The Affair -- new show on Showtime

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by norman_frappe, Oct 20, 2014.

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  1. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    You're right, we definitely don't need more backstory. But if this show transitions to just a coutroom drama, I think I'm out. For a few episodes, I could take that if it was resolution to the end of the series, but not for 12-13 episodes.

    I think Noah should be completely done with Allison. I don't think she really loves him, she wants to be with Cole. She could have told the truth from the beginning and said what she did (with Scotty attempting to physically/sexually assault her) and there might not have been any charges. Things would have been dicey for Helen with her DWI or Noah, if he said he was driving, but the way we saw things last night, their drinking wasn't a contributing factor at all. And if Allison said she pusshed Scotty to get away from her, didn't see the car, and it just happened to be when it came around the bend, there may have been no charges against Helen either. She's certainly got the money and lawyers to help.
     
  2. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    I have absolutely no problem with the pacing of the show given how well the show explores character psychology and circumstance and the competence of the performances. The fact that people wonder where the show could possibly go after the last ep (some said this after S1) is a good sign that the show has more tricks up its sleeve. I say this with some optimism because I've read that the show-runners had originally pitched a 3 season show, so they probably know where they're going. Can't wait for S3.
     
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  3. kwadguy

    kwadguy Senior Member

    Location:
    Cambridge, MA
    The thing is: Would anyone believe what actually happened? With all the reasons for Allison to hate Scotty, with all the reasons for Noah and Helen to hate Scotty, would anyone believe that story? It sounds like a fabrication.
     
  4. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Alison would have had to come clean about the baby, but she already did come clean to Noah about it. And while it might be hard to believe, it would be more believable than the three acting in conspiracy to time the vehicle getting to that point right when she was to push Scotty in the road. But I can understand everyone panicking.

    One thing they haven't touched on, is if Helen's story is that she left the wedding in a cab, it would be very easy for the police to confirm that this were not so. Maybe she isn't even a suspect and they never looked into her or questioned her.
     
  5. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    it will be interesting to see where this picks up next year.
     
  6. peteham

    peteham Senior Member

    Location:
    Simcoe County
    I loved both seasons, but oddly don't feel the need to go to season three. Maybe I will change my mind.
     
  7. Nobby

    Nobby Senior Member

    Location:
    France
    Have thoroughly enjoyed this series.

    Having said I hoped it would be wrapped up in two I'm glad it's got a third.

    I watched series one ahead of series two starting. I've only rewatched two shows before.

    Sports Night and 24.
     
  8. BEAThoven

    BEAThoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    The ladyfriend and I did a bit of late-night binge-watching of this show over the weekend. We're a bit lost now that Better Call Saul wrapped up, so we were looking for something else to lose our heads in. We just randomly picked this one out from the "on demand" choices.

    Well, after the first half of season 1 -- we're hooked!

    Rich cast of characters here, and this ball of yarn just keeps unraveling!
     
    mdm08033 likes this.
  9. Ed Hughes

    Ed Hughes Senior Member

    Location:
    phila.pa.
    Good show.:thumbsup:
     
  10. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    That is a perfect description, if not more so, to another series which you may like, called Bloodline. Slow burn unraveling is at its core.
     
    mdm08033 likes this.
  11. mdm08033

    mdm08033 Senior Member

  12. BEAThoven

    BEAThoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Well, this took a turn for the worst...

    IMHO, Season 1 was so far superior to Season 2. Season 2 seemed to go to formula using a lot of nighttime soap-opera moves to build "riveting," yet completely unbelievable story lines.

    What happened?

    Any one else feel Season 2 seemed rushed and just randomly grabbing at forced and unbelievable dramatic storylines?
     
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  13. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    No, not here. Perhaps the odd thing wasn't as good as it could have been, but overall, I thought there were many exceptional episodes and scenes. One such (long) scene that particularly stands out in my mind, even after all this time, was the one with Noah talking to his shrink and revealing his innermost self, which helped to frame his actions beyond just being a jerk for the sake of it.
     
  14. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    Not at all, I thought it better than Season 1, and really enjoyed the additional storytelling POVs. I'd been concerned this would be problematic but was happily and quickly proved wrong. It became particularly fun when I began noticing that not only were the situations different amongst the POVs as in Season 1, but the wardrobe was quite different as well and was a big factor in the tone of each version.

    In terms of differences in characters between one POV and another, the divorce mediator stood out in particular, it was a real 180 degree change. That episode also had Noah in black from Helen's POV while she wore white. In Noah's version it was nothing like that. I also loved the Noah's therapy episode but haven't a clue how "true" it was. Nonetheless I enjoyed it greatly and thought Cynthia Nixon gave a fine performance.
     
