The Affair -- new show on Showtime

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

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  1. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Unfortunately the Cole stuff this episode (ep 5) is cringeworthy bad! He conveniently finds his father's ex-lover from decades ago where they exchange some really bad dialog before Cole goes on some kind of vision quest to exorcise his love of Alison, so he can be a better person to his wife. After the shockingly hokey letter ritual, no only does he admit that it didn't work, but he also has sex with the resident floozy (that came with his room)! This is really, really bad stuff. *smh*

    However, the first half, Vik's story, was actually fantastic. Omar Metwally's performance was just sublime, running through the whole gamut of emotions and pathos - I was transfixed. So, that part was good...

    But, the whole plotline of him suddenly getting incurable cancer was yet another cheap decision designed to create drama/turmoil. It was just shoehorned in (like Cole's walkabout). Place your bets on Vik's neighbor getting pregnant with his baby - problem solved (since Helen isn't into it).

    And that's been the problem with the series since at least the end of S2. It's lost its raison d'etre and is just stumbling along with random events being injected into the narrative to keep it going. It no longer feels like there is a cohesive central throughline propelling the story forward. It's a damn shame, because in isolation, there are still plenty of fantastic performances from one and all. I still watch for the good bits, while dreading the bad ones!
     
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  2. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    Watched the 1st episode this season and decided to leave this show behind. As always when I drop a show, I'll continue to read about it out of curiosity. From what I'm reading, I think I made the right call!
     
  3. utopiarun

    utopiarun "on the road to Utopia"

    Location:
    Staten Island NY
    I agree 100% (even though I don't know what raison d'etre means :laugh:). The Cole/Nan thing was awful and cringeworthy. So after 25+ years of not seeing Gabriel (whom she had a 4 month affair with), she sees his son and automatically connects the dots? Wow, good memory. I don't remember people I met last week! Plus, after having this torrid affair and 10+ years of letters from Gabriel, does she think to ask Cole "how's your dad doing?". Instead he tells her the next day he's dead and has been dead and she's devastated. Huh?

    I know this show is called The Affair but does every person that the main characters in the show come across need to have an affair over and over again? Noah talks to the principal and of course they get out of the bar and start kissing. Alison meets this ex-military guy and they are going to get involved, you know that! Vik takes the floozy next door for a drive and of course has to have sex with her. Cole goes on a walkabout "who the hell in the real world goes away for 6 months to find themselves??" and this drop dead gorgeous woman just of course has to sleep with him. I feel bad for Helen, she's not having any fun!

    As you said, the actors are fantastic in this show, I just wish they had better material to work with than this soap opera type of writing.
     
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  4. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Wow - that was quite a plot jump...
     
  5. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    Yep, a very good episode. Not only did it have some excellent (and much needed) humor relating to the road trip, but then it bravely went to a completely unexpected place. Appropriately, the two stories were the most lopsided (in duration) that the show has ever done. I was expecting to see Alison's story, but that may come in the next episode. Best ep of the season, I reckon.
     
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  6. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    after last night i am assuming this is the last season?

    right?
     
  7. ghostdwg

    ghostdwg Senior Member

    Location:
    New Milford, CT
    No Showtime announced it renewed the Affair for season 5-although it's hard to understand that decision after watching last night's episode.
     
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  8. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    i agree, unless of course we are going to go backwards.
     
  9. jlocke08

    jlocke08 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington
    newest episode was pretty surprising. that's from someone who has seen every one. expected the surprise announcement to be incorrect until confirmation. certain actor's being in great demand always means changes i guess.
     
  10. Humbuster

    Humbuster Staff Emeritus

    I anticipate a lot of flashbacks in Season 5.
     
  11. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    Jeez, I just read a behind-the-scenes report of what went down, it's SO much more interesting than the soap opera this show devolved into. With what's gone down and HOW it went down, this season should be it's last. Showtime has an odd history of bad endings with some of their best shows!
     
  12. Ed Hughes

    Ed Hughes Senior Member

    Location:
    phila.pa.
    Who can ever forget the finale of "Dexter" :rolleyes:
     
  13. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Is this published somewhere you can share?
     
