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penpusherShowtime has run the first couple of episodes of a new series: “The Affair” (original airings on Sunday evenings at 10pm, 9pm Central, with rebroadcasts throughout the week) which has a lot of really great stuff for any writer to chew on when it comes to interpersonal relationships. I can see how it potentially could become a series to not just watch over and over, but to study.
The concept of the story is deceptively simple, or should that be simply deceptive? We are seeing the tale told in flashbacks from an as yet unrevealed number of years in the future, explained from the points of view of the two participants. Noah (played by Dominic West - Best known to American audiences as Jimmy McNulty from HBO's long running series "The Wire") is a new novelist and Brooklyn high school teacher, out with his family on a summer vacation stay at his wildly successful Father-in-law writer’s estate, to craft his second book. Alison (played by Ruth Wilson) is a waitress at a roadside diner they arrive at shortly before getting to their destination, near Montauk and the far reaches of Long Island. It's already fascinating with two British actors playing these two lead roles as American as a cuppa joe and a piece of pie.
The bonding moment comes when the youngest daughter chokes while sitting in the luncheon booth. In Noah’s remembrance, he rescued his daughter. In Alison’s version, she saved the day. In either event, why a restaurant worker didn’t know the Heimlich maneuver is puzzling. But that’s far from the most unusual element of this show.
The intriguing quality is in the tantalizing clues that are dropped like breadcrumbs leading us to that destination. Alison lost her three to four year old son about a year before the affair began, making her version of the early part of the story more somber. Both participants have very attractive and accomplished spouses (Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson), heightening the stakes. Circumstances of a small area, limited people and frequent path crossings mean that there is no escaping the constant opportunity of seeing that other person, with other family members starting to weave themselves into the skein of this torrid and potentially terrible tapestry.
It’s helpful to remember that we are not seeing the events, but viewing the Rashomon Effect: the differing memories of the people as they recount the tale to a police officer, years later. Why a police officer? It seems someone died. It was apparently an accident, but possibly not. But so far, we only know it was a male, and that he was struck by a vehicle on a road to a club. The hint is, Alison’s husband is the victim, but that hasn’t been confirmed. And Alison’s married name was Lockhart during these flashbacks, but the detective refers to her as Ms. Bailey, a woman who already has another child as these interviews progress.
It’s fascinating to watch the two versions of the story as they are recounted and we, as viewers, match up the elements that are similar and are completely different. Who really seduced whom, and who really made it all happen? What did Noah notice and what made Alison aware?
Since it is told as a memory, and the direct to the detective comments from our two lovebirds clearly is masking their own remembrances, sometimes even to the point of full blown lies, based on their narration versus what we see on screen, we can be certain that neither version is going to be the definitive truth. This makes all of the subtle differences that much more important. After all, do we trust what Alison remembers more than Noah? Are the things they remember identically any more true than the things they don’t? The axis on which this world is spinning is constantly shifting, which makes for a dizzying experience from every angle.
The only glaring thing about the telling of this story is That Room. Our detective, interviewing both Noah and Alison (at separate times, of course), has them in a lockdown interrogation room complete with heavy doors and one way mirrors. We are informed that no one is a suspect and that these are routine interview sessions. The demeanor of the chat is very relaxed and conversational. Yet, there is a foreboding sense that maybe someone is headed for the hoosegow, with variations of the classic “Colombo” line – “Just one more question,” coming from our lawman at the end of the segments.
Full credit to the production team, as they present both sides of this story, with those differences that let you see into the minds of these two people, what they found important and what they hoped was true about the interactions they experienced. Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi are the program’s creators, and are being remarkably even-handed about how the story is progressing. No good or bad guys so far, except for Noah’s father-in-law, who everyone agrees is a dick, I shit you not!
The setting, the water, the sunsplashed shores, the rustic feel all add to a lovely setting for the action, and the awareness of how interrelated all of the people are makes everything seem very familiar quickly. Plus, we are treated to a truly powerhouse lineup of actors, with the four principals all heavyweights at their craft, and some great support from actors Mare Winningham as Alison’s Mother-in-law, Victor Williams as our police officer, and Kaija Matiss, best known for a series of yogurt commercials until now, where she’s Alison’s sister-in-law. In fact, everyone in the cast always seems to hit the right note, even if it’s a slightly different tune in each version.
“The Affair” sounded like a trite, overdone and tedious concept, but it is absolutely anything but, and plays out in a fascinating, telling, and humanistic way, and is a great case study in how to give texture and balance to characters and to present them in “a fair” way.
