The Affair – “106” Review. Truth or Lie?

Season 1, Episode 6

Airdate: Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“Do you ever do things and don’t know why?” – Martin Solloway

“106” debunks many of the lies Alison (Ruth Wilson) and Noah (Dominic West) have told, leading me to wonder what, if anything, they’ve been honest about throughout the season. “106” also introduces us to Noah’s best friend Max (guest star Josh Stamberg), and reveals some very important information that has unexpected consequences.

Noah’s Story

Helen sure is happy to see Max.

A curious thing happens when Max asks to borrow some money from Noah that leads to an important revelation for Noah later on in the episode. Max wants to drown his sorrows over his separation from his wife, but not with alcohol. Hal Lockhart (Danny Fischer) sure is a Jack of all trades, isn’t he? Some serious roleplaying happens among Alison, Max, and Noah at The End, the hot night club where the summer people go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Alison look as sexy as she does in that red dress. Wait; didn’t Noah tell Detective Jeffries (Victor Williams) earlier in the season he had never been to The End? It’s never good to lie; lies always come back to bite you in the ass. After an evening of passionate lovemaking, Noah follows Alison as she continues her usual morning routine of picking up and dropping off some freshly caught fish. As I surmised in my review of “102,” fish is not the only thing in Alison’s cooler. When Noah sees Hal at the train station, he makes the connection from his and Max’s previous encounter with Hal, and realizes there’s more to Alison than meets the eye.

Noah thinks nothing of spying on Alison.

Noah’s wife Helen (Maura Tierney) uses their daughter Whitney’s (Julia Goldani Telles) therapy to talk to Noah about the possibility of marital counseling. Doing this is laughable given the way she treats Noah, especially around her parents. Still, not wanting to have sex is one of the first signs your spouse or significant other may be cheating on you. Add to that a second sign, which is your spouse not wanting to talk about it, and it’s a sure bet there are problems in your marriage. But two wrongs don’t make a right. I love how Helen backs Noah into a corner; I can’t help wondering whether he’ll go through with their agreed-upon plans for later in the evening.

One of the most interesting revelations of The Affair happens following a confrontation between Oscar (Darren Goldstein) and Scotty Lockhart (Colin Donnell) at the Lobster Roll Restaurant. What Oscar tells Noah confirms my theory about Alison’s trips to the fishing pier. But when Noah confronts Alison about it, I think he finally realizes what he could lose by continuing their affair. Based on where, when, and the type of sex Noah has with his wife after leaving Alison, Helen should realize something is drastically wrong. It’s the third sign that something is not right with your marriage.

Alison’s Story

Caleb really wants to take Oscar out.

There are some major differences in Alison’s description of the facts. First up are the sex scenes. When Noah relates his version, the sex is very hot and steamy but in Alison’s account, their lovemaking is more what you would expect from a couple in love, not lust. Then, in Alison’s trip to the dock, Will (Sean Kleier) isn’t on his fishing boat – a stranger is. This is a red flag in any mystery and it’s no different in “106.” Who is this man, and where is Will? The biggest difference between Noah and Alison’s stories, though, concerns Oscar’s call to the police. Conversely, the glaring similarity is how Noah feels about Alison after certain events come to light.

We haven’t seen a lot of Noah’s son Martin (Jake Richard Siciliano) since “102,” when the Lockharts gave him a job at their ranch. In “106,” Martin plays an integral part of Alison’s story. What starts out as a loving family breakfast with Martin and the Lockharts turns into an argument of sorts between Alison and her mother-in-law Cherry (Mare Winningham). Watching Cole (Joshua Jackson) teach Martin how to handle a new mare in all probability evokes feelings of loss for Alison. Is this what Cole would have been like had their son Gabriel not drown at age four? What I don’t understand is why Martin does what he does with the mare. What is he hoping to achieve? Apparently, his question to Alison hits home for her because with her recent behavior, she could easily ask herself the very same question.

Humorous Line

Cole, with a very stern face, to Martin: “Come on, I need to ask you something and it’s important so I need you to be straight with me. Have you had breakfast yet?”

Poor Martin; here he thought he was going to get in trouble, and Cole jokes around with him instead.

Overall

The Affair, with all its twists and turns, has me questioning every little thing I see. For instance, is Helen’s allergy going to become something important? Does Helen make Noah take their little girl Stacey (Leya Catlett) to the bathroom in order to talk to Max privately about the previous evening’s events? What does she hope to learn from him? “106” is a good episode but it is the ending that puts you on the edge of your seat, making this a far more perplexing episode than usual. Do you believe Oscar when he says it was a joke? I don’t think it’s funny at all.

What did you think of “106?” 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.

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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!