The Affair

[Gideon58]

https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/theaffair_pr_releasead_alison.jpg

Just finished binge watching season one of The Affair, an explosive and sexy series on Showtime that will begin its third season on November 20th. I was hesitant about committing to this because I couldn't imagine an entire television series developed around an affair, but Showtime has mounted a compelling series that reaches far beyond the expected erotic sex scenes and the blistering scenes of accusation and betrayal that one would expect on this subject.

Noah (Dominic West) is a writer who is married to Helen (Maura Tierney) and is the father of four children. Allison (Ruth Wilson) is a waitress who is married to a rancher (Joshua Jackson) and still grieving over the death of her child. Noah and his family travel to Long Island one summer for their annual summer visit with his wealthy in-laws (John Doman, Kathleen Chalfant) and, while there, they stop at the restaurant where Allison works and there is an incident where one of Noah's children starts to choke and Allison saves the child's life, which is the springboard for an attaction between Noah and Allison that has some far reaching and unexpected consequences.

This show is a revelation because the reveal of the affair actual happens in the middle of season one and you immediately wonder where else the show can go, but the possibilities are turning out to be endless, including a murder which resulted in the arrest of a principal character at the end of the first season. The show is erotic without being dirty and the adult language is appropriate and never feels forced.

The cast is first rate...West, an underrated actor, has found the role of a lifetime here and is making the most of it and his chemistry with the pouty-lipped Ruth Wilson is off the charts. Maura Tierney nails her edgy role as the wronged wife, which won her an Emmy for her work the first season and earned her another nomination for the second season. Doman and Chalfant make the most of very unsympathetic roles and mention should also be made of surprisingly powerful work from Joshua Jackson and from the always reliable Mare Winningham as Allison's mother-in-law. Fans of prime time soaps and 1950's melodrama will definitely have a head start. If you plan to commit, I would definitely watch from the beginning but you need to get on it as the third season starts in a couple of months. I'm going to be starting on season two now.

[TONGO]

Nice writeup G, Ill give it a gander now. :)

[cricket]

That sounds pretty good, I may try it with my wife.

[Camo]

Watched the first three episodes. Personally, i didn't like it. I love Dominick and Ruth but i didn't feel any chemsitry and i mostly found it dull and uncomfortable.

[Topsy]

I wasnt impressed when i was watched the first season,but it definitly turned it up a bit in the second season.
I remember having a convo about this show with someone else on here...was it you camo?

Anyway,at first it was hard to get into because i found the characters so unlikeable and the show was a bit slow in the beginning,and even though it turns it up a bit in the second season it does get a bit ridiculous aswell
like all of a sudden being famous and trying to have sex with his own daughter while hes on a drugs
had i not been able to stream it and watch it all at once i prob wouldnt have watched it at all

[Camo]

.was it you camo?

Yeah. It wasn't really a conversation about this show though. It was just you saying this was slow as an example of a slow show you liked when i said Rectify was slow. I mentioned my problems with this then quickly turned it into a The Wire conversation haha.

[Topsy]

oh haha,i had prob seen just seen the second season then,or in the midst of it if i said i liked it :lol:
i think my love for dominic west tainted my views for it a bit though or ive just changed my mind about it
i still think its okay but definitly not for everybody-but i think the performances by the cast are amazing though
and IA Gideon,joshua jackson surprised.

[Gideon58]

OK, I'm four episodes into season 2 and I have to say that Maura Tierney is KILLING IT!!! I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she won a second Emmy for her work here.

[Gideon58]

Have finished episode 8 of season two and am not thrilled at the way Noah (Dominic West) is being turned into a total prick and Allison is turning out to be a little cra-cra, but every time I tune in, I can't take my eyes off the screen.

[Gideon58]

Have just finished the second season and all I can say is Oh....my....God.

[Gideon58]

Just finished the first two episodes of season 3 and this show is still killing it...I really didn't think another season of viable entertainment could come from this story, but this is still appointment television. I'm not crazy about the way they seem to destroying the character of Allison, but Maura Tierney is freaking brilliant as Helen and every moment she has onscreen is gold. It's clear she is wracked with guilt about Noah going to prison as she should be but I love the fact that it really hasn't affected Noah.

[Gideon58]

Just finished episode 4 which was equal parts confusing and fascinating...at least I got confirmation that Cole is still in love with Allison, but sometimes I think the writers are trying to make the viewer as crazy as Allison is becoming...this telling the same story from completely different points of view is often aggravating because we're not sure which POV is actually what happened, but maybe that's the point. Joshua Jackson is killing it as Cole.

[Austruck]

I'm busy catching up with the third season now. (I'm finishing up episode 4.) How can a series actually get better with each season, especially one that seems to have built on such a focused idea? And yet, I'm continually appreciating the simple title of this show, "The Affair." Why? Because it's been multiple seasons of fallout from this affair. The ripple effect of the affair gets progressively worse and affects more and more people.

I keep thinking of how all these lives would be different -- would be better -- if Noah and Alison hadn't had the affair in the first place. And since this show has such a dark, melancholy feel to it, I keep wondering just how much worse things can get. And amazingly, even as new bad things happen to everyone, none of it really feels all that forced anymore. There were events here and there that felt a little too ridiculous, but mostly it's felt strangely authentic. And this third season has been really strong. The acting and cast are stellar, and it shows.

One small thing really disturbs me, though: Brendan Fraser is really letting himself go. :D :D :D

[Austruck]

...this telling the same story from completely different points of view is often aggravating because we're not sure which POV is actually what happened, but maybe that's the point.

When they switch POV in the two halves of an episode and they're telling the same event, I always wonder why they change things like what dress Alison is wearing or what the birthday cake looked like (as two small examples). Are we supposed to think that each POV character remembers things like this THAT differently? Because sometimes the differences are really stark.

