong to Cole. And I think Cole and Max may have killed Scotty.
The sign and Oscar's shirt said it was the Lockhart Lobster Roll or a similar name. And we found out that Cole allegedly took Scotty's investment plan. In the end, I think Whitney may have hit Scotty with her father's vehicle.
The viewer would have to be emotionally infantile not to conclude that the only reason Alison feels an "electric current" and that Noah believes she is "the best thing that ever happened to him" is because they are still "new" and still having lots of great sex. Otherwise, they appear to have no real staying power. It is also hard for me to accept the proposition that a woman who once saw herself as destined to live a life that mattered (Alison), is so incredibly naïve about life and love. I think it is unfair to what this character represents to portray her in that way. I anticipate some connection between Max (whom we have seen snorting coke at the End) and the death of Scotty Lockhart. Scotty's reference to some "hedge fund guy" he hopes to bring in as an investor for the new night club, makes me think he is referring to Max (who has lots of money, engages in high risk behavior and recently bought a hotel chain and also someone Whitney could have introduced Scotty to). Cole drinks so much that the scenes presented through his POV may be more fantasy than reality and it is interesting that when the Alison POV was presented, she left out the part about physical intimacy with Cole so either it never happened or she wishes it had not (equally likely). The best part of the episode was Helen's speech to Alison and of course the badly bleached highlights in her hair (from her fabulously played break down last week).
13
I loved how chic and purposeful the highlights looked in Helens hair from Alison's point of view. Not at all as if they were as a result of a meltdown. Helen seemed cool, calm, sophisticated, elegant from Alisons standpoint, which is in sharp contrast to what we saw last week from both Helen and Noah.
2
When Alison pushed all the books and knick-knacks off her boss's shelf, it may have been an entertaining scene, but it was out of character for Alison. It seemed like kind of an "actor-ish" thing to do, wanting to have a big show-offy scene. For one thing, it's a vandalism, and she could have been arrested. Plus, it's more of a "guy thing" to react so physically, at least in the movies. Typically, a woman like Alison would shed some tears; or call a trusted friend or relative and talk about it; or confront her boyfriend. But she wouldn't destroy her boss's property, especially when the boss Yvonne is the head of a publishing house, so her actions could seriously undermine his burgeoning career.
And all that just because he said she was incredibly sexy? Meanwhile, she just showed up at work in short-shorts and a flimsy little peek-a-boo top, and sets about rubbing the thigh of her boss's husband while she tells him about her thunderous sexual awakening with her married boyfriend. If in fact Noah was modeling his fictional character on Alison (likely), it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her that his initial attraction to her was sexual. And Noah has demonstrated to her repeatedly that he cares for her deeply, so that tantrum with the bookshelf was not only childish but selfish and unwarranted.
And all that just because he said she was incredibly sexy? Meanwhile, she just showed up at work in short-shorts and a flimsy little peek-a-boo top, and sets about rubbing the thigh of her boss's husband while she tells him about her thunderous sexual awakening with her married boyfriend. If in fact Noah was modeling his fictional character on Alison (likely), it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her that his initial attraction to her was sexual. And Noah has demonstrated to her repeatedly that he cares for her deeply, so that tantrum with the bookshelf was not only childish but selfish and unwarranted.
4
I agree with your assessment on all points but one: the vandalism of the bookshelf. AIison's victimhood reached new highs in this episode, so we would expect her to act out with some violence.
The theme of Alison's victimhood lends credence to her complicity in Scott's murder. I wouldn't be surprised if she were the killer.
The theme of Alison's victimhood lends credence to her complicity in Scott's murder. I wouldn't be surprised if she were the killer.
Alison wasn't "rubbing his thigh." She was performing physical therapy, which was part of her job. Alison herself has stated that she's ore masculine than feminine when it comes to romance and sex.
Still, I would have more respect for Alison if she follows through and takes those makeup classes to bring up her grades so she can attend medical school. I feel Alison is one of those people who is probably a great clinician with an awesome clinical bedside manner - but lousy when it comes to friendships and relationships.
Many marriages don't survive the death of a child.
Still, I would have more respect for Alison if she follows through and takes those makeup classes to bring up her grades so she can attend medical school. I feel Alison is one of those people who is probably a great clinician with an awesome clinical bedside manner - but lousy when it comes to friendships and relationships.
Many marriages don't survive the death of a child.
