I began my love affair with the TV show "The Affair" in Hong Kong in 2015. I was vacationing there for a few weeks. My sister went to work and I tinkered with the saved shows on her telly and came across the above mentioned show. I was hooked from the very first episode of Season 1 about a married teacher and budding novelist Noah Solloway (Dominic West) who has an affair with a married waitress named Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson). Their encounter set in Montauk, where the Solloway family vacation annually.
I liked that the episodes unfold from the viewpoint of each character. It is interesting to note just how different each character recalls the same incident. From the difference in the clothes, to the behavior of the characters they interact with in the exact same scene even to the hairstyle. Now 5 seasons and 53 episodes later, its finale episode was aired last November 03, 2019 in the US which was Monday morning here in this neck of the woods.
Noah started as an obnoxious, remorseless and arrogant personality. A conceited teacher who went through a lot - an affair, a divorce, fame as a novelist, jail time, short flings, losing his house to the California forest fires to a tarnished reputation as accusations of sexual harassment flew in. He was not well liked, yet it was a bit surprising and refreshing too how he was able to completely redeem himself in the eyes of the people who actually and always mattered to him - his ex wife Helen and his four kids (Martin, Whitney, Trevor and Stacy) as well as to Joanie.
Helen was always beleaguered. By her wealthy parents, who spoiled her but were also highly critical of her. By her husband Noah, who she thought was happy in their married life but suddenly has a passionate affair during one of their annual vacations. By her children, who found her weak for not completely condemning the affair. By her partners Dr. Vik Ullah, who got cancer but completely gave up any forms of treatment, and the actor Sasha Mann, who was only using her so he could be an effective "Noah" in the film adaptation of Noah's novel, Descent. Yet I really admired Helen, she was a complex character who was more capable than any of them gave her credit for. She exemplified strength, courage, tenacity and many more nouns to describe a powerful female character.
Alison was a flawed person. Grief stricken by the death of her young son, she grew distant from her husband Cole. Finding solace instead in a torrid affair with Noah, someone who wasn't her equal but understood her pain. I like how she too was able to rise above her sorrow, her affair and was well on her way to being a better person. But unfortunately she was murdered after arguing with Ben, another lost soul who wasn't too forthcoming about his marital status. I read that Ruth Wilson who portrays Alison demanded higher pay upon learning that Dominic West earned much more than her. The powers that be did not agree so she left the show. In that regard, I only read about that after Alison was 'killed' off. Yet, I believe they treated the ending of her character, well. A person such as Alison could never escape her misery, it would haunt her till her last breath. It was a little too late for her change. It is heartbreaking, extremely sad but true.
Joanie is the product of Alison and Cole while they were with other partners. Alison was still with Noah while Cole was with Luisa. Yes it was complicated, to say the least. A grown up Joanie is first introduced in the last season as a new character. Her scenes just sneaking in the last few minutes of each episode. When it was finally revealed she was Joanie, I was stunned! They personified her as a stoic, sarcastic person so I wasn't drawn to her, at all. Anna Paquin's strange facial expressions didn't help. The writers devoted an entire episode on Joanie so we got to understand the significance of her behavior, her angst against her mother, Alison, her misinterpretation of her dad, Cole. With the help of EJ (another twist I didn't see coming, at all), she learns more about her mother's death. Her confrontation scene with an old Ben was creepy, scary and terrifying. In another scene, an old Noah now the owner of the Lobster Roll narates the answers to Joanie's countless questions as he clarifies all her misconceptions of her dad, her mom and her own self. This revelation made Joanie realize her true purpose in life.
Lastly, Whitney is Noah and Helen's eldest daughter. She was just a little girl when the series started. She only blossomed in perhaps the 3rd or 4th season. Coming into her own person, she did give her parents some trouble when she hooked up with a much older guy. An eccentric artist named Furkat who showed his strange, abstract paintings in numerous galleries. She left him when he hit her during one of his exhibits in Paris. Whitney showed up again at Dr. Ullah's funeral, apparently engaged to some Irish dude named Colin. Early on, we are told that she is marrying him so he can have acquire citizenship. For the longest time, Whitney didn't see eye to eye with her father. Long periods of not communicating because of his infidelity and being embroiled in sexual harassment lawsuits. Yet the "new" much improved Noah practically bent backwards and arranged everything for her wedding. From hiring the caterers, helping her find a suitable dress to choreographing a surprise flash mob. Yet she still didn't want him at her wedding. Towards the last few episodes, Whitney also changes for the good, she became more mature and responsible. The final episode featured her wedding to Colin. That exact moment, she realized she missed her father at her wedding, plus the next scene just proves the Solloways will always be a family and they will be okay because they have each other.
The cast composed of believable actors (Dominic West and Maura Tierney) did a good job in drawing out their intricate characters. Seeing an old Noah dancing on top of a picturesque cliff made me smile. It was a fitting emotional end to all the drama, the heart aches, the highs and lows of each character. It still ended on a positive note without any loose ends for us to ponder over, giving us sleepless nights. Heh! I will miss this show but there are still other series that continue to entertain me.
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