Just a curiosity.

[Gideon58]

I

One small thing really disturbs me, though: Brendan Fraser is really letting himself go. :D :D :D

OMG, I know, right? When he first appeared, I had no idea who it was, but his second or third appearance, I began recognizing the voice...I said I knew that voice somewhere and when I realized who it was, my heart broke. He's not alone though...have you seen Russell Crowe lately?

[Austruck]

OMG, I know, right? When he first appeared, I had no idea who it was, but his second or third appearance, I began recognizing the voice...I said I knew that voice somewhere and when I realized who it was, my heart broke. He's not alone though...have you seen Russell Crowe lately?
No! Will have to go search for recent pictures.

I had the opposite experience: I saw Brendan Fraser's name in the credits and thought, "Wait, THE Brendan Fraser? Where was he?" Then I watched the next episode and realized who it was. Good acting, though. He just needs a little bit of Slim Fast or something. :)

[Austruck]

Well, that was depressing. :D

[Gideon58]

No! Will have to go search for recent pictures.

I had the opposite experience: I saw Brendan Fraser's name in the credits and thought, "Wait, THE Brendan Fraser? Where was he?" Then I watched the next episode and realized who it was. Good acting, though. He just needs a little bit of Slim Fast or something. :)

Yeah, I missed his name in the credits so I didn't know he was going to be on.

[cinemajack]

No! Will have to go search for recent pictures.

I had the opposite experience: I saw Brendan Fraser's name in the credits and thought, "Wait, THE Brendan Fraser? Where was he?" Then I watched the next episode and realized who it was. Good acting, though. He just needs a little bit of Slim Fast or something. :)
Fraser surprised me. I recognized him, but it was still hard to believe that was him. He's so creepy. I don't know if I've ever seen him this compelling.

[Austruck]

Yeah, he's creepy without overblowing it to the point of caricature.

[Gideon58]

Episode six was fun, sexy, and provided several surprises, including the return of a few characters who I thought were out of the picture. I'm loving the way Helen's guilt is beginning to eat away at her entire life, it's really starting to consume her and it looks like someone's on to her already...the scene with Helen and her sister-in-law (Jennifer Esposito) was brilliant. It was nice to get some backstory on Noah, even if it wasn't the backstory I was looking for and I have to confess the final moment of the show totally confused me. It was nice to see Noah and his son reconnect too...this show continues to fascinate and Maura Tierney is just glorious as Helen.

[Austruck]

Gideon, I happened to catch the credits and cast at the end of that episode. There was a listing for "Young Noah," and I am pretty sure that we got a glimpse of young Noah in the pond/lake. Whether present-day Noah is now hallucinating or dissociating in some way is the question, right?

[Gideon58]

Gideon, I happened to catch the credits and cast at the end of that episode. There was a listing for "Young Noah," and I am pretty sure that we got a glimpse of young Noah in the pond/lake. Whether present-day Noah is now hallucinating or dissociating in some way is the question, right?


I kind of suspected that's who it was, so how does that explain the way Noah was acting in the water in Helen's version of what happened?

[Gideon58]

OK, episode 7 was disturbing on several levels...I know each half of every episode is supposed to be from the characters' different points of view, but the events presented in this episode were totally separate from each other...there were things that happened in Noah's version that didn't happen in Helen's...the stop at the Gunther's gun shop was only in Noah's version, I don't understand that. I'm sorry that Helen taking care of Noah has destroyed her relationship with Vic because Vic was awesome. I'm not happy that the writers are turning Noah into an addict, doesn't he have enough issues going on right now? And Helen using vicadin to get Noah into her bed? Seriously? I'm also over this prison guard played by Brendon Fraser...there's more going on here than just jealousy and it's time to fill us in on what's going on there and let it go.

[Austruck]

Bear in mind that, in Helen's version, she wouldn't KNOW about his stop at the gun shop, so we don't see that in her version. It's a bit of a point-of-view trick. What bothers me about the differences is that basic things are really different. Remember the episode with the birthday cake? The cake was completely different. The clothing Alison wore was completely different. That's what I can't understand... and they seem to do more of it now than they did in that original season.

Anyway, I still have to watch last night's episode so I merely skimmed your post in case there were spoilers.

[Gideon58]

Bear in mind that, in Helen's version, she wouldn't KNOW about his stop at the gun shop, so we don't see that in her version. It's a bit of a point-of-view trick. What bothers me about the differences is that basic things are really different. Remember the episode with the birthday cake? The cake was completely different. The clothing Alison wore was completely different. That's what I can't understand... and they seem to do more of it now than they did in that original season.

Anyway, I still have to watch last night's episode so I merely skimmed your post in case there were spoilers.


How would Helen not know about the stop at the gun shop in her version? She was driving the car in both versions.

[Austruck]

Sorry... I thought you were talking about the brief glimpse of the gun shop we saw in episode 6. (I hadn't watched episode 7 yet when I posted earlier today -- just finished it a few minutes ago.)

I'd like to hear or read something by the writers or director about why they make all the changes they do between different characters' timelines. Why the small, insignificant changes? In this episode, in Helen's version at the beginning, Noah's sitting in the passenger seat of her car just in his wet clothes, no bandage on his neck. In the Noah version, he's sitting there with a warm blanket around his shoulders, neck properly bandaged.

Are we supposed to be gleaning information from these differences? I could theorize, but I'm just unsure why there are SO many differences.

[Gideon58]

After watching episode 8, one thing became perfectly clear...Helen has never stopped loving Noah and always will and Cole has never stopped Alison and always will. The scene between Helen and Alison in the bar was brilliant. It was kind of convenient the way Louisa all of a sudden started becoming nice just in time for Cole to dump her.

