Monday, December 29, 2014

What I’m Watching: The Affair (Season Finale)


The Affair: Season 1, Episode 12 (B+)

It wasn’t easy to predict where this show would leave things off at the close of its first season, and I think that how everything played out makes a strong case for this show earning a second season since it obviously has a compelling story to tell. The aftermath of both our protagonists leaving their spouses wasn’t particularly pretty, as Noah got put on leave due to some indecent behavior and just slept around to keep himself occupied and Allison tried living alone and found that it was predictably lonely and alienating. Helen seemed quite ready to reconcile with Noah, and then they turned back into a parenting team while confronting their daughter about her affair with Scotty, with a few remnants of the time spent apart coming out of the woodwork in the process. Allison calling to tell Noah that his daughter was at his house was a shock, and things certainly didn’t go well out there in either recollection of events. Filling in how Allison came to be at the house demonstrated why this show’s format really works since it helped to account for a lot of the tension in the house leading up to Noah’s arrival, which prompted some sincere aggression from Helen, who has no qualms about sharing her feelings bluntly. Flashing forward to the damning revelation of Noah incriminating himself and getting arrested was compounded by the shock value of Noah and Allison living together. I’m eager to see how that comes about in season two since I think this has been a very strong first season highlighting great charactres.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Dominic West and Ruth Wilson

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