“The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we move on with our lives.”
The season two premiere of The Affair delves into the muddy waters of divorce, taking us into the minds of the characters as they deal with the aftermath of season one’s ugly finish. This year, we’re getting the perspectives of Cole and Helen, and we see the latter’s play out alongside Noah’s in the opening hour. It is, as expected, a beautifully acted episode for Maura Tierney, and she does a nice job of conveying her emotional state as she attempts to move on with her life. Of course, the big question swirling around in her mind is: Can she move on? Sure, there’s Max and his dirty talk, but it’s clear that this whole situation has taken an immense toll on her. Her seemingly perfect–perhaps too perfect–life has been completely upended, and she’s stuck wondering how she could’ve missed the cracks in her earlier years.