S04.E04 Episode 4 2018.07.08

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Duke2801 said:

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

That's...a shame. 

Now I'm torn if he resembled more than a Geriatric Spicoli or Poochie:

At least I feel good knowing (since it's The Affair, after all), we'll never see him again. His purpose has been served.

[hoodooznoodooz]

One detail I appreciated was those yellow tote bags they handed out to everyone attending the conference. I don’t think I have ever seen that in a movie or TV show before. But IMO IRL every group pounces on the opportunity to have people walking around, promoting their brand. 

Edited July 10, 2018 by hoodooznoodooz

[Tikichick]

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

One detail I appreciated was those yellow tote bags they handed out to everyone attending the conference. I don’t think I have ever seen that in a movie or TV show. But IMO IRL every group pounces on the opportunity to have people walking around, promoting their brand. 

I was watching to see if they would show us if  Ben had one.

[Maximona]

4 hours ago, meep.meep said:

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.

This.  

Ben's affect, Ben's inflexions, Ben's word choices are completely different in the Cole sequence.  It's almost as though the same actor was playing two different roles.  Extremely subtle and well done, I thought.

It does seem to me that hiring a really good immigration attorney would instantly solve all of Louisa's undocumented alien blues, and now that the sale of the Lobster Roll for unspecified Big Buck$$$ is imminent, the Lockharts can do afford to do just that.  So, I'm not really sure why her immigration status has mushroomed into a major plot point.  Sloppy writing, I think.

[Lozu68]

16 hours ago, Razzberry said:

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

It’s also a good way to occupy the mind between episodes!! Love reading other people’s insights!

[Lozu68]

20 hours ago, KBrownie said:

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!

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.  

I assumed they put the Noah mentioning raising Joanie for two years just for any newbies viewers who have only just found the show. 

[LuvMyShows]

9 hours ago, LilaFowler said:

 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.

Good point!

Random observations:

• With Cole's lame stunt of pouring the gas around the guy's tent, there is now gasoline all over the grass...where people will undoubtedly throw their random cigarette butts...what a great guy.
• When the Cole caravan pulled into the gas station, and Noah said he would get Cole something to eat so Cole could take Luisa's call, I kept waiting for Noah to ask Cole what he would like to eat.  But he never did.  There's no way someone who barely knew me could possibly guess what I might like to eat.
• I must have missed it, or maybe they didn't show it, but how did Allison get from being seated on the boat, to being in the water?
• It was beyond contrived that the only person who was called on to ask a question at the end of the EMDR demonstration, was Ben.
• Further proof to me of the deviousness of Ben, is that he undoubtedly asked the question solely so that Alison would know he was there at the conference, then he conveniently disappeared immediately afterwards while knowing that she would go looking for him, then she couldn't find him and suddenly he appeared, all of which serves to get her even more invested in him.
• I don't know anything about EMDR, but I cannot imagine any scenario in which conference attendees are urged to practice such a procedure on their own, having received only a demonstration with no specific training, especially to try it out on total strangers (since not everyone at the conference would know somebody), and most especially with no people/mechanisms in place to deal with the potentially huge emotional fallout from the stirring up long-dormant emotions (like what happened with Alison, only moreso).
• There's no way that in reality, during Noah's Skype conversation with Alison, that he would so jovially mention having raised Joanie for 2 years while falsely believing she was his.
• Joanie is waaay beyond the age where Alison should be talking about brushing Joanie's teeth for her.
• What on earth are Cole and Luisa planning to do once the sale of the Lobster Roll goes through?  Are they going to take on whatever capacity was mentioned by that conglomerate that made the offer?  And during the argument between Cole and Luisa, I could have sworn Cole offered to do something to prove his love, and I thought he had said something about selling the Lobster Roll...but we know from the conversation between Cole and Alison that the sale is already underway, so I'm not sure what he had offered. 
• Luisa's request was beyond ridiculous in terms of expecting that even if Cole asked Alison to sign away her rights as a mom, that she would ever go along with it.  But aside from that, Luisa's premise was flawed, because single parents raise a child all the time, so even if she became the "mom", Cole is still the dad, he would still have been on the scene (prior to the walkabout plot development), so it's not like Joanie would have been orphaned without Luisa.

I find the show's plotlines absurd, with enormous holes, but I continue to be captivated while the show is actually on!

