# The Affair; Episode 2.1 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504 "2015-10-04T15:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skiwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Skiwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skiwoman)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/21 "2015-10-09T00:22:32Z")
I just saw my first episode and really enjoyed the realistic representation of a divorce involving a third party.Well cast.I will have to find Season One ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/22 "2015-10-09T15:34:06Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Helen’s Story is going to be interesting… I wonder how long she’s been banging Max and smoking weed. The Max banging part seems to be relatively recent, but at least enough time for her mom to know to invite him. Now that they are opening up more viewpoints than Noah and Allison, they can, if they want, go in very interesting ways… such as what about an entire episode from the point of view of the cop, which would reveal what exactly happened in the murder and why he’s so sure it was Noah? It’d at least make the cop somewhat interesting… maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/23 "2015-10-09T16:40:10Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > The Max banging part seems to be relatively recent, but at least enough time for her mom to know to invite him. > > Now that they are opening up more viewpoints than Noah and Allison, they can, if they want, go in very interesting ways… such as what about an entire episode from the point of view of the cop, which would reveal what exactly happened in the murder and why he’s so sure it was Noah? It’d at least make the cop somewhat interesting… maybe. My wife and I call him Detective Deacon. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/24 "2015-10-09T17:11:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Max is definitely operating in CREEPY mode, if you ask me. He’s not many steps away from boiling a rabbit. Only if you believe Helen. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/25 "2015-10-12T06:18:16Z")
Saw the premiere last night, but haven’t seen the second episode yet. One thing that struck me as funny was the differing viewpoints at the mediation. Press for the first season made the point how the stories broke down along gender lines: men tended to believe Noah’s account more than Allison’s, while women tended to believe Allison’s more. The meditation appears to have shattered that. I don’t think anyone in their right mind could believe Helen’s account over Noah’s. The mediator and Noah sit on the same side of the table and gang up on her? Really? Surely it felt that way, but come on. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/26 "2015-10-12T13:08:33Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Saw the premiere last night, but haven’t seen the second episode yet. > > One thing that struck me as funny was the differing viewpoints at the mediation. Press for the first season made the point how the stories broke down along gender lines: men tended to believe Noah’s account more than Allison’s, while women tended to believe Allison’s more. > > The meditation appears to have shattered that. I don’t think anyone in their right mind could believe Helen’s account over Noah’s. The mediator and Noah sit on the same side of the table and gang up on her? Really? Surely it felt that way, but come on. I’m trying to remember what the story-telling “rules” are from last year. I agree that it is difficult to believe that they would remember where the mediator sat differently. But I can certainly accept that it is a way to reperesent the dif impressions of the mediator. The dif in stories (last year) could be… 1. impression/memory 2. what they told the investigator 3. the story in Noah’s next book Does anybody remember which of those applied last year??? ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/27 "2015-10-12T19:22:51Z")
All I know is that Noah is shown as a self-centered asshole in everyone’s story, _even his own_! I have no idea what anyone sees in him! ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/28 "2015-10-26T17:00:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Max is definitely operating in CREEPY mode, if you ask me. He’s not many steps away from boiling a rabbit. Still watching? I watched eps 2 and 3 yesterday plus #4 live last night. As the OP maybe you could request a title change to turn it into the whole season and Open Spoilers up? Until then I’ll shuffle off to the Observer site … ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/29 "2015-10-26T19:23:51Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I watched the first season and enjoyed the style of storytelling, but ultimately I didn’t see the chemistry between the two and forgot about the show. I wish they made it more believable as to why they decided to have their first affair with each other–especially him. I never really saw the emotional spark. If all he was doing was satisfying some physical need, I would have expected him to have had lots of affairs in the past. I didn’t really get a good feeling as to why he kept up with the affair either with all the problems it was bringing up. I don’t see chemistry either. Alison’s reasons for the affair are obvious; why she’s sticking around is less so. I think Noah’s reasons had more to do with his insufferable in-laws, but now he totally sees Alison as his writing muse. I wonder if these two would be more sympathetic if Joshua Jackson and Maura Tierney were playing the leads. As it is they are the only two characters I find interesting anymore. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/30 "2015-10-26T19:32:59Z")
Part One of the Ep 3 recap is particularly good… [http://observer.com/2015/10/the-affair-recap-2x3-phantom-of-the-montauk/](http://observer.com/2015/10/the-affair-recap-2x3-phantom-of-the-montauk/) ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/31 "2015-10-27T00:33:55Z")
I have been really liking this season. More than Season one even which I enjoyed. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504/32 "2016-05-04T18:48:49Z")
No further comments? While I enjoyed much of Season 2, I’m afraid that revealing the details of “the murder” are going to make a future season much less compelling. Three not all that likable people try to escape the consequences of a tragic accident just doesn’t have the same oomph. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-affair-episode-2-1/733504.md?page=1)