S04.E04 Episode 4 2018.07.08

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Cole's relationship with Alison jeopardizes his marriage.

Because Cole just can't quit her!  No man can! 

[DiabLOL]

Why the hell would Cole cover for Ben? He doesn't know him, doesn't care about him has nothing invested in him so why cover for him instead of outing him right there and then? 

The walkabout thing is stupid to the core. I'm feeling trolled by the writers at this point.

[Mindthinkr]

How can Cole and Louisa be legally married if she has never been a citizen of the US? I thought marriage was a grounds  for immigration. 

Allison literally fell overboard for this new guy Ben. He seemed together mentally when they spent time with each other but he sure did not seem well at the AA meeting. He might very well be the cause of Allison’s next breakdown which should at least make Louisa happy as then she’d be able to stay as Joanie’s primary care giver. 

Next week back to sad sad Helen and Vik.

I think the part I’m liking the best are the glimpses of the road trip being taken by Noah, Cole and the student. 

[LilaFowler]

Instead of going on some stupid walkabout, why don't you get your head out of your ass and choose your wife for once, Cole? Adult-ing isn't so hard. Who are these people that just vacate their lives like this? What about Joanie? I feel sad for her, having such selfish parents who are always disappearing on her.

[preeya]

8 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Allison literally fell overboard for this new guy Ben. He seemed together mentally when they spent time with each other but he sure did not seem well at the AA meeting.

I don't think he is who he says he is. He seemed too professional and well versed when he was doing the exercise with Alison.

[Mindthinkr]

1 minute ago, preeya said:

I don't think he is who he says he is. He seemed too professional and well versed when he was doing the exercise with Alison.

Then why did he seem to be completely different when he was in the AA meeting with Cole? Is he so well versed that he might be a journalist writing an exposé? 

[KBrownie]

This was really boring.  I don't care one iota about Ben and about 75% of the damn episode involved him in some shape or form.  And since this is fiction, I'm also really sick of hearing about Gabriel's death.  It really is pulled out whenever Alison needs sympathy.   I also hate that she still blames Cole and paints herself as the attentive mother that was getting blankets who everybody said was overreacting.  Paraphrasing:  "My husband was flirting with another woman while he was supposed to be watching the children."  Come. On.  The show has really overplayed the dead kid thing.  I guess Ben needed to know her deep, dark, pain or whatever, but I'm so sick of it as an excuse for why Alison is the way she is as I don't buy she wasn't like this before.  But let's add fortune teller to her list of powers!

1 hour ago, LilaFowler said:

Instead of going on some stupid walkabout, why don't you get your head out of your ass and choose your wife for once, Cole?

That's all she really wants from him.  To pick her.  To make some sort of grand gesture for her.  I'm not buying all the immigration stuff as Luisa must have known that it wouldn't have worked even if Alison had agreed and she also knew there was no way Alison would have.  She just wanted Cole to make some move to sacrifice as she has for them to be together.  She wasn't wrong one bit when she pointed out that the current situation works out pretty well for him, but she's just essentially sitting around doing nothing.  For years as she pointed out.  I was glad to see her finally make a move and pack her shit to leave.  You should have gotten out Luisa because based on the previews, Cole's dumb ass might cheat on her again.  Again, Luisa needs a POV.  If Vik gets one next week, then F-you show.

And what was with Noah reminder that he raised Joanie for two years at the beginning of Alison's part?  I really hope they aren't going to stir all that up again.  Unless Cole gets to show any anger that he was denied his child for two years since Alison can still blame him for Gabriel.

I'm also sick of the present day "Where's Alison?" car ride to nowhere.  

[Armchair Critic]

 The guy who Cole dragged to a meeting actually looks his age but they are trying to make him look younger with the blonde hair and backwards cap? LOL

[Gem 10]

Now Cole is going for a walk about.  Maybe he’ll meet another woman wherever the walk about is, and complicate matters more.  California here he comes. (Probably?)

[mochamajesty]

Louisa is a witch for asking Cole to ask Alison to do that. No one in their right mind would do such a thing. She should just pack her things and leave instead of these manipulative tactics to get Cole's attention. If you have to resort to that, he aint worth it. 

 

Ben came across crazy as hell in the AA meeting. And it does defy logic that Cole would.stay silent especially after he saw Ben's behavior earlier. 

