S04.E08: Episode 08

[PrincessPurrsALot]

A hopeful epiphany leads Cole on a journey to a horrific discovery. Noah questions his role in tragic events.

Original air date 2018.08.05

[LoveLeigh]

Oh this episode is just shocking. I am going to wait to discuss the content of the episode because I am not even sure how I want to approach having a conversation about itl it just got to me. 

On a side note because my brain is fried. Why WAS Alison flying to California after she realized Ben was married and after her father asked for her kidney? And after her talk with Helen, she went back to Montauk? 

I am just so... sad. Even though I know it is just a "movie," it was heartbreaking. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[DiabLOL]

I feel the same way. I'm shocked and sad and I don't know if I believe Ben.

[LoveLeigh]

removed to comply with forum rules

Edited August 5, 2018 by DakotaLavender
what I typed broke rules

[LoveLeigh]

This comment is not based on what was in the previews but what was in this episode. it seems the opening song had real significance. 

[Lozu68]

Oh man...just watched in the app. Josh and Dominic’s acting...took my breath away. I hope whatever the writers have in store for the resolution of this story does justice to the actors. 

[LoveLeigh]

27 minutes ago, Lozu68 said:

Oh man...just watched in the app. Josh and Dominic’s acting...took my breath away. I hope whatever the writers have in store for the resolution of this story does justice to the actors. 

I have zero interest in justice for the actors. I hope the resolution makes me and other viewers feel less sad for all the characters involved. Just when Alison was getting her act together as a counselor..... and Cole was right. She never would have done that to Joanie. 

I never saw it coming and I gasped. It is all just so sad..... and most sad for Cole. He really loved her. Noah was just not as devastated. I never saw that coming...... 

[Lozu68]

11 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

I have zero interest in justice for the actors. I hope the resolution makes me and other viewers feel less sad for all the characters involved. Just when Alison was getting her act together as a counselor..... and Cole was right. She never would have done that to Joanie. 

I never saw it coming and I gasped. It is all just so sad..... and most sad for Cole. He really loved her. Noah was just not as devastated. I never saw that coming...... 

Maybe I didn’t explain myself correctly...yes, I want the resolution to do right by the characters, and the viewers who have been eating this story up for 4 years....but my point being...they have a cast of actors who can really “pack a punch.” Write a great ending, and let them bring it to life. We all deserve that!?

[suomi]

Holy shit. Looking forward to the comments tonight. Really curious now as to exactly when the recently announced new season was dangled and/or inked. Surely tonight's event was supposed to fuel (what was previously intended to be) the final season?

[cardigirl]

I have some fears concerning what may come, but really loved this episode. Loved the acting. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Is this the season conclusion?

[Lozu68]

No. We still have 2 more episodes in S4. And we will get a S5 sometime in 2019!

[EtheltoTillie]

Oh, never mind, I see they say two more episodes.  Cross posting.  This was very powerful.

Edited August 5, 2018 by GussieK

[Mindthinkr]

Well that was totally unexpected. Cole was understandably devastated especially since this came just after his realization that she is/was the true love of his life. I think that Noah was effected as well but was trying to keep it together. He wasn’t as invested in her but at the end we did see that it hurt his heart as well. I think her father’s loss was more selfish. He just saw the loss of her kidney. 

Gee, Anton takes the longest bathroom breaks. Well not to be crass but even Cole and Noah commented about his stamina in another thing that he did  

On their road trip I really related to Anton’s (?) comment that this state (I’m assuming Pennsylvania) goes on forever. Having driven it myself I totally agree. Long distance plus bumpy roads. 

I’m still a bit gobsmacked. I just never saw this series going there. 

[nara]

Incredibly sad episode.  Cole's range of emotions was interesting to watch.  And the moment he collapsed and got sick on hearing the news was really well acted in my opinion.

I'm starting to like Anton, too.  He's going to get one hell of an admissions essay out of this road trip.

I can't decide if I want a murder mystery or for Alison to have faked her own death to start fresh or a straight suicide.

[Mindthinkr]

30 minutes ago, nara said:

or for Alison to have faked her own death to start fresh

I’m not quite sure that I get your meaning. Did you mean that she faked her death? ...that wouldn’t be possible since Noah identified her in the morgue. Or that she was going to try to fake her death but something went terribly wrong? Since Noah and Anton brought up the use of the drug Xanax I wonder if that is going to come into play. That she’d taken too much and couldn’t get herself together to keep from being pushed into the rocks or drowning. 

Cole seems very intent on blaming somebody. 

[casey65]

I hate that Showtime basically telegraphed Allison’s death in the episode description. I read that and the news that there was going to be a fifth season, and it was obvious she died.  I had been watching the season thinking this was the last one and expected Cole to find her in some sort of situation and save her.  So the surprise was lost for me.  