[DiabLOL]

20 minutes ago, LuvMyShows said:

Good point!

Random observations:

• With Cole's lame stunt of pouring the gas around the guy's tent, there is now gasoline all over the grass...where people will undoubtedly throw their random cigarette butts...what a great guy.
• When the Cole caravan pulled into the gas station, and Noah said he would get Cole something to eat so Cole could take Luisa's call, I kept waiting for Noah to ask Cole what he would like to eat.  But he never did.  There's no way someone who barely knew me could possibly guess what I might like to eat.
• I must have missed it, or maybe they didn't show it, but how did Allison get from being seated on the boat, to being in the water?
• It was beyond contrived that the only person who was called on to ask a question at the end of the EMDR demonstration, was Ben.
• Further proof to me of the deviousness of Ben, is that he undoubtedly asked the question solely so that Alison would know he was there at the conference, then he conveniently disappeared immediately afterwards while knowing that she would go looking for him, then she couldn't find him and suddenly he appeared, all of which serves to get her even more invested in him.
• I don't know anything about EMDR, but I cannot imagine any scenario in which conference attendees are urged to practice such a procedure on their own, having received only a demonstration with no specific training, especially to try it out on total strangers (since not everyone at the conference would know somebody), and most especially with no people/mechanisms in place to deal with the potentially huge emotional fallout from the stirring up long-dormant emotions (like what happened with Alison, only moreso).
• There's no way that in reality, during Noah's Skype conversation with Alison, that he would so jovially mention having raised Joanie for 2 years while falsely believing she was his.
• Joanie is waaay beyond the age where Alison should be talking about brushing Joanie's teeth for her.
• What on earth are Cole and Luisa planning to do once the sale of the Lobster Roll goes through?  Are they going to take on whatever capacity was mentioned by that conglomerate that made the offer?  And during the argument between Cole and Luisa, I could have sworn Cole offered to do something to prove his love, and I thought he had said something about selling the Lobster Roll...but we know from the conversation between Cole and Alison that the sale is already underway, so I'm not sure what he had offered. 
• Luisa's request was beyond ridiculous in terms of expecting that even if Cole asked Alison to sign away her rights as a mom, that she would ever go along with it.  But aside from that, Luisa's premise was flawed, because single parents raise a child all the time, so even if she became the "mom", Cole is still the dad, he would still have been on the scene (prior to the walkabout plot development), so it's not like Joanie would have been orphaned without Luisa.

I find the show's plotlines absurd, with enormous holes, but I continue to be captivated while the show is actually on!

Your entire post is gold! All deeply excellent points!

I find it way implausible that someone like Alison would even be interested in a newly sober man with PTSD. 

[Razzberry]

Did anyone else think Ben had roofied the wine at first?  Seemed way too eager for Alison to drink some.

[WaltersHair]

Quote

Did anyone else think Ben had roofied the wine at first?  Seemed way too eager for Alison to drink some.

I think the whole lunch was a set up. Oh hey, so convenient that the guy who rented them the boat made lunch? When did he have time to do that? This is straight up stalking on Ben's part.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

1 hour ago, Lozu68 said:

I assumed they put the Noah mentioning raising Joanie for two years just for any newbies viewers who have only just found the show. 

The Exposition Faerie popped in for a visit! :-)  

[Lozu68]

45 minutes ago, WaltersHair said:

I think the whole lunch was a set up. Oh hey, so convenient that the guy who rented them the boat made lunch? When did he have time to do that? This is straight up stalking on Ben's part.

Absolutely! From the get go, I thought it was hella creepy the way he kept isolating Alison from the conference...when he led her into the empty room to practice the technique they had just learned)...watch, she actually looks back towards the room where all the other attendees were...I think she had a “hmmmm” moment. Then, he leads her away, at the waters edge, again they are alone. Rents the boat sporadically...and they had packed them lunch...with wine??? No siree! Totally planned...

 for found myself feeling kind of sick when they were out on that boat....

another premonition Alison is missing...

[LuvMyShows]

49 minutes ago, Razzberry said:

Did anyone else think Ben had roofied the wine at first?  Seemed way too eager for Alison to drink some.

