S03.E08: Episode 8

[AmandaPanda]

Quote

Alison has a sobering realization, and ponders the unthinkable; Cole's frustrations reach a boiling point.

[Armchair Critic]

No Noah was so nice.

Luisa do not have a child with this man. Since when did Cole start confiding in Oscar? That is not going to end well.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Armchair Critic

[Primetimer]

After a string of Noah-focused episodes -- don't worry, he still gets mentioned at every opportunity -- The Affair turns its attention back to Alison and Cole, and stumbles with how it's handling one of those characters. But probably not the one you're thinking.

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[CleoCaesar]

At this point I want Luisa to go on a rampage and annihilate all of these weak, pathetic, selfish losers. Fuck you in particular, Cole. I expected better.

[Milburn Stone]

Oscar brought some much-needed laughs.

[Armchair Critic]

I can understand Cole being concerned about Allison taking a job 4 hours away but I wonder if it's partly because he would rather have her sitting around waiting for him.

[Muffyn]

A miracle has happened.  I didn't completely hate this episode.  Of course, that might be because there was so much less Noah than usual. 

Cole's obsession with Alison is made of WTAF.  She is his wounded bird.  She is the one he will always want. She and only she will be the person he desires for all his life.  Everything he does he does to convince people he is not madly in love with her.  FFS.  Somebody get that man a spine and snap it on for him.  I know she was his first wife and they lost a child together, but she has burned every bridge, relit the charcoal, roasted marshmallows on it and let Noah use his urine to put it out.  Run away, Cole.  Run away.  See if you can get some tips from Vik on how to say goodbye and mean it.   

Continuity fairies, either show Alison playing with her scarf or keep it either close to her neck or  loose.  Otherwise its just an annoying distraction. 

Edited January 16, 2017 by Muffyn

[Guest]

So did the mental health facility run out of licensed professionals and felt the need to call in a former patient to counsel a suicidal one? Hm. I would think Alison received grief counseling there to deal with the loss of her son -- wasn't that person available to help the other girl? Or did they just call up an any old somebody to help her as well? 

I wonder how long before Alison reveals to Cole she shoved Scotty into the road and into the oncoming path of Solloway car? Or is that shit gonna drag out for another whole season?

Glad to see the promo featuring a real confrontation between Noah and Gunther - where Gunther's face is basically all, "What the fuck are you going on about you crazy drug addict? Do I even know you?"

I really hope at the end of this they all wind up with their original spouses. They deserve each other. 

[Muffyn]

Philip Michaels in the recap "So now the suspect list has been narrowed to…the rest of North America.". Water meet keyboard. Heck, I might stab Noah if given the chance.

[LilaFowler]

1 hour ago, CleoCaesar said:

At this point I want Luisa to go on a rampage and annihilate all of these weak, pathetic, selfish losers. Fuck you in particular, Cole. I expected better.

Maybe Vik can help her?  I ship them for absolutely no reason whatsoever other than they've been screwed by these fucktards and it's not right.

Cole is so pathetic but the heart wants what it wants, I guess.  His mistake was dragging another innocent person into it.  He should have never married someone else if he was in love with Alison all along.  Luisa deserves better.  Get out while you can, girl. 

Alison gets shared custody and immediately starts planning a life in another state. What a selfish, self-absorbed bitch.  Co-parent and Mother of the Year.

Those glasses on Helen -- I died. 

Alison will tell Cole the truth about the night that Scotty died but only after he leaves Luisa and destroys his life to be with her. She'll probably be pregnant with another baby, too.  I see it all now.  Season 4, y'all.

[chocolatine]

Alison to Cole: "I'll always be impulsive" - translation: "I want you to take me back, but I reserve the right to cheat on you whenever I feel like it."

I laughed and laughed at the scene between Helen and Alison in the bar, especially when Helen told Alison how happy she was to find out Joanie wasn't Noah's. Helen's behavior has been deplorable lately, but that scene made me sympathize with her again just a tiny bit.

Now that Oscar knows about Cole sleeping with Alison, it can't be long before Luisa find out. I hope it'll be before a surrogate is implanted with a Cole/Luisa embryo.

Edited January 16, 2017 by chocolatine

[CarolMK]

Best line of the night- Helen says, so, we're both divorced from Noah- to Alison- and they toast each other!!