1
I understand your point about Alison "performing physical therapy," and I certainly didn't intend to be disrespectful towards physical therapists, whose work I admire. I just meant that Alison was not behaving in a professional manner by talking about her sexual experiences while doing so. Her words and her attire were inappropriate for a professional situation.
2
I don't see Alison as a victim at all. She's an aggressor. But she gets points for saving the daughter from choking to death.
2
The aggressive behavior that Alison exhibits stems from her victimization. She is mistreated by Yvonne and Robert, and now Noah, through his writing, so she feels entitled to trash the bookshelf. Her marching to Helen's door is an aggressive act (it could endanger the court order) that comes out of her anger at being left alone in the house. As well, her showing up at work in short shorts and a visible bra is passive aggressive, another acting out; she's angry with everyone in this episode, yet has no ability to see her part in these situations.
11
@ Mike Hale
"But it has to work as drama, too, and I think that the writers have themselves in a bind there -- if all the narrative is unreliable, the show essentially becomes unwatchable."
Why? The show is, in part, about unreliable perspective and narration. Wasn't all of "Rashomon" narrative unreliable? Not many thought Akira Kurasawa's movie was "essentially unwatchable." But many did rightfully label it a masterpiece.
"But it has to work as drama, too, and I think that the writers have themselves in a bind there -- if all the narrative is unreliable, the show essentially becomes unwatchable."
Why? The show is, in part, about unreliable perspective and narration. Wasn't all of "Rashomon" narrative unreliable? Not many thought Akira Kurasawa's movie was "essentially unwatchable." But many did rightfully label it a masterpiece.
7
More Helen, please. (And I think the accidental blonde streaks look great. Helen's not old, and can well handle a sort of unique streak job.)
6
I keep wondering where Alison gets her money. She is written as a childish person who goes from pillar to post, not like an adult woman. Perhaps she's reached rock bottom. Agree heartily that Noah ' s writing is horrible, but I think romance novels are similar. Maura Tierney rocks.
11
I wonder where Alison gets her money as well. Maybe she took a line of credit from her beach house property?
Whose baby is Jean- the baby Alison has at Noah's trial. Technically we are to believe it is Noah's- as they are married by the time of the murder trial- but now I have my doubts. Also
1)Noah is an ass
2)Alison is a college graduate- and while emotionally damaged should be a bit more worldly and not so much of a victim
3)Helen may be a wealthy man's daughter, but is actually the victim here- and it seems Noah was the snob and possibly the opportunist-not Helen
1)Noah is an ass
2)Alison is a college graduate- and while emotionally damaged should be a bit more worldly and not so much of a victim
3)Helen may be a wealthy man's daughter, but is actually the victim here- and it seems Noah was the snob and possibly the opportunist-not Helen
7
Yes, very good points, Robin. And isn't it interesting that when Cole meets the baby at the courthouse, Alison says something along the lines of "She likes you," and Cole replies "I like her, too." Hmmm.
1
Yes, Noah is an ass. Why, then, is Helen so attached to him and why did she have children with him???
Early on in the series, Helen made a remark about how she chose Noah because he saw her as a goddess -- she had wealth and breeding, while he was the child of Tio Hector Salamanca (kidding) -- she said something along the lines of "I thought he would be so grateful to me that he would never cheat on me." She held all the cards in the marriage in the beginning. She gave him a life he couldn't have had without her. She brought him up in the world.
4
Cole just knocked up Allison. Allison hits Scotty with her car. Cole and Allison framed the guy from The Wire to take the fall. He thinks he's covering for her.
25
I absolutely thought the same thing!!! Right when I saw the baby in Allison's arms in the courthouse, I immediately thought: that is Cole's baby. I do believe they are setting Noah up. Unfortunately, he has become so unlikeable and pathetic...I see the train coming and I can't even bother to tell him to move out of the way. Poor Noah can't even see what is happening! But, yes, he is totally getting played.
1
"the guy from the Wire..." Haha! Thank you! I will always see him as McNulty, too.
So, Robert has not turned out to be worthy of the praise he received after previous episodes becoming just another man who betrays Allison?
Yes...also despicable.
Cheated on his first wife,
probably broke up families,
playing games with the vulnerable
(also despicable Allison), utterly hen pecked
by his equally horrific wife....bring back the dog.