[Gideon58]

All I can say about episode 9 is that the first half was brilliant and the second half was a hot mess. Maura Tierney deserves an Emmy for her work on this episode alone...as for the second half, I do have a theory that might tie this mess together, but I have a feeling it won't be confirmed until the season finale next week.

[Gideon58]

OK, was anyone else as disappointed with the season finale as I was? Boring and uneventful...a lot of stuff that I expected to be addressed in the season finale was not, specifically the whole storyline with the prison guard (Brendan Fraser). A season finale is supposed to contain a cliffhanger, that one explosive event that makes the viewer scream and be on pins and needles until the new season starts...no such reveal in this episode...just possibly the worst season finale I have ever seen in the history of time, and I've seen a lot of season finales in my day.

[Austruck]

They addressed the prison guard thing already: It never happened. Noah was having some paranoid hallucinations and actually stabbed himself. That became clear when he went to the guard's house, only to find out he was a reasonable man who loved his wife and even had a special-needs child.

Having said that, though, I totally agree that this didn't feel like a season finale at all. An entire episode in Paris with Juliette and her family? Frankly, she has seemed like a plot device and not a deep character we've needed to care about. And now he's left Paris and is back home. I suppose the ending with the cab driver asking him where he wants to go is supposed to be the cliffhanger, since he doesn't answer. Where does Noah go from here? He has two ex-wives and a probably-ex-girlfriend. Which one will he go see? Not the first ex-wife, since he was leaving her house at the end of the episode (unless they start next season with him getting back out of the cab).

But suddenly his relationships with his two older kids are healed, almost as if my magic? Yeah, I'm not buying it. Whitney might forgive him for a while because he helped her at a vulnerable time and said some "wise" things, but she has a much longer history of not trusting him than trusting him. If this were real life, she'd bounce back to her usual snarky self. We'll see.

I kept thinking the whole episode was in Paris because, well, if you're going to haul a whole crew to Paris, you might as well milk it for an entire episode. :) And that's a bad reason.

[Gideon58]

They addressed the prison guard thing already: It never happened. Noah was having some paranoid hallucinations and actually stabbed himself. That became clear when he went to the guard's house, only to find out he was a reasonable man who loved his wife and even had a special-needs child.



OK, you're not going to believe this, but this was one of my two theories.

[Austruck]

I do believe it! I was wondering for a while if he was hallucinating the guard being that bad -- certainly I felt that the guard wasn't the one who stabbed him, that seemed too obvious -- but hadn't thought it through to the full conclusion they showed us once he went all the way to the guard's house.

It was just frustrating that this season finale had him casually telling Juliette that she made him feel okay again after he was in a bad place. How convenient that he just snaps out of it because of a woman. Seemed a trite, neat way to tie up that huge loose end. There would have been ongoing repercussions to his hallucinations, including having to tell the police that nobody committed a crime against him (so they don't keep searching for a culprit).

[Gideon58]

I do believe it! I was wondering for a while if he was hallucinating the guard being that bad -- certainly I felt that the guard wasn't the one who stabbed him, that seemed too obvious -- but hadn't thought it through to the full conclusion they showed us once he went all the way to the guard's house.

It was just frustrating that this season finale had him casually telling Juliette that she made him feel okay again after he was in a bad place. How convenient that he just snaps out of it because of a woman. Seemed a trite, neat way to tie up that huge loose end. There would have been ongoing repercussions to his hallucinations, including having to tell the police that nobody committed a crime against him (so they don't keep searching for a culprit).


So you agree that the season finale was a real disappointment?

[Austruck]

Heck, yeah, I agree!

Frankly, not only was it a bad season finale, it was mostly a bad episode. I learned virtually nothing and the story really didn't even move forward at any level. The warm-fuzzies with him and Whitney seemed forced. Same with him and Martin at the end. Trite. Too easy. Bleh.

[Wplains]

Watched the first three episodes. Personally, i didn't like it. I love Dominick and Ruth but i didn't feel any chemsitry and i mostly found it dull and uncomfortable.

I have to say I totally agree with you. Watched 4 episodes of season 1 and found it a snore fest. It could be that I just did not like the two main characters - I found them both to be selfish, awful people.

[Gideon58]

Watched the season 4 premiere a few days ago and still find this show oddly riveting though major characters did not appear at all in the premiere. And why are they turning the character of Helen (Maura Tierney) into this raving bitch? During season 1, this character evoked MAD sympathy but those days are over I guess. I'll keep watching.

[Stirchley]

Watched 4 episodes of season 1 and found it a snore fest. It could be that I just did not like the two main characters - I found them both to be selfish, awful people.

Same here. Hated the show. I, maybe, watched 2 episodes.

[Gideon58]

The best thing about ep 2 was the work by Joshua Jackson as Cole...it's so much fun watching Jackson play a character with a real edge. It's fun watching him continue to fight his obsession with Allison.

[Gideon58]

Ep 3 was very good...can't believe they're killing off Dr. Vic I love him. Maura Tierney was nothing short of brilliant as Helen...can we just give this actress an Emmy already?

[Austruck]

Agreed on all fronts. I have no idea why I am compelled to keep watching this show, but I am. It's gotta be the acting and the casting. Tierney is marvelous to watch. Such a complex character. I like that they are still using the dual-perspectives stuff, although a little less so than initially in the first season.

[Gideon58]

Just finished ep 4 which took a minute to get going but there were rewards for my patience. Louisa is a manipulative bitch and I wish Cole would find the mason jar where she's keeping his balls...cannot believe she actually made him leave his own home because she feels insecure. And typically with shows like this, a seemingly fantastic character is introduced and then yanked away with the rest of his backstory...so Ben is 7 months sober, married, and lying to Allison about it...this initially got me kind of pissed off but then I remembered the name of the show I'm watching.