I took this episode to mean that Cole is really still in love with Alison, but her feeling the same way is less clear in her point of view.

Nice not seeing Noah this week. This show is really screwing with my head when Alison seems to be more level-headed than Noah and Helen.

Helen is going to confess next week. I can't wait to see the fallout from that. How was she able to live with that secret the last several years anyway?

[scrb]

Alison and Helen both blamed themselves to each other for The Affair, overlooking for the moment Noah's part in it.

Alison shouldn't have gotten involved with a married man with a family and Helen didn't do enough to to keep Noah's interest.

Its a man's world!

 

Then there's another parallel, with Noah and now Cole seen to be tortured souls.  Noah is in emotional anguish about his high school years, a middle aged men with women throwing themselves at him.  Cole is pining for the woman who cuckolded him, despite going to some lengths to court and marry a woman who won't cheat on him.

If these character no longer make sense, it may be because they rebooted these characters without bothering to notify the viewers.

[LydiaE]

The acting in this episode was painful.  Pure daytime soap opera material.  The actor who plays the role of Oscar is always subpar.  The suicidal girl that Alison "counseled"-- her acting and crying was so awful, how was she even cast? The cops in the series are always cheesy and cliche.

What is the point of Oscar on the show anyway? I'm still traumatized that Alison had sex with him as a teen and an adult.

The writers made the mistake of limiting the affair to the first season only. Had they dragged it out more, the series would have had more meat.

Edited January 16, 2017 by LydiaE

[Sheenieb]

This was a good episode. It was a throwback to the earlier seasons. No hallucinations, just the adults talking.

I appreciated Helen and Alison's talk. I understand how it could be viewed as Helen blaming herself for the affair, but I interpreted it as she's partially to blame for why the marriage was broken. The affair was the consequence, not the cause. Noah was insecure, lacked ambition, and was a wimp, but he probably didn't start out that way. As much as I like Helen, she let her parents take control of her marriage. Bruce and Margaret never missed a moment to remind Noah that their money funded Noah's lifestyle. Helen didn't shut them down for that, so she was silently complicit, and it came across as if she didn't respect her husband.

Unrelated, but it never rang true for me that Helen's store wasn't solvent. I'm sure the Park Slope moms would've been all over that place. She would've at least had a NYTimes write up.

Cole and Oscar's talk was reminiscent of Noah and Max's conversation in season one. Get out while you can, Luisa.

Edited January 16, 2017 by Sheenieb

[vixenbynight]

11 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Oscar brought some much-needed laughs.

And much-needed truth to Cole.

Allison fucked up his life and she has the gall to question why Cole is afraid to jump back into the ocean with her?!

[car54]

I wonder if that clinic really offered Allison a job or not.

I also would like to see Helen's side of the conversation with Allison next week.

[vixenbynight]

10 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

Alison gets shared custody and immediately starts planning a life in another state. What a selfish, self-absorbed bitch.  Co-parent and Mother of the Year.

 

9 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Alison to Cole: "I'll always be impulsive" - translation: "I want you to take me back, but I reserve the right to cheat on you whenever I feel like it."

It's telling that Alison still believes that Cole is the one that needs to see her as "crazy, insane and damaged", when it was Noah that needed her to be that way, in order for him to "save her" from her life with Cole.

I get that Cole still loves Alison, but somewhere, deep down inside of himself, he knows that she'll eventually screw up his (and Joanne's) life again. The hesitation is much more than being known as the "good guy".

[CaliCheeseSucks]

41 minutes ago, car54 said:

I wonder if that clinic really offered Allison a job or not.

I also would like to see Helen's side of the conversation with Allison next week.

Yes, on top of the ridiculousness of a staffed clinic randomly asking an ex-patient back to counsel a suicidal client - it somehow turned into a job interview? Far be it for me to suggest maybe wait a while to see if Alison's counsel actually helped the woman outside of five minutes after they finished talking.

I could see them encouraging Alison to consider getting involved in volunteer grief counseling groups but a paying, official gig after one conversation with a patient? This show always oversteps its bounds to blow a kernel of a reasonable idea into an over-the-top, defies logic plot point. 

[oceanblue]

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 I am not keen on the idea that Noah and Cole both need Alison to drive them toward success. It's not fair to her as a character.

