S02.E01: 201

[ApathyMonger]

 

Noah and Helen's divorce is complicated by conflict. Season premiere.

 

Available now on demand, or on Hulu if you have the Showtime package: http://www.hulu.com/the-affair

 

 

[Sage47]

I watched the first episode and loved it. Anyone else? Is it running on Showtime now? I accidentally saw it On Demand.

 

I love that they are now doing one half of the show from Helen's perspective-LOVE it. Maura Tierney is an incredible actress and so underrated. But I do miss Alison's point of view also. I wish they could lengthen the show and make it a three part-er.

 

I wish the murder part never happened. I find the show very interesting all on it's own with no extra drama thrown in.

 

I find Noah so sexy. And the place he is staying in on the water is to die for. Alison seems a lot lighter in spirit already.

[Glade]

This was a very strong opening for the new season!  Noah looks a lot better (in his version, anyway...lol, but the actor got in shape.)  I enjoyed seeing him push past his mother in law and take the scraps that he wanted.  His youngest son was very endearing, but Noah was really stupid to blunder through telling him about the divorce right there.   I'm very interested in what is going on with Martin--maybe one day Martin and his older sister could even have 1/2 episodes. 

 

As for the mediation, I'm sure the truth was somewhere in the middle of both of their accounts.   But of course Helen's mother is the same either way. Helen seems to have decided to have her own affair to work through her feelings, but is detached and not sure what she's gotten herself into.  It is funny how Harry is both paying for Noah's place and in his view wooing Helen. It looks like she's taking medical marijuana, but is that just for depression, or is she sick?

 

Next episode looks like it will be 1/2 Alison, 1/2 Cole, which sounds great.

[DB in CMH]

The Helen half of that episode was just masterful. Even down to the mediation where the both sat across from her, conveying a sense of being ganged up on. Maura did a spectacular job.

[DarkRaichu]

Lol at Noah ever lasting bloody nose (as result of punch from 2nd grader?) in his flashback vs the annoyed but physically fine version in Helen's.

 

Was the actor playing Noah's criminal lawyer (that Helen hired) specialized in acting as lawyer ? I swear whenever I saw him he played an expensive lawyer.

Edited September 28, 2015 by DarkRaichu

[ApathyMonger]

Was the actor playing Noah's criminal lawyer (that Helen hired) specialized in acting as lawyer ? I swear whenever I saw him he played an expensive lawyer.

 

Richard Schiff! He's best known for West Wing, but yeah, he's otherwise usually a lawyer.

[iggysaurus]

The guy Helen's having an affair with creeps me out. Helen seemed a bit grossed out too when she woke up with him at that hotel. 

[DiabLOL]

The guy Helen's having an affair with creeps me out. Helen seemed a bit grossed out too when she woke up with him at that hotel. 

Ugh! His unbearable sex narration made me want to run out of the room! You could just feel her hangover in that harsh daylight, too!

 

I think she's trying to fall for him just to escape her miserable disappointment in Noah but I doubt she'll make it. 

[Direwolf]

The guy Helen's having an affair with creeps me out. Helen seemed a bit grossed out too when she woke up with him at that hotel. 

 

Max! Noah's and Helen's friend from last year. She looked underwhelmed while Max was humping her like a jackrabbit.

[Boundary]

I loved Helen's perspective, it didn't have any jarring incidents (except the morning sex) but the way it was shot and acted gave it this fog, Helen's depression. Alison's POV last season had the same quality. 

 

That detective is sleazy, thankfully the Helen and the lawyer arrived just in time. Did anyone else get the vibe, revising all of last year's theories, that Helen was with Noah when the hit and run occurred? Helen's expression when the thunder was breaking out and Noah dream about driving in the rain, it just seemed like the two were linked. It would explain why Helen would hire an expensive lawyer for Noah, even after he's since married and had a kid with Alison.

 

Can't wait to see Cole's perspective, next week right? Or maybe we'll have to wait two weeks. 

