Extramarital affairs. Never ends well, does it. Yet we keep having them and making films/series about them. The effect it has on a marriage and a family. Damaged people and realationships always seem to be something we return to in art. Keeps us interested. Like we want to figure things out.
Here Noah (played by Dominic West), who seems to be happily married to Helen (played by Maura Tierney), embarks on an affair with a mysterious young waitress named Alison (played by Ruth Wilson). They meet over the summer vacation in Montauk. Noah, a novelist, and his family live in New York City. Alison is married to Cole (played by Joshua Jackson). It is a relationship which is filled with tragedy and pain. When the affair is revealed all involved tried to recover from it.
Told in an intriguing way in that the goings on are told from all involved perspectives’. Interesting to see the different ways they all see or remember what has gone on.
Nothing is “cleaned” up here. All characters are complex. Layered. Nuanced. No one is the villain and no one is the good guy. All exist in shades of grey. Make them and the series very watchable. Well written and well acted.
All that being said, the wrap up of season five is not as satisfying as could have been. Not sure the way they presented it was smart. Doing today and 30 years in the future was just awkward. Some of the main characters are gone so their void is never really filled. There are gaps that you can feel.
Then suddenly when we get to the last episode POOF things are back on track again. It is a highly watchable last episode. Leaves you with an overall good taste in your mouth about the series in general.