[Austruck]

Ha! Exactly. Frankly, I was relieved it's only that Ben's married and not that he killed her while they were on that boat. She's a fool for having gotten onto a boat with a guy she hardly knows. That's how you end up on the evening news.

Alison cannot catch a break with men. Period.

As for Cole... WTF? Seriously? Frankly, that "plot twist" of him visiting his mom and her conveniently mentioning Cole's dad going on a walkabout was pulled out of think air in order for Cole to have this next thing to go do. That walkabout thing should have been mentioned, like, a season or more ago for it NOT to feel like a deus ex machina for Cole here. Sure, it'll be interesting, but it feels completely shoehorned into the plot to me.

So, I wonder why Alison is now missing (beginning of episode). They didn't get around to coming back to that this week, did they? And I suppose Cole's not on his walkabout if he's searching for Alison with Noah and Anton.

[Gideon58]

Yeah, I, too, missed how Allison is supposedly missing.

[Gideon58]

Just finished ep 5...it's bad enough they're killing Dr. Vik do they have to make him a douchebag too? The Cole part was weird but it confirmed something I said last season...no matter what happens with these people, Helen has never stopped loving Noah and Cole has never stopped loving Allison. Amy Irving was superb.

[Austruck]

Eh, I mostly thought his parents were the douchebags. He's just making the mistake of kowtowing to them. The car and the girl next door? That was inevitable, I think, for a guy in his position and with his history. I guess we'll find out if it's just a blip on the radar, though.

[Gideon58]

Yeah, his mother is definitely a bitch. Anyway episode 6 was a mixed bag...am I the only one who am feeling no chemistry between Dominic West and Sanaa Lathan? I liked the way Allison found out Ben was married, that was really well done and that final scene with Helen was brilliant.

[Austruck]

I'm a little surprised that Helen was so kind to Alison. I don't find that very realistic -- and that Noah would have brought her there. Was there nowhere else? Not his place because of... the principal? Anyway, aside from the fact that those circumstances were ridiculous, it was a well done scene, yes.

Still wondering how/when we're going to find out why Alison is missing.

[Gideon58]

Yeah, they still haven't addressed that yet, very strange.

[Austruck]

How many episodes are left in the season? I'm guessing they're going to steer back around to that and perhaps end the season with some sort of half-cliff-hanger about it. My guess, anyway...

[Gideon58]

There are ten episodes in the season so there are three more left.

[Gideon58]

Ep 7 was definitely a mixed bag...Helen's story was very odd and I just didn't buy her actually having sex with the flower child. Noah's half was a big improvement, though I'm not feeling any chemistry between Dominic West and Sanaa Lathan. I do like the actor playing Anton.

[Austruck]

And we are starting to get a glimpse of the Alison-is-missing story. As for Helen and flower-child... well, they'd been smoking something, and I think she was feeling particularly powerful and in charge when all these hip, cool young women suddenly felt she had wisdom to share (which I'm sure she did NOT expect when she first got there). I saw all of her actions -- going to the moon circle and borrowing Vic's car to do it -- as a reaction to his disease AND his calling her to say he was working late. She just kinda had a "Screw everything!" moment/evening, which I bet it fairly common when dealing with something as serious as a stage 4 cancer. It was her way of lashing out at something over which she has no control... by taking control where she could find it.

My two cents.

As for Noah's half, I'm getting really tired of the dynamic of him being seen as butting into Anton's family. Showing us that once was okay and probably fairly accurate/common, but it's been twice now and I have a feeling it'll happen a third time and will come to a head in some way that will lay down the gauntlet.

[Gideon58]

Yeah, I was pretty sure the second time Anton's Dad was going to punch Noah in the face. Noah didn't seem to get the hint either.

[Austruck]

Watched last night's episode. Will await your catching up to discuss. :)

[Austruck]

Oh dear. Are you behind, Gideon58? Radio silence from over there. :(

Last night's episode was … revealing.

But now it has me thinking: All these seasons of this show, and all those half-hour segments with a character's name in front, as if it's from their perspective... Because of how *different* the two half hours were last night, and how revealing, I'm now wondering if every episode was like this. In other words, in previous episodes, was the first half that character's perspective, and the second half the "truth"? Because clearly last night's first half was Ben's version of events/Ben's "story," if you will. But that second half showed us the truth, based on what we already knew from the previous episode.

Perhaps this has always been the gist of the two halves, and the differences have just been far more subtle before now. What do you think?

[Austruck]

Sooo… is next week's episode a season finale or a series finale? Doesn't it seem as if the whole show should be ending now? And yet, I think Showtime is just listing it as a season finale.

I can't envision how another season after this one wouldn't be a stretch. What with the things that have happened in the past two episodes, anyway. Feels like the whole show is tying up loose ends...

Thoughts?

[Austruck]

Oh wait, now I'm thinking THIS was the season finale. Now I'm really confused. :( The pacing was weird in the second half of this season.

[Austruck]

Yes, this was the season finale. There is one more season left. And Alison was killed off because the actress wanted out:

"There has been press on why Wilson is leaving the show with one season left. Treem said Wilson wanted to leave and they found a way to accommodate her. Wilson has been more circumspect. They wouldn’t let go of such a talented actress for any other reason, but there is some rationale to Showtime’s assertion there was no place left to go with Alison."

