The Affair – “102” Review. Jam, Fish, and Horsies, Oh My!

Season 1, Episode 2

Airdate: Sunday, October 19, 2014 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I didn’t really have any friends left by that summer. I really only had Cole and his family. I felt like I had to be so strong for them because if they knew what I was really thinking, they’d be terrified of me.” – Alison Lockhart

“102” continues the tale of Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson), how they met, and what their connection is to the death of an as yet unknown male. Yes, we finally learn about the crime I referenced in my review of the series premiere of The Affair, the sex of the deceased, and how he died. We also learn the crime may have nothing to do with either Noah or Alison. Or does it? We still don’t know who the victim is.

Noah’s Story

Stacey wants to buy some of Mary-Kate’s homemade jam.

“102” revolves mostly around Noah and Helen Solloway’s (Maura Tierney) trip to a farmers market and a party held later that evening at the home of Helen’s parents, Bruce (John Doman) and Margaret (Kathleen Chalfant) Butler. Once again, the episode examines the differences in what happened from our two lovers’ perspectives. In “Part 1,” Noah’s story, he insists to Detective Jeffries (Victor Williams) he “wasn’t thinking about her [Alison] at all” after his first encounter with Alison, but a mere four minutes in, it’s obvious he’s lying. He lies about a lot of things, though, not the least of which is his marriage. The thing is, I’m not sure whether he’s lying to Jeffries or to himself. Having been divorced myself, two times for that matter, I recognize the signs of someone who is becoming disenchanted with their relationship. Little things your spouse does that never bothered you previously suddenly become that person’s giant failings, aggravating you at every turn.

The Solloways’ trip to the farmers market is similar in many ways to the trips my family would take on weekends. Not only is little Stacey Solloway (Leya Catlett) adorable, she reminds me of myself at that age when she cries out, “horsies, horsies!” on the trip back home. They seem like such a happy family. Interestingly, we learn a bit of background about Helen when she and Noah discuss her connection to the Lockhart Ranch, which Cole (Joshua Jackson), Alison’s husband, runs with his brothers. I don’t know whether Helen’s past history with the Lockharts will come into play during later episodes but it’s something to think about. We also learn the circumstances surrounding Noah’s marriage to Helen. Ah, the things we do when we’re young that we probably wouldn’t do if faced with the same decision at an older age.

Whitney is quite the flirt with the Lockhart men. At age 16, the girl spells trouble.

Whitney is quite the flirt with Cole and Scotty Lockhart (Colin Donnell). At age 16, the girl spells trouble.

Although Helen is portrayed as a loving wife, and Tierney does an excellent job of it, she does things that get under Noah’s skin—things that probably led him to stray. I’m not saying Helen’s actions are an excuse for infidelity but I do understand, not condone, how a man could use these as justification in his mind for an affair.

As Noah wraps up his answers to Jeffries’ questions, he recounts what happened at the party where Alison is serving drinks. Bruce is both mentally and verbally abusive to Noah, and I can see him being responsible for pushing Noah over the edge. Once again, Noah paints Alison as the tease and himself the innocent, and casually omits something I think is important that transpired with Alison. I’m not sure why; I’m pretty sure Jeffries knows about their affair. So what does Noah hope to gain by leaving out this detail?

Alison’s Story

Alison’s story begins with her bicycling to the pier to pick up a cooler of freshly caught fish from Will (Sean Kleier), a family friend. What she does with the fish is a mystery I’m anxious to solve. Something doesn’t make sense; why would Alison deliver fish to Caleb (Michael Godere)? And why does Cole insist the office door be kept locked? What is hidden behind that door? Cole’s behavior and questions about Alison’s “pickup” strike me as odd. Something smells fishy and I’m not talking about the fish Will caught.

Margaret offers Alison money to spill a drink on Bruce.

Doman continues to excel at his portrayal of Bruce Butler, making him seem even more of a blowhard in “102” than he was in “101,” the series premiere. I’m not sure whether Bruce’s extramarital affair is important in the grand scheme of things. What’s interesting is the way his affair is handled in both Alison’s and Noah’s story as it presented quite differently. I like Alison’s version better because it has some comedic lines from Margaret. I kind of like the old gal.

Alison certainly goes out of her way to mislead Detective Jeffries, leading me to believe she knows more about the crime than she lets on. I also think the man who was killed is close to her. “I just want to help you do your job. I’ll do anything to find out what happened to him. I…can’t believe he’s gone.” Who do you think the dead man is?

The Affair reminds me of John Gray’s #1 New York Times bestseller Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, in which he illustrates how differently men and women relate to each other. I’m not sure why things like the cost and flavors of the homemade jam Alison’s sister-in-law Mary-Kate (Kaija Matiss) sells is different in Alison’s narration, or even the amount of jars Noah buys other than to point out the disparity in the way males and females remember things. And why do the writers paint Alison as a non-swimmer in one version, and the opposite in the other where she absolutely luxuriates in the ocean?

Humorous Line

When Alison goes to pick up her paycheck at The Lobster Roll, she has to go upstairs to a hung-over Oscar’s (Darren Goldstein) office, where she is soon joined by her waitress friend, Jane (Nicolette Robinson).

Oscar: “Ah, fantastic; you multiplied. I suppose you want your check too.”

Jane: “Oh, no; I just came here to blow you.”

Overall

Cole always knows when Alison needs comforting.

“102” does an excellent job of furthering The Affair’s main story line, giving us important character development and backstories. The cinematography, in particular, is breathtaking, especially in the opening sequence. The Affair’s writers have stepped up their game, making Noah and Alison more relatable and easy to form a connection with. I was completely engrossed in the entire episode and at the end of the hour, I was left wanting more…much, much more.

If The Affair has one negative, though, it’s all the characters we don’t know anything about yet. Alison mentions Doris, the wife of her boss, Oscar. And I want to know more about Alison’s relationship with Will. It’s obvious they go back years. And what about Caleb? Who is he and what role does he play in the grand scheme of things? I am hopeful things will change soon because I’d like to learn more about these people.

What did you think of “102?” Leave me a comment below or tweet me @SeasideTV. I’d love to discuss it with you.

Tune in to The Affair Sundays at 10 pm ET/PT, only on Showtime.

Stay current with The Affair on its website: http://www.sho.com/sho/the-affair/home.

Socialize with The Affair on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, TVTag, and YouTube.

Follow these cast mates on Twitter: Noah/Dominic West @DominicWest, Cole/Joshua Jackson @VancityJax, Whitney/Julia Goldani Telles @JuliaGTelles, Jane/Nicolette Robinson @NicoletteKloe, Scotty Lockhart/Colin Donnell @ColinDonnell, Detective Jeffries/Victor Williams @BicVicWilliams, and writer Sarah Treem @SarahTreem.

And for fans of Joshua Jackson, join JoshuaJacksonFans @JoshuaJFan.

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Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!