It was quite odd...he wasn't going to be drinking at all, and yet he was encouraging her to not just take one drink, but to take more, 'cause he said something like "I bet you'd be cute tipsy".  It was also very odd that she had him pour her a drink...I would think that involving so many of his senses with the liquor, would be too dangerous of a temptation, especially since it was not at all necessary.

[dangwoodchucks]

Luisa was beyond selfish for wanting to ask Alison to relinquish her parental rights to benefit herself, knowing Alison’s background and experiences. She’s a manipulative bitch. Didn’t Cole agree last season to have a baby with Luisa by surrogate? Maybe the writers forgot about that.

Cole mentioned to Alison that he would send over the papers for the sale of the Lobster Roll for her to sign. Since he’s gone, does anyone else think that Luisa might slip in that parental rights letter and have Alison unknowingly sign it? I was also thinking Luisa might say Cole deserted his daughter and that she should be Joanie’s guardian.

This whole walkabout thing is ridiculous. And what’s up with nobody knowing what it was? Didn’t they ever watch Crocodile Dundee?

[LuvMyShows]

14 minutes ago, dangwoodchucks said:

Didn’t Cole agree last season to have a baby with Luisa by surrogate? Maybe the writers forgot about that.

Cole mentioned to Alison that he would send over the papers for the sale of the Lobster Roll for her to sign. Since he’s gone, does anyone else think that Luisa might slip in that parental rights letter and have Alison unknowingly sign it? 

I didn't remember anything about a surrogate...but if the writers forgot, that's even worse!

Yes, I absolutely got that possible signature switcheroo vibe... 

[scrb]

BTW, anybody else notice tongues as Ben and Alison kissed?

But then Alison held back.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

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

Speaking from experience (in adoption, not immigration), no - she cannot adopt a child since she is living here illegally.

Quote

No not apply for citizenship from Ecuador.

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

Luisa can't "enter" the country on a tourist visa - she is already here. She came here with her mother as an undocumented child when she was 10. I'm guessing she was on a student visa for some period of time after high school graduation but when your student visa runs out (they don't last forever) the US government expects you to go back to your country of origin. If you don't leave and re-enter the country legally, they will deport you if they find you, whether you're married to a U.S. citizen, the parent of a citizen or for any other reason. You have to leave and stay gone for 10 years before you can apply to come back legally.

These are exactly the types of immigrants that DACA was supposed to help - people who came to the U.S. as children and are undocumented but have been raised in the United States. In some cases, these children don't even speak the native language of their countries so deportation would be catastrophic.

Quote

How did he have the postcard from his father?  Or was I distracted and Cherry gave it to him?

We didn't see Cherry give it to him but she told Cole she would find it for him so I'm assuming that's how he got it. I was watching while cooking so I only caught a glimpse - was Cole's father also Gabriel?

Quote

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.

She really doesn't have options - I think the immigration storyline - minus the expectation that Allison would agree to sign her rights away to Joanie, is actually pretty realistic.

Quote

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. 

I don't really understand your point - do you have to be alone in something to be permitted to feel fear? Allison and Cole aren't the only parents to ever lose a child but I wouldn't argue that their grief is inappropriate because they "aren't alone in this." You are absolutely correct that Luisa has many financial and material comforts. She has a lot to lose. I think that's part of the point - no matter how smart, wealthy or educated you are, if you are in the United States as an undocumented immigrant, your options for staying here legally are very, very limited. I'd actually find it unrealistic if she was really laid back about it all - like "hey - at least I enjoyed the good life for awhile - too bad I have to leave it all behind for a country I haven't been in for 20 years."

[CarpeFelis]

5 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I was watching to see if they would show us if  Ben had one.

In the scene where he and Alison were practicing whatever voodoo that was, and she got up and left, it showed he left his bag on the floor by his chair.

[Lemons]

6 hours ago, Maximona said:

This.  

Ben's affect, Ben's inflexions, Ben's word choices are completely different in the Cole sequence.  It's almost as though the same actor was playing two different roles.  Extremely subtle and well done, I thought.

It does seem to me that hiring a really good immigration attorney would instantly solve all of Louisa's undocumented alien blues, and now that the sale of the Lobster Roll for unspecified Big Buck$$$ is imminent, the Lockharts can do afford to do just that.  So, I'm not really sure why her immigration status has mushroomed into a major plot point.  Sloppy writing, I think.