  14. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    I was intrigued too, so I did some DuckDuckGoing... It seems to be about pay disparity. Ruth Wilson gave an interview in Feb where she mentioned that she believed that she was being paid less than the male co-stars (Dominic West). The gossip seems to be that the producers were miffed and so wrote her out.

    Whether that's true or not, such a 'bold' move (narratively) to kill off a major character actually strengthens the show because it was so unexpected and it opens up new plot avenues over the resulting fallout.
     
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  15. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Another intriguing hour. I have to admit I thought this show was past its sell-by date, but they’ve had some creative moments this season. Glad I stuck with it, and curious to see how it all wraps up.
     
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  16. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    A totally mesmerizing hour of television. Ruth Wilson's performance was perfection itself.

    I'm still trying to figure out the two stories told, both of which were from Alison's perspective. It's strange because the two stories were completely different. I can only surmise that the vast difference between the two stories is down to mental illness - an idealized version of events (story 1) and the reality (story 2).

    The last two episodes have been outstanding and as good as the show ever was at its peak.
     
  17. jlocke08

    jlocke08 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington
    Agree 100% across the board. unfortunately going to be difficult to continue to watch without the number one reason. very sad to see her leave.
     
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  18. Chazro

    Chazro Forum Resident

    Location:
    West Palm Bch, Fl.
    So, thanks to this thread, I decided to watch the last episode featuring Ruth Wilson. She was the primary reason, along with West & Tierney, that compelled me to watch the Affair. But I haven't seen it in a long time. This episode was a perfectly self-contained one, I didn't feel lost at all story-wise. She probably won't be mentioned but Wilson deserves at least a nomination for best actress, what a powerhouse performance! The episode is the perfect ending to the series for me, as I have no interest in what happens next. Showtime let the best actor in the ensemble get away!
     
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  19. jlocke08

    jlocke08 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington
    i just finished the last episode of this season and really wonder what the writers were thinking. to add another child into this story makes no sense to me, especially with the father (possibly) passing away. and if Helen jumps from that roof and Maura Tierney is not returning, i definitely will not watch the next season. already very disappointed in loss of Wilson.
     
  20. marcb

    marcb Senior Member

    Location:
    DC area
    It wasn’t a great episode IMO, but I don’t have a problem with another kid. It would certainly create a parallel universe of sorts with Noah’s “not his kid”. And I doubt Helen jumps.
     
  21. misteranderson

    misteranderson Forum Resident

    Location:
    englewood, nj
    Nah, don't think Helen's jumping. Ray Donovan ended last season with Ray jumping off a building, only so many times writers can use that kind of cliffhanger gambit, especially on the same channel.

    Of course Sierra's pregnant. But I guess that's one of those times the cliche was unavoidable.

    Ruth Wilson will be missed. Didn't know anything about her before this series, and Alison's end was totally unexpected. Ruth was perfect in the role.
     
  22. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    eh the show has been spinning it's wheels for at least two seasons now. thankfully this season was infinitely better than the last one. i still don't really know what the point is, but the acting is pretty great from the leads so there's that.
     
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  23. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    It was painfully obvious that the flaky neighbor would get pregnant when she and Vic did it several episodes ago. It's trite soapy nonsense of course, as was vomiting at the right moment to indicate morning sickness. Unfortunately, the show dipped far too much into soapy tropes in its latter run and less into its former strengths - great character drama and dialog with intriguing multiple perspectives of shared events.

    There are still flashes of these strengths in the final episode (the previous 2 eps were great). The standout scene was between Helen and Noah as they have a heart-to-heart talk, sitting on the ground. Absolutely fantastic dialog and honesty between these two. Loved that scene. And then I LOLed when Helen reveals she also did it with neighbor chick and Noah is all upset because he wasn't there to see it! :)

    I'll stick with it.
     
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  24. Scotian

    Scotian Amnesia Hazed

    This season had the worst storytelling & dialogue this side of The Walking Dead. Terribly bloated, espcially the two parts of the Allison episode. Didn't have enough for a whole episode? We'll just throw in a half hour of an alternate storyline. I did kind of like the whole beach funeral thing (not as part of the story, but for an actual funeral).
     
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  25. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    helen won't jump, unless of course tierney wants too much money, then...of the roof she goes.

    i figure next year the centerline will be finding out that ruth wilson was murdered and catching the killer.....pretty much a josh jackson led hunt.
     
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