The Affair (as in the show)

So last night I watched the first episode of The Affair.  You know the show on SHOtime. I had some thoughts following my viewing which I thought I would share. Now, let me preface this by stating that I am not, nor have I ever purported to be a critic of film or TV. I am not even necessarily and avid movie-goer or TV watcher. But after watching the show, I had these thoughts buzzing around my head regarding what I saw and I felt compelled to share them with the 2 possibly 3 people who will ever read this post....

I'll start with some positives.  I loved the acting.  I recognized some of my old friends like Julia Goldani Telles from Bunheads and Jadon Sand from the Lego Movie.  As well as some of my newer friends like Joshua Jackson from Fringe and Dawson's Creek (New for me since I just watched Fringe this year and I am currently in the middle of watching Dawson's Creek for the first time).  Apparently, the main dude is from The Wire or so my husband says, however, I've never seen that show and would just be taking his word for it.  Anyway, while these are all familiar friends, I definitely felt engaged by their new characters. On a whole, I felt that the acting was great.  While some of the faces were the same, the characters were new, and I was able to form opinions on them based on their actions in this show without any reference to their prior work. Honestly, I think that is a huge achievement. I mean to watch Joshua Jackson as this new dude Cole after literally just watching an episode of Dawson's Creek immediately prior and to not immediately having the thought that this is Pacey grown up and view him through that perspective, I think is a testament to his skill as an actor.  Not to say that growing the beard didn't help... But, I digress... (I also write run-on sentences)

So the acting was great, subtle, nuanced, effective.  I also liked the opportunity to view the story from the two opposing perspectives.  It was fun to see what changed and what stayed the same.  It was almost like a challenge.  After viewing the events from Noah's viewpoint, you could try to guess where their perceptions would diverge.  It was stimulating and intriguing.  The mysteriousness of the detective interrogating them was fun too.  Like I said, I watched one episode, so it peaked my curiosity.  What happened? Why are they being questioned? How did they get from point A to the point interrogation room?  All things that make you want to keep watching.

So here's the thing.  I don't understand the family stopping at this diner.  I have only 1 child, and he's 2.  And I can tell you this: while on long trips, I am a great proponent of stopping for a meal to break up the ride, I would never in a million, billion years do so, so close to the end of my journey.  I don't care how long I want to avoid reaching my destination.  The effort involved in getting 4 kids out of a packed car after a long drive, to sit and eat, only to have to pile them all back in just to drive a few more minutes seems exhausting.  I have 1 toddler and I second guess having to get him in and out of the car even after short trips.  I purposely plan trips to make the fewest ins and outs.  I mean their destination is the rich father in law's house.  I would assume that he keeps a well stocked fridge.

My husband would say that this is not the point.  That it's a minor detail.  That some people do not share my dread of loading and unloading a family into and out of a car. (I cannot believe that last one.)  I do agree, it's not the point.  So, they stopped at a diner 10 minutes from their destination as a last ditch effort to prolong the inevitable, their summer with the in-laws.  I get it, but I just don't get it... It didn't ruin the show for me or anything, but it became the thought foremost in my mind when the episode ended which is to say, at minimum, it distracted me from the story.

My only other issue really, is the sex stuff.  I get it. Apparently there are people out there that really need you to spell things out. I am not one of those people.  I also understand you want realism and all that, but I don't need to see everyone's bottom and tits.  If I want to see an A cup breast, I will go home and look in the mirror.  I am aware that unlike on network TV, people who really are married or have sex, do not make such a concerted effort to hide their naughty bits every time they are in bed.  I know I don't.  But I also don't need to see the whole business in order to understand the difference between loving consensual sex, rough, bored, controlling, violent, or any other version.  I think its another distraction.  Like look how far we can go cause were a cable show and not so much adding to the story.  I would like to reference something like Hitchcock and say he was able to tell a story without having to be so obvious, but like I said I am not a big movie/TV person, so I have only seen like 1 Hitchcock movie and don't feel qualified to make that reference.  Maybe I'm a bit prudish, and if the title fits, I'll accept it.  I know many people don't have a problem with it.  My husband has no issue with a program containing more graphic sex scenes.  Maybe I am too easily distracted, but either way, for me personally, it was a turnoff.

All in all, I loved the concept.  I loved the acting.  I loved seeing the varying perspectives.  I am curious to see how the story unfolds.  It's one of those things where you kinda know the end, I mean its called the affair, so one might assume they eventually have one.  But you still want to know how they get there.  Like I said in the beginning, I am currently in the middle of Dawson's Creek and I really only turned this on because the next episode of the creek wouldn't play correctly.  So, there may be some time before I continue this program (I am deeply invested in the Creek), but I do recommend The Affair.  Really. Just ignore that in and out of the car thing.