No, not sloppy, accurate.  But the convulated plot that Luisa came up would be shot down by an attorney right away.  That’s definitely manipulated for the “Cole doesn’t love me” plot line.  

[Razzberry]

Alison was underwater for quite a while, and it wasn't until she surfaced that Super Hero Ben dives in to rescue the damsel. 

 

 Is it me or is Ben evil?  Beyond being a married douche, I mean.  Speaking of evil, Luisa's latest plan takes the prize, and Cole wins runner-up - in his OWN point of view!   They treated Alison like a criminal before, and she's been a wonderful mother since getting treatment.  But running off to party for six months is cool?  

[suomi]

9 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

I must have missed it, or maybe they didn't show it, but how did Allison get from being seated on the boat, to being in the water?

(Long shot IIRC) she was sitting on the edge of the boat and then (head and shoulders shot) began to lean back. I thought she was goofing or maybe initiating a trust exercise but she kept leaning back until she fell into the water. Ben and I were like WTF? When (tick tock tick tock) Ben didn't jump in after her she looked puzzled and decided to save herself, I guess, because she was rising toward (or had reached) the surface when Ben (finally) jumped in. 

[Tikichick]

9 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

In the scene where he and Alison were practicing whatever voodoo that was, and she got up and left, it showed he left his bag on the floor by his chair.

Yes, thanks.  Sorry I was unclear.  I did see it.  I was referring to the fact I thought the amount of time they spent showing us Allison receiving her bag and the way it was prominently featured in the camera shots thereafter was meaningful, as in possibly a clue the intrepid trio will later find while playing Where's Waldo.

[Tikichick]

12 hours ago, Razzberry said:

Did anyone else think Ben had roofied the wine at first?  Seemed way too eager for Alison to drink some.

I absolutely do think the wine was drugged.  It was a screw cap wine and the seal did not snap to open when the bottle was opened to pour Allison's glass.

[ChipsandDips]

Sorry if this has already been asked, but wasn’t Allison ‘s son a victim of dry drowning?  I can’t remember since this show has changed direction so many times!

 

edited to say thanks!  I finally got to read this thread!

Edited July 10, 2018 by ChipsandDips
Update

[Elizzikra]

Quote

he and Alison were practicing whatever voodoo that was

EMDR is a real thing, albeit one that takes more than a half day workshop to develop a proficiency.

Quote

Allison ‘s son a victim of dry drowning

So said Season One.

Quote

Is it me or is Ben evil? 

I'm pretty sure Ben's a bad guy.

[dangwoodchucks]

The doctor told Alison that Gabriel died of secondary drowning, when water inhaled into the lungs causes swelling which prevents oxygen from entering the bloodstream. When dry drowning occurs, no water is inhaled into the lungs. Spasms in the airway from inhaling water into the nose and mouth cause blockage which prevents air from entering the lungs.

[Blakeston]

16 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

 

• I don't know anything about EMDR, but I cannot imagine any scenario in which conference attendees are urged to practice such a procedure on their own, having received only a demonstration with no specific training, especially to try it out on total strangers (since not everyone at the conference would know somebody), and most especially with no people/mechanisms in place to deal with the potentially huge emotional fallout from the stirring up long-dormant emotions (like what happened with Alison, only moreso).

That was ludicrous. I get that the plot required Allison to open up to Ben about her past, but they could have written it very differently. Ben could have deviously said to her, "Hey, this looks interesting, do you want to try it on each other?" 

That would have made a lot more sense than suggesting that the people hosting the conference wanted everyone to pair up and relive their most traumatizing memories with some stranger with no training.

I have a friend who practices EMDR, and I was going to suggest he watch this season, but he would have laughed his ass off at that scene.

I didn't have a problem, though, with Cole choosing to keep Ben's secret. I've never been to an AA or NA meeting, but I still know that confidentiality is absolutely crucial. I wouldn't violate that confidentiality unless I absolutely had to. It would be sort of like accidentally hearing someone's conversation with a psychiatrist, and then using that information against them.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

I didn't have a problem, though, with Cole choosing to keep Ben's secret.

I actually found it problematic that Cole said they met at an AA meeting. He had no way of knowing that Allison already knew Ben was in AA. That alone seemed a pretty significant violation of the spirit of AA.

[LilaFowler]

The EMDR stuff was in Allison's POV and since she apparently hallucinates conversations and events, there's no telling if anything like that actually occurred in reality. (I'm kind-of kidding but... not.)