[Duke2801]

Did anyone else think that Ben was up to something nefarious on that boat? Like, when Alison went to grab the cooler, she was going to find a knife or some rope... or have I just been watching too many horror movies? 

Speaking of the water: I thought I remembered them saying earlier on that their son died as a result of a dry drowning? It seemed like the way Alison was talking about it this episode that he actually died in the water. Not that I should expect this show to be consistent from season to season or anything... 

[Gem 10]

1 minute ago, Duke2801 said:

Did anyone else think that Ben was up to something nefarious on that boat? Like, when Alison went to grab the cooler, she was going to find a knife or some rope... or have I just been watching too many horror movies? 

Speaking of the water: I thought I remembered them saying earlier on that their son died as a result of a dry drowning? It seemed like the way Alison was talking about it this episode that he actually died in the water. Not that I should expect this show to be consistent from season to season or anything... 

Yes, it was a dry drowning.  The after affects and fever from too much water in the lungs.  I also thought Alison going on the boat was going to end up bad.

[Gem 10]

2 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

Instead of going on some stupid walkabout, why don't you get your head out of your ass and choose your wife for once, Cole? Adult-ing isn't so hard. Who are these people that just vacate their lives like this? What about Joanie? I feel sad for her, having such selfish parents who are always disappearing on her.

Yes, well, he’s listening to Mama.  He’s leaving all his shit in Montauk, and probably will get into deeper shit wherever the hell hes going on walkabout.  Poor Joanie .. another messed up kid coming up.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Gem 10

[DiabLOL]

The only way this show can be saved for me at this point is if Ben turns out to be a legit serial killer.

[LoveLeigh]

I love this show. It is flawed, but I love watching the hour. And I hate when the hour is over.  This season is so much better than last season. 

I loved this episode. I enjoyed how it unfolded and the only problem I have is that all the episodes are not up so I can binge watch the entire season. 

2 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

The only way this show can be saved for me at this point is if Ben turns out to be a legit serial killer.

You could be onto something. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[WaltersHair]

Alison's part. Snore. And technically the kid didn't die of a dry drowning, though the show is calling it that. Dry drowning means literally no water enters the lungs. The victim dies from laryngospasm or the heart stops when entering the water. Delayed drowning is far more rare and is what happened to Alison and Cole's son, FWIW.

Luisa is a complete POS for wanting Cole to go along with her on the Joanie issue. She's had years to get her shit together. If it was a a sick kind of test for Cole, she needs to be dead to him. That's not love, that's heartless manipulation.

This Ben guy is going to the be the reason Alison disappears, so what will the reason be? White slavery? Stalker with murder-suicide combo platter? Luisa pays this ex solder to kill Alison? Who will save her, Noah or Cole? Stay tuned.

[Jax7917]

I really have no interest in watching Viks scenes anymore . I know being sick and death is very real but I don't like to watch shows that are so depressing . I'd rather just watch everyone obsess over Alison constantly ( see seasons 1-4) . 

But seriously , I don't know how everyone falls so in love with her instantly . Her face is so hard to look at . And it's not like she has a bubbly or great personality . She is always a Debbie downer . Just give me Cole and you can keep your revolving door of men . 

I kept thinking Ben was Vik . Anyone else think they look alike ? 

6 minutes ago, WaltersHair said:

Alison's part. Snore. And technically the kid didn't die of a dry drowning, though the show is calling it that. Dry drowning means literally no water enters the lungs. The victim dies from laryngospasm or the heart stops when entering the water. Delayed drowning is far more rare and is what happened to Alison and Cole's son, FWIW.

Luisa is a complete POS for wanting Cole to go along with her on the Joanie issue. She's had years to get her shit together. If it was a a sick kind of test for Cole, she needs to be dead to him. That's not love, that's heartless manipulation.

This Ben guy is going to the be the reason Alison disappears, so what will the reason be? White slavery? Stalker with murder-suicide combo platter? Luisa pays this ex solder to kill Alison? Who will save her, Noah or Cole? Stay tuned.

You're onto something with that . Maybe Louisa is involved all along and wants Ben to distract Alison so Cole can stop being up her ass and she won't be single anymore .. and Alison can mess up with Joanie again and he'll realize how good he has it at home . Most likely not , but with this show .. who knows 

[Bandolero]

I just don’t see what’s so awful about Luisa’s life. She sure complains a lot. I’m sure there are many who would consider themselves blessed to have her life. She lives in a beautiful home, doesn’t have to work unless she wants to, etc. Furthermore, she chose to marry Cole. 