  15. BEAThoven

    BEAThoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Mah broze -- I respect and appreciate all your opinions, but to me, the UFO swirling around the sky in the middle of that climatic scene in Fargo was more believable than practically everything in the last five eps of Season 2 of this soap opera.

    Think about how Cole ran into his mother at the hotel.

    The one woman that Cole falls for, of course, has a connection to his brother and his ex-wife's lover's ex-wife (jeezuz). Montauk must have a population of 14 people.

    Think about how the police officer found that wedding stone at the scene of the crime.

    Think about the complete aligning of the planets that was needed for Scott to die the way he did -- that was ultimate in perfect timing... almost like throwing a coin and having it land on its side. Noah happens to be driving with his ex-wife down the loneliest road in Montauk. The only other two folks for miles around on that road happen to be Allison and Scot. Alison pushes Scot at exactly the right moment when Noah and Helen are riding by... all by pure coincidence of course.
     
  16. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    Yup, ain't fiction just awesome!
     
  17. questrider

    questrider Forum Resident

    Location:
    Middle, Nowhere
    I just finished binging this streamed on Showtime Anytime. It's an intriguing adult drama with a mix of soap opera characters intertwining but is very well written. And tying in the POVs with the flashbacks and flashforwards along with the crime procedural whodunnit elevates it way past your everyday nighttime soap opera. Reading through this thread was great but there there isn't much for me to add since it appears most of you watched it in real-time over the course of two years. This is now my problem that I have had before with binging: starting next month I will have to watch season 3 in real-time instead of one episode after another a couple of nights apart. So goes the first-world problem of serial TV binge watching!

    I agree with a lot of you that Ruth Wilson looks like Michelle Monaghan. As I watched and thought that too I was sure there was another actress she reminded me of and it is someone I always thought Monaghan looked like: Ellen Pompeo (from Grey's Anatomy).

    [​IMG]


    Someone has to make a movie with these three as sisters!
     
  18. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    The 3rd season opener was great! It was smart how the student described the things that scared her by just being a woman, only for us to see that Noah was in essence, scared of the same thing. A solidly entertaining episode. Missed Ruth Wilson.
     
    Deesky likes this.
  19. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Yes, that was nicely done. Overall, I thought it was a good start, but not excellent. They broke from the usual two perspective narrative in a single ep, which might mean that they either drop that structure or extend it to alternating narratives, but each one lasting the entire episode. I think the latter may be the case as the beginning of the ep was still titled in the old way: "Part One: Noah".

    I didn't much like the French connection, which felt rather contrived and tropey - a complicated, sexually liberal French woman appearing at a perfect time to feed Noah's character foibles and who happens to be friendly with the female student that Noah eviscerated earlier. It's a given that the French woman (yay, she sounded authentic to this non-French speaker) will become entangled with Noah, but I reckon so too will the student, which is bound to lead to all manner of grief!

    One thing I didn't get was what happened at the end?

    SPOILERS:

    Did Noah really get stabbed in the apartment? Sure looked like it with all the blood gushing out. And yet, the scene leading up to the event was intercut with prison flashbacks. We also know that Noah now takes muscle relaxants implicitly for his back, which implies that something happened to him in prison to cause injury (like a stabbing), so was he just flashing back to the prison attack juxtaposing it with his current surroundings, or was it a real attack?
     
  20. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    ....or did he stab himself!!??
     
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  21. modrevolve

    modrevolve Forum Resident

    Was I the only one excited to see Brendan Fraser working again?
     
  22. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    Haven't watched it yet but the 2nd episode is available on demand right now. Yeah, good to see Fraser but I think it's problematic to use a 'name' actor as it partly removes the mystery surrounding the character. You KNOW he's going to play a key role in whatever's coming.
     
  23. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Hmmm, interesting point, but he did hear a disturbance didn't he? Or was it his imagination?

    Somehow, I don't think he stabbed himself because we see, as he's dropping to the floor, that he makes an attempt to grab for his mobile on the table, presumably to call for help...
     
  24. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Didn't notice him at all. But when I saw his name in the credits, rewound and saw him. Looking forward to seeing where it goes with his character.
     
  25. windfall

    windfall Senior Member

    Location:
    UK
    I'm guessing it will turn out to be imagined... Though if so it's something of a cheapshot cliffhanger. If it's real, it's ... something of a cheapshot cliffhanger. Hmm.
     
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