S03.E01: Episode 1

[NutMeg]

9 hours ago, bilgistic said:

That was A MESS. I was completely distracted by Jennifer Esposito's hair the entire time she was on screen. It looked like maybe a professional colorist intentionally tried to show how a "poor" woman's hair would look if she did it herself, but the level of lift (amount of bleaching) on different areas was the same, so it's not actually how an inexperienced/home job would look.

This to looked to me like the hair of a woman who usually has it colored but didn't because something much more important than her hair was happening in her life: hello? dad dying, and she was the closest to him? Yeah, I'd think the highlights could wait too.   

6 hours ago, Chas411 said:

Disappointed with how desperate Helen came off in that scene where she more or less asks him if they're getting back together. 

You understand this is only Noah's perception, right? Now, by some miracle, he could be correct but we'll have to wait and see, same for the French teacher - Eau so French? lol

By the way, about the latter, French people who CAN speak English don't go about splattering their talk with French sentences especially when they are with English speakers (they might if French speakers are around) and more especially if they are hired by  US university to teach in English. They just don't. <Side-eying Noah and his POV>    

[MaggieG]

Helen's necklace when she was visiting Noah was fugly as hell.

My take on the end, I do think Noah was stabbed in the neck. Though, if it was the prison guard, why would he want to kill him? Unless Noah knows something about the guard. Nobody knew where he was living, he had only gotten the apartment that day, so I don't think it would be Cole (unless Cole was also following him).

I liked his parole officer.

Spoiler

The previews do show him in the hospital talking to the police, that is why I do think he was attacked.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

The Affair Returns With Noah's Arc

It's all Noah all the time, as the season premiere of The Affair devotes its energies to everyone's favorite adulterous jailbird.

[Chas411]

Quote

You understand this is only Noah's perception, right?

Yea thanks I understand how the show works.

It was still disappointing to see that she might be entertaining the thought of wanting him back. 

[Kiss my mutt]

I was wondering why Helen isn't helping Noah out financially after getting out of prison. 

[Medicine Crow]

It was interesting to see Haddie Braverman as Audrey.  It took a second for me to connect, but she did a good job portraying a young woman in today's society.

[Lady Iris]

Boring Noah hour was boring. The only thing I sort of enjoyed was his shaving and when he stopped to look at himself with just the mustache. That and the double take I did seeing Brendan Fraser's name in the end credits. I assume he's playing the guy following Noah?

[izabella]

WTF with this show?  I was bored with a whole hour of Noah perspective, and what the hell are they doing by adding weird neck stabbings to the show?  Jump the shark moment for me.  I didn't think this was that kind of show.

[Snewtsie]

On 11/21/2016 at 9:55 PM, bilgistic said:

That was A MESS. I was completely distracted by Jennifer Esposito's hair the entire time she was on screen. It looked like maybe a professional colorist intentionally tried to show how a "poor" woman's hair would look if she did it herself, but the level of lift (amount of bleaching) on different areas was the same, so it's not actually how an inexperienced/home job would look.

Wouldn't it be funny if we see bad hair only from Noah's POV? Like we are going to learn this season he is a closet "hair snob."

Sorry, totally random thought, lol.

[bilgistic]

Speaking of hair, Noah is one of very few man that I've thought looks better without a beard. Something about it looked creepy.

[Armchair Critic]

On 11/22/2016 at 11:58 AM, MaggieG said:

Helen's necklace when she was visiting Noah was fugly as hell.

I was so distracted by her awful bangs that I didn't notice the necklace

[Milburn Stone]

On 11/21/2016 at 4:58 PM, Chas411 said:

I initially felt bad for that student he embarrassed but she was annoying asshole throughout the rest of the episode that I ended up being delighted he'd slated her.

Of course I felt bad for her in that creative writing seminar, but Noah's critique of her writing was 100% dead-on. Sarah Treem is such a good writer she even knows how to write bad when she wants to. We were meant to know how boring and clichéd that piece of work was, and we did.

And when she whined to Noah how no woman feels safe, ever, I just wanted to say to her: Guess what, these days no person feels safe, ever. We know that Noah doesn't.

[scrb]

Wow really Irene Jacob?  Double Life of Veronique!

IMDB says only in two episodes though.

Unfortunately, The Affair isn't being written and directed by Kieslowski.

As for the episode, I enjoyed Noah being a dick in class, because this is college, not high school any more.  But the girl (as well as the other girl at the dinner party) really tore apart Descent so payback!