Her “illegal” status is not Cole’s fault yet somehow he gets the blame.

Also, what she asked of Cole is just ridiculous honestly.

I also don’t see exactly how in her view Cole is so hung up on Alison (we know he cheated BUT she doesn’t know that). 

[CarpeFelis]

Yes, Ben and Vik do look a bit alike.

Not looking forward to next week - I’m really just hate-watching the California episodes. Helen and Noah are both being assholes, Vik expecting Helen to have a baby is ludicrous, Vik’s mother is a royal pain who belongs in the JustnoMIL subreddit, and don’t even get me started on the Dangerous Minds subplot or how “handsome and qualified” Noah is (BARF). I do like Anton, though. Still wondering how he was talked into the Alison search.

Back to Ben - god, that “marriage has been over for years” line is such utter crap. I bet this would really be news to his wife!

Having grown up in the middle of LI, I enjoyed the reference to Hicksville. Yes, that’s a real town, not made up by the writers as a joke.

Edited July 9, 2018 by CarpeFelis
typo

[DiabLOL]

5 minutes ago, Bandolero said:

I just don’t see what’s so awful about Luisa’s life. She sure complains a lot. I’m sure there are many who would consider themselves blessed to have her life. She lives in a beautiful home, doesn’t have to work unless she wants to, etc. Furthermore, she chose to marry Cole. 

Her “illegal” status is not Cole’s fault yet somehow he gets the blame.

Also, what she asked of Cole is just ridiculous honestly.

I also don’t see exactly how in her view Cole is so hung up on Alison (we know he cheated BUT she doesn’t know that). 

I get what you're saying but I really think Luisa is bored and purposeless. She can't have a child of her own and while she's caring about and for Joanie she needs more. She gets self esteem and satisfaction from working and having a career. I also don't understand the immigration storyline. She could probably pretend to be here on a tourist visa and get married and all would be fine. I didn't get the judge talk because there likely wouldn't even be a judge involved.

Having said all that I think the writing just isn't really tight so none of this matters!

[Lemons]

21 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

Why the hell would Cole cover for Ben? He doesn't know him, doesn't care about him has nothing invested in him so why cover for him instead of outing him right there and then? 

 

Allison has already proven that she doesn’t care if a man is married so it wouldn’t have mattered.  

[Lemons]

24 minutes ago, Bandolero said:

I just don’t see what’s so awful about Luisa’s life. She sure complains a lot. I’m sure there are many who would consider themselves blessed to have her life. She lives in a beautiful home, doesn’t have to work unless she wants to, etc. Furthermore, she chose to marry Cole. 

Her “illegal” status is not Cole’s fault yet somehow he gets the blame.

Also, what she asked of Cole is just ridiculous honestly.

I also don’t see exactly how in her view Cole is so hung up on Alison (we know he cheated BUT she doesn’t know that). 

Just because she has a beautiful home and money doesn’t mean she’s “blessed”.  She  can get kicked out of the country at any moment.  Cole doesn’t love her enough to move to South America with her.    She can’t legally work or drive.  She can’t own anything.  That sucks.  And to top it off she realizes that Cole is still hung up on plain boring Allison.  The show isn’t exactly hiding that storyline.

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, mochamajesty said:

Ben came across crazy as hell in the AA meeting. And it does defy logic that Cole would.stay silent especially after he saw Ben's behavior earlier. 

Aren’t you bound by confidentiality in AA meetings?  What happens in AA stays in AA?

[LilaFowler]

8 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

Aren’t you bound by confidentiality in AA meetings?  What happens in AA stays in AA?

Neither Cole nor the random that he dragged in there are actually in AA.

Considering Allison's history I don't actually consider Luisa's request all that crazy. Furthermore, she only has custodial rights because of Luisa's testimony on her behalf. We all know that Allison can't/won't keep it together to raise her child and already know that she's gone "missing" yet again. Who is taking care of Joanie while Allison is gone and Cole is out searching? Hmmmm. Yeah. Her one good parent, Luisa.

[CarpeFelis]

Even though I’ve never much cared for Luisa, I do think she was right about being a much better wife for Cole than Alison was!