Cheated on his first wife,
probably broke up families,
playing games with the vulnerable
(also despicable Allison), utterly hen pecked
by his equally horrific wife....bring back the dog.
5
cole is talking about selling drugs in broad daylight in my mind, and he and luisa have some vibe but yikes you wouldn't wish a mess like that on anyone
1
But do you see Joshua Jackson walk into the courtroom....he has turned that frown upside down. He looks fantastic. I am not worried about Cole...we can see that he pulls himself together quite nicely. Notice the clothes he wears to trial...he has definitely landed on his feet.
From this part of your article, "Then he was more embarrassed to discover that she was having sex with his ne’er-do-well brother, Scotty, on Scotty’s boat. (“In broad daylight,” as he told Scotty.)," Cole was referring to Scotty's dealing drugs in broad daylight and not his relationship with Luisa.
10
Several readers commented that I was wrong when I said that Cole's line "in broad daylight" referred to Scotty's having sex with Luisa on the boat. I went back and watched again, and the readers are very likely right that he was referring to Scotty's dealing drugs. I can't be 100 percent sure they're right, though, because Cole just says, "Knock that off, will you, it's broad daylight" without saying what he's referring to. So we removed the reference to avoid confusion.
4
You know what? If you dislike the dialogue, the plot, and the characters so much, why not just stop watching the show and let someone else do the recap.
18
So critics or anyone who talks about a show or movie have to love it? You must live in fan boy culture where it's either love it or get abused.
1
Love it or leave it? You know what? If you dislike reading reasonable critiques of programs, why not just stop reading them?
4
I suppose this is a good show if you are a 16 year old girl with a 75 IQ.
8
Oh please - why are you watching tv in the first place? you're as bad as Yvonne and her husband!
11
I have never understood why some people think it is all right to be negative while linking their criticism to individuals with a lower IQ.
12
Loved this episode! Best this season - it was really entertaining. I hope the "future" scenes become longer - this one was a great tease - I'd like for it to start going somewhere. Enough with staring into the distance.
11
I agree. I am getting restless. They aren't feeding me enough bites about the central story. I love the show, don't get me wrong. It's one of the most superbly written, styled, produced shows of late. I just think they need to pick up the tempo a bit, but then again, that would mean the show would end?
1
They definitely need to pick up the tempo. The show feels very padded.
Alison's lost little girl shtick--complete down to awkward stiff-legged walk--gets tiresome really, really fast.
And yeah--if you sleep with everyone you can get your hands on, people might see you as a slut...and if, as the resident paramour in the guest cabin, you wear short shorts and flowing flimsy tops to your new gig as personal assistant giving hands-on physical therapy to the husband, among other duties, the wife is likely to decide she doesn't really want you around.
Alison is a trained nurse--a, you know, highly-trained professional--but behaves as though she's never heard of professional standards or can tell the difference between different working environments and how one must adapt to each.
It's too bad the writers are getting so lazy here. Wasted a lot of acting talent.
And yeah--if you sleep with everyone you can get your hands on, people might see you as a slut...and if, as the resident paramour in the guest cabin, you wear short shorts and flowing flimsy tops to your new gig as personal assistant giving hands-on physical therapy to the husband, among other duties, the wife is likely to decide she doesn't really want you around.
Alison is a trained nurse--a, you know, highly-trained professional--but behaves as though she's never heard of professional standards or can tell the difference between different working environments and how one must adapt to each.
It's too bad the writers are getting so lazy here. Wasted a lot of acting talent.
26
The Affair has been cheesy from the get-go. It has never been anything but that, so I am not sure why people are annoyed with the latest turn of events. It's both annoying, vapid and a bit of a guilty pleasure. At times I think it's Green Acres for the 21st century.
20
Oh my. Very desperate episode. The only one with the slightest shred of humanity is Cole, and that isn't saying much. He treats Alison with compassion, but then he thinks of his meeting with Luisa, which cancels out that one tiny redemptive act that the viewer might hang on to. Too bad. The rest is just a mess. Yvonne and her creepy husband finally show their true colors and Alison, being the dim bulb that she is didn't see it coming. And where is Noah, her lover, who deserted her in this house of horrors. Nowhere. Just don't get it. She is really starting to work on my nerves.