From this poorly proofread article: https://deadline.com/2018/08/the-affair-finale-showtime-ruth-wilson-joshua-jackson-dominic-west-maura-tierney-1202448249/

[Gideon58]

Just finished watching the somewhat confusing but still effective season 5 premiere...this episode required complete attention because not only was there a time jump of at least a couple of years between last season and this one, but the producers decide to go all Tarantino on us and tell us what happened in that time out of sequence. The whole meeting between Noah and the director who wants to turn his book into a movie was very strange. The videotape of Dr. Vik at his wake I didn't see coming at all, though I was a little disappointed that the writers didn't think it was important for us to hear what he had to say to Helen. The interracial couple in the middle of the episode totally threw me, but I think, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, was supposed to be Cole and Allison's daughter, Joanie, all grown up (beautifully played by Oscar winner Anna Pacquin), but why the writers felt it was necessary to add another huge leap in time to the story was a total mystery to me. And a big bouquet to the amazing Maura Tierney, whose didn't make a false move as Helen dealt with Dr. Vik's death and the birth of his child. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she tries to get custody of that child.

[Austruck]

Wait... season 5 started up? How did I miss this? Must go watch before I read the rest of your post! :)

[Austruck]

Glad I didn't read your last comment till after I just watched the episode, Gideon58 ! :)

Yes, that was Joanie Lockhart all grown up. I couldn't figure out at first why there was all this futuristic tech (the strawberries, the oxygenation, the Alexa-mirror in the bathroom, the weird fireworks/sparkler things)... till he called her Joanie. Then, of course, the prescription bottle had her full name on it.

I suspect there are going to be plenty of time jumps in this season, since I now wonder if Joanie survives that OD attempt. We'll likely hop back to how she got to this point in the first place. And what happened to Cole ("I miss my dad"), etc. I think they're going to do all these time jumps specifically to wrap up the larger stories involved here, and we would be interested in how the upcoming generation does in the wake of the initial affair and everything that transpired after that.

Noah continues to do stupid crap, thinking he can just swoop in and be anybody's hero. He still doesn't have a clue about the ripple effect his initial bad deeds have had on everyone's lives. His kids try to telegraph that to him (as does Helen), but he just doesn't seem to really get it. He certainly doesn't agree with that assessment of himself.

I'm guessing the movie of his book is going to be some sort of epiphany for him, due to how it's interpreted.

[Gideon58]

Well, the first half of ep 2 was a mixed bag...it seems like the writers are making a concerted effort to make us hate Janelle for some reason. Though that scene between Sanaa Lathan and Russell Hornsby as Carl was superb. Not understanding why Janelle needs Carl to tell her to quit her job. Why did we need to jump another three months to the beginning of Noah's movie? That director or actor or whatever he is a total weirdo. This was the strongest part of the show, thanks to Maura Tierney's award-worthy work as Helen. OK, she showed up at Cole's old house, but still don't understand why the show feel we need to meet adult Joanie and speaking of which, where the hell is Cole? I noticed Joshua Jackson is not in the credits anymore, but I don't recall how he was written off the show, though I guess with Allison gone, they felt no need for Cole either?

[Austruck]

Well, Joanie does say "I miss my dad" in last week's episode... so I assume he died. Now, HOW he died, I don't think we've been told. But we clearly should be. That's a cliff hanger they'll need to address because it's not like he died of old age. At this point, I assume this is why we're seeing adult Joanie at all: to see either the after-effects of losing her mother, or to see what happened to Cole as a result of losing Alison.

[Gideon58]

OK, just wrapped episode 3 and I'm almost convinced that the writers are smoking crack because this show used to be must see TV for me, and now it's just pissing me off with each new episode. Sasha Mann is an arrogant prick and I hate the fact that he's getting involved with Helen, and the dynamics of his relationship with Noah are going to guarantee that this movie never gets made. Or if it gets made, Sasha really is going to completely re-write the script and Noah will lose any authority he has regarding the screenplay. I hate watching Noah play into these guy's manipulations, he's making Noah look like a complete idiot....waking up at the restaurant and that drunk tirade at Helen's door...seriously? Kathleen Chalfant really brought the bitchy as she tried to manipulate Helen and her family into moving back east because it's what she wants. Not getting this backward trip into the future with adult Joanie, which, at this point, seems to be telling us that Joanie is a whore like her mother. I think it would have been much more interesting to watch what happened to Cole in real time, but I'm just getting the impression that Joshua Jackson wanted out of the show and that's why they're going this route.

[Austruck]

I'm really missing Joshua Jackson and Ruth Wilson all of a sudden.

Instead of this season feeling like it's tying up loose ends (which it ALMOST did in the first episode or two), it's starting to feel like trying to untie two necklaces that got tangled together. :D Do they have an end game here? Will it feel satisfying?

I'm now pretty certain that they're going to show us Noah and Helen getting back together, maybe moving back east because nearly everybody BUT Helen wants to, and she'll knuckle just to keep her family together. And maybe she'll be happy too. Will she bring Vik's baby? Dunno. Will Sierra just give up since she didn't really plan this baby anyway?

The relationship between Sasha and Helen is merely a way for Noah to come to grips with the fact that he wants Helen back. And if/when Sasha turns into an ******* and Helen sees it, she might want Noah back, too.

And the script-changing bit will make Noah even more disillusioned with the West Coast. Helen's mom appearing and advocating for a move back east just seals it for me: they're trying to fast-track a complete full circle back to much of the original situation, with everyone wiser and more gracious.

But, this episode felt like it didn't move much of anything forward, except that it was paving the road for:

1. a reconciliation between Helen and Noah;
2. a move back east for the original family.

And I agree on the Joanie story: I'm positive now that it's trying to be a poignant way to tell us what happened to her dad, Cole (without having to show us Joshua Jackson), since we already know what happened to her mom, Alison. (How much does SHE know, though?)

