‘The Affair’ Season 3, Episode 6: Noah Goes Home

In a prior episode (S03E05), Noah says he and Allison uniquely understand one another because of their losses (his mother; her son); but what if Helen can't 'let go' because of her loss; The Williams' era abortion that she may well still feel connected to Noah's because of? As I recall, Noah asks if Helen if okay with that decision in a diner scene last season. If so, Whitney, had a termination of Scotty's baby and would 'share' this with her mother. Thoughts?

I agree with the comments that this show is getting harder to watch as the writing quality decreases. Season 1 was terrific, season 2 ok, season 3....well, only six more episodes to go. A shame as the premise was clever, now it's just about a bunch of whiners.

On re-reading Mike's recap, I was reminded of something that really bothered me in this episode. When the Gunther family business came up, why didn't Noah ask about the family -- or even try to find out it anyone knew what John Gunther did for a living or ask about his personality? Is this sloppy writing or deliberate evasion to keep information away from the audience? Obviously if John Gunther was part of the family business, we would know Noah has been hallucinating. If everyone knew he was a prison guard, maybe Noah isn't hallucinating. Somehow this omission didn't seem to be playing fair with us (the audience). Wasn't Noah the least bit curious? He was with locals who would probably know and were willing to dish the dirt about anything.

Increasingly I find the series poorly written--unbelievably predictable. In this episode, Tierney is just awful. I loved her in ER but in this series she is just one long uninteresting whine. The scene where she goes back to her old lover who is about to be married is, frankly, beyond credibility. The characters and script are in steady decline.

Who were that couple being interviewed by the detective in Season 1? It was post the accident and paternity reveal. True love appeared to have conquered all. There was Alison with her sophisticated hair style, expensive clothing and busy schedule. Noah, the urbane man about town dispensing literary advice to his doting son. ' I love you too Trevor,' is how he ends the call. What happened to these characters in the interregnum between the the big court case and Noah's release from prison to turn Alison back into a snivelling wreck and Noah into a psychotic mess? It's hard to watch this show until you concede that it is just a soapy with great art direction. Only then can you accept the implausible twists and turns of its characters.
In season 2 Alison calls it: 'Nothing is sacred to you.' There is no reverence. No evidence of a spiritual inner life. Athena presents a New Age kook parody of purpose . Sarah Treem says there is no such thing as truth but the spiritual path is a path of becoming one with the truth, which means confronting the shadow in ourselves. Nothing has meaning and purpose without the values we chose to honour, and the grace with which we make our choices. In this season The Affair has robbed it's characters of dignity...they are fitting citizens of the newly elected America.

Ooh No-uh come wiz me, we go to Paris to make zee sexy time. We can do all zee positions of your smutty book, I like it so much zat you famous writer and naughty boy. We can sleep wiz all our students and be happeee togezer. Mon dieu but you are my new adventure because my old usband is unwell, per'aps you can feed him pills in yogurt just like you did for your mama. Come No-uh mon beau cheri, you will ave no complaints wiz me, your life will be so good wiz no children no wife to chain you to zee ennui. I am going to hang from zee chandelier for you, No-uh. Paris, she is full of zee chandelier no? At last, you will be so 'appee ..., ugh what a ridiculous turn this series has taken. The writers seem determined to cast their characters as increasingly dark, selfish and impossible to relate to. The new ' plot twist' undoes the premise behind the previous seasons that Noah's fall happened in a good but flawed marriage because he had found his soul mate. Despite the great art direction, and excellent acting, they have made a joke of this series.

So what does the specially chosen, previously unreleased song reworked for "The Affair", mean - are one or more lead characters already dead as the various points of view unfold?

I was screaming into the canyon
At the moment of my death
The echo I created
Outlasted my last breath

My voice it made an avalanche
And buried a man I never knew
And when he died his widowed bride
Met your daddy and they made you

I have only one thing to do and that's
To be the wave that I am and then
Sink back into the ocean

I have only one thing to do and that's
To be the wave that I am and then
Sink back into the ocean

I have only one thing to do and that's
To be the wave that I am and then
Sink back into the ocean

Sink back into the o
Sink back into the ocean
Sink back into the o
Sink back into the ocean
Sink back into the ocean

Written and sung by Fiona Apple.