[Bandolero]

47 minutes ago, Lemons said:

Just because she has a beautiful home and money doesn’t mean she’s “blessed”.  She  can get kicked out of the country at any moment.  Cole doesn’t love her enough to move to South America with her.    She can’t legally work or drive.  She can’t own anything.  That sucks.  And to top it off she realizes that Cole is still hung up on plain boring Allison.  The show isn’t exactly hiding that storyline.

I do think she is blessed considering what some other people who are undocumented have to go through (poverty, low wages with very physically demanding jobs, etc). A beautiful comfortable home without financial worries are huge blessings for most of us. The possibility of deportation and having to work illegally is the case for all who are undocumented. She’s not alone in this. 

Why should Cole leave his child, job and restaurant to move to S America. He can always do frequents trips if it comes to that. I don’t blame him for not wanting to move.

Yes WE know that Cole is still hung up on Alison but wondering how Luisa figures this. Maybe I just don’t remember but I can’t think of an instance where Cole objectively chose Alison from Luisa’s point of view though. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Bandolero
Change deportment to deportation

[LotusFlower]

40 minutes ago, LilaFowler said:

Neither Cole nor the random that he dragged in there are actually in AA.

But they were in an AA meeting.  I would think the same rules apply.  Otherwise, how can you expect people to open up  and share, if only *some* people in the room pledge to keep it confidential?

[CarolMK]

You don't need to be a US citizen to legally marry. My nephew is married to a Chinese woman who came here for grad school, and then after they got engaged, she applied for a fiance visa and they married 3 years ago. So long as you have a green card, you can still stay in the US as far as I know. They do have a little girl now but I'm not sure that has anything to do with his wife's status. I'm not even sure she wants to apply for citizenship. 

Back to the Affair, I was wondering, is this going to be the final season? It seems to be only a shadow of the original show. 

[Razzberry]

Oh man, I just realized I love reading the comments to build anticipation for watching it.  At least there's no class tonight.

[scrb]

Only thing I could think of for Alison's segment was whether that metronome thing was real or voodoo.

As for Cole's POV:

Luisa found a path to citizenship!  She just wants to trample over Alison to get to it.

Even if Cole asked her, Alison would just refuse.  How do you get someone declared incompetent for anything?  It's usually against their will and you get some doctor to testify that that person can't do something or isn't capable.  Maybe she was ready to pursue that step too!

So that's a dumb way to test his loyalty.  And why is she testing his loyalty anyways after years of marriage?  If she doesn't believe his loyalties lie with her, she should leave.

As for her lifestyle, I vaguely remember before they were married and they showed her living situation in the city, which wasn't so great. OK living in a beautiful home and having financial security may not be enough.  So adopt a kid if you want to fill the void.  Find a hobby, etc.

As soon as Cole explained what a walkabout was, she immediately said yes.  Then she followed him outside to make sure he'd leave while she enjoyed her hot beverage.  Probably spiked the tea or coffee with whiskey as a celebration!

I don't recall her character being quite like this in previous seasons.  Asking Alison to give up control over Joanie is implausible unless she had something to blackmail her with.

If citizenship is such a thing, why not divorce and she goes back to Ecuador, then enters the country on a legal temporary visa and then they marry?  Or Cole could go down to Ecuador with her for a couple of years and then marry there and move back.  But of course, he doesn't want to be away from his kid.

They got money so she could go back and forth a couple of times, establish their relationship and get married.  Then she wouldn't have gotten married after entering the country illegally.

It's hard to believe that they're basing Cole's story for the season on her immigration status.  But maybe they couldn't think of any other source of friction in their marriage, other than to have Cole mess around with Alison again, which would be even more torturous.

[MBayGal]

I laughed when Cherry said the father went to some little town with a big rock in the middle of the sea.  I love Morro Bay, lived there for several years, and am only 20 miles away now. You can walk to the rock from town easily.  I saw the story in the paper that they were filming there for a couple of days, but didn't drive over. 

Since Cole never knew his father had been there, how did he have the postcard from his father?  Or was I distracted and Cherry gave it to him?  In that case, she would have known the name.  

22 minutes ago, scrb said:

Only thing I could think of for Alison's segment was whether that metronome thing was real or voodoo.