[truthaboutluv]

Well no one told me the season premiere was available online so I've been waiting for Sunday. Anyway, saw it and I really loved it. My Noah hate continues but I expected that. It was nice getting Helen's perspective, even though I thought her recollection of Noah during the mediation meeting was wildly exaggerated and I say that as someone who loathes Noah. But as usual, Noah annoyed me even in his own memories so I still feel like my hatred for him is justified.

 

Helen's mother may be a bitch but I literally cheered out loud when she threw back in Noah's face how he could live with himself when he told her that bullshit. Noah's lack of self-awareness is astounding. In his mind he is clearly the good guy, the wrongly mistreated guy by Helen and her rich parents (the snark by Helen in his memories about his book profits) who are these soulless assholes. Like dude just because you're not a rich snob doesn't make you any less of a selfish, arrogant, self-centered asshole. 

 

Helen needs to get away from Max. Aside from the fact that she's clearly just using him to not be alone and I imagine after getting dumped by her husband for a younger woman, it feeds her ego to have someone who is clearly and has always clearly been so in love with her, Max is a mess. The drugs and the partying is unacceptable at any age but especially when you're in your 40's and Helen has four kids to take care of, that she doesn't need to go down that road. She looked okay in present day when she showed up with the lawyer for Noah so I'm hoping we don't see any really wild spiral. Seems like they're going down that road enough with Cole and his drinking. And I refuse to accept either Noah or Allison is worth anyone spiraling that badly over. 

 

I found Noah and Helen's different images of the mediator interesting. While I'm sure the mediator's summation of Noah was actually Helen's feelings that she remembered as his words, I can't say they weren't amazingly accurate. Also, I felt like Noah's image of the mediator was telling about his arrogance and how as much as he acts like he's better than Helen's parents, he's just as much of a snob. He just doesn't have the wealth and it's more an intellectual snobbery. Because I find it interesting he remembers the mediator as this almost awkward, nerdy like guy whose competence he even questions to Helen after they leave the meeting but Helen remembers the guy being almost cold, detached and more than competent. 

 

It would explain why Helen would hire an expensive lawyer for Noah, even after he's since married and had a kid with Alison.

 

 

I just figured it's because she still inexplicably loves him and he is still the father of her four children. 

 

I am looking forward to seeing Cole next week, though not seeing him spiraling over Alison who isn't worth it and definitely not interested in seeing the obvious anvils the writers will drop to try and suggest he might have been the one who hit Scotty.

Edited October 2, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[healthnut]

I just binged watched the series last week and thanks to the afterbuzz show I really enjoy all the nuances and details. Enjoyed this episode and Helens perspective. Totally didn't catch that was Max from last season until I read it here, how did I not realize that? The web just gets more and more tangled. Presumably, Noah doesn't know about those two yet and I would imagine Helen doesn't know Max knew about the affair before she did. Oh the sex scene, felt so bad for Helen there, and drugs! Max definitely sucks. Still hate Helen's mom. I, too, enjoyed the differences in the mediation. I always figure the truth is somewhere in between both perspectives. I look forward to seeing Cole's POV. IMO, so far, he's the most redeemable character in the show, and he's a drug dealer.

[chick binewski]

It looks like she's taking medical marijuana, but is that just for depression, or is she sick?

 

Next episode looks like it will be 1/2 Alison, 1/2 Cole, which sounds great.

I thought they were insinuating Helen has cancer (and if Maura Tierney is willing to play it after what she's been through cheers to her) but can't say for sure. I'm hoping this season moves a little quicker & am also looking forward to Cole's POV. 

 

From what I've read it seems Richard Schiff has a fairly big role which pleases me to no end. Hopefully Toby can shake some of Noah's bs loose.

[Maire]

I thought Helen drinking and vaping was her self medicating.

This first ep of season 2 was the best one so far because things happened and the plot moved along!!! Hallelujah!!!

[Ruby25]

I don't know why people were so eager to see Helen's POV. There was nothing in her half of the episode that surprised me or interested me- it was pretty much everything I expected. I really hate her mom.

 

I wonder if most women whose husbands leave them for someone else never want that person around their kids. I know it sucks, but It seems like it'd be kind of inevitable that that would happen. You pretty much have to put up with it if you're going to let the kids see their dad.