 

However, this was still a fantastic episode.  Great acting by both guys, but especially Joshua Jackson.  I cried when they were walking down the hallway to the morgue, their sadness was palpable. Ben and her father are both lying, but I think if anyone killed her it was Luisa.  I’d hate to think she killed herself because of how it would hurt Joanie.

[Bandolero]

Why??? I don’t understand why she would do this? I am beyond shocked and saddened. Truly didn’t see this coming. I just can’t see her doing that to Joanie.

I watched the ep right before bed and wished I hadn’t cause it messed me up emotionally.

i had truly hoped that Cole and Alison would be endgame. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by Bandolero

[HollyG]

What a sad, shocking episode. Very unexpected. I'm surprised Showtime did this with one season left to go. I guess the next episodes will be retracing Alison's movements to see if it was murder or suicide. At this point I am leaning towards the latter. Very well acted by both men. Really sad for Cole and Joanie. 

[Bandolero]

If she doesn’t leave a suicide note then I’ll think she was murdered because I just can’t see her not leaving one for Cole and Joanie. I would think she would want them to understand and to ensure they didn’t blame themselves.

[Mindthinkr]

Suicide versus Murder. I do recall something mentioned about her transferring a lot of her money over to Joanie. Why? If it’s suicide then she just wanted the income to be available for her daughter rather than have Joanie waiting for her estate to settle. Could Ben have been pressuring her for money? Since she at least co-owned that restaurant on the outside people would think that she has a lot of cash. Could she have moved it so she could tell him that she didn’t have a lot of dough and show receipts to that fact? So many tropes about murder have included the “follow the money”. So we have money moving but why? Back to my original argument with myself about is it suicide or murder. 

[Bandolero]

Just wanted to say one of the best lines was Cole’s “Let me guess, you’re fucking his mother.” So funny and so very true. Typical Noah behavior.

Another kinda funny moment was the lady asking which one of them was the closest relative and the ensuing awkwardness.

Also how did Alison’d dad know about her disappearances or much about her at all from just one short conversation. Kinda odd.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Bandolero

[LilaFowler]

Wow at this episode! I remember reading a week or two ago that Ruth Wilson had signed on to be part of another show but for some reason it never occurred to me that it was because she'd been written out of this one.

I think Ben murdering Allison is a red herring because he's a bad guy and she had just broken up with him. If anyone killed her and made it look like a suicide it was Luisa. She's the one who had something big to gain from Allison dying. Maybe she somehow figured out where Cole had been in CA, called to check up on him, and that girl that he hooked up with told her that Cole was planning to leave her for Allison. Or maybe Luisa just snapped over the custody/immigration stuff, saw that Allison had returned to Montauk in bad mental shape, and saw an opportunity. Luisa lured Allison to the rocks, bashed her over the head and pushed her in to drown. The previews show Allison going to someone's home during the storm; maybe Luisa killed her there and dumped the body at the pier.

I agree with Cole--Allison wouldn't have committed suicide and left Joanie. The fact that she moved money into an account for Joanie is consistent with what she said in an earlier episode, that she wanted to set up a trust like Athena had done for her.

Edited August 5, 2018 by LilaFowler

[Lozu68]

13 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Suicide versus Murder. I do recall something mentioned about her transferring a lot of her money over to Joanie. Why? If it’s suicide then she just wanted the income to be available for her daughter rather than have Joanie waiting for her estate to settle. Could Ben have been pressuring her for money? Since she at least co-owned that restaurant on the outside people would think that she has a lot of cash. Could she have moved it so she could tell him that she didn’t have a lot of dough and show receipts to that fact? So many tropes about murder have included the “follow the money”. So we have money moving but why? Back to my original argument with myself about is it suicide or murder. 

She talked to Athena about how she was setting up an account for Joanie to put the money from the Lobster Roll. It didn’t seem unusual at all at the time.

[Mindthinkr]

I’ll be very interested to see how this plays out in the next episode. Is it next Sunday yet? 

[Razzberry]

I'm shocked.  She was such a stable and rational person.

 

Who had the most to gain by her death?  Who was around Montauk at the time?  Who was jealous of her, wished she didn't exist?   Think hard, Cole.

 

Could be that baby octopus you barfed up at lunch.

[LotusFlower]

Ben told Cole and Noah that he went to see Alison and told her that he was married, and then she broke up with him.  But hadn’t Alison already figured out that he was married when she met his wife in his office?  So Ben is lying, right?  

[DiabLOL]

As soon as I read the coming ep description I knew Alison was dead.

I'd be seriously surprised if the writers made an undocumented immigrant a murderer, they know they'd catch tons of shit for that.

Both Ben and Alison's dad lied and the wife acted shifty AF. Why was Athena on the phone? Was she? 

It was darkly funny how her dad was really upset about his lost kidney more than anything.

