The Affair

Alison’s steps towards independence from Noah draw her back to Montauk and Cole, while Noah himself feels the sting of being cheated on and lied to in an entertaining finish to the season.

Both Alison and Cole make significant changes to their lives as Noah reveals his true colours in a strong pair of episodes.

The publication of Noah’s book takes a toll on numerous individuals, from Alison to Cole, as Whitney’s actions seen from various viewpoints suggests a major change in her near future.

As Cole and Helen begin moving on with their lives, Noah and Alison’s relationship begins to show cracks, causing Alison to retreat towards familiarity while Noah finally comes up with an ending for his book in a compelling pair of episodes.

As Noah tries to reconcile Helen’s demands with his budding relationship with Alison, how the Solloway children are coping with the divorce and the behaviour of their parents takes centre stage in a strong pair of episodes.

Having examined how Noah and Helen are coping in the second season premiere, the show’s focus turns to Alison and Cole this week, in a compelling continuation that brings up some interesting ideas.

The focus of the show shifts from Alison to Helen in the second season premiere, as the effects of Noah and Helen’s divorce on the formerly married couple, as well as their children, takes centre stage in a strong return for the series.

Alison, Noah, Helen, and Cole all deal with the aftermath of the disintegration of their marriages in different ways, as the loss of the Lockhart ranch and the affair between Whitney and Scotty adds further tension to the proceedings, in a strong finish to the season.

The revival of the affair forces Alison and Noah to ask what they really want, leading to both making strong decisions in pursuit of that goal, in a compelling episode that sets up an exciting season finale.

Picking up a period of time after the revelation of the affair, another strong episode shows that Noah’s home life is rocky even away from Montauk, while Alison wrestles with the loss of another family member, with Noah by her side.

As the summer draws to a close, the infidelity of Noah and Alison get revealed to Helen and Cole, and the two react in ways that is bound to affect the path of both marriages, in a compelling episode.

The detective’s dismissal of the central duo allows for a greater degree of truth to enter the stories, leading to the exposure of a major secret about the Lockharts, in another strong episode that reveals a new side to Cole.

As the episode delves into the troubles Alison and Noah face in their individual lives, their reasons for continuing the affair become clearer, in another strong outing that reveals who the murder victim is.

As Alison and Noah spend a day together away from Montauk, the roots of their attraction become clearer, providing some answers while raising other questions.

The town of Montauk is further explored from both Noah and Alison’s perspectives, as more is revealed about the relationships the duo have with the people around them, providing a better understanding of what drove both into adultery.

Nuggets of truth begin emerging from Noah and Alison’s narrative, as both paint a clearer picture of how they feel about their respective roles in the tryst at the centre of the show.

The newest series from Showtime doesn’t waste the talent it has amassed, as the pilot uses the multiple perspective narrative structure to great effect, establishing unreliable narrators and using actions and dialogue to draw out characters, showing great promise for the show.