12
The recap misses the point of this provocative series and how last night's episode played out. Alison is fragile and damaged, and the show's shifting perspective is what makes this a series not to be missed. The perspectives from each character's POV are not reliable, nor do they represent on face what is impartially occurring in the real world. These characters bring plenty of baggage to how they see pivotal events in their lives unfold.
Yes, when we hear the first words from Noah's book, they are "50 Shades" soft-porn-bad because that's how Alison hears them. She feels betrayed by the few relationships in her life she has tentatively come to trust, and there is now a painful shift in how she feels she is being viewed in those relationships.
As for readers’ comments that the show is bleak with unlikable characters, well, yes, it is -- at least the first part. I'm not sure I'd use the words likable or unlikable to define these characters but are they worthy of empathy? To me they are. The show is about fractured people in pain with all kinds of damage to them, and most importantly how that damage poisonously renders their view of their own place in the world shaky and toxic.
Bleak? Yes. Just like Bergman films were bleak although I don't suggest this series reaches the heights of the best Bergman films. Maybe not great abut the acting might be the best on TV right now & it remains incisive and uncompromising at its best, which this recap failed to understand in my opinion.
Yes, when we hear the first words from Noah's book, they are "50 Shades" soft-porn-bad because that's how Alison hears them. She feels betrayed by the few relationships in her life she has tentatively come to trust, and there is now a painful shift in how she feels she is being viewed in those relationships.
As for readers’ comments that the show is bleak with unlikable characters, well, yes, it is -- at least the first part. I'm not sure I'd use the words likable or unlikable to define these characters but are they worthy of empathy? To me they are. The show is about fractured people in pain with all kinds of damage to them, and most importantly how that damage poisonously renders their view of their own place in the world shaky and toxic.
Bleak? Yes. Just like Bergman films were bleak although I don't suggest this series reaches the heights of the best Bergman films. Maybe not great abut the acting might be the best on TV right now & it remains incisive and uncompromising at its best, which this recap failed to understand in my opinion.
47
You're right to raise the issue of the unreliable narrator, and you could make an argument that Alison should look worse in her own chapters because it reflects her poor view of herself. But it has to work as drama, too, and I think that the writers have themselves in a bind there -- if all the narrative is unreliable, the show essentially becomes unwatchable. For the story to work across 20 weeks, in fact, you need to be able to trust a very high percentage of what you see.
7
The show in large part is about "unreliability," about the changing prism in which we see our lives unfold. We all bring baggage to how we view ourselves in the world, and so exactly who should a viewer "trust" to bring us an objective accounting of these events?
You seem to be asking for a show that is less ambitious and less interesting than this one tries to be -- not always successfully but more often than not.
"If all the narrative is unreliable, the show essentially becomes unwatchable?"
Why? Who says? Perhaps if you're looking for a show that is only about linear plot told in the traditional and banal storytelling ways of old, maybe this is true.
But that's never been the mission of "The Affair" anymore than that's what Akira Kurasawa's seminal "Rashomon" was about.
That film in a way is a meditation about unreliable perspective, and yet many in the know think it not only watchable but a masterpiece of cinema.
You seem to be asking for a show that is less ambitious and less interesting than this one tries to be -- not always successfully but more often than not.
"If all the narrative is unreliable, the show essentially becomes unwatchable?"
Why? Who says? Perhaps if you're looking for a show that is only about linear plot told in the traditional and banal storytelling ways of old, maybe this is true.
But that's never been the mission of "The Affair" anymore than that's what Akira Kurasawa's seminal "Rashomon" was about.
That film in a way is a meditation about unreliable perspective, and yet many in the know think it not only watchable but a masterpiece of cinema.
9
That's a good possible explanation for the text.
1
In a previous episode, Noah told Allison that she was his muse. I guess now she knows what that means.
Put Noah in jail for a year, and give everyone, including the writers, a sabbatical.
Put Noah in jail for a year, and give everyone, including the writers, a sabbatical.
6
Worst episode I've ever seen. My 15 year old son comes up with better dialogue. My wife and I sat there and laughed until we were too bored to watch any more. An hour of life I'll never get back.
