The Affair: Infidelidade

My wife and I just binge watched the five seasons of The Affair. It's an addictive show to watch, certainly because the way the story is been told. The plot unfolds slowly by telling the story like each character sees it, or remembers it. Each character sees or remembers the story differently and that's what made this show stands out from the rest. You never really know who tells the truth or lies. The different characters probably think their version of the facts is the truth. It's just about their perspective of the facts, it's about how people see things differently and are convinced their version is the only truth. The first three seasons are better than the last two but overall it's a satisfying show to watch. A very good cast made it all more believable. No actor or actress really stands out, they just all delivered in their own way. Maybe the writers did at one point overdo it, with too many affairs and sorts, and that's why I thought the last two seasons were not of the same quality as the first three. For a drama series it's captivating and entertaining. Much better than the daily soaps with the same gossip stories we are bombarded every day.

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.

The theme has been done to death, but this time prepare to be pleasantly surprised, for the execution of this short series is quite good and features not only lust but also the characters' psychological descent as influenced by loss, poor communication, and bad parenting.

I have just finished the entire first season, and I must say, it was not at all what I expected. I thought it would be a simple, sexy, scandalous story full of clichés; instead I found myself more and more drawn to a deeper, psychologically complex drama that perfectly illustrates how there are three sides to each story: his version, her version, and the truth. Expect solid performance, melancholic scenery, careful art direction, and excellent choice of costumes as per each character's persona.

Oh and you have got to love the opening theme performed by Fiona Apple.

They don't make tv shows like this. This is drama at its best. Superb writing and cast of actors, so much talent in this one show. I wished there were 10 seasons of this because it never gets old, it never gets tiring or dull or pointless like many other shows do. Probably season 4 is my favourite because we have travelled so far with these characters that they feel like friends now or people we care about, so human and so fragile and imperfect and real. I love that the show doesnt focus on just Alison and Noah, because the rest of characters are equally fascinating, like Helen, Cole, Ben... all their individual stories matter and their interactions and views make this show riveting. The script is beautifully written, all full of nuances and subtle details that make you pay attention, no words are wasted, there are no filling scenes. Wonderfully shot too with brilliant cinematography, just beautiful. Its a show about people and nothing else, and that's why its so fascinating and unique. I wish it would never end.

I troubled myself to understand the thing that makes this show so seductive, so different. To discover what is the ingredient that creators ably slipped into this immensely emotional and sensual potion. Something that imbues this show to its firm core. After a long consideration, I realized, that this one thing I was looking for is nonexistent. Because this show in its entirety is that special thing. The combination of intriguing, complex characters, empathy that they draw from the viewers. Mystery, that so elegantly dances through the plot, while hypnotizing us to follow its perfectly composed, unpredictable step. Casual, compelling, conversations that silently pull you even deeper down this beautifully directed world. By telling this story through the eyes of the characters, we find out that their view of the same situations vary. Not only that they see or understand something through their psychological state, this multi-character experience exposes us to realization that each person is living a life as vivid and complex as our own. This would be impossible to achieve if not the breathtaking actors and actresses that catapult this show to another dimension, yet never more close to humanity, to now, to us.