[truthaboutluv]

I know it sucks, but It seems like it'd be kind of inevitable that that would happen. You pretty much have to put up with it if you're going to let the kids see their dad.

 

 

The thing is though, at the time Helen said this, the whole situation was still very fresh. Because that's why Helen had to ask if Noah was even still seeing Alison because she didn't know. It looks like it was only a few months after Noah pretty much went to comfort his mistress after her husband pulled a gun on his wife and child, instead of them.

 

I'm sorry, yeah maybe it's vindictive, but I can understand a woman not wanting her children around the woman their father was banging while married to her and even before the divorce is even done. Yes, eventually if Alison is a part of his life it may be unavoidable but so soon, with all the ugliness and nastiness associated with the situation, not to mention that once again, the husband/maybe ex-husband of said mistress pulled a gun on Helen and her kid, yeah I wouldn't my kids anywhere around or associated with this woman. 

Edited October 4, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Ruby25]

Well, the violent ex-husband is a threat I can understand. But when an ex-wife just doesn't want the mistress around the kids because she was having an affair with her husband, I think that's probably not going to ever end up happening. If it's not about the safety of the kids, or them being mistreated by her or something, it's very likely inevitable that the kids will interact with her.

[ApathyMonger]

I thought they were insinuating Helen has cancer (and if Maura Tierney is willing to play it after what she's been through cheers to her)

 

She already played a character with cancer in Rescue Me a few years ago. She was one of the better parts of that show.

[cardigirl]

I loved the first episode, thanks to whoever said it was available.

I think Maura Tierney did an excellent job with her POV. And it did seem to represent what I felt when my husband left, and what many of my friends felt when they went through the experience. I loved the scene at the ballet school where the women were talking about the breakup and also the woman asking her afterwards if she suspected. The line about "rainbows shooting out of his dick" was pretty great. In my experience (of knowing many many people who have gone through this) the husband/wife is usually completely surprised by their spouses having affairs.

So Helen is in the grieving process, and it's a long process...she and Noah were married a long time AND have 4 kids so I expect to see her spiral a bit more. I thought the dinner table scene with the kids was great. Divorce is not fun, and when Dad runs away to be with somebody else, it's usually Mom who's left to try and mend the pieces and also try to give the kids some stability.

In Noah's perspective the kids are being kept from him, in Helen's perspective, Noah has no time for them. Like most dads, he's willing to spend time taking them to ball games, etc, but he's not interested in 'parenting.' At least, they haven't shown him trying to do that, yet.

I guess what I really enjoy about the show is that it portrays very well what people experience when an affair happens.

Looking forward to Cole's POV next week.

[Thinbalina]

I agree with Helen regarding the "new" old, girlfriend around her kids.

 

She didn't ask for anything from him but that..

 

Seeing Helen's POV made me feel better about this show..because if I had to watch Jerk and Jerkoff's happiness for the rest of the series I would've went crazy..

[Ruby25]

I agree with Helen regarding the "new" old, girlfriend around her kids.

 

She didn't ask for anything from him but that..

But if she's not going to mistreat the kids (and we know Alison won't), how can she really ask for that? I just don't see how that kind of request is realistic- it's not about the kids, it's about her own feelings.

[Boundary]

I don't know why people were so eager to see Helen's POV. There was nothing in her half of the episode that surprised me or interested me- it was pretty much everything I expected. 

 

 

Unlike most on this forum I wasn't really looking forward to Helen's POV but after seeing the episode I can see the value. There isn't much conflict between Noah and Alison but there's a great deal of drama to be mined between Noah/Helen and Alison/Cole viewpoints.

[cardigirl]

But if she's not going to mistreat the kids (and we know Alison won't), how can she really ask for that? I just don't see how that kind of request is realistic- it's not about the kids, it's about her own feelings.

I

It may not be realistic, but it is reality, that in the beginning an ex would feel that way. I thought is was completely normal that she would say that. She's seeing her entire world being compromised and disappearing. So yeah, she's going to try to hang on to what she can of "normal."