Agreed, and it's also contrary to what we've been shown - Alison does not drive anyone toward success, including herself and her daughter.  She cripples everyone around her until they escape her.

 

Luisa saying she wants she and Cole to "start our own family" was icky.  What is she, Joanie's babysitter?  In my view, they are adding to their family that already includes Joanie.   Joanie's not going to be a guest of the real family when she's with them.  It makes me suspicious of her intentions in speaking up for shared custody.

[chick binewski]

13 hours ago, LydiaE said:

The acting in this episode was painful.  Pure daytime soap opera material.  The actor who plays the role of Oscar is always subpar.  The suicidal girl that Alison "counseled"-- her acting and crying was so awful, how was she even cast? The cops in the series are always cheesy and cliche.

What is the point of Oscar on the show anyway? I'm still traumatized that Alison had sex with him as a teen and an adult.

The writers made the mistake of limiting the affair to the first season only. Had they dragged it out more, the series would have had more meat.

Both Ruth Wilson and Joshua Jackson looked seriously checked out most of the episode. JJ was more present when the writing was less stilted and RW picked it up quite a bit in the scene with the young mother (maybe it just seemed that way b/c the girl wasn't that great?). I was really disappointed they had a revelatory and solid bit with Alison, then they have her drive back to Montauk to be her usual wingnut self. To me that was one of the more disappointing moments this season.

Watching Oscar is like watching Gunther. Why is he here? It makes absolutely no sense that everyone sees him as their personal confessor. 

I am hoping they completely shake Luisa or give her something to do other than react to Cole & Alison. 

5 hours ago, oceanblue said:

Luisa saying she wants she and Cole to "start our own family" was icky.  What is she, Joanie's babysitter?  In my view, they are adding to their family that already includes Joanie.   Joanie's not going to be a guest of the real family when she's with them.  It makes me suspicious of her intentions in speaking up for shared custody.

Good point. I watched that part like - phrasing, Luisa.  I kind of forgot about it when Cole sat down and was like, call your sister for impregnation! Wtf.

Edited January 16, 2017 by AmandaPanda
Removed the "c" word

[Former Nun]

1 hour ago, CaliCheeseSucks said:

Yes, on top of the ridiculousness of a staffed clinic randomly asking an ex-patient back to counsel a suicidal client

Maybe instead of a clinic, it's "a clinic."  Wink wink.

[lazylou]

Everyone seems to hate Noah,  but he is the one who has effectively destroyed his life by taking the rap for Helen.  And Alison, too, though I think her legal responsibility would be hard to prove.  And why didn't they stay at the scene and call the cops? They were worried about a DUI?  About a
scandal? Well, that would be a lot better than homicide.  Noah may have spent time in prison, but once upon a time Cole and Alison were involved in dealing hard drugs and Helen actually was driving a car while intoxicated (not for the first time) and hit and killed a man, then allowed someone else to take the blame.

My problem here is that I have trouble believing the Helen we met in season one actually feels much guilt about anything...she never considered Noah's feelings or welfare before the affair...once he is out of sight, seems it would be easy for her to put it out of her mind entirely.  

As far as Alison's"job" is concerned...seems like it might have been a better idea if the writers had had her be asked to participate in some sort of grief support group. Maybe she has not even actually been offered a job.  No one on this how is a reliable narrator...the point of the show, I believe.

[truthaboutluv]

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Cole's obsession with Alison is made of WTAF.  She is his wounded bird.  She is the one he will always want.

The thing is, as much as I hate this storyline, it's one of the things in this awful season that isn't completely left field in my opinion. The fact is Cole never left Alison. When Cole first found out about Alison's cheating with Noah, he forgave and took her back. She's the one who ultimately ended things. And before he met Luisa, there was always the sense that he was hoping she would come back.

Yes, as Oscar pointed out, the woman stomped on his heart and crushed it to bits and as if that wasn't bad enough, she then proceeded to lie and deny him his child for two years. But he has always loved her. So when he sees a bit of the old Alison or thinks he does, he's hooked again. And Alison and Cole apparently have a history that goes back to them as kids and then teenagers. 

