If you were asked by your closest friends to describe to them this new series you've discovered, normally you'd have no trouble outlining the basics in a matter of seconds.
Apply that same process to the pilot of Showtime's newest drama, The Affair, and, well, it left me pretty stumped, which has given me many a headache in trying to write this review.
The Affair brings together two experienced actors in the form of Dominic West and Ruth Wilson, both Golden Globe Nominees, who lead proceedings as Noah Solloway and Allison Lockhart respectively. Both characters are already married, but a frightening event that occurs while Noah and his family of four are on their way to the home of his wife Helen's parents beachside mansion in the Hamptons for a summer vacation, sees Noah and Allison meet for the first time.
It seems fairly innocent and boring thus far, but the title of the series gives the game away. The pilot only lays the seed for the "affair" between Noah and Allison, but you get a taste of things to come when you watch this featurette. This does make the pilot rather boring in that respect because the seed isn't anywhere near the size of other series out there which begin with an oddly matched male/female lead, with the pair getting together further down the track. The creative team were obviously relying on the title of the series and its premise to back up the happenings on screen.
It's probably worth mentioning that the pilot is quite graphic by the standards of a pilot let alone a series. There's several sex scenes which range from what you could say is 'normal' on the scale, through to what you could nearly classify as rape. I've seen many a sex scene on television, but these went beyond what I've seen before. The frightening event I alluded to earlier was surpassed by an even worse, fake, frightening event, and both involved children. So take this as a warning - if you're a bit sensitive to this sort of content, The Affair might not be your thing. Future episodes could be a different story though.
That being said, the acting in the pilot was very good, with Ruth Wilson by far the standout. Her and Dominic West spend the majority of the episode in each other's company in one form or another, but despite their impending affair, I didn't feel a great deal of chemistry between them. This could have been deliberate, but if it was, it didn't quite come off. In its defense, the promotional videos around the internet and on Showtime's website indicate things will get better in this area, but this will be determined for good once we see a few episodes.
The pace of the pilot was too slow for my liking, but this was made up for when a second, alternative sequence of events was presented, albeit with similar end outcomes. Explaining this here would ruin the fun, so I'll close there and let that sink in. What I will say is that this is something very rarely seen on television, and it needs to be done really well to have the desired effect. The good news is that The Affair absolutely nails it. The bad news is that a detective is involved in occasional timeshifted scenes, so one version of events must be suspect. I, for one, couldn't pick which.
In all, be prepared for some rather graphic stuff in the pilot at least, but be prepared for an episode which will leave you scratching your head and struggling to describe to your closest friends. The pilot has done enough to earn at least a few episodes from me. It gives little away, but does enough to intrigue you into wanting to know what's going to happen.
The Affair premieres Sunday, October 12, 10PM on Showtime.
Thanks a lot for reading! If you have any questions about the pilot that this preview hasn't answered, leave them in the comments below. General comments are always welcome!
Jimmy.