It is a real thing, but it doesn't work in 10 seconds like on the show.  A friend of mine was afraid to fly, so had to take the train cross country to visit her ailing sister. She went to an EMDR practictioner for a while and was able to fly -- tho with a few xanax

Edited July 9, 2018 by MBayGal

[Adultosaurus]

Why do I keep watching this?. (because my other Sunday shows had season finales).  

Alison has always been the least interesting character to me in this show. Ugh, and she's about to be the focus for all the remaining episodes?

[Lemons]

23 minutes ago, scrb said:

Only thing I could think of for Alison's segment was whether that metronome thing was real or voodoo.

As for Cole's POV:

Luisa found a path to citizenship!  She just wants to trample over Alison to get to it.

Even if Cole asked her, Alison would just refuse.  How do you get someone declared incompetent for anything?  It's usually against their will and you get some doctor to testify that that person can't do something or isn't capable.  Maybe she was ready to pursue that step too!

So that's a dumb way to test his loyalty.  And why is she testing his loyalty anyways after years of marriage?  If she doesn't believe his loyalties lie with her, she should leave.

As for her lifestyle, I vaguely remember before they were married and they showed her living situation in the city, which wasn't so great. OK living in a beautiful home and having financial security may not be enough.  So adopt a kid if you want to fill the void.  Find a hobby, etc.

As soon as Cole explained what a walkabout was, she immediately said yes.  Then she followed him outside to make sure he'd leave while she enjoyed her hot beverage.  Probably spiked the tea or coffee with whiskey as a celebration!

I don't recall her character being quite like this in previous seasons.  Asking Alison to give up control over Joanie is implausible unless she had something to blackmail her with.

If citizenship is such a thing, why not divorce and she goes back to Ecuador, then enters the country on a legal temporary visa and then they marry?  Or Cole could go down to Ecuador with her for a couple of years and then marry there and move back.  But of course, he doesn't want to be away from his kid.

They got money so she could go back and forth a couple of times, establish their relationship and get married.  Then she wouldn't have gotten married after entering the country illegally.

It's hard to believe that they're basing Cole's story for the season on her immigration status.  But maybe they couldn't think of any other source of friction in their marriage, other than to have Cole mess around with Alison again, which would be even more torturous.

If she goes back to Ecuador to apply for citizenship she would have to stay there for about ten years.  There’s no going back and forth.  There’s no reentering the country at all during those years.  It’s just not realistic to think their marriage would survive a ten year break.  In reality the only slim chance for her would be a hardship but her plan would never work.  It just shows that Cole will not do anything in his power to keep her.    Luisa is probably correctly thinking that cole would do it for duck face Allison in a heartbeat.  

20 minutes ago, MBayGal said:

I laughed when Cherry said the father went to some little town with a big rock in the middle of the sea.  I love Morro Bay, lived there for several years, and am only 20 miles away now. You can walk to the rock from town easily.  I saw the story in the paper that they were filming there for a couple of days, but didn't drive over. 

Since Cole never knew his father had been there, how did he have the postcard from his father?  Or was I distracted and Cherry gave it to him?  In that case, she would have known the name.  

It is a real thing, but it doesnt work in 10 seconds like on the show.  A friend of mine was afraid to fly, so had to take the train cross country to visit her ailing sister. She went to an EMDR practictioner for a while and was able to fly -- tho with a few xanax

Cherry gave it to Cole after telling the story.  I forgot her name was Cherry!

[DiabLOL]

If Luisa is in the States illegally that means that nobody knows it, right? She's off the record. So why can't she go to Ecuador, get a passport and come here on a tourist visa and take it from there? I mean this is just one option there are several I'm sure. It's stupid and contrived just like Helen's trashcans.

I couldn't believe that Cole went on his stupid Cherry inspired walkabout without blinking an eye about his daughter. You'd think that especially someone who lost a child would be extra attached or whatever. Nope.

 

ETA: I know tons of people in recovery of all sorts of "_______ Anonymous" groups you name it and I've never known any of them to be into the secret/anonymous aspect of it at all. Just my 2 cents.

Edited July 9, 2018 by DiabLOL

[LotusFlower]

8 minutes ago, DiabLOL said:

ETA: I know tons of people in recovery of all sorts of "_______ Anonymous" groups you name it and I've never known any of them to be into the secret/anonymous aspect of it at all. Just my 2 cents.

Have they disclosed things about others that were said in the meetings/in confidence?  (I’m trying to ask in an inquisitive way, not with judgment).

