The Affair Episode 10 – The Finale. Let’s Discuss!

First and foremost a few notes about Homeland:

1. I know I am going to hell but they really need to do something about Frannie. I can’t bear to watch..Couldn’t they have found a cuter baby? Ugh.

2. Did I mention I LOVE Quinn?

3. The world’s worst season finale, EVER. Boy, did they drop the ball. I haven’t read one review yet but I can only imagine.

Okay moving on to the juicy AFFAIR!

1. SEPARATED

They opened the season finale with Noah, interestingly enough, in the exact pool scene they started the very first episode. HOWEVER, this time, shy Noah is not so shy anymore or married!  His pool buddy, who is now engaged, is naked with Noah three minutes later. We see Noah in a new sex position (definitely not a Helen position)  finding out his fuck friend is named Jules. Way to make an introduction, Noah.  His new-found freedom takes him from one girl to the next as he galivants his way through Brooklyn with a new chick a week. Actually the show does a nice job of passing the four months with his sex escapades, grading papers in his minuscule apartment, (same one he showed Alison?), picking up his kids after school and then finally taking a teacher out and screwing her in his classroom. Unfortunately the janitor witnesses this event and reports him.

2.  NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Noah is sent to the NYC Dept of Ed where he is in detention for unanswered amount of time. He befriends Victor who has been in the “rubber room” for over two years, OUCH. Noah decides to bide his time and start cracking on his book. Looks like this is exactly what he needed, a sort of jail house to get his work done.  Music plays, seasons change and Noah is typing away as Victor reads through all of J.R Tolkien books. A man has a heart attack and new people come and go. Noah finally finishes his book. We couldn’t really read what he wrote because they showed the computer screen for one second however, I paused it. The last page of his book reads:

“With all of that behind him now, he turned again to face the ocean. Looking out on a horizon shrouded by a cloud layer, he thought it was impossible to tell where the sea ended and the sky began. They were both the exact same mournful grey (UM ALISON AND NOAH MUCH), a probable confirmation of the rumored nor’easter he heard circulating down all the docks. He thought of weather. How unpredictable it still was. He looked down at his feet to watch the waves recede, leaving jagged little rivulets in the sand and took comfort that he could find no order to their paths either.”

THE END

I could write about this excerpt for hours but since I have so much more to write, let’s just say this a direct correlation to Alison and Noah’s Affair.

Also there is NO SHOT that Victor wrote “YOU ARE MY HERO.” Nice memory, Noah. You are dreaming. You are nobody’s hero.  Although I do love Victor.

3.  HARRY

Harry tells Noah his book is “extraordinary” and is ready to rev up a bidding war. He thinks “Michiko Kakutani will flip for this, and she hates everything.” (Very funny, Michiko Kakutani has been a literary critic for the “New York Times”  since 1983). Harry asks about Helen and Noah confides that he is separated. When Harry asks Noah if he misses Helen, an image flashes of him with ALISON (not Helen).  Noah answers, “Not yet.” (Okay then why you are screwing her ten minutes later is beyond me but we will get to that in a second).

4. DETECTIVE JEFFRIES

Back with Detective Jeffries, Noah is unsure why he is being interrogated about his car. We find out he is living at 99 Greenwich Ave (fancy). Noah denies killing Scotty and leaves. As he is walking out, he passes Jake the mechanic who fixed Noah’s flat tire on Ditch Plains many episodes back . Jake is walking towards the station and Noah calls out to him.  And then we cut to Noah getting a phone call.

5. HELEN

The next thing we know we are in Helen (and Noah’s) bedroom watching the video of Noah harassing Scotty at Planned Parenthood.  Margaret, Helen’s mother,  hired a private investigator for the divorce. Obviously. Helen told her mother about his suspension and all his present lovers. They start to fight. Helen admits she doesn’t want to divorce him No, she actually wants him back. She tells Noah she will change in any way to have him come home. Next thing we know it, she is crying, they are hugging and then they are having sex! Or is this making love? I don’t know but it’s from behind which makes it easy for him not to look at her.

