Damn Fine TV/Film
For the first time (I think -- at least I can't remember another episode like this) we get a three-part look at a few days in November, between Alison's chaotic funeral in Montauk and the tumultuous scene at Vik's hospital bedside in Los Angeles. It wasn't a typical episode in that regard, but also in …
Continue reading "Something’s Lost, But Something’s Gained: The Affair — Season 4 Episode 10"
The story we were told last week was not entirely true. Not even in the ballpark of truth. And in a powerhouse hour of TV with more than a few twists and painful revelations, we learned what really happened to Alison the night she died. Last week belonged to Joshua Jackson, from beginning to end. This week …
Continue reading "She Weaves a Pattern All Her Own: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 9"
The following content deals with sensitive subject matter. Everything, from the opening theme song of every single episode of this series to the events of the last 7 episodes themselves right down to tonight's episode description should have prepared us for this. I have only one thing to do and that's Be the wave that I am …
Continue reading "Let These Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 8"
We finally know whether Helen and Sierra make a connection (they do) and the whys and wherefores behind Noah and Cole's (and Anton's) journey to find Alison. This was an episode that balanced intense female empowerment with the overprotective needs of the men in Alison's orbit to look out for her. It was also heartfelt …
Continue reading "While She Was Somewhere Being Free: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 7"
The back half of Season 4 brings home the realities that, for the women of The Affair, this is still very much a man's world. Last week saw sensitive turns and deep revelations for Cole and Vik that still ultimately hinged on sexual dalliances with beautiful women; this week finds Noah unable to hold the frayed …
Continue reading "Fiction of the Clay Feet and the Shining Armour — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 6"
"I've been the perfect immigrant son...Everything I've done has either been for or in reaction to them. I'm 45 years old. I'm at the top of my profession. I'm going to die. And I haven't really made a single choice for myself." For a show built around the premise of adults behaving like impetuous children, …
Continue reading "Aging Children, I Am One — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 5"
Mental illness, in all its various shades, was what Season 3 of The Affair was all about. In Season 4, it's trauma. At least insofar as Alison is concerned, and as we open every episode with a glimpse into Cole and Noah's search for her (cold opens that get slightly longer each time -- this week Noah …
Continue reading "I’ve Been to Sea Before — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 4"
Well, they did it. They went there. In case you're reading this before watching the episode, I'll put the spoiler-y part (Vik has late-stage pancreatic cancer and he is refusing treatment, which means Dr. McHotPants is probably going to be leaving the show, and now I haz a sad) in white so as not to …
Continue reading "Bad News Comes Knocking – The Affair: Season 4 Episode 3"
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That seems to be the motto for Cole Lockhart, perennially lovelorn in the wake of his divorce from Alison. Even though he has Luisa, and a successful business, and the McMansion on the beach, he can't seem to shake it. The past lingers in Montauk, …
Continue reading "The Circle Game – The Affair: Season 4 Episode 2"
Our coverage of Showtime’s The Affair begins with the Season 4 premiere! Tune in weekly for episode recaps and analysis. I freely admit that the return of The Affair to Showtime for a fourth season left me with a bit of trepidation. Season 3 was much maligned for its unevenness, both thematically and structurally, and it ended …
Continue reading "California I’m Coming Home – The Affair: Season 4 Episode 1"