Whether or not it's reasonable, well, she's not thinking reasonably. At some point, the kids will have to accept the new woman into their lives, and to be healthy about it, the ex-wife will have to accommodate that. But in the beginning, yeah, she might make that demand...eventually, depending on how long the new relationship lasts, she'll have to accept it or make her kids choose between a relationship with their father and his new wife, or a relationship with her, and that's not a great thing to do to the kids.

Edited October 5, 2015 by cardigirl

[Primetimer]

Let's get reacquainted with this heartbreaking account of a marriage dissolving, with two heartless married people moderating.

Read the story

[WaltersHair]

I must say I was surprised by this episode. I thought Helen was going to be drippy, but she's interesting.

 

Maybe I've been out of circulation too long, but the rich college friend is a talker? I associate that with being too young to ask your partner if she finds it sexy or not.

[mrsdalgliesh]

I don't need to watch this show, but I'm glad it exists so (a) JJ stays in play and (b) the recaps exist.

[grumpypanda]

I found myself getting really mad at Noah during the dinner scene with Allison. These two assholes destroyed so many lives yet here they are blissfully in love, dancing and it appears they don't have a care in the world. Helen in the mean time has to deal with four kids that are heartbroken and confused. I love the shot of Noah on the pier looking utterly at peace while the storm clouds loom from behind. I'm kind of hoping that Helen will drop the kids off with Noah and take a long extended vacation. Let him and Allison try to get all romantic with a house full of surly kids. Kids are the greatest cock blockers ever.

Good for Helen for getting some even though she was obviously not that into it. I hope she finds another lover that rocks her world. I want fireworks for Helen! Right now Max is just someone to pass the time with but I don't think it's going to last long.

Overall, good episode. I can't wait to see what this season has in store for us.

Edited October 5, 2015 by grumpypanda

[Muffyn]

Maura Tierney did an excellent job this episode, from her totally not into it sex scene to the careful annoyance with Max at the dinner and both versions of her during the mediation.  I really enjoyed seeing Helen's POV.  I wasn't so sure about it until it was shown.  The extreme difference in their recollections of the mediator were interesting.  I also liked how in Noah's version Helen was wearing the blandest outfit ever.  And of course Alison had on heavy makeup in his vision.  

 

By the end of last season I was hate watching this show.  This episode changed my mind (for now).  

 

Also, I understand Ruth Wilson had raised a lot of criticism to the directors and writers about focusing on showing the women during the sexual encounters rather than making it more equal (She and Stephen Colbert did a very funny bit acting out O faces to other themes).  Knowing that and having just seen the awkward but painfully realistic sex scene with Helen and Max, I will still surprised at the close up of Max's genitals.  Thanks!  Now I'll spend the evening wondering if they used a penis double. 

[DB in CMH]

Episode 2 is up on Showtime on demand!

[TheOtherOne]

 

I will still surprised at the close up of Max's genitals.  Thanks!  Now I'll spend the evening wondering if they used a penis double.

 

According to the actor, nope:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/04/the-affair-josh-stamberg-full-frontal

[HunterHunted]

Well no one told me the season premiere was available online so I've been waiting for Sunday. Anyway, saw it and I really loved it. My Noah hate continues but I expected that. It was nice getting Helen's perspective, even though I thought her recollection of Noah during the mediation meeting was wildly exaggerated and I say that as someone who loathes Noah. But as usual, Noah annoyed me even in his own memories so I still feel like my hatred for him is justified.

Helen's mother may be a bitch but I literally cheered out loud when she threw back in Noah's face how he could live with himself when he told her that bullshit. Noah's lack of self-awareness is astounding. In his mind he is clearly the good guy, the wrongly mistreated guy by Helen and her rich parents (the snark by Helen in his memories about his book profits) who are these soulless assholes. Like dude just because you're not a rich snob doesn't make you any less of a selfish, arrogant, self-centered asshole.

Helen needs to get away from Max. Aside from the fact that she's clearly just using him to not be alone and I imagine after getting dumped by her husband for a younger woman, it feeds her ego to have someone who is clearly and has always clearly been so in love with her, Max is a mess. The drugs and the partying is unacceptable at any age but especially when you're in your 40's and Helen has four kids to take care of, that she doesn't need to go down that road. She looked okay in present day when she showed up with the lawyer for Noah so I'm hoping we don't see any really wild spiral. Seems like they're going down that road enough with Cole and his drinking. And I refuse to accept either Noah or Allison is worth anyone spiraling that badly over.