And it feels like unnecessary information at this point. Surely there were other ways to tell us what happened to Cole without adding a fast-forward storyline so late in the game...

[Gideon58]

Oh, I'm totally convinced that if Helen does move back east, she's not going anywhere without Vik's baby.

[Gideon58]

Well, if ep 3 had me getting a little disenchanted with this show, ep 4 sucked me right back in...the first half was absolutely sparkling entertainment from the bitchy Kathleen Chalfont's commentary about her dysfunctional family not behaving the way they were supposed to to Noah actually losing his mind and planting sex toys in Sasha's bedroom...that was a really stupid move. Sasha is a prick and he needs to be out of Helen's life but that wasn't the way to go about it. And speaking of Helen, when did she become this important executive who has an assistant screening her calls and taking her maiden name again? And why are the costumers for the show dressing Helen like a 1960's matron? As for Whitney, I was reminded why I never cared about her...what a flightly, pretentious, self-absorbed little diva she is...thinks it's all about her and has a solution to all her problems walk back into her life and still goes home and cuddles with Collin. Collin must have a giant schlong because the guy has no other redeeming qualities and Whitney can't seem to quit him. As for Joanie, the scene of her cleaning out the house definitely implied that Joanie seems to have a lot of unresolved resentment toward her mother, but they need to let us know why soon because there are only six episodes left...the Joanie story definitely needs a little more forward motion.

[Austruck]

Agreed. Now that we've seen Joanie throwing away family photos (!! who does that?) and then visiting her dad in the cemetery (and we see Cole must've died fairly recently since his tombstone said 2053), I want to know what happened. MUCH more than I want to know whether Whitney dumps Colin, who has no redeeming qualities at allllll. Why are they throwing Whitney back at us at this late stage? There are so many other questions I'd rather they deal with. Like, COLE. ALISON'S MURDER. Minor stuff like that.

Isn't Helen's new "job" something Sasha secured for her? That decorating thing for his furniture-less house? And it apparently magically turned into an actual job?? And of course, she's outsourcing some of the decorating to Whitney to put art on the walls....

I thought the sex toy thing was ridiculous. Far better to just plant a bra and panties and be done with it. :)

[Gideon58]

Well, if the purpose of ep 5 was to make us hate Sierra, TPTB knocked it out of the park because I just want this woman to be hit by a bus now. I've only tolerated her presence because she had Dr. Vic's baby, but she is not worthy of motherhood and I can't wait until Helen takes that baby from her. I can't believe she left the baby in the car while she went in for her audition and what did she think getting in the car high on cocaine with the baby was going to solve? I am glad she got a shot of reality of Helen and LOVED Jennifer Jason Leigh as her mom. The irony of it all is that Emily Browning is a really good actress and is totally invested in this truly detestable character. Noah's groveling to Helen after everything he's done was just ludicrous and am relieved Helen didn't play into it, though it was interesting that when Sasha told Helen he loved her, she couldn't say it back. I also hope the bus that takes out Sierra does a U-turn and comes back to take care of Helen's mother-in-law...that woman is not to be believed.

[Austruck]

Totally agree. I'm not even sure WHY they focused half a show on Sierra, except to prep us for Helen taking her baby. (We'd need to see Sierra as a pretty crappy mother first... and we totally did.) But half an episode at this late stage? Seemed too much.

And now, of course, they're starting to play Sasha as a jerk too, for backing out of that movie and probably ruining Barry's career in the process. They keep throwing doses of why L.A. is so terrible and why Hollywood is so fake at Helen, but she hasn't taken the hint yet. And even her budding career was thrown in her face as Sasha just blurted out that she got the job as a favor to him.

I still feel they're setting us up for everyone moving back east and becoming one family again... although it seems they're taking the long way home.

If you saw the previews for next week...

...looks like we're finally going to get around to catching up via Joanie with what might have happened to Cole, and what might still be revealed about Alison's death. Gee, wasn't that something they should have touched on by NOW this season?

[Gideon58]

Yes, they are quietly setting up what I have always believed the finale of this show is going to be...the reconciliation of Noah and Helen.

[Gideon58]

Be careful what you wish for because you might actually get it. I requested a little more forward motion in Joanie's story and they devoted the ENTIRE episode 6 to her, I could not believe it. On the positive side, Anna Paquin was up to the challenge...the actress is doing some bold and uncompromising work in this role that demanded this viewer's attention. The geneticist that she met in this episode was initially kind of creepy but I did love the way he kept referencing movies and Joanie had no idea what he was talking about. The best thing about the episode is that maybe we might finally get some resolution regarding Allison's death. I can't believe her death was documented as a suicide...did the police do any kind of investigation at all into her death? Did anyone ever talk to Benjamin Cruz? The really disturbing part though was when Joanie realized that her mother's death may have not been suicide, she really didn't seem to be the least bit interested in pursuing the matter and possibly getting to the truth. She seems to be content in being this angry, butter woman who wants to blame her mother for everything that is wrong with her life. Don't understand why she wants to lay all the blame for the wrong in her life at her mother's feet and continues to give Cole complete absolution.

[Austruck]

My guess is that it might just take time. As she herself said, you CAN drown in a bathtub (fall and hit your head, etc.). So, after literally decades of feeling one way about her parents, she wouldn't just reverse that in a heartbeat. It's so much a part of who she is that it'll be a while before the truth trickles down and informs her personality as an adult.

Remember that we're now seeing that she has called Luisa "Mom" all these years. She lost Alison when she was only seven and has mostly only known Luisa as a mother figure.

Also, in the handwritten police notes, I did see mention of Cruz... but not much. Looks like they did talk to him but then -- given Alison's history -- passed him over in favor of the more likely suicide assumption.