I hate that Luisa got dragged into this mess and will get hurt and I am no fan of Alison but I did enjoy the episode. And god help me, I actually think she had a point when she told Cole he was scared to follow his heart because then he could no longer be the good guy and her the asshole. Because then he'd be just as much of an asshole as her. Of course he's already slept with her so in my opinion, he's already the asshole. 

Quote

Alison to Cole: "I'll always be impulsive" - translation: "I want you to take me back, but I reserve the right to cheat on you whenever I feel like it."

lol...

Quote

I took this episode to mean that Cole is really still in love with Alison, but her feeling the same way is less clear in her point of view.

Yeah hard to tell because Alison's POV ended with the officer guy informing her about them questioning Cole again and so all the stuff in the jail and after was Cole's POV. 

Quote

 

Alison and Helen both blamed themselves to each other for The Affair, overlooking for the moment Noah's part in it.

Alison shouldn't have gotten involved with a married man with a family and Helen didn't do enough to to keep Noah's interest.

I don't know that Alison was completely absolving Noah so much as acknowledging her failings and mistakes in the situation and showing some self awareness.

Quote

 I'm still traumatized that Alison had sex with him as a teen and an adult.

I don't think Alison slept with Oscar as a teenager. If memory serves, I think they acknowledged that he'd been creepily hitting on her and trying to sleep with her since they were teenagers. That's why when she felt extremely low and at her most self destructive, she decided to say screw it and give him what he'd been after for so long. 

Quote

 I am not keen on the idea that Noah and Cole both need Alison to drive them toward success. It's not fair to her as a character.

I didn't get that sense. If anything all I got was that Cole still loves Alison because the heart wants what it wants but he's terrified and wary to go there because he knows she's a nutjob who will only bring chaos and crap to his life. The writers even had Oscar vocalize it by saying that Luisa will be the one there to catch him when he falls while Alison will likely step over him. 

Edited January 16, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[grommit2]

OK fans...back to the geography. For a story set in Montauk with a real restaurant, etc, the New Jersey side of the story is curiously skewed.  Must be one of the writers comes from this area. For example,  Noah's teaching gig is/was supposed to be at "Livingston University."  We all know that does not exist (although there is a branch of Rutgers "Livingston College", started in the late 60s as an alternative ed, but located in Piscataway, and since merged into the overall Rutgers system, so that also does not exist.   Noah's apartment was also supposed to be in Livingston, especially since the cops investigating his attack (?) are from Livingston.  Livingston certainly does exist, and was the long-time home of the Governor, Chris Christie.  And now we learn that Noah's sister lives in West Orange, which also does exist, and is the town next to Livingston.  

[CleoCaesar]

3 hours ago, oceanblue said:

Luisa saying she wants she and Cole to "start our own family" was icky.  What is she, Joanie's babysitter?  In my view, they are adding to their family that already includes Joanie.   Joanie's not going to be a guest of the real family when she's with them.  It makes me suspicious of her intentions in speaking up for shared custody.

Pretty sure Luisa meant their own biological family.

[RedheadZombie]

So now I'm even more confused about Cole's and Luisa's absolute rage that Alison "abandoned" Joanie, and ran off never to be seen, destination unknown for six months.  We now know Alison bundled Joanie up and took her to the child's father, followed by checking herself into a psych hospital for the entire six months.  We also know that Cole/Luisa knew exactly where she was, because they were able to take advantage of the situation and have Alison sign over her parental rights.  What exactly would they have preferred she do?  There weren't many options, and here's what the majority of these cases devolve into:  killing herself, leaving Joanie unattended and running off, or in the very worst case - harming Joanie in one of the moments she was hallucinating.  Yet Cole complains that it occurred late at night.

5 hours ago, oceanblue said:

Luisa saying she wants she and Cole to "start our own family" was icky.  What is she, Joanie's babysitter?  In my view, they are adding to their family that already includes Joanie.   Joanie's not going to be a guest of the real family when she's with them.  It makes me suspicious of her intentions in speaking up for shared custody.