I found Noah and Helen's different images of the mediator interesting. While I'm sure the mediator's summation of Noah was actually Helen's feelings that she remembered as his words, I can't say they weren't amazingly accurate. Also, I felt like Noah's image of the mediator was telling about his arrogance and how as much as he acts like he's better than Helen's parents, he's just as much of a snob. He just doesn't have the wealth and it's more an intellectual snobbery. Because I find it interesting he remembers the mediator as this almost awkward, nerdy like guy whose competence he even questions to Helen after they leave the meeting but Helen remembers the guy being almost cold, detached and more than competent.

As loathe as I am to side with Noah, his perspective of the mediation, but not the mediator, rang a lot more true to me. Though his memories of the mediator as an awkward laughing hack are probably off the mark.

What became apparent through mostly Noah's recollection is that he's mostly a weekend dad. If he had been having daily conversations with his kids, he would b have known that his youngest son didn't know about the divorce and that his oldest son had developed an anxiety disorder.

Also Max is the worst even though he means well with Helen.

Edited October 5, 2015 by HunterHunted

[AlliMo]

I liked it, and I'm interested to see what's next. That being said, it's telling that in everyone's version, their kids are still such assholes. You could blame it on their being upset about the divorce, but it's the exact same thing I remembered most from the pilot. I'm surprised they're not fighting to make the other one take the kids.

[Spartan Girl]

I don't blame Helen for not wanting Alison around the kids. For one thing, the kids probably wouldn't take kindly to Alison anyway, considering that she's the woman he cheated on their mom with. Also bed pending on which version of the finale was true, Alison made eyes at Noah right in front of his wife and daughter and Noah chose to comfort Alison instead of them. Either way, seeing how easily those two assholes were able to slip in their happily ever after routine makes it obvious that neither of them give a crap about the kids.

Noah totally deserved the smackdown from Margaret and the bitchslap from his kid.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Spartan Girl

[Darian]

Ugh, Noah. I can barely watch him, in any POV. I wonder if the whole series will end with his novel's "subtle" ending. I hope the series writers aren't as self-indulgent as Noah.   

[Constantinople]

But if she's not going to mistreat the kids (and we know Alison won't), how can she really ask for that?

 

How do we know Allison won't mistreat the kids?

 

Her son Gabriel died.  According to Allison's own account, Allison's (ex?) mother-in-law blames Allison for not taking Gabriel to the emergency room.

[truthaboutluv]

That being said, it's telling that in everyone's version, their kids are still such assholes.

 

 

I actually think the kids came across mostly okay in this episode. I just feel sad for poor Martin who was clearly already struggling with a lot of emotional stuff before Noah's affair with Alison and subsequently leaving Helen and now is so buried in issues he can barely leave his room. Witney while whiny and bratty, I was on her side with the argument with the grandmother. It is her college essay and I agree with her that having a gun pointed at you would traumatize many and rank as a major moment in her life and more importantly she should be able to write whatever she wants.

 

And I noticed that she corrected her Margaret's insistence that Noah pulled the gun on them (she would think that). And I personally cheered the little boy punching Noah in the face. No, I don't condone bad behavior in kids but I'm pretty sure it was an accident. He was upset and didn't want Noah to touch him and he accidentally hit him. And at the dinner table, they all just seemed very sad and confused by what's happened to their family. But it was nice when Helen got a little smile and laugh out of them. 

Edited October 5, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Empress1]

How do we know Allison won't mistreat the kids?

 

Her son Gabriel died.  According to Allison's own account, Allison's (ex?) mother-in-law blames Allison for not taking Gabriel to the emergency room.

It was pretty clear to me that Gabriel's death was a horrible accident, not negligence or deliberate mistreatment by Alison. He dry drowned. Alison thought the worst was over - she gave him CPR on the beach, he coughed up water, and she thought he was out of danger. I also think Alison's former MIL was lashing out at her (in the cruelest possible way); I can't remember what they were fighting about (maybe MIL had found out about Noah?), but they were fighting when MIL made that comment. I don't think there's any indication that Alison is or has ever been a danger to children. She saved Noah's youngest daughter from choking.