As ever, incredible acting by both Dominic West and Joshua Jackson. 

I didn't appreciate the comic relief via Anton. The whole Anton and his mom storyline is unnecessary but this episode really put me over the edge about it.

The scenes in the morgue were so realistically haunting. They completely conveyed one's grief stricken doom and disbelief.

Now did Alison kill herself? I love how we are now set up for so many possibilities and I can't wait for the next episode. The whole transfer of money for Joanie could go either way. However we did see her in a series of some awful final moments: Her devastation about her father, her hard hitting disappointment in Ben, the incident on the plane shook her up in so many ways all I can think about is that shitty teen taping her and her looking back at her like a trapped, disgraced animal. Then the panic attack and the talk with Helen which we all may find refreshingly real and helpful but did she find it so? Maybe it was a final indignity and loss of all hope.

I don't know. It's quite possible Ben murdered her or that she freaked out during some confrontation or other during the storm and slipped and fell. I don't think Xanax even or especially mixed with a large amount of alcohol would even allow for much physical exertion.  

ETA: Ben's alibi. I don't buy it so far. He could have murdered her at 7pm then went to get trashed at a bar and gone to an AA meeting!

Edited August 5, 2018 by DiabLOL

[Servalan]

So I hadn’t read the episode’s description and had no idea Ruth Wilson was going somewhere else so yeah, I was surprised. I actually thought it was some kind of fake out until I came here and read all of your sincere comments about the matter. I was laughing all the way through the episode (sometimes with, sometimes at) until the reveal. And even then I didn’t believe it. Well done, show, I guess.

[sadie]

Up until the Alison part this was such an enjoyable episode. The three guys on the road trip was so good. Somehow throwing Anton in the mix made it better than if it was just Noah and Cole. I did not see the Alison thing coming at all. So sad, but kind of an inevitable end for her character. She was a mess from Ep 1 and just was never right. So well done by Joshua Jackson, the disbelief and the grief were spot on. Totally wondering where we go from here. 

[lesmisfits29]

I didnt see this coming at all... So sad to see Alison go.

At this point, I think there’s foul play. 

Nothing we saw from Alison last POV gave us an indication of her being suicidal.

Also, what was that scene in the recap where Noah and Alison discuss her father? Cant recall the episode.

[LoveLeigh]

4 hours ago, Bandolero said:

Why??? I don’t understand why she would do this? I am beyond shocked and saddened. Truly didn’t see this coming. I just can’t see her doing that to Joanie.

I watched the ep right before bed and wished I hadn’t cause it messed me up emotionally.

i had truly hoped that Cole and Alison would be endgame. 

I am thinking..... maybe just maybe Cole's "point of view" was all in his head and Alison did not die? Eh, wishful thinking on my part. She is dead. Noah's POV at the very end of the episode showed it as fact.

RIP Alison

[LoveLeigh]

6 hours ago, nara said:

I can't decide if I want a murder mystery or for Alison to have faked her own death to start fresh or a straight suicide.

The body was visually identified by Noah. Her death was not faked. 

ETA: again I am thinking that the opening song by Fiona Apple was telling us from the beginning how this all would end. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[DiabLOL]

I'm hoping there was/will be more to it than a visual ID. I don't want to be left hanging about some BS fake death. 

Isn't there a basic law to at least do a DNA test? Even if the coroner found water in her lungs and chalked up the battered state of her body to her being smashed against the rocks for three days I'm hoping Cole will insist on more.

Also I'd say she had less shown to us motive to fake her own death than even kill herself.

[nara]

10 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

The body was visually identified by Noah. Her death was not faked. 

In my crackpot theory, he's in on it.  

I would not put too much importance on my comment, because it was probably my way of dealing with the shock of the female lead being killed off.

[LoveLeigh]

2 minutes ago, nara said:

In my crackpot theory, he's in on it.  

I would not put too much importance on my comment, because it was probably my way of dealing with the shock of the female lead being killed off.

They just renewed the show for another season so I find it hard to believe that they would kill off the central character of the show who is who the entire plot revolves around. Why would the writers do that? Did Ruth Wilson not renew her contract? It makes no sense. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[LilaFowler]

Unless they plan to focus more on the show's other two "couples," Noah/Helen and Cole/Luisa. Helen is destined to break up with Vik and return to NYC with Noah (IMO), and Cole and Luisa are headed for disaster because he doesn't love her and she knows it.

57 minutes ago, DakotaLavender said:

They just renewed the show for another season so I find it hard to believe that they would kill off the central character of the show who is who the entire plot revolves around. Why would the writers do that? Did Ruth Wilson not renew her contract? It makes no sense. 

Personally, I'm not that sad about Allison sleeping with the fishes. Her character was pretty much spinning her wheels for the last season or so. For an actor, maybe Ruth felt like she had done all she could with this character and it was time to find other work. I was bored with her endless, repetitive drama.