I got bad vibes from both versions of Luisa this episode.  I know she's a saint to many, but I just don't see it.  From when she told Cole that she "tried" being Joanie's mother, but it didn't work.  Which is strange because you were never her mother, you were her step-mother.  Step-mothers can still be very loving and feel the step-child is actually there's, but they're also very conscious of the fact that the child has a real mother.  Plus, Luisa's very insecure about Alison, which is very understandable, but she sold out Joanie in the attempt to get Alison out of her life.  Since Luisa was the one very vocally denying Alison this season, and Luisa made the hardline decisions keeping Alison away from Joanie, this means one of two things.   One, Luisa never thought Alison was a danger to Joanie and kept them separated because she wanted no competition for Cole or Joanie.  Or, Luisa believed everything she's said and done, and was willing to take a chance on Joanie's safety to put distance between Cole and Alison. 

Luisa did not seem this type of character last season.  Now she's an insecure woman, manipulating others to keep her man.  It's like she's gotten Helen's season two story line.

[truthaboutluv]

I think there is a writing continuity error here. Because when Alison came to see Cole, he stated clearly that they hadn't heard from her in six months and added, "no phone call, letter, text". But then it was later stated that she signed away her rights while in the Institution. So who knows? That said, the writers' fail aside, I do think the established reasoning for Cole and Luisa's anger was that Alison apparently disappeared for six months. And no matter how one tries to twist it to villainize Cole and make excuses for Alison, disappearing for six months with no word is shitty period.

It doesn't matter that she left Joanie with her father because as Luisa rightly pointed out to Alison, Joanie asked for Alison repeatedly, cried herself to sleep and they didn't know what to tell her because they didn't know where Alison was. And I love the defense of "she left her with her father..." Again, the father Joanie didn't know existed for two years because she was busy thinking Noah was her father. That poor kid has to be confused and messed up herself. 

Quote

One, Luisa never thought Alison was a danger to Joanie and kept them separated because she wanted no competition for Cole or Joanie.  Or, Luisa believed everything she's said and done, and was willing to take a chance on Joanie's safety to put distance between Cole and Alison. 

Or she really believed it was for the best for Joanie and yes for all of them, rather than keep going back and forth all the time in a court room. Luisa was the one some episodes ago that agreed to let Alison have Joanie on her birthday, unsupervised. In Alison's POV she stated that she hoped Alison's bad choices were behind her and Alison calling her a monster apparently bothered her.

So Luisa comes across reasonable and fair in both Alison and Cole's POV but there's still suggestion that her motives are sinister and manipulative? But yet Alison is the one unfairly judged and treated because well she left her child in the middle of the night with her father and oh, she's mentally unwell and damaged. Okay then. 

Quote

 I know she's a saint to many, but I just don't see it.

I don't see anyone thinking Luisa is a saint. Most just think it's a waste of her time to stay with a man who is clearly still in love with his ex-wife. 

Edited January 16, 2017 by truthaboutluv

[RedheadZombie]

13 hours ago, scrb said:

Alison and Helen both blamed themselves to each other for The Affair, overlooking for the moment Noah's part in it.

Alison shouldn't have gotten involved with a married man with a family and Helen didn't do enough to to keep Noah's interest.

Its a man's world!

Hey, it worked for Brad Pitt!  This is how it usually goes.  It's definitely a man's world.

[chocolatine]

25 minutes ago, RedheadZombie said:

Plus, Luisa's very insecure about Alison, which is very understandable, but she sold out Joanie in the attempt to get Alison out of her life.

On the contrary. Luisa was the one to suggest joint custody in this episode. Joint custody means Alison will be very much in her life for the next 13 years (if she stays married to Cole).

[RedheadZombie]

2 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

On the contrary. Luisa was the one to suggest joint custody in this episode. Joint custody means Alison will be very much in her life for the next 13 years (if she stays married to Cole).

Then she's shortsighted. 

"Let's give her what she wants so we can stop thinking about her.  I'm just so fucking tired of talking about Alison."  Her decision, per her own words, is to give in to Alison so they can stop talking and thinking about her.  Her concerns for Joanie were not part of the decision.

Luisa is the one who expressed her insecurity when she yelled at Cole that Alison was taking him from her, five minutes after she moved back to town.  So, Luisa is shades of gray, like the rest of the characters on the show, and the rest of the world.  It's the flaws of these characters that fascinate me and keep me coming back, and I will continue to express them, even though 99% of the posters have a differing opinion.  Isn't that part of the appeal? 

[scrb]

Do the differences of minutiae in the POVs matter?

In Alison's POV, she brought muffins or something like that.  In Cole's POV, she brought donuts.

