The Affair (TV series)

The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson) after they casually meet at the diner where Alison works. The series begins with the Solloway family traveling to the resort town of Montauk, New York. Noah is happily married to Helen (Maura Tierney) with four children–Whitney (Julia Goldani Telles), Martin (Jake Siciliano), Trevor (Jadon Sand) and Stacey (Leya Catlett and Abigail Dylan Harrison) but he resents their dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a local waitress trying to piece her life and marriage to Cole (Joshua Jackson) back together after the death of their four-year-old son. The story of the affair is depicted from Noah's and Alison's perspectives respectively, complete with memory bias which often results in vastly different scenarios.[5] Each episode has two parts, one as remembered by Noah, the other by Alison.

In the second season, the narrative is expanded to include the perspectives of Noah and Alison's original spouses, Helen and Cole, as they all move forward with the dissolution of their marriages and deal with the ramifications.[6] The subsequent death of Alison's brother-in-law, Scott (Colin Donnell), and the ensuing police investigation and criminal trial, are explored in flashforward scenes at the end of most episodes. Alison gives birth to her second child, Joanie.

The third season is set three years later, following the culmination of the flashforward trial scenes, after Noah is released from prison. Season 3 introduces an occasional perspective, Juliette Le Gall (Irène Jacob), a professor and Noah's love interest.[7]

In the fourth season, Noah has moved to Los Angeles to be closer to his younger children Trevor and Stacey, as Helen and Vik (Omar Metwally) have moved there. Noah is also an English teacher at a charter school where he gets romantically involved with its principal, Janelle Wilson (Sanaa Lathan). Cole and Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno) are living together in Montauk, while Alison is working as a grief counselor. Season 4 features opening flashforward sequences, featuring Noah and Cole, in its first four episodes, which ultimately lead to the discovery of Alison's death. The central perspectives of Noah, Helen, Alison and Cole continue, with the latter two reaching their conclusions; a one-off part from Vik's perspective is also featured.

The fifth and final season takes place in two different time frames: a present-day storyline including Noah, Helen, and their four children and the other decades later featuring a now-adult Joanie Lockhart (Anna Paquin) returning to Montauk and discovering the truth about her mother's death.[8] The season introduces the perspectives of Joanie and Whitney alongside Noah and Helen, as well as one-off parts from the perspectives of Janelle and Sierra (Emily Browning).

On February 8, 2013, it was announced that Showtime had ordered a pilot for The Affair.[13] The network officially picked up the series on January 16, 2014, with a 10-episode order.[2] On November 10, 2014, Showtime renewed the series for a 10-episode second season;[14] however, it was later changed to 12.[15] On December 9, 2015, the series was renewed for a third season.[16] On January 9, 2017, Showtime renewed the series for a fourth season.[17] On July 26, 2018, Showtime announced it had renewed the series for a fifth and final season.[18]

Ruth Wilson requested to leave ahead of season four.[19] Although Wilson did not fully disclose the reason for her departure in 2019, The Hollywood Reporter did an exposé alleging that Wilson had been uncomfortable with the amount of nudity required for the role and naming showrunner Sarah Treem and executive producer and director Jeffrey Reiner as behaving inappropriately towards actors on set.[20] Treem would later deny the accusations that she had coerced Wilson into nude scenes while admitting that Wilson was not comfortable with the amount of nudity required for the character and that body doubles were frequently used. Treem also corroborated that there had been an investigation into Reiner after he allegedly shared nude photos of a body double with producer, writer and actress Lena Dunham despite the fact that she was not involved in the show in any capacity.[21]

After the conclusion of the fourth season and prior to the start of production on the fifth and final season, several series regulars departed the series. Joshua Jackson did not return for the final season.[8] Omar Metwally and Sanaa Lathan appear until episodes 2 and 3 respectively, and are removed from the main cast thereafter. Catalina Sandino Moreno appears in episodes six and seven as a guest star, in both the present-day and flashforward storylines.[22]

The first season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 4, 2015. The set contains all 10 episodes, plus special features, including character profiles and costume featurettes.[48] The second season was released on DVD in region 1 on August 16, 2016.[49] The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on April 25, 2017.[50] The fourth season was released on DVD in region 1 on October 16, 2018.[51] The fifth and final season as well as a complete series collection were released on DVD in region 1 on March 10, 2020.[52][53]

In Canada, the series premiered simultaneously with the American broadcast on October 12, 2014, and aired on Movie Central and The Movie Network.[54] The series premiered on Showcase in Australia on February 10, 2015.[55] Sky Atlantic bought the rights to air The Affair in the UK with season one beginning in May 2015.[56]

• Official website
• The Affair at IMDb