The Affair

Seasons 1 and 2 were terrific. And consider that I never thought I'd like it in the first place. Furthermore, with all the crap out there, I'm not used to singing praises like this often. Case in point was season 3. It was so bad that I stopped watching so I have no idea about seasons 4 and 5. Not sure what happened but I honestly do not care because there's no coming back from that mess. Regardless, to give this an overall rating is, simply put, a crime.

I would recommend to anyone that they watch seasons 1 and 2 then consider it over. Definitely an 8/10 at that point for sure.

This series is meant to keep viewers hanging on. I like that. We're witnessing a train wreck. I can't stop looking, waiting for the outcome. Like any train wreck, there are eye witnesses with differing accounts of the events leading up to the aftermath of the event. Alison and Noah are providing their perceptions of the wreck and collateral damage. The train hasn't stopped screeching toward halting to a stop. The debris field isn't complete. The Affair is a piece that makes you observe and think. I don't find it all that entertaining. Those reviews that are complaints are looking to be entertained. Asking why are the characters doing this or that...IT'S A STORY. FICTION. A WRITER'S STORY. It may also hit a nerve for viewers who've had an affair or contemplated one. Art imitating life?

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.

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.