Yes, the scene with Helen and Nina was near perfect. But I'm sorry, the whole dinner scene at the old friend's house felt totally contrived and shoe-horned in just to give Noah a chance to revisit his working class past. And the guy invited himself over just to have a chance to insult Noah? Maybe, but in my view that didn't work at all. Helen's half -- great; Noah's -- a bit of a mess.

The writers built Noah's character as the ultimate narcissus so to have us believe he assisted his mothers suicide out of love and not convenience is a stretch. Previously we saw him go all out playing the wounded guilt act to get back into Alison's pants this time it's to win over Martin. So are the writers holding this one back for us. Genuine guilt or a murderers guilt ?
Meanwhile their making Helen as much a dislikable misfit as Alison. Max telling her to get out of his pad a great moment. Same with Noah's sister cutting to the chase.
The only two primary characters I like and have grown as mature adults are Cole and Luisa but I'm sure that apple cart is about to be tipped over as already hinted.
The French nymphomaniac and the prison guard distractions have taken the storyline
right away from what the shows title was all about.
The storyline inevitably gets more bizarre or ridiculous when writing a series as the creators have a commercial interest to keep it going. The introduction of so many other characters with their own disfuctional lives is the compromise so we can't expect a literary masterpiece.

Of course, Noah's sister's harsh revelation makes a lie not only of Helen's marriage but also of almost all of Noah's POV in the last two seasons. His initial assertion that he'd married too young but had loved Helen at the time is a falsehood. His hypocritical counselling of his daughter over her victimisation of a friend, and his assertion to her grandparents that he wanted to raise children with real values is laughable. It makes it hard to believe that he'd only ever bedded 3 women, and that he'd remained true to Helen for all those years until he met his wounded soul mate in a diner. Instead of the sincere POV we believed we were watching, it was instead the manipulations of a conman with a hidden agenda, burdened by secrets and mental anguish. All the lies, deceit and disloyalty make perfect sense. Nobody can be a true friend or sacred partner when everything they say or do is rooted in a lie. It's odd that Sarah Treem originally spoke of her hero as someone who believes he deserves the best and expects it, and yet she now portrays him as self destructive, in search of punishment. This must be a personality disorder I am unaware of.

I think most people yearn for a happy ending. This bleak show is never going to pander that desire. Noah will always be listless, discontent and wanting more (even under the lascivious care of his accommodating new ooh la la.) Helen, and her children should take the aunt's advice and ditch him.

Since the beginning of this series, we have seen "The Affair" tiptoe around "The Great Gatsby" and its obvious themes to include asking--and ultimately answering--a reverse of the novel's primary stop sign of a question: "What IF the rich girl DOES marry the poor boy?"

As well, "Can't repeat the past? Why, of course you can!"

Noah is an English teacher, and the above novel, however lustrous, is a standard in the typical high school curriculum.

IF Helen is a "Daisy" to Noah's "Jay," then Max is "Tom"? Maybe not.

If Allison is "Myrtle" and Cole her husband, "George," does their coupling--one suffering the loss of a child--explain the emptiness of Fitzgerald's original pair? Perhaps.

But there are other literary missives also being challenged here: Wolfe's, "You can't go home again." which I see all over this series and especially this episode and the previews of the next, as Helen wanted Noah to come home LONG ago.

What I found significant in this episode is the focus on the red canoe at the pond, as I believe that in order for Noah and Helen to reunite, they must divest themselves of the "inconvenience" of Allison who, I believe, is pregnant and will probably be interested in spilling the beans about Helen's involvement in the accident in her new health.

That, I feel, will take place at the pond ala Dreiser's "American Tragedy" wherein the pregnant girl will be drowned in order for two people to sit down to dinner with an unimaginable secret between them.

Also thought that Jennifer Esposito was amazing in that scene with Helen. Have been a fan of hers forever and she shines in this show.

