Saturday, November 22, 2014

The Affair - MIdseason




The structure to The Affair is praiseworthy, not because of its novelty, but because the show uses the structure only to enhance the story, rather than allow the structure to dominate at the cost of the story.  We’ve seen flexibility so far in the order of the POVs, showing Alison’s both before and after Noah’s, as well as showing both concurrent and successive events.  The POV still is the dominate trait, but the details around it change to suit the story.

Not only that but in one episode, the POVs told successive stories rather than concurrent ones.  In the scenes that conflict, we are to see not merely that there is a difference but to understand and interpret what those differences mean.  If there’s no purpose to understanding a divergence then the writers use that other half hour to tell the story in another way that benefits the plot.

The issue with the slightly cracked door has been answered and the Lockharts are outed as drug dealers.  Noah’s anger and disappointment no doubt fuel from his bubble being burst about what Allison is.  His disenchantment with her is similar to how he’s rethinking his life with his wife when he has to sit around and eat shit all summer from her parents.

Is it possible that Oscar is the smartest guy in the room?  Being able to suss out Noah and Allison is one thing, but to play the Batman gambit to ultimately get his bowling alley permit and have a blackmail card in his back pocket is impressive.  

With the drugs and the high level of conflict within the Lockhart family, it’s possible that Scotty’s death has absolutely nothing to do with the affair and everything to do with the drug operation going pear shaped. 

The sense of entitlement that pervades the Lockharts is possibly the worst thing about them. 
Mama Lockhart is Lotso.  She pretends to not get in the middle of things, but in fact she is taking a position as a result of not taking a position.

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