In her POV, she catches up with him at the Lobster Roll to tell him about her new job.  In his POV, she comes to the building site again.

[RedheadZombie]

18 minutes ago, scrb said:

Do the differences of minutiae in the POVs matter?

In Alison's POV, she brought muffins or something like that.  In Cole's POV, she brought donuts.

In her POV, she catches up with him at the Lobster Roll to tell him about her new job.  In his POV, she comes to the building site again.

I like the subtle differences, and it's interesting to debate which is the right one.  But I think they often significantly change them to keep the audience interested.  Literally watching the exact same scenes with just the subtlest differences could become boring.  Where it becomes difficult for me, is when one character's POV is consistently labelled as truth, and another's is always called a lie.  I think it's a lot more complicated than that.  But I do enjoy the nuance.

[Chas411]

I really liked the scene with Alison and Helen. For once it wasn't a poor Alison the victim scene. Helen actually came off as likeable despite letting Alison off the hook completely. 

Luisa came off supportive also in Alisons point of view. It's the first time the other women in the show haven't been portrayed as bad people in her version.

[RedheadZombie]

I'm wondering why so much time was spent on the new character who gave Cole a hard time about his permit.  I hope this new guy isn't going to disappear or end up dead, and Cole is suspected.  But it was very strange how the man subtly threatened Cole, while Cole is simultaneously being looked at as Noah's attacker.  I don't think Cole attacked Noah, but since it was made so obvious that Noah hallucinated and attacked himself, I'm wondering if it will turn out that someone did hurt him. 

This episode creeped me out a little bit with Cole.  He's being portrayed more like first season Cole, when he seemed a little dangerous.  I will admit he's hotter when he's not poor old Cole.  But that look on his face at the end reminds me of how he looked when he was mimicking shooting Noah in season two.  I much prefer this Cole, as it's more consistent with the first season.  I wish they'd have more scenes of Cole on horseback, and the Cole who was drug ring leader with his sibling lackeys.  That Cole was fascinating.  But the writing of Helen and Cole seems very parallel.  Both portrayed more negatively in season one, written as broken victims and super sympathetic season two, and now we're seeing more negative scenes from their own POVs.   I do wish that only Noah or only Alison was suffering from mental illness.  Having them both suffering at the onset of the affair makes it easier to dismiss their psychological issues, and dismiss their issues.

20 minutes ago, Chas411 said:

I really liked the scene with Alison and Helen. For once it wasn't a poor Alison the victim scene. Helen actually came off as likeable despite letting Alison off the hook completely. 

Luisa came off supportive also in Alisons point of view. It's the first time the other women in the show haven't been portrayed as bad people in her version.

And both Helen and Luisa were sympathetic in Alison's POV, which shows, IMO, Alison doesn't always paint herself the victim and others as victimizing.  Helen especially came off well.  She got a little dig in, but immediately apologized.  It was so disappointing that she didn't want to talk about the night Scotty died.  I feel like Alison was trying to mitigate Helen's responsibility in the death, but Helen's just working so hard with her own guilt to go there.  I'm beyond tired of Scotty's death, and I really hope this is cleared up and doesn't bleed into season four.

It was interesting that Helen and Alison were blaming themselves for the affair, instead of Noah.  But I think it reflects the knowledge that Noah took the fall for Scotty, which protected both of them.  (I am ignoring the fact that Alison would never have been legally charged for her part)

Edited January 16, 2017 by RedheadZombie
Portrayed is much different that betrayed.

[Chas411]

I've asked this before but when did Oscar and Cole become best friends? I always liked Oscar but it's like they've erased the history from previous seasons just to force that friendship.

[chabelisaywow]

I was really rooting for Helen.  She was the character that I thought was likeable.

When she was all put out about why/when/how Alison saw Noah it showed how thirsty she is and that just is ugh.

OH and when Alison responded "what about Joanie?" She is so selfish!! All she could think about was how this job benefits HER!

Edited January 16, 2017 by chabelisaywow
ugh Alison ugh

[Snewtsie]

Why does it seem as though Alison's custody battle has gone on for weeks & weeks ...yet in Noah's world, we are perpetually in the same week as he was stabbed? 

I don't believe Cole was mad at Alison for seeing Noah, when the purpose was for Noah to sign divorce papers.  Unless he is looking for reasons to be angry with her, a result from his own guilt.  

