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<i>The Affair</i> Season Premiere – “201” Spoiler Free Advance Review. The Aftermath.

  • By

  • September 28, 2015

  • 8 mins to read

Season 2, Episode 1

Airdate: Sunday, October 4, 2014 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Alison and Noah in love.

For those who didn’t watch the first season of The Affair, let me give you a quick synopsis. The show revolves around two people, Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and Alison Bailey Lockhart (Ruth Wilson), who are married to Helen (Maura Tierney) and Cole (Joshua Jackson), respectively, but Noah and Alison end up having a torrid affair. The show took viewers from their initial meeting in the series premiere to them telling their respective spouses they wanted a divorce in the season finale. Along the way, a murder was committed but the audience didn’t know who died, or who the killer was. Illicit narcotics also played a role in The Affair as the entire Lockhart family was involved in selling drugs. By the end of the first season, viewers learned the dead man was one of Cole’s brothers, Scotty (Colin Donnell), who, coincidentally, had impregnated Noah’s teenage daughter Whitney (Julia Goldani Telles). As the season finale came to a close, Detective Jeffries (Victor Williams) arrested Noah for Cole’s murder. As we enter the second season, viewers still don’t know whether Noah is guilty or innocent, or whether the murder was accidental or intentional.

In the first season, show creators Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi told the story from two perspectives only—Noah and Alison’s. While this method worked in the beginning, by the end of the season it became less useful and, at times, implausible as some details were just too different to be believable. Nevertheless, The Affair was high on my list of appointment television as the character study the series turned out to be was fascinating, the storytelling realistic, the cinematography beautiful, and the acting beyond fantastic. One thing bothered me, though, which I pointed out in my review of “103.” I longed for the series to show Helen and Cole’s points of view. Well, my wish has been granted as the sophomore season of The Affair does just that. Not only do we examine the fallout of Noah’s affair with Alison from their perspectives, we also learn how Helen and Cole are handling their spouses’ betrayal and hopefully moving forward. That said, “201,” written by Treem, picks up the story from Noah and Helen’s POVs.

Helen does her best to comfort Trevor.

“201”also begins to examine the effects of the impending divorce on Noah and Helen’s children, focusing mainly on Martin (Jake Richard Siciliano) and Trevor (Jadon Sand), the latter of which wants to know, “Can the way you love your children change too?” Divorce is never easy, especially on children, who almost always wonder whether they are the cause of their parents’ separation. Treem’s script and Jeffrey Reiner’s direction allow Trevor to act out in a perfect example of the pain he’s going through. Martin, too, is going through a difficult time, although his problems are illustrated quite differently during Noah and Helen’s recounting of the tale.

Noah’s had enough of Margaret.

Two supporting characters in particular stand out in “201”—Helen’s mother Margaret Butler (Kathleen Chalfant), and Jeremy (Jeremy Shamos), the mediator for Noah and Helen’s divorce. Margaret is Noah’s worst nightmare, as mothers-in-law go, especially now that he is facing divorce. She’s a snarky know-it-all, who thinks nothing of meddling in everyone’s lives and, worse yet, doing her best to control her daughter. As bitchy as Margaret is, she knows how to use her sarcasm to her advantage, at one point causing me to laugh out loud.

Shamos proves what a terrific actor he is with his portrayal of Jeremy during Noah and Helen’s initial meeting. In Noah’s version of the events, Jeremy comes across as someone you’d like to strangle. He makes jokes at everyone’s expense, and is completely inappropriate. “I may even make it home for a little afternoon delight.” In Helen’s recounting of their meeting, however, Jeremy is a hard-nosed lawyer who’d rather be any place other than where he is. I’ve enjoyed Shamos’ acting for quite a while now, most recently in Showtime’s Nurse Jackie; his range is outstanding.

What is most interesting about “201” are the differences in both Tierney and West’s characters. In “Part 1: Noah,” Helen doesn’t act, as one might expect, like a woman scorned—angry and out for revenge. Instead, she’s strong, knows her mind, and wants the divorce to be amicable and over quickly. However, in “Part 2: Helen,” Helen does things that are out of character. She comes across as wishy-washy, doing almost everything Margaret tells her, seems to be on the verge of becoming an alcoholic, and generally acts like a woman with little self-esteem who has been tossed aside for someone younger and prettier.

One thing remains constant—no matter who’s telling the story, Noah is as selfish as he ever was. Whether he’s talking about joint custody of the kids, the ending of his second novel, or how he sees his future, it’s all about him—him and Alison, that is.

Helen and Max have a different kind of relationship this season.

Josh Stamberg is back as Max, Noah’s best friend from season one, although his friendship with the Solloways is drastically different. Let’s just say, he and Helen have a newfound relationship that makes Margaret quite happy. While The Affair has always had its fair share of nudity, I must comment on how surprised I was by Stamberg’s full frontal nude scene. Not that I’m complaining, mind you!

Overall

After watching “201,” I realized how very much I have missed The Affair. I am every bit as invested in these characters as I was when the first season ended. Treem is a wonderful storyteller and again gives the viewers realistic dialogue they can sink their teeth into. And while Cole doesn’t make an appearance in “201,” his presence will be heavily felt in “202,” when his destructive lifestyle gives everyone reason for worry.

Let me know what you thought of “201” after you watch it, ok? Leave me a comment below or tweet me @SeasideTV. I’d love to get your thoughts.

Tune in to the season premiere of The Affair Sunday, October 4, 2015 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 creator/writer Sarah Treem @SarahTreem.

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

All photos © 2015 Showtime Networks Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

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!

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!