I love these recaps! Thank you. They have helped me make sense of what I'd seen more than once this season, including for episode 6. Happy to see a Helen segment, as she is such an interesting character so well-portrayed by Maura Tierney; also superbly written, as pointed out in this article.

I am finding this season very interesting for the following reason. The viewer sees how the actions of 2 terribly needy - and selfish - people cause a ripple effect in their respective worlds. If they had thought for 2 minutes about the consequences of their actions, do you really think they would have decided to ruin their own lives as well as their children's and their exes and their exes partners? Lets not even get into Helen and Max, Scotty Lockhart, Joanie et al.

I'm assuming we will find out later in the season (or next?) that Noah actually killed his mother and wrote a "suicide" note once he got the acceptance letter from Williams. Also, he stabbed himself...

Hi, Mike. What fascinates me about the last couple episodes is the way the writers are developing sympathy for Noah by proxy. In episode 5, we learned of his complicity in his mother's suicide, a story retold this week to Martin. But now Noah has a surrogate in the form of Nina, previously a reluctant but ineffective supporter; now she bares her teeth and terrifies Helen, who is no match for that animal ferocity. In fact, Helen's WASP core is exposed as ugly and shallow: her ignorance of Noah's brokenness comes as a complete surprise. She cannot be real and take the risk of revealing the truth, so she runs. But we know that Helen is running for her life.
We also see the commonalities between her and Noah. She calls Max for validation and the chance to punish him too; these two are practiced at the art of sado-masochism. Helen's the sadist, playing her part as well as Noah might. Perhaps even better: Noah always felt like a stumbler, lurching toward sensation, driven by pain, whereas Helen capitalizes on the pain she causes.
I agree that the Gunther subplot is tedious, at least as it's currently unfolding. I'm hoping that Brendan Fraser gets more to work with in the coming weeks. But he and Vic are hamstrung characters. Juliette, however, is not; why, then, does she not have more savoir faire than to get huffy when Noah turns away? Surely she should have a more worldly take. Then again, she's serving the cause of humanizing Noah.

The show seems to pick up when Helen enters into the fray. Ms. Tierney is always interesting to watch. I thought on the whole it was a good episode, and Noah better cut back on his use of Vicadin his hallucinations are getting worse. And I'll say it again......I still think he stabbed himself.

So we finally get to have sympathy for Noah after three seasons. Still don't understand his sexual allure.

I found myself disgusted with Helen and very angry. I didn't think Noah's story was uninteresting but sad. Noah took on Helen's crime and is tortured by others for it. Noah also has a serious infection which could cause delirium. Helen might feel guilty but she's holding up the lie. I'm proud of Noah's sister for being on to her. Noah's pain is really accurate for the situations he's been in. I also think it's funny that the women in this show are so desirable. Every man who meets Alison and Helen desires them. Almost.

According to imdv, that was "young Grant" in the lake, not young Noah.

At our house the feeling is that The Affair is finally back on track and has returned to its original standard, thanks to the reappearance of Helen's parents and more sly revelations about the contents of "50 Shades of Solloway." Life is too grim in the company of Alison, Cole, and Luisa. And is it becoming more obvious that Noah killed his mother too conveniently and perhaps not entirely with her consent?

Once again we saw Noah freeze when it came to sex. This time another hint was dropped about Noah having been tied up and raped. All of those conversations about rape, sex and consent with the students set up a rape storyline for Noah.

Interesting episode. In terms of criticism, I still feel that the show has gone too far off in the direction of Noah's hallucinations and mental illness. And on top of that they've now added the layer of Noah's having been messed up all along, ever since he was a freshman in college because of helping his mother to commit suicide. I call bait and switch. In the first two seasons, Noah wasn't portrayed like that. He was just a guy who strayed. He'd grown restless and worn down by a number of things, including a lack of literary success and his overbearing father in law. Turns out there was something else driving him all along? I dunno. Doesn't work for me.

And Helen is becoming more unlikable by the minute- the sex with Max? Please.