6. JAKE THE MECHANIC

We then cut to Noah and Jake in Noah’s car. Noah offers him $10,000 not to say a word to Jeffries. Jake tells Noah he will do it for $20K. Now we know Noah is hiding something but he must be the world’s biggest idiot to pay off a mechanic. As if this won’t come back to haunt him.

7. SOLLOWAY HOUSE

Back at the Solloway house (and the past), Helen and Noah confront Whitney with the news that they know Scott Lockhart is the father and they are going to charge him with statutory rape. Whitney goes ape shit. She tells them that she consented AND she LOVES HIM! Those Lockhart’s really do some magic to the Solloway’s. Noah and Whitney have it out. Whitney is being Whitney but she is still my favorite character.

Noah and Helen head back to their bedroom where Helen changes in her bathroom. Noah makes mention of her changing in the bathroom and asks if he should leave. She says no (she should have said yes).  It is only FOUR months since he practically destroyed her life.

Next thing we know it is early morning and Noah’s phone rings. It’s Alison. He doesn’t answer and then texts him, “Your daughter is here.”

8. MONTAUK

Margaret, Helen’s mother, is there to watch the kids as Helen and Noah leave for Montauk. Noah and Margaret share a few harsh words and they leave. In the car Helen says “I was so afraid of marrying my father, I never realized I was marrying my mother.” AH!

They arrive in Montauk and Alison opens the door. This is the first time I think she looks absolutely beautiful. Call her what you may but she is super pretty in this scene (not in Alison’s recollection – we will get there).  Whitney is super pissed Alison called her parents. She blurts out to Alison “I thought we were friends.” FRIENDS? Since when? Did I miss something? Did they have a friendship we are all unaware of? Season 2?

Cherry begs Helen and Noah not to press charges. She explains that they just lost their ranch and they are all going to be homeless. Helen doesn’t care and screams to Alison ” “Stop staring at him! What the fuck is wrong with you?” For the first time we see Cherry run to Alison’s defense (interesting). Cherry says “Many people in this room have done terrible things.” HA! Best quote of the show.

Whitney runs out, Helen follows and Noah is staring at Alison when we see Scotty barreling down the stairs asking “Did you get rid of her, Mom?”

This sets Noah off on a full attack! (As it would any parent!) He screams “I’ll fucking kill you!” He runs after Scotty, throws him on the ground, punches him in the face and starts to choke him. It looks like he may end him here but then Cole fires a gun. This stops Noah dead in his tracks. He stands up and Cole says “Gimme one good reason why I shouldn’t blow your fucking brains out right now because I sure can’t think of one.” Noah looks right at Helen and then Alison. We fade out to:

PART 2: ALISON

9. ATHENA

The scene opens up with Alison meditating on a dock at an ashram with Athena and Dennis.

I am not sure why anybody is surprised she ended up here. In the last episode, Alison clearly states she is going away to Athena’s for a little. It is my fault I forgot to point it out in the last recap but I knew that was where she was going when she got on that train. I wasn’t sure it was going to be all commune and downward dog but I knew it would be with Athena.

It is time for Alison to return to reality and face Cole and the life she left behind four months prior. Athena is all but I found a 6’2″ hemp  maker that can take you on a sexual journey. Alison, however, is not into any of it. She does take his card though, just in case. Alison hugs Athena goodbye and clearly says “Bye Athena”, not “Bye Mom“. As close as they may have become on this little sabbatical, Alison still is not feeling the mom word. Alison leaves for the train. One call out here: Why does Alison not own a car? They are not exactly poor. They are frigging drug dealers  AND she had a child who I am sure she needed to drive around. Where is her car?