 

I can see why Helen would make the request, but if Alison is here to stay, it's not going to be accommodated - it can't be. Some of the kids are old enough to make a decision about whether or not they spend time with Noah OR Alison. I could also see Alison holding back a little from the kids until they've felt her out. One of my friends' fathers is married to the woman he cheated on her mother with (her mother has since remarried), and they get along now, but at the time it was my friend and her sister who wanted nothing to do with the woman. And the woman and her father got it and didn't push.

 

Maybe I've been out of circulation too long, but the rich college friend is a talker? I associate that with being too young to ask your partner if she finds it sexy or not.

I actually like some talking during sex (I dated a guy who didn't talk at all during and it was disconcerting), but I was like "Dude, SHUT UP" during that scene.

 

It was insane to me for Helen to offer her parents' money to support Noah post-divorce. (Would they even give it?)

[mjc570]

While there is certainly a lot to dislike about Noah (especially the way he's treated his wife and children), I don't find him to be all that bad.  Yeah, I guess I'm probably less evolved than others of you here.  Anyway, I still think he is MUCH better than Max, who could not make it any clearer that he doesn't connect with Helen as a person at all, he just sees her as a prize, that he's beat Noah at last.  He's just super rude (like the way he treated the concierge on the phone) and boastful (letting the  employees know - as if they didn't already) that he is the new owner of the hotel.  HE showed no consideration whatsoever for Helen at that dinner, treating her as an object he just acquired.  I think he is totally creepy.

 

I don't think we've ever seen Noah be so rude to servers and other workers, and he certainly is a better lover than Max.   That sex was completely joyless.   If I were Helen, I'd drop him immediately.  But that would mean standing up to her mother, which she'll never do. 

[truthaboutluv]

While there is certainly a lot to dislike about Noah (especially the way he's treated his wife and children), I don't find him to be all that bad.  Yeah, I guess I'm probably less evolved than others of you here.  Anyway, I still think he is MUCH better than Max, who could not make it any clearer that he doesn't connect with Helen as a person at all, he just sees her as a prize, that he's beat Noah at last.  He's just super rude (like the way he treated the concierge on the phone) and boastful (letting the  employees know - as if they didn't already) that he is the new owner of the hotel.  HE showed no consideration whatsoever for Helen at that dinner, treating her as an object he just acquired.  I think he is totally creepy.

 

I don't think we've ever seen Noah be so rude to servers and other workers, and he certainly is a better lover than Max.   That sex was completely joyless.   If I were Helen, I'd drop him immediately.  But that would mean standing up to her mother, which she'll never do. 

 

Why must it be a competition? In my opinion Helen deserves better than Noah AND Max. And yeah Max is all kinds of douchy (though I find it interesting that despite clearly wanting Helen since they were in college, he willingly gave Noah the money to pay off creepy Oscar when Oscar was blackmailing Noah, even knowing that it was because Noah cheated) but that doesn't make Noah any less douchy.

 

This is a man who dumped his wife and family to be honest, since his big honest line was "I don't want this life" as his teenage daughter got pregnant and had an abortion and Helen as her mother was still reeling from that. This after he banged his mistress in their marriage bed. And let's not forget ignoring said wife and child after his mistress' husband pulled a gun on them, to go comfort the mistress. That last act right there is why I will ALWAYS want Noah to burn in a fire. Because what he said essentially with that act was his recent piece of ass was more important than his daughter. Forget Helen, he essentially chose Alison in that moment over his kid. 

[Constantinople]

It was pretty clear to me that Gabriel's death was a horrible accident, not negligence or deliberate mistreatment by Alison. He dry drowned. Alison thought the worst was over - she gave him CPR on the beach, he coughed up water, and she thought he was out of danger

That won't be much comfort to Helen if one of her children ends up injured or dead under Alison's care.

In any case, the standard was what we, the viewers, know about Alison. Based on what I know, I wouldn't want her around.

