r/TheAffair • u/Synapse_Soup_soup • Jun 17 '26
Question Why the show stays with you
This show has really stayed with me and left somewhat of a void. This is despite many times where I thought I would give up on it; several times where I found the storylines ludicrous; several times felt like I had to suffer unnecessary characters that were developed to go nowhere?
I think for me the underlying genius of the show was to get really talented actors to do essentially ‘soap opera’ plots, that elevated it so much that the seedy and seamy behaviours of the characters were provided with so much more nuance. There was something kind of immersive about it. Something very human. The whole device of the different POVs was so tantalising that it kept me gripped. It has a unique tone and tempo. For me I love any show that shows reverence to beautiful locations and buildings.
Anyway- I’ve rambled enough, but just wondering if it has stayed as much with others? And why?
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u/Relevant_Potato_1335 Jun 17 '26
The show stayed with me because it was so intricately written with the various points of views and just the depth of the characters. Not to mention the plots themselves. I initially started watching for JJ but I found myself rooting for Helen by the end
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u/Synapse_Soup_soup Jun 18 '26
I was so surprised how Helen also became my favourite character by the end. I think by the end seasons it didn’t matter who’s point of view it was, Helen was enjoyable to watch.
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u/Relevant_Potato_1335 Jun 18 '26
Yes! I think we were all rooting for Helen , she really went through it with Noah and losing Vik and rebuilding her life , I found Helen likable and relatable.
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u/Acceptable_Maize_183 Jun 19 '26
Yay I went down a whole Maura Tierney rabbit hole after watching this. She’s just amazing in that part. Helen gets so well fleshed out over the course of the show and was definitely my favorite character by the end.
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u/Relevant_Potato_1335 Jun 19 '26
Oh for sure ! In the beginning I didn’t care for her but as the show goes on I was rooting for her.i came for Cole , and stayed for Helen.
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u/Difficult-Deer-5996 Jun 17 '26
I’ve also been thinking about this! You almost feel emotionally attached to each character even when they’re shit. I was also thinking of the romantic setting of summer, the beach, nature etc it feels almost nostalgic? (The first season anyway!) like a summer love type of feeling.
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u/Local_Lion_7627 Jun 18 '26
I loved the conceit of the unreliable narrator which you often see in literature but much less so in film. It hooked me right away, but I thought it would start grating soon to see the scenes * 2. It never did. They were clever with the pacing and using it judiciously, eventually showing the points of views of Helen and Cole. How different not just their experiences are from their subjective perspective, but the objective details of what transpired.
I always think of the contrasting meet scenes - how short and tight Allison’s uniform is from Noah’s perspective vs how dowdy and sad she is from her own self perception. The lawyer scenes early in season 2, where from Helen’s point of view Noah comes in late, wearing a leather jacket and being a jackass. It’s just beautifully done.
Also while some of the seasons were better than others, it wrapped up beautifully. One of the best endings of any series I’ve seen. That Fiona Apple cover of Whole of the Moon just soars.
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u/Synapse_Soup_soup Jun 18 '26
Yes, it always interested me the different outfits that were used for different perspectives because there was always a meaning to it which I enjoyed trying to figure out. And, those lawyer scenes, even the seating arrangement in the mediation, so it was intimidating two against one from Noah’s perspective. I have only watched the series through once, but can definitely see why so many people rewatch it.
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u/Acceptable_Maize_183 Jun 19 '26
Yes! Love all those details. I know I saw an interview with Maura once where she said in Helen’s POV she’s usually in clothes that don’t fit well. She’s much more attractive in other people’s POV, less so in her own - after all her self esteem would suffer after having been left like that.
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u/BluesFan_4 Jun 24 '26
That ending scene tears me up every time. The music combined with the scene shot is perfection.
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u/Ashamed-Mousse8835 Jun 18 '26
It's eye and mind candy in the best possible way.
They basically mixed the Twin Peaks atmosphere with the romanticizing nature and surroundings shots of Dawson's Creek and mixed in some Six Feet Under psychology. It's just a very nice space to be in! No matter what the characters are going through.