What I found interesting about the geneticist guy is that, after only knowing Joanie for a brief time, he allows her to go full bonkers on him emotionally. Like, that's screaming HIGH MAINTENANCE! and yet he's okay with that. Either he's really desperate or he's reeeeeeeally a great guy. Or he really just wants to interview her badly. :D

I'm glad to see they're finally hitting this angle (Alison's death, etc.). I'm surprised there was no reaction from her when she saw "Noah Solloway" on the policeman's notes. He was at least involved in her life in those earlier years, and I'd expect her to have some opinion of him. And I'm a little surprised we've not seen him stay in contact with her over the years, either. It's like the two stories are completely separate now.

[Austruck]

Yes, they are quietly setting up what I have always believed the finale of this show is going to be...the reconciliation of Noah and Helen.

By the way, I paid more attention to the opening credits this time. It's mostly fade-out images of Noah, then Helen, etc. Clearly they're setting us up for this reunion. Neither one of them seems to have anywhere else to go...

[Gideon58]

Just wrapped ep 7 which was brilliant...actually had me talking back to the screen, a sure sign of a piece of entertainment that has tapped into my emotions. The Joanie story finally came to the point I been waiting for since the conclusion of last season and it did not disappoint...I couldn't believe that the writers actually seemed to be creating some kind of sympathy for Benjamin Cruz, beautifully played by the criminally underrated Tony Plana, but thank God they remembered the Benjamin Cruz that we were introduced to last season and gave us a nasty twist that I did not see coming AT ALL. I was also pleased to see that Joanie actually cared about what happened to her mother and wanted justice because I wasn't sure if she did until this episode. Solid work by Anna Paquin as well. Loved watching the relationship between Noah and Whitney move to a new level here. I'm glad Noah is actually aware of how conflicted his daughter is about this wedding. Kathleen Chalfant continues to bring the bitchy and John Doman was just heartbreaking as poor Bruce. Great episode.;)

[Austruck]

It was a very satisfying episode, I agree. And I too was caught off-guard by that twist with Cruz. The ONLY hint I caught was signing the waiver form, and him casually tossing out that she didn't need to worry about a date. I figured he was up to something, but I didn't know what.

I wondered why Joanie didn't call her new friend (can't remember his name... EJ?) to explain that she had, in fact, NOT been admitted to the facility three weeks earlier. That would have changed things, I think. But I'm okay with chalking that up to her being also completely caught off-guard and therefore flustered.

Noah and Whitney worked for me as well. I think since she cheated on Colin, she might JUST be able to get along with her dad better and understand that sometimes people make mistakes. I'm still not sure whether she's going to marry that idiot, though. Gosh, I hope not. :D

[Gideon58]

That guy is an idiot and she really shouldn't marry him, even Noah sees it.

[Gideon58]

OK, ep 8 played like several episodes from season 1 where we're supposed to decide which version of events is what actually happened. Really enjoyed the first half with Helen, which featured some incredible work from Maura Tierney as we saw the set-up of what we all thought was going to happen anyway...Helen getting that baby. Also loved the way Sasha and Sierra's mother got right in the middle of the mess too. Jennifer Jason Leigh was terrific. I'm so over Sasha Mann. I'm so tired of this battle between him and his stepdaughter because I really don't know who I believe and frankly, I don't care. As for Noah, he's an idiot. His lawyer warned him to stay away from the woman but Noah thinks he's the smartest on the planet. Whatever happens to him now he brought it on himself. I thought Noah's part of the story was happening at the same time that Helen's was so I was surprised when Noah showed up at the end of the show without lasagna, like he did at the end of Helen's part. After 4 seasons, I should know better than to try and second guess what's going on around here.

[Austruck]

Wasn't there lasagna in that white paper bag he was carrying in the second version? I think she looks into the bag a minute later and says, "Lasagna?" No?

Anyway... YES, Noah just thinks he can fix everything and do anything without thinking more than a half-step ahead. He doesn't plan anything in his life, and seems to go from reaction to reaction. I just knew that the more his attorney and the publicists kept begging him to stay out of it and let them handle it, the more he was going to barge in and ruin everything.

Back in the back of my mind, I keep remembering that it was HELEN driving when they hit Cole's brother with the car in season 1. Somehow I see that sacrificial act of Noah's helping him in the end. Like, maybe even making Helen take him back or whatever.

Three episodes left... and we seem to be aligning things to happen exactly the way we've been assuming. The only story I'm unsure about is present-day Joanie's. She doesn't have either of her birth parents anymore. She's in touch with Luisa but apparently has not kept in touch with Noah. The only reason we would have initially been interested in present-day Joanie (and not present-day Noah or Helen or...) is because she's snooping around the truth of her mother's death.

Will we come full circle then and see these two sets of stories finally intersect with the truth coming out and Noah finding out that Alison did NOT commit suicide? After all, the Vanity Fair reporter touched on that suicide in her follow-up questions in last night's episode. So, the beginnings of him needing or wanting that absolution were laid last night.

I just don't see them NOT letting the two currently independent stories touch at some point. Without letting them naturally fall back together somehow, the present-day Joanie story will feel like a bit of a stretch to me. Without these stories intertwining, it seems like they spent too much time on present-day Joanie just to tell US the truth about Alison, which we already knew.

[Gideon58]

Just wrapped ep 9 which was filled with some startling revelations and some powerhouse performances. Maura Tierney commanded the screen in part one as Helen tried to keep her world from unraveling after the article about Noah came out. I have to admit to being a little confused regarding these revelations about Noah's sexual escapades and I guess these things with these women happened during said time jumps. It was heartbreaking watching little Stacy read that story about that father. I'm also not thrilled about Sierra and the baby moving in with Dr. Vik's parents...that woman is a witch. Julia Goldani Telles did some strong work as Whitney faced some serious realities about the state of her messed up life right now. And why, after everything that's happened, would Helen all of a sudden come forward and claim everything is her fault, once again, letting Noah and the inability to keep his pants zipped, off the hook?