10. PHOEBE

This is the first time we are meeting Phoebe. Although Alison has slept with Noah numerous times in every inch of Phoebe’s house, we never actually were introduced to Phoebe. She is definitely a Montauk girl, surfer and all.  Alison confides in Phoebe about her affair with Noah. But she is not seeing him anymore or getting back together with Cole either.  Alison does say one thing that I found interesting.  She tells Phoebe about a time when Noah and Alison were first together. He grabbed her hand and looked at her and she felt seen. “It was the most perfect erotic moment of my life.” (That was the most EROTIC moment of her life?)  She believes they’ve been circling each other trying to get back to that moment. “You never can,” says Phoebe. “It wasn’t real.” 

The following morning, MK comes by to pick up Phoebe to go surfing. Does anybody work? MK is not happy to see Alison at all. Can you blame her?  She is very curt with Alison and tells her if she knew Alison was going to be there she would have waited in the car.  Alison is kind of taken aback but asks for a ride to her house. MK agrees and as they pull in the driveway, Cole comes out to greet them unknowing that Alison is about to get out of the backseat. AH!

11. COLE

Alison heads inside with Cole who is shocked to see Alison but I believe also relieved and excited. That is until he finds out Alison is back in town to settle the house, not discuss moving on with their relationship. This is where you can feel the heartbreak in Cole. Alison doesn’t know what to say. She feels so bad she offers Cole the house. All she wants is for Cole to have something that he loves. We all know that he is going to say exactly what he says ““I love you.”

After four months of reflecting, internalizing, cleansing, Alison lets it out. She tells Cole the ONLY thing that can fix their relationship is if he can bring Gabriel back. When she looks at Cole she sees Gabriel. Cole tells Alison they can make it work, they just have to try. But Alison bluntly tells him she doesn’t want to. UGH. Cole wonders if it’s about Noah. Alison says no, it’s about her. She hasn’t seen Noah since she last saw Cole (which we know is true).  Gabriel comes up again and FINALLY she gets the courage to ask Cole what happened within those three minutes she went inside to get a blanket. Cole was supposed to be watching Gabriel. We can see how much independence she has gained in the past few months to bring this up.  In all this time since Gabriel passed away, they have never had this conversation. He responds with not an answer but a question of “Why couldn’t you just take him to the fucking hospital?!” Cole now wants her to GO! However this is not happening so fast because MK barges in and tells them they BOTH have to come to the ranch. Whitney is there.

12. THE RANCH

We are now in the Lockhart kitchen with Whitney in a MUCH different outfit. Alison is also wearing the ugliest outfit ever. Amazing how in the same scene Alison can look beautiful or she can look like a dowdy, local girl (see the picture above of Alison at Cole’s). 

Whitney spills the beans and explains how she had a relationship with Scotty and her parents found out and wants to press charges. Her parents are going through something and then she looks directly at Alison and says “you know too.” Um, a little different from the I thought we were friends comment.  Cole is horrified about how old she is and states ““If I were him, I’d want to kill Scotty.” 

13. UNDERCOVER

We are back now in Detective Jeffries office with Jake the mechanic listening to the recording of the conversation Noah had earlier, bribing him with $20K to keep his mouth shut. Oh shit, Noah! You just got busted!! Jeffries blackmailed Jake to wear that wire or Jeffries was going to report his business to the IRS. Jake walks out and Jeffries smiles as he watches the surveillance video of Noah beating the shit out of Scotty at Planned Parenthood. It is then his secretary chimes and says “Steve’s on the line.” Steve who? Jeffries answers and says “Hey Babe ,what’s up ?” Wait. Hold up. Jeffries is GAY? Since when? LOL. Omg, this show is hilarious. 

14. THE GUN

We now return to the Lockhart’s kitchen. Alison and Whitney are at the kitchen table drinking a BEER. A BEER? Um what time is it? Isn’t it like 9am? Also didn’t Whitney just say she was 17? WTF! Whitney asks Alison if it is true she was sleeping with her father. Alison nods and Whitney asks the question we have all been wondering each week  Why? He’s so old and your husband’s so hot.” Exactly.