[WaltersHair]

Quote

When (tick tock tick tock) Ben didn't jump in after her she looked puzzled and decided to save herself, I guess, because she was rising toward (or had reached) the surface when Ben (finally) jumped in. 

Alison had talked about a dream where hands reach for her when she's underwater (reoccurring dream). Just after she goes in the water in reality, you see a pair of giant hands reach for her and then disappear. I think that was why she looked puzzled, but I may be reading too much into it.

[Mrs.Monkey]

As an immigration expert, I just have to jump in and say That's Not How Any Of This Works! And I hate it when tv shows have an opportunity to educate the audience and instead just put out more misinformation. In today's environment, some facts would be useful. Luisa cannot apply for her citizenship. As her husband, Cole can petition for her to receive a green card. If she is eligible (doesn't have felony convictions and meets other requirements), she has to then either a) adjust her status in the US, or she may have to b) leave the country to get her green card. Usually spouses can do option a, but not always. If she has to leave the US, she would be subject to a 10 year bar from reentering. This catch 22 is why many people who are eligible to get a green card and legalize their status may, in fact, choose to remain undocumented in the US. There is a hardship waiver to the 10 year bar available, but it's hard to prove eligibility. But Luisa isn't there yet. Cole has to petition for her first! Also, you have to have your green card for at least 3 years (if you get it through marriage) before you can apply for citizenship. To naturalize, you have to pass English and civics test, and pass background checks. In any case, Luisa and Cole need to hire an immigration lawyer who would take care of all of this for them. They can afford it. It would have been interesting to include the facts in this storyline, and some people may have learned something. Instead, we get The Affair.

[Blakeston]

39 minutes ago, LilaFowler said:

The EMDR stuff was in Allison's POV and since she apparently hallucinates conversations and events, there's no telling if anything like that actually occurred in reality. (I'm kind-of kidding but... not.)

Her and most of the other main characters, really - like Helen and her earthquakes, and Noah and his various delusions.

That said, most of the absurdity in Alison's storylines comes from her need to make herself seem sympathetic. I don't think this can be chalked up to that. If the writers wanted to convey that Alison was thinking of herself as an innocent victim, they could have shown that Ben came up with the "let's try this out ourselves" thing on his own.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎7‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 9:43 AM, chick binewski said:

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. 

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. 

It's not easy to separate Luisa from what's currently happening to DREAMers in this country, or the emotional impact of what's currently happening at the border.  Having said that, I haven't liked Luisa since she climbed out of Scott Lockhart's bed.  Everyone thought this was a great couple, but it seemed just as inappropriate as some of the others on the show.  Maybe "messy" is the term I'm looking for.  Cole was drunk driving a taxi and Luisa was banging his troubled brother. 

My relative dislike intensified with the Joanie plot.  I find it admirable that she kept Joanie while Alison was institutionalized, but Luisa describes Alison as abandoning Joanie on the doorstep - as if she threw her in a basket and left her on the porch, and as if Cole wasn't Joanie's father.  Cole bitched that it happened in the middle of the night, as if break downs only occur when the sun is up.  They both acted like they had no idea where Alison was, and she was selfishly indulging herself.  They knew exactly where she was, and they knew why - they used the opportunity to have Alison sign away her rights.  The plot line is so ignorant and insulting to people with mental health issues.

So Alison comes back and they're sitting in court room and we know Cole will win, but Luisa tells him to let it go so they can get Alison out of their lives.  First of all, it's wrong.  Alison seeing Joanie more means Alison seeing Cole/Luisa more.  But it really angered me.  Either Luisa always believed Alison was competent to have Joanie but refused to let Alison in her life, or she thinks Alison is dangerous to Joanie, but that's fine because Alison is supposedly out of their lives.  I wish Luisa could somehow watch The Affair.  She will see that when Cole/Alison made Joanie, Cole initiated it.  Cole also initiated the sex later - even in his own version.

[RedheadZombie]

And I forgot to add, while it's absolutely not Luisa's fault that she's undocumented, it certainly isn't Cole's either!  Yet all of her anger on this topic is aimed at him.  (Although I'm not sure if they've addressed why she didn't become a DREAMer).