I don't think there's any indication that Alison is or has ever been a danger to children. She saved Noah's youngest daughter from choking.

According to Alison. According to Noah, Alison just stood there doing nothing while the daughter was choking. Perhaps Helen's memory it closer to Noah's than to Alison's.

[JenE4]

I thought it was interesting that in Noah's memory, his editor mentioned how Noah's book seems pretty autobiographical including Cole's brothers. How he would know so much about Noah's mistress's extended in-laws I guess would be Noah's own conscience, yet insisting as he did that it was fiction. And Noah wanted his real-life, "subtle" ending of sitting down to dinner with so many secrets between them--just like they did in this episode...and seemingly the point of that awkward dinner scene in which neither one could say anything they went through that day, but let's just dance in silence. So, to me, I thought this was how the book was supposed to end...ignoring the fact that the ending was already WRITTEN by that point, but this is just the unreliable memory End Scene. Back to the editor... So instead of the real-life "subtle" way this "fictional" novel ended, the editor insisted that Noah add in a murder at the end, and, if you recall from season 1, the detective felt that Noah's novel ending in murder was proof that he killed Cole's brother. So basically another example of Noah shifting the blame on everyone else: I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for that meddling editor making me rewrite my subtle ending to make me look like a murderer!

Edited October 5, 2015 by JenE4

[jrlr]

It was pretty clear to me that Gabriel's death was a horrible accident, not negligence or deliberate mistreatment by Alison. He dry drowned. Alison thought the worst was over - she gave him CPR on the beach, he coughed up water, and she thought he was out of danger. I also think Alison's former MIL was lashing out at her (in the cruelest possible way); I can't remember what they were fighting about (maybe MIL had found out about Noah?), but they were fighting when MIL made that comment. I don't think there's any indication that Alison is or has ever been a danger to children. She saved Noah's youngest daughter from choking.

 

It was insane to me for Helen to offer her parents' money to support Noah post-divorce. (Would they even give it?)

Cherry (Allison's MIL) said two completely different things last season IIRC.  Before she found out about the affair she told Allison that it was Allison and Cole's strength that kept the family strong after Gabriel died.  After she learned about the affair she accused Allison of contributing to Gabriel's death by not taking him to the hospital (because Allison was a nurse and thought she knew more than she did).   No way Allison is supposed to ever have been a danger to kids.

 

First of all Helen can get anything she wants from her parents financially - she's going to inherit their entire estate anyway.  Second, Helen's mother is a complete control freak and would probably grudgingly pay for Noah to have a place suitable for the little princes and princesses to stay.  Specially since said spoiled brats would possibly tell grandma all about Noah and his girlfriend, which would be more ammunition for granny and her spitefulness - not that some of the spitefulness isn't utterly deserved by the seemingly unredeemable Noah.   

[CleoCaesar]

That being said, it's telling that in everyone's version, their kids are still such assholes. You could blame it on their being upset about the divorce, but it's the exact same thing I remembered most from the pilot. I'm surprised they're not fighting to make the other one take the kids.

The show really went too far with the kids. I've been hoping the eldest son gets the shit kicked out of him ever since he faked his own suicide as a joke in the pilot. If I hypothetically had a kid who did that, I'd send them to military school and would likely have a hard time even speaking to them for a very long time. Whitney is just a straight-up c-word. And now the younger son is punching his dad in the face.

Horrid, awful children. I'd voluntarily give up custody of those brats in a heartbeat.

[mjc570]

 

Why must it be a competition? In my opinion Helen deserves better than Noah AND Max.

I totally agree!  Sorry, my post should have been clearer, because I don't see Max as any sort of upgrade.

[Empress1]

The show really went too far with the kids. I've been hoping the eldest son gets the shit kicked out of him ever since he faked his own suicide as a joke in the pilot. If I hypothetically had a kid who did that, I'd send them to military school and would likely have a hard time even speaking to them for a very long time. Whitney is just a straight-up c-word. And now the younger son is punching his dad in the face.

Horrid, awful children. I'd voluntarily give up custody of those brats in a heartbeat.