//
This television review was written for LJ Idol using the prompt: "Intersubjectivity"
The concept of the story is deceptively simple, or should that be simply deceptive? We are seeing the tale told in flashbacks from an as yet unrevealed number of years in the future, explained from the points of view of the two participants. Noah (played by Dominic West - Best known to American audiences as Jimmy McNulty from HBO's long running series "The Wire") is a new novelist and Brooklyn high school teacher, out with his family on a summer vacation stay at his wildly successful Father-in-law writer’s estate, to craft his second book. Alison (played by Ruth Wilson) is a waitress at a roadside diner they arrive at shortly before getting to their destination, near Montauk and the far reaches of Long Island. It's already fascinating with two British actors playing these two lead roles as American as a cuppa joe and a piece of pie.
The bonding moment comes when the youngest daughter chokes while sitting in the luncheon booth. In Noah’s remembrance, he rescued his daughter. In Alison’s version, she saved the day. In either event, why a restaurant worker didn’t know the Heimlich maneuver is puzzling. But that’s far from the most unusual element of this show.
The intriguing quality is in the tantalizing clues that are dropped like breadcrumbs leading us to that destination. Alison lost her three to four year old son about a year before the affair began, making her version of the early part of the story more somber. Both participants have very attractive and accomplished spouses (Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson), heightening the stakes. Circumstances of a small area, limited people and frequent path crossings mean that there is no escaping the constant opportunity of seeing that other person, with other family members starting to weave themselves into the skein of this torrid and potentially terrible tapestry.
It’s helpful to remember that we are not seeing the events, but viewing the Rashomon Effect: the differing memories of the people as they recount the tale to a police officer, years later. Why a police officer? It seems someone died. It was apparently an accident, but possibly not. But so far, we only know it was a male, and that he was struck by a vehicle on a road to a club. The hint is, Alison’s husband is the victim, but that hasn’t been confirmed. And Alison’s married name was Lockhart during these flashbacks, but the detective refers to her as Ms. Bailey, a woman who already has another child as these interviews progress.
It’s fascinating to watch the two versions of the story as they are recounted and we, as viewers, match up the elements that are similar and are completely different. Who really seduced whom, and who really made it all happen? What did Noah notice and what made Alison aware?
Since it is told as a memory, and the direct to the detective comments from our two lovebirds clearly is masking their own remembrances, sometimes even to the point of full blown lies, based on their narration versus what we see on screen, we can be certain that neither version is going to be the definitive truth. This makes all of the subtle differences that much more important. After all, do we trust what Alison remembers more than Noah? Are the things they remember identically any more true than the things they don’t? The axis on which this world is spinning is constantly shifting, which makes for a dizzying experience from every angle.
The only glaring thing about the telling of this story is That Room. Our detective, interviewing both Noah and Alison (at separate times, of course), has them in a lockdown interrogation room complete with heavy doors and one way mirrors. We are informed that no one is a suspect and that these are routine interview sessions. The demeanor of the chat is very relaxed and conversational. Yet, there is a foreboding sense that maybe someone is headed for the hoosegow, with variations of the classic “Colombo” line – “Just one more question,” coming from our lawman at the end of the segments.
Full credit to the production team, as they present both sides of this story, with those differences that let you see into the minds of these two people, what they found important and what they hoped was true about the interactions they experienced. Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi are the program’s creators, and are being remarkably even-handed about how the story is progressing. No good or bad guys so far, except for Noah’s father-in-law, who everyone agrees is a dick, I shit you not!
The setting, the water, the sunsplashed shores, the rustic feel all add to a lovely setting for the action, and the awareness of how interrelated all of the people are makes everything seem very familiar quickly. Plus, we are treated to a truly powerhouse lineup of actors, with the four principals all heavyweights at their craft, and some great support from actors Mare Winningham as Alison’s Mother-in-law, Victor Williams as our police officer, and Kaija Matiss, best known for a series of yogurt commercials until now, where she’s Alison’s sister-in-law. In fact, everyone in the cast always seems to hit the right note, even if it’s a slightly different tune in each version.
“The Affair” sounded like a trite, overdone and tedious concept, but it is absolutely anything but, and plays out in a fascinating, telling, and humanistic way, and is a great case study in how to give texture and balance to characters and to present them in “a fair” way.
//
This television review was written for LJ Idol using the prompt: "Intersubjectivity"
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Date: 2014-10-23 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-24 11:27 pm (UTC)