The Affair Season 3, Episode 6 & 7 – Let’s Discuss

We are going back to basics in episode 6 & 7 with Helen & Noah’s point of view.  Episode 7 is reminiscent of the first season with both Helen & Noah sharing the same series of events from each of their views. I will touch on a few things from episode 6 but since episode 7 was so off the rails, I will give more depth where credit is due.

 

PART ONE: HELEN

What has happened to Helen? What has happened to the girl we knew from my favorite scene so many moons ago? replay the Lucinda Williams Video. I know she was a hot mess in that episode but I thought THAT was rock bottom. The Helen we have been introduced to this season is embarrassing and pathetic on so many levels.
Nina, Noah’s sister, should win a golden globe for her showdown with Helen. I do find it odd that after twenty-five years of marriage, Helen doesn’t know the truth behind Noah’s mother’s death. They have had four kids, built a lifetime together and Helen never realized Noah was suffering all that time. Just seems odd. How narcissistic could she really be? More than I ever thought. The clincher is when Nina slyly says “Hey, Helen. Who was driving the car that killed Scott Lockhart?” Shit, Helen. Looks like Nina has your number.
The wheels really fall of the bus though when Helen breaks out her cell phone and dials (of course) Max with the “I just happen to be in your neighborhood bullshit.” Max is packing, engaged to a Vogue Editor and is moving to Brooklyn Heights. I’m jealous he can eat at 1or8 every night! (you must go if you love sushi). Max and Ms. Editor are getting married at the Ace Hotel. I actually find this a strange choice of a venue. Besides the artwork and the awesome lobby bar, the Liberty Hall room seems weird for a wedding. Who knows.
Anyway, this is how this scene unfolds as Helen demurely says to Max “I guess I’m not the love of your life anymore.”
” What?”
“Will you kiss me?”
“Helen, I can’t. ”
“Why not? I knew you first.”

Max tries to stop her (for under a second) but Helen seduces him and uses him.  Helen went to see Max for validation and to find out from the source if Noah was messed up in college. Max rightfully throws her out. I mean is she kidding? Bye Felicia.

Helen arrives home to find Vic reading her father’s book in the living room to get to know him better. Helen pulls major ‘tude when Vic doesn’t know why Martin is not home (he figured Martin was with Helen since it was so late). As if Helen has any right to be annoyed about anything. Was she not just cheating on Vic a minute ago?  Helen finds out from Martin that he was at the Lake House with Noah and jumps in the car in the middle of the night to drive to PA. She finds Noah in the middle of the lake freaking out.

Helen, the savior, drives Noah home to her brownstone and sets him up in Vic’s old room (aka: the basement). Did you notice when she drives Noah back to Brooklyn they did not make a stop at Gunther’s as they did in Noah’s version? Was this omitted or it didn’t really happen? Also the difference in her appearance is startling. In her POV her hair is a mess, she is wearing a maroon baggy sweater and she has old eyeliner under her eyes. In Noah’s POV Helen looks WAY better. Tight black sweater, hair pulled back and clean makeup. Is this really how she views herself? So sad.

Vic is super pissed Noah is camping out downstairs (as he should be, not only is it strange but it sends mixed messages to the kids). Although Helen did leave Nina a message about Noah’s condition, it is obvious she doesn’t want Noah going anywhere. Helen excuse that Noah is the kids father is falling on death ears to everyone around her, especially Vic’s. After Vic checked on Noah (how nice of him) and remarked to Helen “Open your eyes. This man’s problem is much bigger than you or I can handle. And the kids should not see him like that.” Helen just can’t seem to wake up. I think she may be more delusional then Noah at the moment. It is sort of crazy that Whitney is now the voice of reason. Her conversation with Helen about Noah is just so heartbreaking.

“What do you think is gonna happen now, Mom? What, we just go back to being some happy family? We forget everything that Dad did to us? Why do you hate yourself so much?”
“I don’t. ”
“You know, I used to think that Dad was the crazy one. Now I realize it’s you.”

Whitney is on the money!

When Helen gets in bed with Noah, I literally turned to Greg and said “turn it off. I can’t watch this anymore.” That scene made my stomach turn. I tried to put myself in her shoes and think about if Greg had an affair, left me for another woman, had a kid with Ms. Affair (but not his kid), spent three years in jail for a murder I accidentally committed; Would I even remotely want him back? Hell the fuck no.  I can’t seem to understand why the writers have turned her into such a desperate soul. Even if she is still in love with him, have some self-worth. Show your kids you are stronger than that. Don’t let the best thing that has happened to you walk out the door. Vic leaving was so heartbreaking for me. Truthfully, he’s a better partner than Helen deserves. He cares more about her children then Helen. But what really threw me over the edge is when Helen has sex with Noah. She has ultimately hit an all time low. THIS is rock bottom. Jesus F Christ. Get a GRIP Helen!

 

(p.s. I hope Vic took the damaged cactus with him).

PART TWO: NOAH

I am not going to elaborate so much on this side only because we pretty much know Noah is a train wreck. His flashbacks in jail are tiresome. Gunther is a psycho. By the way, do you think Brendon Fraser is really that heavy or its makeup/wardrobe? He got HUGE.

Don’t you think its crazy Noah was gallivanting around Block Island with Alison a week ago trying to re-live old times happy as a pig in shit? Yeah, we see him take a pill here and there. But in a week’s time, he is a full-out drug addict with an addiction to Vicodin? Hmmm. Seems like the storyline is a little over the top. It was really upsetting that Martin had to see his father that way. The wonder why the kid has issues.

One of the first things Noah says in Helen & Noah’s car ride home together is “God, please help me,” not “I need help” as he said in Helen’s version. This is rather telling of Helen’s want to take care & protect Noah.  Noah’s real cry is for more pills since he ran out of them. Crucial difference. (We hear what we want to hear)

Let’s discuss the horrific sex scene.

First of all, do we think Noah was imagining Helen acting so seductive feeding him Vicodin and wine in her off-the-shoulder green cashmere top? Secondly, did you notice how “less”willing Noah was to kiss Helen then in her version? Lastly, Helen chanting “I know you” while she has sex with Noah is so so pitiful. Helen has sex to confirm she knows Noah better than anybody. However, when Noah mutters time and time again while he is “slamming” her, “No you don’t” and finally “You don’t f*ckin’ know me” is so painful for her to hear. Because does Helen really know him? No. Twenty-five years of marriage and four kids, who knows Noah the most? Alison.  It is an awful scene.

Can we really ever know someone, really and truly? I think – only if we allow them.

I have to be honest, what drew me to the show in the first place was watching an affair unfold one summer in the Hampton’s. A guilty pleasure. Now it has gotten so dark, I am not sure how much longer I will recap this show. I am hoping an episode with Cole will win me back.  But I am DEFINITELY recapping season 2 of The Girlfriend Experience! You are going to have to watch the first season to catch up. Not sure when season 2 is being released though.

AND THIS JUST IN: SEASON 4 RENEWAL

UNTIL NEXT WEEK 

THOUGHTS?

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