The Affair

The affair is a deliberately slow- paced,beautifully shot,compelling show. The 2 main characters recount their truth in regards of the forming of "the affair" with a crime mystery in the background as an excuse to do so . We, as viewers,must decide and deduct our truth from their accounts. I love the psychological aspect of this show. In fact it's the main reason for my watching. How a very same event is viewed and felt and told differently from the people who experienced it.If you enjoy this show, I would recommend you also read "The One" by Vivienne Harris-Scott. The premise is nearly the same: what happens when 2 people fall in love when they should not.Each chapter is told from one person's Pov as Alison and Noah's, and it is as compelling to read, if not more,as there is also a suspense element. In fact, I had Déjà- vu when watching the first 3 episodes!Anyhow, with this as with H.Levi's " in treatment " Showtime has hit the jackpot. A mature and sophisticated audience will thoroughly enjoy this.

I wish this show chose a different path. Season 1 was amazing and season 2 was great. Noah's storyline in Season 3 & 4 have been horrendous to the point where I skip them. I wish they stuck to the original cast and their complexities and didn't add in so many unnecessary characters and relationships. I'm just watching it to finish the series, but I wouldn't even bother after season 2.

Alternative titles for Season 3:

• Between Absurd and Divine
• Sex Cures Everything

This review is based on the series through Season 3. If imdb.com allows editing, I will update upon finishing season 4.

The Affair is an intriguing menagerie of self-analysis, self-righteousness, compelling raw psychological drama, and absurdity.

Seasons 1 and 2 contain a full storyline with a little, but just a little, padding. The drama is rich, the feelings are raw, the tension is real. The tiny pixels leap off the screen into your mind, body, and soul. They compel tears, angst, occasional laughter, feelings of triumph, feelings of despair.

Season 3 is an uneven departure that vacillates between deeply moving psychodrama and meaningless French rabbit trails. Half the episodes provide a worthy progression of the story; the other half will leave you wondering is Season 4 will redeem the series.

One consistency, however, is that superfluous sex scenes (and, to a slightly less jarring effect, liberal profanity) are a signature of the show. At times, this phenomenon undermines the show's virtousity. It also undermines the progression of the characters, and that applies to EACH of the four main characters. Are they so immature and emotionally stuck that they consistently turn to impetuous sex as a vapid form of immediate relief? Does none of these four adults ever mature, despite the life-altering things happening to them that would tend to accelerate maturity? Maybe we viewers are not accustomed to such a real-life slow progression to maturity and self-awareness.

After season 2, I would have rated the show an 8, an unusually high rating for me. You can see that season 3 brought the rating down to a 7. Similar to how the color episodes of The Andy Griffith Show should not have happened. Well, that's a little harsh; season 3 isn't THAT bad.

Would I recommend the show? Heartily. Even Season 3. Just be ready to accept the flaws and enjoy the many mountaintops.

Season 1 deserves a 10 star rating in my opinion. Loved the 2nd season as well. Afterwards, it's just an okay show but since I fell in love with (some of) the characters I just had to continue watching it till the end. Overall, I think they focused on too many other things like Whitney's story, also Joanie's in the future. It didn't catch my attention, at times I found it quite boring and unnecessary. In later seasons, the parts that were told from Noah's and Helen's perspective were by far the most interesting ones.

Good show with a brilliant season 1 and 2 but sadly with a lot of flaws in later seasons.

Setting: Picturesque, folksy, idyllic, New England seaside tourist/fishing village town. Plot: Male (Dominic West) novel writing work/summer vacation with wife and children, meets and gets drawn into the life of married local woman (Ruth Wilson).

Appreciate the complexity, undisclosed undercurrents, the conflicted psychology of the main characters, all the while, aware of the cloaked elephant in the room.

Story told similar to True Detective's style with the detective's interviews of the affairees shown remembrances, somehow relating to whatever is going to happen. One half is his side, the other half, hers.

Lots of sideways glimpses of character and intentions, challenging what you thought you understood.