Still, I found the whole thing compelling enough to watch, and it does raise more questions about the nature of Noah's Gunther hallucination- was there a brutal guard from his hometown who hurt him in prison but isn't following him around anymore, or is Noah simply haunted by his past, period, and Gunther represents his past?

I thought the dinner guest with the scarred neck was a very timely inclusion- angry jerk who worked in coal in Pennsylvania and disdained Noah because he dared to become educated and try to improve his lot? Trump voter. Pretty on the nose.

Noah seems to have held off his nervous breakdown for his release from prison and seems well on his way to it. Popping pills and confessing to all that your matricide is dangerous territory – few will forgive that. Helen takes an emotional beating for being the spoiled but “care giving” rich girl with the artist husband that she successfully tamed and weighed down with four children he barely takes an interest in. Helen is marvelously unaware that her attractiveness to men stems from her wealth and connections, and still thinks she is the darling of her college scene at 45. She longs unhappily for the life she once had – a world where she was the central character around which all others revolved. I do admire her iron clad manners in the face of all insults. Juliette epitomizes the European view that Americans are all sexually liberated, and surprised by the reality.
Noah is not a violent murderer – vehicular homicide is viewed as a careless accident in NY, not usually subject to jail time. Noah had to confess in court to go to jail for this. And secondly Allison, who plays the wounded bird card better than anyone, is sly but not smart. If she looked into NY law, she would realize that it is Noah who has the most rights to Joanie, not Cole. Being a felon who has served their time does not negate parental rights. NY law views “a child born within a marriage are the legal child of the marriage” thus Allison could bring Noah forward as the father and leave Cole begging.

I noticed just before Noah collapsed, the scar and bandage were on wrong side of his neck, supporting hallucination theory.

The relationship between Max and Helen is not "happy." They haven't seen each other in years, and the last time didn't end well. And he did testify against Noah at trial. Helen didn't go to Max to shoot the breeze. She went for a quick roll in the hay. She was surprised to find that Max wasn't pining away for her. And let's not start making judgements about Max's engagement. I don't want to hear "Oh shame!. How could he do that?" Helen likes men to be convenient when she's horny. Both Max and Vic wanted to marry her. She blew off Max and keeps Vic around the house for booty calls. She will trudge along trying to repolish the rough diamond that Noah was and is.
The writers seem to be having more fun with Helen than anyone else. She has perfected the "I can't believe this" look for occasions when everyone around her at a dinner is off the charts.
OK this is episode six. It's time to start bringing the story together, yet everything is getting more divergent.

“With another happy relationship thrown in her face, she did the natural, narcissistic thing.” “We know the answer—narcissistic!”
I don’t think that’s the answer—though Nina seems to think so. But since when did Noah’s sister become the truth-teller here? No one’s a truth-teller on
this show. And Nina’s working through her own issues—e.g. class resentment--when she explodes at Helen.

When spouses split up, they often ask “what exactly have we been doing all these years?” That isn’t because they’re narcissists. It’s because marriage is complicated. Newlyweds have a rosy view of each other; they present their best selves for a long time and do a series of adjustments throughout the marriage—except that they also have to deal with jobs, children and other stresses. So they miss a lot and start following a story in their heads, rather than what the marriage really is. You describe this, but narcissism isn't the explanation. Just this season, Noah tells Helen he doesn’t want her coming to the prison (Helen: Didn’t he sacrifice himself for me, doesn’t he love me?) Nina makes her doubt the marriage even more. Her son’s screw-ups make her doubt herself as a mother. She needed to know that Max will sleep with her so she’ll know she’s loveable. Mining him for info right afterwards was DUMB, but her motives are complex because she’s human.

“Narcissistic” is too easy. “The Affair,” for all its troubles, is better than that.

I guess we are just watching this show for the crazy, yes?

Helen's a great character. A nightmare but a great character. I'm not much interested in the others at this point.

"In Treatment" was a terrific show - anyone who missed it can see it on HBO on demand. Gabriel Byrne & Diane Wiest! Worth catching up on.

Really not enjoying this season! Anyone else?