[Armchair Critic]

heehee at Cole being grumpy about being Noah's "hubby".

[Armchair Critic]

WTF? I am watching it live and 

Spoiler

Spoiler

Alison drowned herself?!?

 

[HOTNTX53]

What in the absolute hell???!!! What a twist to this tale! I'm shook!!

[Gem 10]

Yikes, my cable just went out after Noah identified Allison’s body.  I don’t believe this.  The main character?  Can this be?  Cole is saying the other guy murdered Allison.  Is that going to be the story now .. proving it?

Edited August 6, 2018 by Gem 10

[Razzberry]

They really let Jackson own this one, but most of the time he annoyed me more than anything.    Demanding to view the body, then sending Noah in?   For spending "several days" in the water, she could've looked a lot worse, but probably didn't smell like daisies.

 

Enjoyed Anton being part of the this roadtrip from hell.  

[TexasGal]

Ok, I was simultaneously surprised and not surprised at all.

But, I’m stuck on what a jerk move by Cole to insist on seeing her actual body and then making Noah go in to identify her.  Yeesh dude. (Posting at same time as @Razzberry!)

Edited August 6, 2018 by TexasGal

[WaltersHair]

Well, damn. They went there. Good on the show for taking some chances.

Edited to add: also that exorcism ritual Cole did is the real deal.

Edited August 6, 2018 by WaltersHair

[funnygirl]

Wow. I've stayed away from spoilers and episode descriptions so I did not see that coming. 

Ben is shady and I wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be a murder instead of self-inflicted. But I also wonder if, while Cole's been gone, Luisa approached Alison about signing over her rights to Joanie "for show" so that she can get her green card, and that that may have tipped the scales for Alison who was already in a bad way between her father's request, finding out Ben's married, and the airplane incident/arrest/Los Angeles breakdown. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by funnygirl

[Mindthinkr]

19 hours ago, funnygirl said:

Louisa approached Alison about signing over her rights to Joanie "for show" so that she can get her green card, and that that may have tipped the scales for Alison

Or has given Louisa a motive for killing her. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by Mindthinkr

[Gem 10]

So, if the writers could do something like this, what the hell else will they do for a shock.  Don’t think I will stick around to see it.  I’m not crazy about the other characters, except Cole and Joanie.  

[chick binewski]

18 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

This comment is not based on what was in the previews but what was in this episode. it seems the opening song had real significance. 

 

9 hours ago, casey65 said:

I hate that Showtime basically telegraphed Allison’s death in the episode description. I read that and the news that there was going to be a fifth season, and it was obvious she died.  I had been watching the season thinking this was the last one and expected Cole to find her in some sort of situation and save her.  So the surprise was lost for me.  

However, this was still a fantastic episode.  Great acting by both guys, but especially Joshua Jackson.  I cried when they were walking down the hallway to the morgue, their sadness was palpable. Ben and her father are both lying, but I think if anyone killed her it was Luisa.  I’d hate to think she killed herself because of how it would hurt Joanie.

 

OK good - I'm glad others are posting they felt this coming because when I heard the theme song this week I was all 'omg sink back into the ocean that's totally Allison why have I been ignoring this' then after it happened I was all 'yeah I'm totally psychic'. But I think I got it from the description as well as seeing the cop back in the credits on IMDB. So goes my short-lived career as a seer.

And I do like the idea of Luisa doing Allison in.

6 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

Ben told Cole and Noah that he went to see Alison and told her that he was married, and then she broke up with him.  But hadn’t Alison already figured out that he was married when she met his wife in his office?  So Ben is lying, right?  

Yes! And he lies about everything! If he's not a lying murderer who lies I don't get the point of him being on the show. Other than for Allison to pout at and she can do that with anyone.

Sometimes they give Joshua Jackson the clunkiest un-Cole dialogue and he deserves a lot better; he was stellar in that scene in the morgue.

 

Of course the organ-poaching rapist family has a strict policy on cell phone usage. And when this show ends I could totally watch a half-hour spinoff about Noah & Cole on the road. They can crack wise and expose racist homophobe dads.

[LotusFlower]

Interview with the showrunner.  They killed off Alison because Ruth Wilson wanted to leave the show.  Interesting read:

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/live-feed/affair-death-explained-1132269?__twitter_impression=true

[mauras]

13 minutes ago, Gem 10 said:

So, if the writers could do something like this, what the hell else will they do for a shock.  Don’t think I will stick around to see it.  I’m not crazy about the other characters, except Cole and Joanie.  

I'm moderately interested in the other characters (though not Noah), but I do wonder what the point of the show without Allison will be. Not that she was my favorite character, despite my devout shipping is Cole and Allison, but she was one of the main focal points of the show, and I don't see it holding together without her.