[Texasmom1970]

Good to see even from Noah's point of view he is still a total douche. At least to me.

[Muffyn]

I finally watched this episode.  Aaaaaarrrrrrrgh!  Oooh, he wrote a crappy novel and killed somebody - such a turn on.  Sexy, intelligent professor lady has to get a piece of Noah.  I am happy that his female students aren't shown as throwing themselves at him.  Then again he was a douchebag in the way he expressed his opinions, so they are now turned off (not that similar behavior has stopped women from wanting him before).  The dinner party was painful.  I have been in discussions on consent many times.  This was written so poorly.  Again, aaaaaaarrrrgh!

[chocolatine]

18 minutes ago, Muffyn said:

Oooh, he wrote a crappy novel and killed somebody - such a turn on. Sexy, intelligent professor lady has to get a piece of Noah.

And cheated on his wife, and has four horrible children, and is currently broke. If it wasn't just in Noah's imagination, it's baffling that she would pursue him. My best theory is she needs a green card.

[NutMeg]

9 hours ago, Muffyn said:

I finally watched this episode.  Aaaaaarrrrrrrgh!  Oooh, he wrote a crappy novel and killed somebody - such a turn on.  Sexy, intelligent professor lady has to get a piece of Noah.  I am happy that his female students aren't shown as throwing themselves at him.  Then again he was a douchebag in the way he expressed his opinions, so they are now turned off (not that similar behavior has stopped women from wanting him before).  The dinner party was painful.  I have been in discussions on consent many times.  This was written so poorly.  Again, aaaaaaarrrrgh!

I'm still convinced that's only in Noah's mind, after all he's the most unreliable narrator :)

[Ailianna]

On 11/16/2016 at 7:35 PM, yourmomiseasy said:

I've never been a Noah fan, but I enjoyed him this episode, so of course he maybe died.  A real highlight for me was his student lecturing him about never feeling safe anywhere because she's a woman but being completely oblivious to the fact that Noah seems to be suffering from PTSD from some kind of trauma that he suffered in prison and/or was being stalked and actually knew what it is like to literally not be safe anywhere. 

 

On 11/21/2016 at 5:58 PM, Chas411 said:

I initially felt bad for that student he embarrassed but she was annoying asshole throughout the rest of the episode that I ended up being delighted he'd slated her.

 

On 11/23/2016 at 11:47 PM, Milburn Stone said:

Of course I felt bad for her in that creative writing seminar, but Noah's critique of her writing was 100% dead-on. Sarah Treem is such a good writer she even knows how to write bad when she wants to. We were meant to know how boring and clichéd that piece of work was, and we did.

And when she whined to Noah how no woman feels safe, ever, I just wanted to say to her: Guess what, these days no person feels safe, ever. We know that Noah doesn't.

I didn't feel bad for her in the seminar, because she was obviously only going to get her ego stroked by the other students, and clearly expected as much from her teacher.  He wasn't even that harsh in his words, it was the tone of voice, but the world would be spared a lot of bad writing--and maybe get to enjoy more good writing, if more writing teachers gave the precious snowflakes a reminder that they are not the center of the world  A a writer myself, I have learned a lot more from people who reminded me that it wasn't about my self-indulgence, but about the story, or subject, or argument or whatever I'm writing about. 

The dinner was full of the kind of pretension that I remember from college, but can't mentally reconstruct.  It is so much more complex than they can imagine with their absolute send of truth and rightness and knowledge of what is and what should be.   

As for her whining about how no woman feels safe anywhere ever--speak for yourself.  As a woman, I am responsible for my own safety, and for using my own smarts and common sense to maintain it.  I'm not willing to be afraid all the time--and a lot of other women are also not willing to live their lives afraid of everything and everyone.  

On 11/21/2016 at 4:52 PM, bc1795 said:

I still hit the  mute button during the opening credits.

And I still love that song.  To each his own.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Ailianna

[Superpole2000]

When writing a drama, you don't have to make it a constant dark brooding mess. That tends to be unwatchable. You should be including lighter moments, people having fun, some likable characters, and reasons to cheer for people to get through the dramatic moments of their lives. But in this episode (i'm only half into it), there wasn't anything but darkness. And it wasn't even particularly compelling darkness.

I think the writers forgot that TV should be entertaining. I am 25 minutes into this episode, it's felt like 50 minutes, and I wonder what reasons the writers are giving me to keep watching.