2
Good recap this week. My hope is that Alison will finally stop this endless grieving and get on with her life. Maybe when she can bring herself to go back to nursing (where she could “make a difference” to quote a pathetic Alison cliche), we will know she has made progress toward becoming anything other than the sex toy she currently is in this fun soap opera called The Affair. Perhaps that will happen if she gets credit for sounding the alarm about Noah’s son’s illness, which Noah ignores as he continues to act as a "kept man" for his wife and mother-in-law. Then about the book. Have we heard any hint that Noah wins a National Book Award – nope, just that he makes a ton of money like Jacqueline Suzann. It’s a pretty good bet that the book is Fifty Shades of Grey schlock – beach reading. So these are wealthy, powerful editors who wear expensive clothes, so? That does not mean they publish anything you would want to read except during a seemingly endless train ride across Siberia.
15
I absolutely agree. I think Allison saw Noah as her light. As maybe her ticket out or to begin to live again. What she did not count on, which we never do, is all of the consequences and ramifications that come along with our decisions. Even as adults, it is exciting and fun to have someone new. The problem is: we all live in the same crazy world, with the same crazy families and issues and drama. Allison is trading one set of issues for a whole new dynamic of issues. When reality hits, it can hit hard. She can run from her husband and her dead child...but they will always follow her. I like the show because it shows true human beauty and flaws. We are messy, we are complicated, we are fickle, we are stubborn....we make big mistakes that affect all of those around us. I just think the show is extremely realistic and hand's down...Helen (Maura Tierney) is fantastic!!! She has definitely emerged as the super star of the bunch.
2
Two things struck me as odd about Scotty last night.
1. Luisa tells Cole, much to Cole's surprise, that Scotty is the manager of the club The End and therefore her boss. Cole spends most of the day and evening at the The End talking to Luisa at the bar, yet Scotty never appears the entire time.
2. When Scotty shows up at Allison and Cole's house, he comes out of the dark from the beach side instead of arriving from the street.
BTW, to all those people who don't like the explicit sex on the show, I could just imagine heads exploding last night.
1. Luisa tells Cole, much to Cole's surprise, that Scotty is the manager of the club The End and therefore her boss. Cole spends most of the day and evening at the The End talking to Luisa at the bar, yet Scotty never appears the entire time.
2. When Scotty shows up at Allison and Cole's house, he comes out of the dark from the beach side instead of arriving from the street.
BTW, to all those people who don't like the explicit sex on the show, I could just imagine heads exploding last night.
11
Yes. And don't forget the detective asking Noah if he was familiar with a place called The End and he claims to not know what it even is. Interesting that it is becoming a central point in the story, a place where Noah and Alison basically have a date, a place where Scotty now manages, a place where Cole meets his bride-to-be......
1
Oh dear. The Affair seems to be less a damning idictment of marriage in a changing world, and more about a horrible vision of a Godless, directionless and dysfunctional America. There is not one redeeming character, or loving relationship offered as a source of hope and possibility. It's a very bleak vision. And for all their high end property locations, everyone has a moral worldview better suited to a trailer park. There appears to be nothing wrong with a married woman bedding three men in as many days, or the new arrival sleeping with two brothers or Cole shagging a desperate housewife in her own bedroom. Surely, these people aren't all as shallow, base and deceitful as The Affair would have us believe? Fifty shades of Alison will no doubt, given America's preoccupation with Tinder and soft porn, make the lead character a very rich man who over time will morph into his nemesis Bruce because quite clearly it's all downhill from here.
4
Re: "...everyone has a moral worldview better suited to a trailer park."
Did it occur to you that people who live in trailer parks may have good morals? Being poor does not equate with lack of morals.
Did it occur to you that people who live in trailer parks may have good morals? Being poor does not equate with lack of morals.
34
You make a good point regarding trailer park morals, and it applies to the show, too. Yes, we're supposed to be critical of Helen and her ilk for their privileged self-absorption, and to admire Alison and Cole for being more "real." But in the actual texture of the show, the privileged characters are far more interesting, dimensional and fun to watch, and the working-class characters are dull clichés. You get the strong sense the writers are much more familiar with the Helens of the world.
10
Or maybe it's just that Maura Tierney is a more compelling actor.
4
Great acting, but: uniformly unlikable characters, engaged in self destructive behavior than can only lead to pain and misery. I give up, can't take any more of "The Affair."
4
I just wish they would speed things up a bit. I feel like these episodes are enjoyable, however time wasting at the same time. I want to know what happened and I feel that in much of the show we are not watching the story develop as much as we are watching the characters develop. But I already know who these characters are, the show has done a great job of accomplishing this and I think it's time to give us some meat to the story. Enough bread, I'm hungry!
2