What I’m Watching: The Affair

The Affair: Season 4, Episode 6 (B+)

It was only a matter of time before Noah and Janelle got caught together by Anton, but having his father, played by Russell Hornsby from “Fences,” show up made things much worse. It wasn’t even his role in Janelle’s romantic life that was problematic to him but rather the interest he was expressing in Anton’s, since apparently going to Princeton and succeeding would be an affront to his legacy, which may explain why he sabotaged his efforts to get into the school in the first place. While what’s happening in Janelle’s home may be more severe than what’s going on at the school, where Noah once again tried to swoop in and take charge of the situation, things in Noah’s house really aren’t that great either, with Trevor exploding with rage at his father’s sudden interest in being in his life. Alison was having such a good streak before everything imploded, starting with the sudden introduction of her father, played by Tim Matheson, who needed something from her and, according to Athena, was hardly the saint he portrayed himself to be. We didn’t see Ben tell Alison that he was married, but obviously that went poorly, and her flight, in which she somehow got ziptied and then arrested for resisting an unwelcome advance from her seatmate, was certainly hellish. Having the panic attack in the car with Noah led to a very enlightening conversation with Helen, in which I was shocked to hear Alison ask why men see her the way they do, even though her original infidelity was with none other than Helen’s husband.