The Affair is currently shooting its second season and just in time for maybe Emmy nominations – it did win the Golden Globe after all – a teaser for the new season has been released. In it there is plenty of smooching, crying, yelling and some very disheveled looks.
The amount of viewpoints is expanding from two (Alison and Noah) to four (Helen and Cole join the mix) and this is a good thing because at times during the first year I found it hard to find myself too engaged by the central pairing.
My issue isn’t that they are having an affair (it is in the title of the show after all) or that they didn’t have good chemistry, but I just didn’t care all that much for them as a couple. Out of the pair Alison is by far the most compelling as Noah’s story borders on mid-life crisis cliche and it is his scenes with Helen that really hit some incredibly devastating notes.
By opening up the different viewpoints it takes some of the attention away from Alison and Noah and will give Helen and Cole more depth. Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson both delivered last season while being on the periphery and I am forever in awe of everything Maura Tierney does as she can sell heartbreak with just a look. Now their characters will hopefully become more than just props in the central love story and we will get to see how they view Alison and Noah.
Memory is a big factor and how it can vary from person to person and it will be interesting to see how Helen and Cole’s version mirror or deviate from the kind of experience we have already witnessed.
Playing with perceptions of behavior and costume is one of The Affair’s strengths, which goes beyond spot the difference and reveals a whole lot about these characters and how they see the world. By throwing in two more POVs it will expand this further and this is why I am excited for the new season.
From the teaser you can see that things are going really well for a brief moment, but there is going to be a whole lot of confrontations with the exes, tears in the shower and a really striking blue dress from Helen. Oh and that pesky court related business.
Watch the teaser for season 2 of The Affair, which will return in the fall.
Plus here is the always delightful Maura Tierney discussing the expanding viewpoints and Emmy related thoughts with Goldderby.
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