The Affair -- new show on Showtime

You completely hit the nail on the head!
I think these next few episodes are going to coast along in the same way as the last two.

 

It is tough going. The unique selling point used to be viewing "the affair" from different viewpoints, principally those involved in the affair and spouses. Now it just seems to be the viewpoints of random characters who I don't really care about viewing situations I don't really care about. Maybe I'm not concentrating hard enough.

 

I think we're done with the new golden age of TV. For a decade there, there was some incredible stuff on many different outlets. Seems to be way reduced now. No one coming out with premises that seem interesting. The Affair is going downhill. So is Billions. Nothing good replacing them. The big thing on HBO seems to be "Succession", which I am trying but not liking too much.

 

Watched this season's opener for Succession. Really didn't like any of the characters at all. A good cast and writing, but they're all so ruthless and reptilian that it was a turn off.

High Maintenance is still cool, though I don't watch every episode. I got a little hooked on Barry this year too.

 

Showtime has such a history of running shows long past their expiration date... except of course Penny Dreadful which could have kept going in so many interesting directions.

 

Watching out of obligation at this point.

 

Yes, obligation, probably could just read recaps till they get to last two episodes way this is going. But come this far want to see it thru. There isn't a single thing going on that I care about.
Sasha is unappealing in every way to me and can't stand Trevor . They are just wasting time because there is not much else to say. Should of ended in 4 with Noah and Helen back together since that's what it looks like will happen.

 

Showtime is currently in production on a 1938 noir era Los Angeles version - Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

The IMDbPro synopsis:

Series inspired by 'Penny Dreadful, set in 1938 Los Angeles, exploring a mix of supernatural and reality with characters connected to the deity Santa Muerte and the Devil.

Fingers crossed they do it right. Maria Caso who designed HBO’s Deadwood is the Production Designer.

 

Im watching with an absurd level of intensity, for some reason - the same way I kept posting in the Moviepass thread (with glee), long after I canceled them (or did they cancel me?). It’s become so bad, it’s good. A viewpoint from Noah’s (ex?) girlfriend principal? Sure - bring it on. A viewpoint from the vile daughter Whitney (trying to generate some sympathy for her patently self-centered persona)? Why not? Weird futuristic stuff with frequently topless Anna Paquin? No objection there, either!

I’m halfway expecting alien abductions as we get to the final couple episodes... and - oddly - I think I’m ok with that!

 

well, at least we now know that cole is dead, reaffirming an earlier post that he won't be back.

whitney's story was a wee bit interesting, but come on, couldn't they think of a better name than 'furcat"?

BTW - whitney looks very very different than she did in 'marie full of grace', doesn't she?

 

Maybe that's because she wasn't in Maria Full of Grace. You're probably thinking of Catalina Sandino Moreno, who played Cole's wife, and who no longer seems to be on the show. HTH.

 

sorry.

i hate getting old.....er.

 

That's how I'd felt about Billions. I didn't catch new, but watched, at least 10 episodes, through On Demand. Like the actors, but found the characters as above poster found those on Succession. No redeeming qualities. Since I did like Damien Lewis' acting, though & afterwards, in a movie, I just this year purchased series "Life" on DVD, as I'd never seen it. Season 1: 10/10, Season 2: 8/10 (though in light of what's on in 2019...10/10).

Missed first 10-15 minutes of Sunday, 9/15 "The Affair" - During Season 1 & 2: that would've meant having to catch that episode ASAP to see in its' entirety. While I feel invested to see it come to it's conclusion, I don't care to that extent any more & won't even bother watching this episode over again, just to see what I missed, especially as I find the premise of that director/actor, Sasha, w/Helen completely ridiculous. Even knowing it's some twisted "get-in-Noah's-character", I still don't see some attractive 50ish famous director/actor being with any housewife in her 50s. Nor, have any investment in Whitney (though, that actress seems to have some chops), nor Alison & Cole's daughter, Joanie. Think it's a mistake dividing up show w/these characters' perspectives, esp. as Joanie's in another time period: Nonsensical. That only made sense when show had the original 4 central characters; okay w/Vik, even the abysmal Season 3 w/Brendan Fraser/Johnn Gunther (great actor/horrible storyline/arc.) Now, they should've just divided between Helen & Noah & maybe, Sasha. Writers' grasping here.

