Sunday, October 18, 2015

REVIEW: 'The Affair' - Noah and Alison Determine the Future of Their Relationship in '203'

Showtime's The Affair - Episode 2.03 "203"

Noah's insuppressible love for Alison has serious consequences. Meanwhile, Alison discovers a surprising truth about how to sustain a marriage.





Noah and Alison are trying to figure out what the future of their relationship looks like right now. They are comfortable with each other at the moment. They are happy when they are in each other's company at this cabin. And yet, they haven't completely escaped their lives either simply because they are staying at this remote writer's retreat. The first two episodes of the season showed just how big the complications of their relationship still are. They still have tense dynamics with their former spouses. They do manage to avoid the outside world during this hour. However, the audience already knows where all of this is heading. Noah and Alison will get married and have a kid together sometime in the future. That's been made pretty clear in the flash-forward sequences - which have also been much better utilized this season. So why then is it dramatically interesting to see them agonizing over a decision that has already seemingly been made for them? Well, the surprise of the decision doesn't exist but the emotions of the moment still feel very powerful.

When thinking about the future, it's largely a discussion of whether or not this other person can be trusted with all the ugly truths of the other's life. Most of that uncertainty and pain from the past comes from Alison. In Noah's side of the story, she has to share the fact that she slept with Oscar and tried to kill herself once. In Alison's side of the story, she confesses to Robert all the details about Gabriel's death and wonders whether or not she can commit to Noah who never knew him. These are crucial things that needed to happen if they wanted to be open and honest with their relationship. But it also plays as very one sided. Alison does have more pain in her past. Noah doesn't have an equivalent tragedy. He does have tense relationships with so many people. Whitney also shows up at the cabin to stir up some trouble. She's the reason why these truths have to be addressed. When it's just the two of them at the cabin, they are more than happy not to think about the consequences of their actions. They've established a new life here. It's not perfect. But it makes them happy even though they can't escape completely from their own pasts.

Whitney serves as a reminder of Noah's responsibilities back in the city. He and Helen are doing their best to go through mediation in order to handle this divorce. She doesn't know that Noah and Alison are living together. Whitney arrives and runs into the person who broke up their family immediately. Sure, she takes it like a joke at first. But she's also very frustrated with her father and the life he is choosing to live instead of their family. With Noah though, she is at least able to express herself. Sure, it's in a very vulgar way that could very easily become so self-destructive. But she's able to tell her father how she's feeling in a blunt way without thinking about doing the right thing. She doesn't feel that way with Helen and her grandmother. They don't understand her. Neither does Noah but he's not trying to get her to act a certain way. He doesn't know the full story. In fact, Whitney may just be playing him in order to get what she wants and nothing more.

Whitney can be immature with very little regard for the consequences of her actions. She had this summer thing with Scotty that resulted in a pregnancy that her parents helped her with. That was a big experience. So was having a gun pointed in her face by Cole. Despite all of that though, she still loves Scotty and wants to be with him. She doesn't care about the restraining order. She just wants to openly love him again. That may be the biggest reason why she came to see Noah. She was hoping Alison would be there and she could trade getting Scotty's number with not telling Helen about their engagement. It's a precarious situation for Alison. She just wants to be seen as a friend and not a stepmother. She doesn't want to parent Whitney for Noah and Alison - even though she could seriously use some. It's probably right that she refuses to give her the number now. But again, the future hints that tension is only growing between the family and Scotty.

Noah and Alison start and end their two stories having sex. In the beginning, it feels as if they aren't on the same page. They both are able to finish but it's unclear whether or not they actually enjoyed what has just happened. They almost go through the motions of being really into. Even if that's not true or completely genuine, they still do it because they love this connection so much. A whole lot happens after that first moment together. They get engaged simply because it's something that Noah does in the spur of the moment. It's a way to give him a happy ending to this story. But complications pop up that force them to question how much trust and faith they have in this relationship. When they reunite sexually again at the end of the episode, they are in completely different mindsets than before. And yet, it does feel like they enjoy it much more. However, that also comes with the idea that they are never going to be able to just be with each other. There will always be someone watching them - whether literally or metaphoracally. The future is hanging over the show right now. It's one of intense legal consequences that comes in the aftermath of murder. Noah's guilt is uncertain. It's a future the show is racing towards. It threatens to derail this relationship. The two of them are doing their best to be as open as possible. But the future is already set and it's not as simple or easy as either one wants it to be.

Some more thoughts:
  • "203" was written by Alena Smith and directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
  • Apparently, Yvonne rents out the cabin Noah and Alison are staying in every year to a different writer. She loves books and fostering new talent. She even offers to read Noah's book in order to give a third opinion regarding the potential ending.
  • While Noah and Yvonne are having their chat, Alison and Robert take about his dog who has run away. The story about them going out to find and kill it was largely just an excuse for her to open up about Gabriel's death. The actual moments with the dog weren't all that great.
  • As expected, the box that Cole dropped off with Alison had Gabriel's things - which is why all these feelings about his death are swirling up again throughout the episode.
  • Max offers to give Noah $50,000 in order for him to find an apartment where he can live with his kids. That scene plays so much better knowing that Max's new relationship is with Helen and Noah doesn't know that yet.
  • However, Helen has officially decided to take Noah to court for their divorce. That complicates the situation severely. 
  • Noah still isn't doing a great job at explaining his side of the story in the future regarding Scotty's death. He tells his new lawyer that he hit a deer that night and bribed the mechanic solely because he didn't want his name tied to the investigation.