And her bitching from last season about mean Cole making her live in Montauk when her family is in the city.  She was living in Montauk when they met.  Cole's business is there, their house is there, his child is there.  Was she complaining when Cole was building this beautiful home for her?

And it doesn't matter anyway, because what Cole should really do is abandon everything, including his child, and move to Ecuador.

I'm not sure if it's the writing or the actress, but barking out "where have you been?" was so aggressive.  It was daylight.  Is Cole not allowed to be anywhere but home or work?

ETA:  And I forgot to add Luisa's sudden dream of being a hotel ambassador (or whatever that was) and pushing to move to Miami.  Isn't she just as undocumented there?

Edited July 10, 2018 by RedheadZombie
morewords

[Lemons]

5 hours ago, Mrs.Monkey said:

As an immigration expert, I just have to jump in and say That's Not How Any Of This Works! And I hate it when tv shows have an opportunity to educate the audience and instead just put out more misinformation. In today's environment, some facts would be useful. Luisa cannot apply for her citizenship. As her husband, Cole can petition for her to receive a green card. If she is eligible (doesn't have felony convictions and meets other requirements), she has to then either a) adjust her status in the US, or she may have to b) leave the country to get her green card. Usually spouses can do option a, but not always. If she has to leave the US, she would be subject to a 10 year bar from reentering. This catch 22 is why many people who are eligible to get a green card and legalize their status may, in fact, choose to remain undocumented in the US. There is a hardship waiver to the 10 year bar available, but it's hard to prove eligibility. But Luisa isn't there yet. Cole has to petition for her first! Also, you have to have your green card for at least 3 years (if you get it through marriage) before you can apply for citizenship. To naturalize, you have to pass English and civics test, and pass background checks. In any case, Luisa and Cole need to hire an immigration lawyer who would take care of all of this for them. They can afford it. It would have been interesting to include the facts in this storyline, and some people may have learned something. Instead, we get The Affair.

I don’t think the show did too bad.  They started last year with the fact that she came here as a child illegally.  (I would guess she was too old for the DACA program by the time the program was rolled out).

  The worse position for a person who wants citizenship is for that person to have initially come here illegally, child or not.  If Cole petitions on her behalf it opens up the real possibility that she will be denied and sent back to Ecuador.  This is one reason many people who are here illegally choose not to even try.  Louisa’s idea of a hardship is terrible and if the show makes it work, then it’s not realistic.  

Luisa doesn’t have the option of naturalization given her status.

 Maybe they’ll have Allison call ICE on her because she decides she wants Cole back.

[Razzberry]

10 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I absolutely do think the wine was drugged.  It was a screw cap wine and the seal did not snap to open when the bottle was opened to pour Allison's glass.

Yeah,  I heard no crack of an untampered-with screw cap, but my speakers aren't the best.   Should be a big red flag to Alison, along with the fact that Ben is too good to be true.   From day one discussing his penis during their first meeting as "temporarily out of service" was designed to make him seem unthreatening yet tantalizing, imo.  He's incredibly handsome and apparently was lovestruck the moment he clapped eyes on her.   They can't be serious with this guy.   Someone mentioned him being a relative of Luisa's and that wouldn't surprise me a bit.

 

 

[Elizzikra]

Quote

They knew exactly where she was, and they knew why - they used the opportunity to have Alison sign away her rights. 

I thought that they didn't know where she was - that she left Joanie with them but didn't tell them where she was going, why or when she might be back, nor did she have any contact with them while she was gone.

Maybe I assumed wrong or misheard?

I don't hate Luisa but I never really thought that she and Cole were a good match. It's always been obvious to me that Cole never got over Alison and probably never really will. 

[LuvMyShows]

10 hours ago, Tikichick said:

I absolutely do think the wine was drugged.  It was a screw cap wine and the seal did not snap to open when the bottle was opened to pour Allison's glass.

Yes, thanks for bringing that up...I remember noticing that at the time, but had forgotten.  It seems like that has to have been intentional on the part of the show, because if it wasn't, then it was an odd goof.

[LuvMyShows]

Totally random observation here...On the postcard that his mom had given Cole, from when his dad went on the roundabout to California, I noticed that the dad had written that the Pacific is ugly and intimidating.  A few weeks ago, at Helen's therapy session, she said something derogatory about the Pacific, that it was an attention whore or something.  Sarah Treem's upbringing has been all east coast, so maybe that's her personal bias showing through! 