Overall, finding shows that once had Ruth Wilson as a central character (Alison), once w/out her, to be clearly lacking; no matter how good rest of cast & writing...i.e. Luther, Seasons 2 & 4 (Character: Alice. Haven't viewed Seasons 3 or 5 yet.)

Highly recommend Life, BTW. Overall 21st Century programming: 2005-2015: 10/10...swiftly declining each year thereafter. Only new show that I've considered really great is "Dead To Me" dark comedy starring Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini & James Marsden. It would seem that the best writers & actors are going to the streaming services, bypassing network completely & even cable, too. Just read another's in the works: NBC Peacock, taking a slew of back-catalog programming running on other cable networks w/'em, to be exlusive to them. (I'm wondering just what will be on regular network & cable stations?)

Warning: Life - I don't believe it contains spoilers, but some commentators on youtube do. I'd bought it on the strength of this trailer.


Dead to Me | Season 1 Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix
Everything to Know About Peacock, NBCUniversal's Streaming Service | TV Guide

 

Completely agree on the points made and when you miss a little of the beginning it's no loss. The making of his book in to movie,the love triangle as it were, and the kids hating their Dad, all mind numbingly boring and repetitive.
I did like getting a break from the monotonous Noah and Helen/Sasha storyline, and seeing Whitney. At least she's not an over the top brat any longer. What is that guy to her though, a pet project ? Because he hasn't shown a redeeming quality so far.
We get more Trevor, couldn't he be written a little more realistically, he's a cliche. Whatever happened to the obnoxious son Martin ? Not that I want to see a storyline about him, ha.
I agree that actor probably wouldn't be interested in Helen but I don't find him attractive in the least, he's not convincing in the part .. They should of cast someone you could understand her going for.
Episode 5 on the way ..

 

this is one of the 'wait....this is still on the air?' ones for me. I thought they has wrapped it up

 

we've watched the entire series, but honestly, i can't wait until its over.

it has become tedious to watch.

 

At least Whitney’s not an over the top brat any longer...through her own eyes...

 

Wife and I feel the same way. Used to be very good and creative. Very strange final season...just cashin' the cheques I suppose....

 

and i get a terrible feeling that this whole furcat/whitney/i like to watch thing is heading into porn disguised as art, and if that happens i may just quit.

 

or go absolutely nowhere at all. probably just a filler segment.

this is one of the few shows i actually wish was wrapped up in half the episodes in its final season.

 

I find parts of this show compelling, but so much of it is grating, like how pretty much every character is a huge, selfish jerk who doesn't think of anyone else but themselves.
You CAN make compelling drama with at least a few characters who are actually kind. When everyone is a jerk, it just gets tedious.

 

It’s the nature of a series that doesn’t have unbiased narrative. Every character - by definition - is going to often look like a selfish jerk to some extent.

 

Now they've got Sierra's point of view , just dumbfounding what they've done with this .
Dominic West's scene when he tells Helen he loves her was pretty bad, he was a better actor in the earlier part of the series. Seems like now all you get is wide eyed looks.
What's the take away from this episode-
Sasha says no, doesn't care about people's feelings and Helen isn't that way? Don't know why Priya is still around, the baby given the circumstance.
Are we going to find out Sasha was responsible for fiance's death and maybe was involved with her daughter?
If they wanted to finish off Alison's story they could of done that in half a season , forget the rest.

 

I agree with on the seemingly useless Sierra piece and the overall meandering of this season but remember the entire series is always filtered through an individual’s biased perspective.

So Noah is going seem like a caricature proclaiming his love for Helen and Helen isn’t going illuminate (or even recognize) her own personality flaws, etc.

It’s intentional.

 

Yes the perspective thing was done so very well in the first seasons. With this I wouldn't even want both sides of everything . I think his acting has been like that for a while , not only that scene. I was thinking when we see what Joanie discovers will it matter as we already saw what happened to Alison..