Television Review: The Affair (season 3, 2016/2017)

Plot of the third season of The Affair begins three years after the second, with Noah Solloway (played by Dominic West) who has, due to his torrid adulterous affair, lost his family, writing career, three years of freedom and, finally, the lover Alison Bailey-Lockhart (played by Ruth Wilson). Recently out of prison for vehicular manslaughter he hadn’t commit, he starts rebuilding his life and, thanks to couple of remaining friends, gets a teaching job at college where he would meet Juliette Le Gall (played by Irene Jacob), visiting French professor of medieval liteature. At the same time, father’s death forces him to deal with traumatic events from his past, while he is also haunted by his prison experience and stalking prison guard Gunther (played by Brendan Fraser). While this happens, Alison has to deal with aftermath of her nervous breakdown and subsequent hospitalisation, which includes custody battle for her daughter with her former husband Cole (played by Joshua Jackson) and her new wife Louisa (played by Catalina Sandino Moreno).

Third season can be described as a creators’ attempt to open a new page and point the show towards new direction. Use of Rashomon-like conflicting perspectives is ditched for the sake of more conventional narration. Whether intended or not, Noah Solloway becomes sole protagonist of the show, with Alison and her issues reduced to secondary subplot. This approach works to a degree; Noah’s confrontation with his own past is mostly presented in natural and realistic ways, without flashbacks, and his return to his roots among blue-collar areas of Pennsylvania could serve as an interesting commentary about social and economic issues that brought White House to Trump.

Unfortunately, while many elements of third season work, others don’t. Especially disappointing is "clever" plot twist near the end, which is borrowed from numerous films and TV shows, and which won’t be much of surprise to more experienced viewers. Even Irene Jacob, one of the more respected European actresses, is wasted in a thankless role of an "exotic" love interest. The impression is somewhat saved only at the season finale, which looks convincing and natural.

Starring: Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, Joshua Jackson, Maura Tierney, Irene Jacob, Brendan Fraser, Catalina Sandino Moreno
Created by: Sarah Treem
Number of episodes: 10

Pro: change of settings, attempts at socio-political commentary, good acting
Contra: atrocious title song, melodramatic content, terrible plot twist near the end
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RATING: 5/10