Helen and Noah arrive just in time so Alison doesn’t have to answer that question. Helen is in a completely different outfit – not as casual. They walk in the kitchen and Helen is angry and wants to take Whitney home. Whitney is not having it and she insists Helen speak to Cherry. Where is Cherry by the way? Cole tells Alison that Cherry will be down in a minute to talk to everyone. Whitney refuses to leave and Noah lets out ““Get the fuck up now, Whitney.” Perfect for Cole to say “That’s how you talk to your kids?” The mild-mannered professor has a side to him, huh? Cole tells Noah that he will gladly have this conversation later but this was NOT the place.  Cole states that all he wants to do his go home with his wife but she doesn’t want to go home with anymore. That’s correct, Cole. We established that at your home a few minutes ago. But Cole has now gone psycho. Whitney screams as she notices Cole is holding a gun. Cole says:

“You fucked my wife, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

Cole asks, “Well, how would you feel if I fucked your wife? “That’s only one thing left in this world that I care about and that’s her. Does that mean anything to you?”

Cole points the gun at the Solloway’s. Alison tries to stop him.

“If you want to shoot someone,” she says, “Shoot me. If you want to kill somebody, kill me. Please.”

“Ok,” Cole says and turns to Alison. Obviously he is not going to kill her as he points the gun down and points the gun to his own temple. Finally we get to see Joshua Jackson in acting mode. Cole mutters,  “Maybe I should just shoot myself.” Reasoning that Alison will be stuck with this image forever. At this point Alison grasps for the only thing she know will stop him and that is Gabriel. Alison pleads “This isn’t what Gabriel would have wanted. He loved you so much. He wanted to be you. He’d want you to be happy, he’d want me to be happy. Please. We can’t let him down.” 

Now we know Joshua Jackson will remain in season 2 as he puts the gun down. Stunned by what he just did, he runs off. Helen and Whitney are now ready to get the hell out of there but Noah, not so much. Really Noah? You still can’t seem to get it together. Your wife and daughter were almost killed but hey, why not stick around with Alison. They embrace and….

15. PRESENT DAY

In the last five minutes of the 10th episode we find out two things we have been wondering for weeks. Will they be together? Whose kid is Alison talking about?

Alison, with shorter hair in a very expensive Manhattan apartment, shuts the door quietly and walks over to…..NOAH… sitting on the couch. She sits down next to him and Noah asks “Is she asleep?” They have a little girl. Are they married?? Noah and Alison discuss what their day be like tomorrow. Noah is meeting with a famous actor. I am wondering at this point two things.

1. Does this apartment have 5 bedrooms to sleep all of his kids?
2. When are the cops coming?

Next thing we know the doorbell rings and sure enough Noah is under arrest for the murder of Scotty Lockhart. Alison and Noah are both stunned. Alison looks at Noah and tells him “I will get him out of it. Do you believe me?”

Lights out.

That’s a wrap!!!

So what are we left with?

1. Did Noah really kill Scotty? or did Alison kill Scotty and Noah is covering for her?
2. Does Whitney have the abortion or keep the baby?
3. Is Jeffries really gay?
4. Does Cole stay in Montauk?
5. Is next season only going to be about the murder and no more fun affair?
6. OR will it be back and forth to present and past again?
7. The kitchen scene – I kind of buy Noah’s story. I do think it is crazy that there can be such a discrepancy in each other’s memory when it is such a poignant scene. Seems odd.
8. Where’s Oscar?

I will admit I am kind of sad to not be writing about the Affair until 2015. (we do not have a premiere date yet of season 2). I was trying to think of a fun show to recap during the hiatus…any ideas?

During this break though here are a few goodies not to miss!!

1. Transparent (Tambor is genius)- Amazon
2. The Missing (Starz)
3. House of Cards starts end of January – I was thinking of reviewing this but it is impossible since it is on Netflix and is just a binge watcher.
4. The Americans is back with season 3 on January 28th.
5. Girls – thought about reviewing this as well but not sure how many posts I will have to write about Lena’s tits.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been following along and reading my recaps. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I loved writing them. A huge shout out to everyone who commented on Facebook, on my blog, twitter and even Instagram.

Until season 2!

xx