Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress

reviewing 3 Body Problem; American Rust; Bosch: Legacy; Citadel; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Fauda; For All Mankind; Foundation; Hijack; House of the Dragon; Luther; Outer Range; Outlander; Reacher; Severance; Silo; Slow Horses; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Surface; The: Ark, Diplomat, Last of Us, Lazarus Project, Orville, Way Home; Tokyo Vice; True Detective; You +books, films, music, podcasts, politics

George Santayana had irrational faith in reason - I have irrational faith in TV.

Sunday, August 19, 2018

The Affair Season 4 Finale: Best Scenes

A heart-wrenching, sage, so powerful season 4 finale of The Affair just on - with a triple episode - that the most I can do at this point is list some of the best scenes in the series, between key people, that populated this episode. In no order, because they were all great -

Noah and Helen, when Noah tells Helen she is strong not broken, and she'd be the one he'd go to feel safe: best conversation between these two in the entire series so far.
Cole and his mother, when she tells him he is strong. Cole is great in every scene, but this one was exceptional because his mother was outstanding, too.
Cole and Luisa, when they come to terms about taking care of Joanie after they both acknowledge that they're "done" as a loving couple.
Cole and Noah, when Noah comes to talk to him about Alison's ashes in the urn. This perhaps wasn't as astonishing and satisfying as the first long conversation between them a few episodes ago, but it had a quietly memorable power.
Noah and Anton at Princeton, where Anton explains to an angry Noah why he (Anton) did just what writers do - draw on people they know.
Noah talking to the English professor on the bench outside, as the students wrote in class. One of my favorite parts of The Affair has always been seeing Noah interact as a famous writer with various people, and this was one of the best.
Vic and Helen - and Helen telling him over and over that she loves him (you had to be unconscious to have a dry eye after that).

I could go on, but you get the idea. And bear in mind that all of this was done, all the characters said what they said, under the misinformation that Alison took her own life. Even Cole, who at first (correctly) objected to that conclusion, has apparently accepted it. So all of these honest conversations - so honest and truthful, at long last - are predicated on a lie.

Speaking of which, it was supremely galling, wasn't it, to see Ben at the funeral, saying a few words about the woman he murdered. There has to be more justice in this broken world of ours than this, right?

Which brings me to the last point I'll make tonight: I read somewhere online that there was some thought about making what we just saw the finale of not just the season but the series. There's some logic to this, I'll admit. Helen and Noah's story is resolved, Helen and Vic's story resolved, etc, etc. But Ben's story most certainly isn't. And we need to see what happens to this killer, next year.

I'll be back then to let you know what I think of that.

See also The Affair 4.1: Quakes and Propaganda ... The Affair 4.2: Meanwhile, Back on the Island ... The Affair 4.3: Dire Straits (Not the Band) in California ... The Affair 4.4: Ben ... The Affair 4.5: B'shert ... The Affair 4.6: "Good News and Bad News" ... The Affair 4.7: Noah and Janelle ... The Affair 4.8: I Don't Believe It ... The Affair 4.9: Two Alisons