The best one is the youngest girl, and I can't remember her speaking other than "I've been practicing" when Helen picked her up from ballet. The elder two, especially Whitney, are awful. Whitney isn't just a brat, she's a bad person - bullying one of her classmates into a suicide attempt and then not caring? The tantrums she throws? She needs a smack.

[Constantinople]

The show really went too far with the kids.

I agree. I think too often TV show writers feel that every kid must have some kind of issue or problem. Chris Brody from Homeland is one of the few exceptions I can think of, and thanks to his quiet, stoic attitude, I think even Homeland's show runners forgot about him.

 

I've been hoping the eldest son gets the shit kicked out of him ever since he faked his own suicide as a joke in the pilot. If I hypothetically had a kid who did that, I'd send them to military school and would likely have a hard time even speaking to them for a very long time. Whitney is just a straight-up c-word. And now the younger son is punching his dad in the face.

I think Trevor, the younger son, is an example of Noah reaping what he sows given his anger management issues. Last season, Trevor asked if he could join Noah on his morning jog. Noah said no because he wanted some alone time, that is, Noah was planning to go screw Alison. Trevor asked again and Noah got very angry.  I don't recall if Noah pushed or shook Trevor, but Noah's reaction was way out of line since this was just a little kid who wanted to spend time with his dad.

[WaltersHair]

I know the unreliable narrator was discussed last season, but now that we have Helen I wonder. Is she the most unreliable of the three. Woman scorned in a blind fury?

[GeminiDancer]

We won't ever know because we never saw Helen or Cole's perspective last season. What would we have seen, though? She would have no idea that Noah's off banging Alison for most of the season (not going to lie, I would have loved to have seen Helen's perspective when she discovered that Alison had been in their home). Obviously, she's in pain. She's looking to Max begrudgingly for comfort, and for whatever reason that I don't know of, still loves Noah to the point of being willing to help him.

 

Noah continues with his whole victim attitude. He's still an asshole no matter what perspective we see. Whoever said upthread that he's a snob is spot on. 

[VioletMarx]

Wonder if they'll revisit Montauk at all. It was super interesting to me to see a place so overridden by moneyed tourists from a working class native's point of view.

 

I agree that part of Helen's reason for not her wanting her kids around Alison is pure hurt and anger, but I doubt she thinks this is a long term relationship. She thinks Noah is having a mid life crisis and is banging some hot, young woman (who he may leave to try to come home or for yet another hot, young woman). Why would she want to expose her kids to someone who (she thinks) won't be around long anyway?

 

And because it can't be said enough: Noah is the worst.

[HumblePi]

Helen and Max, now that's something to really think about. In last night's episode they talked about how Max, Helen and Noah were close in college and how much Max wanted Helen back then. Flash forward to last season when Max suddenly appears on Montaug and enjoys a lunch outside at a restaurant with the entire family. In Noah's recollection, Max and Helen give each other a passionate kiss and embrace while the kiddies are there wondering 'wtf?'. Supposedly, Max is recuperating from a breakup of his marriage to his wife Val.  Then Max buys cocaine from the taxi driver which is none other than Caleb Lockhart. They go to the bar where there's music playing and Max hits on Allison and she flirts back.

 

Fast forward to this season and Max is now the owner of the hotel that they both so artfully messed up and now he's madly in love with Allison because her ass is so tight and she's so amazing. Helen doesn't seem to be so into Max so I suspect she's just accustomed to having money and is hanging onto Max for that reason. (gold-diggers aren't always poor women looking for a sugar-daddy) It seems like his dirty sex talk is making her want to throw up, so she has a reason for being there. I think showing Max's slack penis was just gratuitous on the part of Showtime as it seems they are hell-bent on making their mini-series more sexually explicit even if it doesn't have any significance to the story-line.

 

Kathleen Chalfant does an excellent job portraying Helen's mother, Margaret Butler. Last season, she was portrayed as a control freak who also controlled her own husband's career by ghost-writing the majority of his best selling novels. It looks like good ole Margaret will carry on with the same theme this year and will be the control freak that people applaud aloud once she's taken down a few pegs and knocked off her high horse. John Doman who plays Helen's father Bruce Butler will be in next week's episode and I'm curious to see how the relationship unfolds between daughter-father.