[DiabLOL]

17 minutes ago, LotusFlower said:

Have they disclosed things about others that were said in the meetings/in confidence?  (I’m trying to ask in an inquisitive way, not with judgment).

Yes. Now they're not matched to names (not that I'd know any of them) but yes. 

[JoeyCrown]

There is no rule in the program regarding abstinence from sex for the first year.  It is merely a suggestion. There is, however, an unwritten rule about not hitting on newcomers.

[scrb]

43 minutes ago, Lemons said:

If she goes back to Ecuador to apply for citizenship she would have to stay there for about ten years.  There’s no going back and forth.  There’s no reentering the country at all during those years.  It’s just not realistic to think their marriage would survive a ten year break.  In reality the only slim chance for her would be a hardship but her plan would never work.  It just shows that Cole will not do anything in his power to keep her.    Luisa is probably correctly thinking that cole would do it for duck face Allison in a heartbeat.  

Cherry gave it to Cole after telling the story.  I forgot her name was Cherry!

No not apply for citizenship from Ecuador.

Just marry him after entering the US on a tourist visa.

People come to the US, meet citizens and marry them, do they not?

If they knew she was here illegally, she'd be deported by now.  Just pretend to visit the US and oh, she met the love of her life, they marry.  Or Cole visits her in Ecuador a couple of times to establish that they had some long-distance thing going for awhile.

Anyways, I don't want to get too deep into the weeds about this story line because I think it's contrived, just to have some conflict between them.  Or a reason for Cole to go to California and what do you know, of the 36 million people there, he runs into Noah again.

[DiabLOL]

1 minute ago, scrb said:

People come to the US, meet citizens and marry them, do they not?

Yes! I did! It was NBD except for the paperwork I loathe to do. (Didn't use a lawyer because that makes you suspicious and it's expensive and you really don't need one unless you have some complicated situation ie criminal record etc). 

[Duke2801]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

.

As for her lifestyle, I vaguely remember before they were married and they showed her living situation in the city, which wasn't so great. OK living in a beautiful home and having financial security may not be enough.  So adopt a kid if you want to fill the void.  Find a hobby, etc.

 

Prettt sure she can’t just “adopt a kid” as an illegal immigrant. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by Duke2801

[mochamajesty]

7 hours ago, Lemons said:

Just because she has a beautiful home and money doesn’t mean she’s “blessed”.  She  can get kicked out of the country at any moment.  Cole doesn’t love her enough to move to South America with her.    She can’t legally work or drive.  She can’t own anything.  That sucks.  And to top it off she realizes that Cole is still hung up on plain boring Allison.  The show isn’t exactly hiding that storyline.

So we expect Cole to leave his kid here and move to Ecuador for 10 years? Or take him with her and away from her mother? 

And we are upset that Cole didn't ask Alison to put in writing that she was an unfit mother. Because that would never come back to bite her later.

I can't believe that anyone would take Luisa's side in this. 

[suomi]

Ben just shows up in Allison's doorway, "Is this the grant office?" No, it's upstairs. His front is that he snoops before funds are granted. He just shows up at the out-of-state conference. "What are you doing here?" "Stalking you." He appears especially gifted at getting Allison to reveal her layers. That may not  be a good thing. He's not working an honest program; Allison spills her guts and shares too much, too soon, with a guy who presents as single/available. He does a Denzel Washington "What a schmuck" take when Cole doesn't immediately "get" that the situation with the wife is "complicated." On the boat, if what he is doing is probing for Allison's weak spots she more than meets him halfway by listing her wounds. Then he (I think) tests her, by saying "Come sit by me" (paraphrased). He doesn't move to her space, she moves to his. He could be respecting boundaries or he could be testing her willingness to give herself over. Psychos and cops (among others) will test you by offering something, like a stick of gum, and if you say no thanks they say something like "What's the matter, you don't like gum?" If you agree to take it after first refusing it, you have revealed something to them. I can't decide if Ben is deeply troubled or a reptile looking for his next meal. (Leaning toward reptilian).

[Guest]

"Hi, mom. I haven't seen you for two years but could you give me a convenient plot device that will have me in the same place as my ex-wife's ex-husband so we can then go on a road trip to save her in the season finale?" 