Question for anyone who knows ...In New York, can a divorce really be granted within a couple days of the parties signing the documents?

Random observation ...Did Helen order them both drinks and then leave Alison to pay the bar tab?  That made me laugh.  

[Snewtsie]

15 hours ago, LydiaE said:

The acting in this episode was painful.  Pure daytime soap opera material.  The actor who plays the role of Oscar is always subpar.  The suicidal girl that Alison "counseled"-- her acting and crying was so awful, how was she even cast? The cops in the series are always cheesy and cliche.

What is the point of Oscar on the show anyway? I'm still traumatized that Alison had sex with him as a teen and an adult.

The writers made the mistake of limiting the affair to the first season only. Had they dragged it out more, the series would have had more meat.

And don't forget "Timothy", Montauk's smug new building inspector, who's perma-sneer can hardly disguise the disdain he feels for a Lockhardt.  A tell-tale sign of a long lost cousin, evil spawn of Cole's late alcoholic grandfather.  Probably in cahoots with Oscar ("Let's face it, I'm a C"- worst line in TV history), who is playing nice to Cole just for the purpose of trying to get blackmail material on Alison ...successfully, yet again.

Yes, painful.

15 hours ago, LydiaE said:

 

Edited January 17, 2017 by Snewtsie

[grumpypanda]

I thought this episode was boring. I feel like nothing interesting is happening this season and it's the same old shit over and over again.

Why was Alison dressed so frumpy in her POV? Both her and Helen looked terrible at the bar. Oh my god those glasses!! 

[MaggieG]

Regarding Alison's "job", I do think it would be something good for her, but I'm confused as to why Cole thought it was a huge deal? She could work during the week and get Joanie on the weekends. Or work Mon thru Thu and get Joanie Fri, Sat and Sun. That way it wouldn't interrupt her school schedule.

[NutMeg]

I think this may have been my favorite Alison segment ever, and thinking back, it seems this was due to her interacting with new (with her) characters, and also her being more open/receptive to other women than where she interacts with the men in her life and when she is mainly prey.

Helen was excellent too in that segment and I so didn't expect to see her that I had a fraction of a second of 'Wait, where do I know her from?'. Felt very real and also very nice in a sisterly way, if that makes sense. And awww, Alison does see Helen as this kick ass person, or at least as way more put together than Helen sees herself.  

[Rock knocker]

On 1/16/2017 at 4:55 PM, Snewtsie said:

And don't forget "Timothy", Montauk's smug new building inspector

After a lifetime in construction, that was the first inspector I ever saw at his desk in a suit looking like a lawyer, complete with law books piled up behind him.    Normally you would expect boots, plad shirt and jeans, with the reading material consisting of worn NEC, IBC or IRC.   And maybe some plans up for review.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Rock knocker
spelling

[vixenbynight]

7 hours ago, MaggieG said:

Regarding Alison's "job", I do think it would be something good for her, but I'm confused as to why Cole thought it was a huge deal? She could work during the week and get Joanie on the weekends. Or work Mon thru Thu and get Joanie Fri, Sat and Sun. That way it wouldn't interrupt her school schedule.

I believe that it was a "huge deal" to Cole, because Alison never brought up that she was looking for a job that is four hours away in NJ, or actually thought about how her work/commute schedule was going to work with the schedules for Joanie, Cole and Luisa. 

There was also a moment, in which I believe Alison says in response to Cole's questions and concerns about how this would affect Joanie and she says "What about Joanie?!" & that she's "only in kindergarten".

Alison seriously doesn't think things through at all, relies on Cole and Luisa to pick up the slack and then expects Cole to be happy for her.