[DiabLOL]

I'm no stranger to screw top wine bottles and I didn't hear that crack either.

You're all making me want to rewatch the scenes where Ben first pops in etc. He was hinky then as well. Practically stalking her there too.

Also pugs are cute and downright dewy looking compared to Noah.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Paramours,

Let's unscrew the top on a mid-priced bottle of wine and remind ourselves we are in a TV forum.  If you find yourself getting a little hot under the collar (or your fingertips are aflame on the keyboard), take a sip of wine and harken back to the days of yore when The Affair offered sex on cars and sex in hotels and sex with exes that resulted in bouncing baby girls.  Ain't nothing to get all het up about here! 

[Interpretation:  Dude, where'd my post go?  Oops, was I het up?  Was someone I quoted het up? <sip> It's all good.]

Now back to our regularly scheduled snarking. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

12 hours ago, dangwoodchucks said:

The doctor told Alison that Gabriel died of secondary drowning, when water inhaled into the lungs causes swelling which prevents oxygen from entering the bloodstream. When dry drowning occurs, no water is inhaled into the lungs. Spasms in the airway from inhaling water into the nose and mouth cause blockage which prevents air from entering the lungs.

This fits my recollection too.  Gabriel drowned and was brought back to life at the beach.  So, on Cole's watch, Gabriel drowned.  Then Alison did not insist they take him to the hospital to be checked out, wanting to take him home instead. Gabriel then died of secondary drowning.  Cherry blames Alison since she feels that, as a nurse, Alison should have known better.  Alison blames Cole. I forget who Cole blames (Himself? Alison? Poseidon? Evil Water Gnomes?) One way or another it was a tragedy that seems to have started the downward spiral for that couple. 

Of course, none of it excuses Alison purposefully falling off a boat or why they weren't wearing life vests.  For a woman who hates the ocean she was sure okay about heading out in a small boat with PTSD alcoholic bae. And she blew off the rest of that day at the conference.  That swag bag isn't going to fill itself!

[mochamajesty]

On 7/9/2018 at 7:38 AM, suomi said:

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).

This is fascinating. Don't stop.there what have you revealed if you take it after refusing? 

[Tikichick]

13 hours ago, Razzberry said:

   Someone mentioned him being a relative of Luisa's and that wouldn't surprise me a bit.

 

 

That would be me.

13 hours ago, LuvMyShows said:

Yes, thanks for bringing that up...I remember noticing that at the time, but had forgotten.  It seems like that has to have been intentional on the part of the show, because if it wasn't, then it was an odd goof.

My other thought about the wine already being opened was that production had done it to make sure they wouldn't blow a take if the cap was stubborn about opening.

[fountain]

I think it is super inappropriate to ask a parent to voluntarily sign he/she is unfit.  So for that reason I just cannot get behind Louisa and her need for a gesture as what she is asking for is just wrong. It is probably Cole’s perspective but they are painting Louisa as a major selfish bitch.

I find the Ben story interesting as something is going on there.

[JenE4]

On 7/8/2018 at 2:45 AM, 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? 

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

Because this show is The Affair and Allison is single so we need someone in the coupling to be cheating. Allison “knows better” than to get involved with a married man again, hence put her in an unwitting affair.

If this Walkabout doesn’t feature a cameo by Terry O’Quinn (Lost’s John Locke) rolling through in his wheelchair bellowing, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!!!” then what are we even doing here?

On 7/8/2018 at 7:54 PM, 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.

This REALLY makes no sense after he had such a moral superiority complex over Allison “abandoning” Joanie. Lolz, I’ll go have my emotional crisis now—later Joanie. But it’s the perfect plot for Luisa. Now BOTH of these flaky assholes abandoned this kid. I’ll just sip my latte from this Stars and Stripes mug right here are wait for the federal government to give me sole custody of this kid along with my citizenship.  I figure she’ll slip an extra page into the Lobster Roll sale paperwork for Allison to sign, and Joanie is hers! Which, by the way, how was Luisa a star witness in the original custody hearing if she’s afraid the police would find out she’s undocumented but this JUDGE right here is A-OK? 