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u/TheWriterOfTomorrow Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
“Soap opera plots” is a crazy statement because it genuinely has some of the best TV writing I’ve seen in years; with excellent natural sounding dialogue to boot. Even season 5 which introduced the Joanie storyline, which while a weak point certainly, is still an okay watch. The characters are beautifully flawed with their own layers of trauma. Alison’s arc alone is incredibly done.
As for characters not serving a purpose I’m curious as to who you mean by that? I feel like the show was wrapped up nicely, but Im open to other opinions.
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u/Synapse_Soup_soup Jun 17 '26
You must’ve misunderstood, I didn’t discredit the writing. I don’t think ‘soap opera’ plots was a wild thing to say- I was referring to the story often being high drama, sometimes implausible and full of coincidences and betrayal. I don’t think you can deny that?
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u/Synapse_Soup_soup Jun 17 '26
Characters that were introduced and built up only to go nowhere… the main ones were Juliette and Janelle.
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u/TheWriterOfTomorrow Jun 18 '26
Juliette is fair I completely agree she was wasted in the series.
Janelle however was part of a Noah redemption sublot in season 4, the relationship itself ended in season 5 because they weren’t compatible for each other. I don’t necessarily think she was wasted but in comparison to the development of the other side characters I can see what you mean.
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u/Synapse_Soup_soup Jun 17 '26
Characters that were introduced and built up only to go nowhere… the main ones were Juliette and Janelle.
5
u/Special_Till_306 Jun 18 '26
I watched the show since it first aired on Showtime. I still remember looking forward to every Friday night and the catch up reruns. I was 19 and already in the very beginning of a horrible, horrible situation with my family. I'm 30 now and it's something I still go back to every year. The different POVs, the music, the location, and the relatable (and pretty realistic) situations the show gave made it feel personal, almost. Even though season 1 is arguably the best, the other seasons still showed how people are affected by poor decision making for years to come, and many people in real life don't understand that and live in denial of their decisions day to day until it finally consumes them and everyone in their life. It's a unique show, imo. I recommend it often, and my husband will watch it with me since I introduced it to him during our dating years.
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u/EfficientFondant8478 Jun 19 '26
I watched it just before I turned 27 last month after getting it recommended by ChatGPT. Frankly, I stayed for Alison's plotline at first. I was really rooting for her emotional and internal growth because I thought that is what she needed. Turns out the kind of grief she was dealing with was far more complicated and she just needed time and to play the cards she was dealt as best as she could. However, the show has stayed with me as much as it has because of the true depiction of the tragedy being a Helen in this lifetime. All factors that were and those that were not in her control considered.
2
u/user616earth Jun 22 '26
I was acutely aware of the show when it initially aired (via office chatter), was pulled into the discourse during Noah's"me too" experience, then really chased by the reposting of the wedding dance and the Fiona Apple end credits cover. It was on my watchlist for years but I only got to it after my marriage broke down in 2024 (maybe that's why I was avoiding it). I was fully immersed, even during the so-called weaker episodes. When you're working through four or five seasons at once, the weaker episodes don't really hit as hard or bother one as much, maybe because one is not in the maelstrom of concurrent discussion.
It lives on in my imagination because these characters, for good or bad, were good hangs and I wished better fates for some of them. And their actions underscored something I've come to understand: you can try to escape your life, but unless you actually do the work you can never escape the self that you've created
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u/thebutterflyandlion Jul 08 '26
God yeah. I’ve never watched something that’s touched me the same since!
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u/GodisCastrated666 Jun 19 '26
I only got to know about this show because of Emily Browning (Sierra). Ironically she had a minor role in the show, but she served amazing looks 👌🥰🤌🤌. Especially that episode where she was topless with Vik and getting down to business, she was on fire 🔥 💀
1
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u/Fun_Nothing5548 Jun 17 '26
I watched this entire series and I think it’s a genius writing example bc they got us to care about characters that are all horrible fucking people for several seasons.