[heatherchandler]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 1:53 PM, Snewtsie said:

I'm confused.  Was Noah seeing visions of his father's ghost or visions of the prison guard?  I had assumed throughout the entire episode it was his father's ghost, but I have no frame of reference what his father looked/dressed like.  I don't remember the character at all from past seasons.

I cannot remember his father either.  Was he played by someone famous??  Ray Liotta?

 

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 3:52 PM, bc1795 said:

I still hit the  mute button during the opening credits.

Really?  I love that song, it is the best part of the show! 

[lovinbob]

On 11/15/2016 at 7:13 AM, weaver said:

I was very bored.   My only curiosity was where were Noah's college scenes filmed, wasn't Princeton as far as I know from two visits.  

Fordham! My alma mater. A beautiful campus. 

On 11/16/2016 at 0:06 PM, truthaboutluv said:

I do think the dinner scene with the obnoxious students went on a little too long because they were all so annoyingly pretentious and the whole thing came across incredibly fake and forced. Also, if I ever needed more proof that the writers read the boards, the student bringing up the scene with Alison and Noah and whether or not it had rape undertones, was definitely it. 

The dinner scene was hilarious. And Noah as the earnest observer ... what a joke! Even in his on POV, he is an arrogant, self-pitying douchebag. His eulogy infuriated me. Why on earth would he be the one to speak for his father? Between his recent prison stint for murder and the fact that he and his father obviously hate each other ... it showed that Noah is just utterly self-centered. 

[scrb]

Fiona Apple does the song but it looks like the visuals have subtly changed?

I can't tell how it's different but it seems different.

Maybe because the first couple of seasons were about events happening around Montauk but this season will no longer be centered there?  The visuals I remember were about being submerged in the ocean.

[truthaboutluv]

Quote

I can't tell how it's different but it seems different.

They've added images of all four lead actors. You can see them clearly at different points. 

Edited December 2, 2016 by truthaboutluv

[NutMeg]

6 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

They've added images of all four lead actors. You can see them clearly at different points. 

Yes, and they are "sinking into the ocean".

[colorbars]

Late to this episode, but I kind of wished I hadn't even bothered. A whole hour of Noah is almost insufferable.

I personally enjoyed the college girl, partly because I'll always love Patty Pryor from American Dreams, but mostly because she hated Noah, and anyone that hates Noah is a friend of mine. And I also enjoyed the show finally addressing that really uncomfortable "sex scene" from last season that always felt very dubious in terms of consent. So I also agreed with her "tirade".

I wish I had faith he was dead, but I know he's not. I've had so many favorite characters die this year, I could never be so lucky as to have one of my least favorites die as well.

[JenE4]

I realize I am a year and a half late to this thread, but I’m going to hope someone else just added Showtime to their Hulu account and is playing catch up. I’m surprised to see the only comments on a suspect is taking Noah on his word that it was the prison guard. I think we have two other obvious suspects: the brother-in-law who is angry as hell that Noah got his dad’s house and has a serious financial motive as well as what seems to be an emotional vendetta, and Audrey the student who he absolutely humiliated and seems to be hell-bent on taking down rapists and going on the extreme end of defining what constitutes victimizing a woman—Noah fits the bill to her. And since we only saw Noah’s perspective of the evening, perhaps he did make a move on the French teacher without consent, so she could be a suspect, too; there was just WAY too much focus on the consent talk for it NOT to be a factor in the storyline. Then of course we also have to suspect a Lockhart brother; Cole would be most obvious, but anyone would do. Could also be Martin because he was REALLY pissed at dad, or even Helen because she had her heart set on them getting back together. Hell, even that old lady at the funeral made a big scene about him being a murderer... Anyway, my point is it’s probably not the prison guard.

[millennium]

Oh, AS IF!

The author of a best-selling book becomes  enmeshed in a murder mystery in a posh Long Island beach community, but we're supposed to believe he's BROKE?   Descent would have FLOWN off the shelves after his conviction AND a movie would have followed, with all the royalties flowing right to Asshole Solloway.  Moreover, upon release he would have been sought out for interviews, etc., for which he would have been paid handsomely. 

I laughed when Noah knocked over all those bottles of wine, especially since he wasn't even wearing a Goretex coat.

Speaking of Seinfeld, I am starting to think Noah must have the kavorka because as we saw in this episode all he has to do is wake up groggy as a rummy on a park bench and women are ready to drop their panties.   I was surprised his sister didn't come on to him, too.