[Austruck]

The only thing I could think of was that Helen was still reeling over learning that Sasha had been the one to spill the beans to the Vanity Fair reporter in the first place, and that she fell for it ALL and set all that's happening in motion.

Of course, I don't agree that it's her fault -- how could she have known what Sasha would do? But I think watching that TV interview between Eden and that show host really got to her -- hearing herself belittled like that -- and she feels all this unnecessary guilt.

They sure are spinning everything out of control with only two episodes left. I see Whitney's story coming full circle, though, at least -- she's so much more mature than she was and far less self-centered. And I was glad to see Colin redeemed. Hard to believe they got me to change my mind about him in that ONE scene, after all this time.

Whitney's conversation on the plane was fascinating. Frankly, I tend to agree with her assessment of Audrey's situation: that Audrey shouldn't be ruining someone's complete career over hurt feelings (and not even actual sexual harassment in her particular case).

They're treating the MeToo movement with the multi-faceted complexities it contains, and I appreciate that. But I'm at a point where I don't even know who to root for anymore. Except I know I'm not rooting for Noah. :D

[Austruck]

I watched this early, with On Demand, so I'll say very little until others weigh in...

Except this:

OH MY GOSH. What kind of nonsense was this? All that time wasted just so Noah and Helen could have a bunch of heartfelt conversations and a few near-death experiences to draw them back together? Sorry, it was frustratingly bad writing. Wasted 3/4 of an episode on this, when there are tons of characters waiting to wrap up their story arcs. Pleh. Good acting aside, the premise of this episode was ridiculous at this late stage.

[Gideon58]

What can I say? Ep 10 was absolutely dazzling entertainment. I've had pictures in my head for months about how I thought this show was going to wrap, and, of course, TPTB here have provided me with nothing I expected. That doesn't change the fact that I don't think I have ever been some completely mesmerized by an episode of this show as I was by this single episode. Bouquets all around for everyone involved, with particular nods to Dominic West and Maura Tierney, who killed it as Noah and Helen finally had the kind of confrontation that a lot of us had been hoping for. I've mentioned before that I thought this show would come full circle by concluding with Noah and Helen reconciling, but after everything they've been through together, a full blown reconciliation would be unrealistic, but I LOVED everything that happened in this episode. To think that the actions of the selfish, entitled, and unbelievably bratty Whitney would spark what happened to her parents was a the last thing I saw coming, not to mention setting it all against the canvas of a devastating brush fire destroying the canyon. I was literally holding my breath when Noah and Helen were climbing down that cliff and I loved the pre-rattler conversation as well, beautifully written and performed by the actors, both of whom deserve Emmys for their work in this episode alone. The sight of all those charred automobiles on the road...I got sad when I realized the couple expecting the baby that Helen picked up were dead. Just incredible television, curious to see how they're going to top this.

[Austruck]

I guess you and I finally part ways on this episode then. I found it way too convenient in terms of finding a way to isolate these two so that they could have a few deep conversations and open up to each other. Having been through a marriage that ended with a betrayal, I can tell you that, as far as Noah's actions and apologies to this point, I'd NEVERRRRRR take this guy back at this point. He's still too self-serving, even if he did carry Helen a mile. (That could easily have been out of a sense of guilt before he realized leaving the car had been the right decision.)

Anyway, I found the whole episode a stupidly contrived way to take a shortcut to true reconciliation. Even though their getting back together now seems completely inevitable, I just don't get a good feeling that this episode's revelations would necessarily lead to a permanent, solid marriage again for these two. No matter what they worked out in terms of the past, I just don't think Noah has really changed enough to be a good husband.

But perhaps I am jaded. :) I do know I didn't like the context of this episode. Contrived. Convenient. Out of left field. My two cents.

But yes, the acting was top-notch. Both of them were riveting, despite the backdrop of the episode itself.

[Gideon58]

i called it...I said weeks ago that this show would come full circle by having Noah and Helen reconcile. They sure made us wait for it, but it was worth the wait. I loved a drunken Helen in Noah's hotel room eating Pringle's. It was a little odd that Helen's father was in full blown Dimensia in Helen's episode but was having a "good day" in Whitney's. And I was blown away to learn that the guy romancing Joanie was Dr. Vik's baby all grown up. I so wanted Helen to raise him. Loved the flash mob and loved that Whitney got the lowdown on everything her father did for her wedding. I also loved that Noah set Joanie straight about her mother. Dominic West's old age makeup was terrible, but a tiny nitpick in what was a very respectful conclusion to this often bold and uncompromising drama.

[Austruck]

Agree on all of this. I wasn't sure they could do a satisfying finale after the weird pacing of the last few episodes. But they pulled it off beautifully. I didn't see the EJ = Eddie thing coming, either, but liked it when it happened.

I also liked the sly little bit that the novel Montauk that both Joanie and Noah were reading was written by his daughter Stacey. Looks like Helen had just recently died, too. 2051 on the tombstone. What year was that future stuff in? Something similar to that, right? So maybe she'd only been gone a few years.

I liked Noah telling Joanie to just do the difficult, brave thing... and liked that she did it. My first gut reaction was that she should have gone off with EJ (he was such a great character for such a NEW one)... but then realized the wisdom of what Noah had said to her. And the reunion with her family seemed genuine and satisfying.

Sad to see the show go... but it went out properly and I'm okay with it.