[subina167]

 I know I'm probably being picky and yes, I do know about "poetic" license, etc. However, the time frames are driving me batty. I'm sure I'm not the only New Yorker here and if you are a New Yorker, then you know how absurd these little driving trips our characters are making are. Alison has an appointment at 11AM in  NJ 4 hours away.  Leaving Montauk, she will be driving on a one lane road for 50 miles, then 2 lanes before reaching the cityline. She will be driving into NYC  rush hour. And then, horrors of all horrors, she has to get on the George Washington Bridge (The GWB) to NJ. Do you have any idea what that's like? This is no enjoyable casual drive. But she's back in Montauk by afternoon (!!!) telling Cole where she was that morning. To put this into perspective, it would be like me driving from Brooklyn where I live to Washington, D.C. to have lunch with my brother and then driving home right afterwards. Crazy! Helen, upon meeting Allison in the bar tells her she was just getting dinner. In Montauk? Visiting mom who she hates? Cole is arrested. The cops tell him there's a picture of his car by the GWB toll lane on THAT NIGHT. Night? Cole took a 4 hour drive at night to see Alison's doctor? That's some doctor. Available in the middle of the night. Sheesh! And he too is home by next morning. If Alison were to take that job, where is she getting the money for an apartment in pricy Northern New Jersey? Is Alison that stupid and oblivious about child rearing and education? Kindergarten ain't what it used to be, at least not in NY or NJ. Kindergarten today is not about arts and crafts and sharing toys. These little kiddies get homework. Does Alison not know that children need stability and continuity? Are the writers that stupid or are they just making Alison appear that stupid and oblivious? Considering the ludicrous driving trips, I just can't tell. Just venting.

[Bebecat]

I am heartily sick of every character. I probably won't get too see the two final eps as I cancelled Showtime over this mess.

i find both Helen and Alison loathsome. In part, because they fell for Noah.

Cole is a jerk. Just because you physically want someone doesn't mean you can or should cheat on your new wife, or daydream about screwing up the world for so many people. Alison will always do just what she wants...she's "impulsive" after all, an excuse to please herself, basically. 

Cole going to NJ at night was ridiculous. I would prefer he had stabbed Noah in the neck. Or Alison, or Helen.

[beeziebee]

13 hours ago, Bebecat said:

 

I am heartily sick of every character. I probably won't get too see the two final eps as I cancelled Showtime over this mess.

i find both Helen and Alison loathsome. In part, because they fell for Noah.

Cole is a jerk. Just because you physically want someone doesn't mean you can or should cheat on your new wife, or daydream about screwing up the world for so many people. Alison will always do just what she wants...she's "impulsive" after all, an excuse to please herself, basically. 

Cole going to NJ at night was ridiculous. I would prefer he had stabbed Noah in the neck. Or Alison, or Helen.

 

No, please, tell us what you really think!  LOL!

I have to agree with you.  It's time for all the characters to be stabbed in the neck.  This show is no longer worth watching.

[oceanblue]

Quote

Pretty sure Luisa meant their own biological family.

I'm completely certain that's what she meant.  Although we know Luisa can't have children biologically so the next child is either not going to be biologically related to her or be born via her sister.   Which is all fine, and in my view doesn't make the child better or worse than Joanie.

But that wasn't my point.  If I were Cole, I would definitely be put off by her comments.  Joanie is his child just as any new baby is his child.  He must thing of having a new baby as adding to his family, not starting a family.  Her wording made me feel like she was just using Joanie because she can't have bio children and now that Alison's back she wants to get rid of her.  I wonder if she'll be one who discourages her husband from spending time with his old child instead of being with his real family - the one he'll have with her.

[Snewtsie]

1 hour ago, oceanblue said:

I'm completely certain that's what she meant.  Although we know Luisa can't have children biologically so the next child is either not going to be biologically related to her or be born via her sister.   Which is all fine, and in my view doesn't make the child better or worse than Joanie.

But that wasn't my point.  If I were Cole, I would definitely be put off by her comments.  Joanie is his child just as any new baby is his child. 

I think Luisa simply meant she wanted a child that she & Cole wouldn't have to share with another person. I don't think biological is important. We saw it through Cole's POV and he was the one who suggested her sister be a surrogate. She wants to wait longer and think about options.  I think she is completely committed to Joanie, but is now accepting her limits as a stepmother since Alison always being able to play the "real mom" card and can make demands on any given day. Luisa has shown to be protective of Joanie and willing to do the work as Mom, so I can't see her suddenly casting Joanie aside if/when another child enters the family.  I think everyone is judging her harshly for how Cole perceived her conversation with him. 

[oceanblue]

I'm judging her the same way that I'd judge anyone who said "let's start our own family" when there is already a child in the picture.  And my judgment is simply that it hit my ear wrong, and it made me question who she is and what she's thinking.  We'll see how it plays out.