Also, how fatherly of Cole to decide to walk off for six months and leave his child to the woman he plans on dumping for the ex-wife who's now dating someone who appears to be a psycho. I also didn't understand Allison's blasé reaction to Cole telling her he had been to an AA meeting with Geriatric Plot Device Spicoli. 

The best that can be said is that they didn't give Luisa a deadly illness to write her off the show. Then again, they did invent Ben to be a nutter so we'll feel sorry for Allison—yet again—when his true craziness is revealed. 

[LilaFowler]

All of this is more proof that Luisa needs her own POV. What we've seen is from Cole's perspective and he's an unreliable narrator, especially when it comes to matters involving his beloved Allison. Luisa has been portrayed as a whiny, demanding schemer so far this season and I don't actually buy it. There are evidently big problems in that marriage if that is the way that Cole sees her. Since Cole always, always needs to be "saving" someone from themselves, I suppose he sees Luisa as a box that has been checked? Now he's set his sights on this random dude and dragging him into AA before the man is ready or willing. Why? What is the point of all this? Cole is walking out not only on his young daughter, his wife, and his business responsibilities, but also this person who now must be under the impression that Cole cares about his sobriety. What a great guy.

[CarpeFelis]

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

Geriatric Plot Device Spicoli

ROTFL - I love this!

[GeminiDancer]

7 hours ago, DiabLOL said:

If Luisa is in the States illegally that means that nobody knows it, right? She's off the record. So why can't she go to Ecuador, get a passport and come here on a tourist visa and take it from there? I mean this is just one option there are several I'm sure. It's stupid and contrived just like Helen's trashcans.

I couldn't believe that Cole went on his stupid Cherry inspired walkabout without blinking an eye about his daughter. You'd think that especially someone who lost a child would be extra attached or whatever. Nope.

 

ETA: I know tons of people in recovery of all sorts of "_______ Anonymous" groups you name it and I've never known any of them to be into the secret/anonymous aspect of it at all. Just my 2 cents.

Luisa went to school in the states, so there’s definitely a record of her being here.  It’s really not that simple as just getting a tourist visa if she leaves. She doesn’t have a valid passport, so how would she even be able to fly out of the country without getting detained and deported anyway?

[chick binewski]

9 hours ago, Bandolero said:

I just don’t see what’s so awful about Luisa’s life. She sure complains a lot. I’m sure there are many who would consider themselves blessed to have her life. She lives in a beautiful home, doesn’t have to work unless she wants to, etc. Furthermore, she chose to marry Cole. 

Her “illegal” status is not Cole’s fault yet somehow he gets the blame.

 

Admittedly I've never liked the character of Luisa and her attitude during this season helps illustrate why. Her status as a citizen was the same before she met Cole. With him, she's afforded some insulation. I'm not saying Cole deserves her undying gratitude, but if you want a man who can change immigration policy maybe don't hook up with the hot dude from the drug-dealing family and find a nice lawyer instead? It's just boring listening to her blame Cole for crap he has no control over. 

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

"Hi, mom. I haven't seen you for two years but could you give me a convenient plot device that will have me in the same place as my ex-wife's ex-husband so we can then go on a road trip to save her in the season finale?" 

 

Yeah. Although I'm liking this season a thousand times more than last - and I realize that's damning with faint praise - the walkabout seemed a bit forced. But I welcomed Cole's POV because Alison's was SO boring. 

And not for nothing but I can totally see this season ending with Ben holding the entire cast of The Affair hostage at gunpoint. The writers made a point to have Alison mention Cole's name on the boat so Ben knew exactly who Cole was during or after the meeting. And then he seamlessly introduces himself to Cole in front of Alison like they've never met. Gaslighting puppeteer. 

[JoeyCrown]

This show is clearly on its own "walkabout" but I still love watching Helen.

[meep.meep]

14 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Then why did he seem to be completely different when he was in the AA meeting with Cole? Is he so well versed that he might be a journalist writing an exposé? 

This is a show that specializes in showing things from two people's different perspectives.  Alison and Cole saw different things in Ben.  Ben also chose to talk about different things in front of each of them.

And other than having browner skin than Alison, Cole, Noah, and Helen, Ben and Vik don't look anything alike.

[Duke2801]

15 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

 The guy who Cole dragged to a meeting actually looks his age but they are trying to make him look younger with the blonde hair and backwards cap? LOL

According to IMDB that actor was born in 1991, so while he may look a bit  older he’s only 26 or 27.