On 7/10/2018 at 4:58 AM, suomi said:

(Long shot IIRC) she was sitting on the edge of the boat and then (head and shoulders shot) began to lean back. I thought she was goofing or maybe initiating a trust exercise but she kept leaning back until she fell into the water. Ben and I were like WTF? When (tick tock tick tock) Ben didn't jump in after her she looked puzzled and decided to save herself, I guess, because she was rising toward (or had reached) the surface when Ben (finally) jumped in. 

The EMDR—or Ben’s dreamy eyes—totally cured Allison. She fell into the water to prove to herself she’s no longer terrified of the ocean, and she saw herself in that dream she always had. Ben is the savior she’s dreamt about all these years. He couldn’t jump in too soon because this was a big breakthrough moment. Plus, we finally got some payoff—and footage—for the strange theme song.

[attica]

I fully endorse a grown-ass man with joint custody of his daughter running off to 'find himself' and leaving his kid's care to (presumably) the stepmother for whom he refused to acknowledge the primacy of said caregiving only 10 minutes (of show time, I'm not sure how much time is supposedly elapsing here) earlier. We don't even know if he talked this over with the child's mother, since no such practical conversation was shown. After committing to the child's mother to take the kid so mom could attend a work function. Sure, dude, strap a surfboard to your woodie (no not that one, jeez) and follow your manfeels. And by 'fully endorse' I mean 'GTFO with that bullshit, dude.'

On the other hand, I'm fanwanking that Cherry knows all about walkabouting because of her time in Australia when she was the daughter of that woman who was banging that priest. Before she ran off to Europe to marry Ken Howard.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

It was a screw cap wine and the seal did not snap to open when the bottle was opened to pour Allison's glass.

I thought it was just a mistake or like the fifth take and they were using the same bottle over and over again. If the wine was drugged, they sort of dropped that part of the plot, no?

Quote

Cherry blames Alison since she feels that, as a nurse, Alison should have known better.  Alison blames Cole.

I thought Alison blamed herself for that same reason and this was why she could not return to being a nurse. Wasn't that Season One's explanation?

Quote

 

She fell into the water to prove to herself she’s no longer terrified of the ocean, 

 

I don't remember her ever being terrified of, or hating, the ocean. Did she swim with Noah in the ocean in Season One? Or am I imagining it? 

[JenE4]

17 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I thought it was just a mistake or like the fifth take and they were using the same bottle over and over again. If the wine was drugged, they sort of dropped that part of the plot, no?

...

I don't remember her ever being terrified of, or hating, the ocean. Did she swim with Noah in the ocean in Season One? Or am I imagining it? 

I think too much analysis over not adding a sound effect for screwing off a cap. If it’s champagne popping, go to town foley guy! But unscrewing a cap wouldn’t be picked up by the boom mics on water and it’s not a loud enough sound in real life to break out the Foley effects over.

yes, we’ve seen Alison in the water before, but this was the whole focus of this episode and the EMDR that her greatest fear is the ocean.

[Rockfish]

57 minutes ago, attica said:

I fully endorse a grown-ass man with joint custody of his daughter running off to 'find himself' and leaving his kid's care to (presumably) the stepmother for whom he refused to acknowledge the primacy of said caregiving only 10 minutes (of show time, I'm not sure how much time is supposedly elapsing here) earlier. We don't even know if he talked this over with the child's mother, since no such practical conversation was shown. After committing to the child's mother to take the kid so mom could attend a work function. Sure, dude, strap a surfboard to your woodie (no not that one, jeez) and follow your manfeels. And by 'fully endorse' I mean 'GTFO with that bullshit, dude.'

On the other hand, I'm fanwanking that Cherry knows all about walkabouting because of her time in Australia when she was the daughter of that woman who was banging that priest. Before she ran off to Europe to marry Ken Howard.

Excellent post—especially the last paragraph—who else will know what you’re talking about, lol?!

Loved* this bit from the show:

Cole: Hey Luisa, whatcha doin’?

Luisa: I’m leaving you, Cole. I’m tired of you never choosing me.

Cole: I have an even better idea. How about if instead of you leaving, I take a vacation so I can do whateverthefuckIwant and feel sorry for myself at the same time? 

Luisa: Great idea! I’ll see you off, but don’t expect me to fix you a coffee to go. I’m done with that shit.

 

*Thought it was clunky writing—there was a better way to get Cole to California for his bro roadtrip.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Rockfish