The Affair – “108” Review. The Two Lovers Reunite.

Season 1, Episode 8

Airdate: Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

“I love you too.” – Alison Lockhart

Noah (Dominic West) heads to Montauk again, this time to represent the family at a literary award ceremony for his father-in-law Bruce (John Doman). Meanwhile, Alison (Ruth Wilson) deals with her grandmother Joan’s (Lynn Cohen) hospitalization and with Noah’s help, comes to an uncomfortable realization that helps her deal with the situation at hand. Sooner rather than later, you know our two lovers are going to run into each other. Will they keep their promises to their respective spouses?

Noah’s Story

Helen shares some exciting news about her shop with Noah.

Helen tells Noah about the photo shoot.

In the beginning scenes of “108,” it may seem as though all is forgotten, and forgiven, when Noah meets Helen in a fancy restaurant where she shares some exciting news with him. But everything is not what it seems when Noah gifts Helen with one of the famous blue boxes from Tiffany’s. While most women are thrilled to receive such an expensive piece of jewelry, Helen isn’t. A gift of jewelry can mean many things to both the buyer and recipient. In this case, it’s Noah’s way of thanking Helen for “sticking it out.” How trite can the writers be, for heaven’s sake? For Helen, the gift is probably a reminder of Noah’s infidelity although that’s not what she tells him. Is Noah that insensitive that he doesn’t understand what Helen is going through? Or, like with most men, is it all about him? The only reason someone confesses to having an affair is to make themselves feel better. It has nothing to do with the cheater’s partner.

Four months have passed since the Solloways returned home from their summer vacation. While things are going well for both Noah and Helen professionally, I can’t say the same for their kids, son Martin (Jake Richard Siciliano) and daughter Whitney (Julia Goldani Telles). I thought Noah and Helen were going to discuss the kids’ problems with their therapist (Blair Brown) but Helen is more interested in telling Noah why she married him. Wow, what a put down! Is Helen’s self-esteem so low she needs to put herself on a pedestal? Isn’t the husband responsible for elevating his wife to that status? Helen continues painting a lovely fairy tale of how happy they’d be in her little scenario but what she’s really talking about is what a “good choice” she made when deciding to marry Noah. It’s all about Helen. I can only surmise how many times Noah has apologized to Helen over the last four months but he does so again, asking if she’ll let him go to Montauk to be with Bruce when he receives his lifetime achievement award at the Hamptons Literary Festival. Since neither Helen nor her mother Margaret (Kathleen Chalfant) can be there, Noah sees it as doing Helen a favor. Why Helen agrees is beyond me. Who sends their cheating husband back to the scene of the crime? You know it’s going to lead to a run-in with Alison (Ruth Wilson).

In Alison’s version, she’s the coat check girl, not a waitress.

With Alison waitressing at the event, Bruce decides it’s time to give Noah a pep talk of sorts. While some may think it’s inappropriate for Bruce to share such a tale with Noah, I think it is good advice. Bruce can be such a jackass when he wants to be, particularly when he tells Noah he “can’t be seen in that shitty car of yours,” but in this case, I think Bruce is genuinely trying to help. Although, I think the story Bruce tells Noah has the opposite effect, making Noah realize he doesn’t want to end up like Bruce.

Perhaps I’m missing something here. From episode “103,” we know the name of Noah’s first book is “A Person Who Meets a Place.” And, during the dinner following Bruce’s award ceremony, Bruce makes mention that Noah hasn’t sent anything to Harry (Stephen Kunken) for his second book since leaving Montauk. So why do we see Detective Jeffries (Victor Williams) heading into a book signing where Noah is reading aloud from “Descent,” his second best-selling book that is “soon going to made into a major motion picture?” Did someone forget to tell us we jumped ahead in time or am I missing something? Is this perhaps a figment of Noah’s imagination?

Alison’s Story

We know from previous episodes that Scotty (Colin Donnell), Caleb (Michael Godere), and Hal Lockhart (Danny Fischer) want to sell the ranch to help with the family’s financial troubles. We also know Cole (Joshua Jackson) and matriarch Cherry (Mare Winningham) aren’t keen on the idea. What appears to be a nice family dinner turns into anything but when Cole reveals his plans for selling the property. I’m wondering whether Cherry is playing everyone for a fool by leaving the bath water running upstairs causing the ceiling to leak. Could it be early onset Alzheimer’s, as Cole thinks, or is Alison right when she says it’s Cherry’s way of “trying to slow down the sale of the ranch?” I had a good chuckle when Cole holds a mixing bowl up to the ceiling to stem the flow of bathtub water. Uh, Cole, how about turning the water off? I mean, how much could that bowl hold anyway? Two, maybe three, quarts at the most?

The largest disparity in Noah and Alison’s stories revolves around Alison’s grandmother Joan. And, while we see Noah and Alison together in both versions, how and when they come together is totally different. I’m not sure the specifics make that much difference, although Helen and Cole might not agree with me. Anyone care to make a bet that Helen and Cole find out their respective spouses have lied to them yet again?

Alison is shocked to see her mother with her grandmother.

After Alison gets to the hospital, she has to deal with her mother, Athena (Deidre O’Connell), who wants Alison to sign a DNR (do not resuscitate) for Joan. It’s not a topic I like to discuss either but sooner rather than later, everyone needs to face reality. Wilson and O’Connell share some very heavy scenes that illustrate what awesome actresses these two are. Alison’s dislike for Athena practically jumps off the television screen but it seems acquiescing to Athena about this is a no-brainer. It’s not until Noah explains to Alison what she’s doing that she agrees to sign the necessary paperwork.

From the look on his face, I’d say Det. Jeffries is quite pleased with himself.

In the closing moments of “108,” Det. Jeffries goes to the church where a memorial is being held for Scotty, and has a flashback to the conversation he had with the hotel clerk (Annie Funke) at The End. In the flashback, Jeffries asks the clerk another question that seems to solidify Jeffries’ thoughts. It looks like my theory about who killed Scotty might be right.

Overall

“108” seems to be more of a filler episode than anything else. Other than the flashback Jeffries has, nothing in the episode deals with Scotty’s murderer or the murderer’s motive. Plus, the episodic writers seem to take the easy route with certain aspects of the episode—Noah giving Helen jewelry, and Helen sending Noah to Montauk. We all knew he’d omeet up with Alison. I think the writers could have been a lot more creative in setting up these scenarios. Nevertheless, I enjoyed “108” and am excited to see what the final two episodes of the season have in store for us.

What did you think of “108?” 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!