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Critic Reviews
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The premiere episode is riveting--the best pilot I've seen this fall. (That admittedly is not saying much.)
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It’s a series about the complications of life, relationships and especially perspective. It’s also the most innovative new TV series of 2014, especially from its fractured approach to storytelling.
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The Affair might be an exercise in literary gamesmanship if the acting and writing weren't so strong, or the setting so evocative.... Engrossing.
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As much as the script, Reiner’s direction makes both stories seem oxymoronically unique and distinct at the same time. The performances are extraordinary, as they must be to complete the process of retelling a seemingly similar story.
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The acting is extraordinary.
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The Affair is both quietly unsettling and impossible to look away from.
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The first episode, at least, is terrific, with a distinct, involving tone, and it does very right by its leads.
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It's a terrific idea lyrically written and perfectly cast.
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The show’s alchemy stems from its skillful use of smartly cast actors whose poker-faced sincerity makes us take whatever version of this story we happen to be hearing as gospel.
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As unnerving as it is erotic, The Affair promises to be a show to remember.
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There aren’t many series at the moment quite like it or as good. It is as subtle and intrusive as “In Treatment” was on HBO, with some of the suspense and narrative feints that made “True Detective,” also on HBO, so addictive.
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Though the treatment of the younger characters is a bit heavy-handed, the four main adults are beautifully drawn and played.
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The Affair is told from two points of view, Noah’s and then Alison’s, and memory being the imperfect mechanism that it is, their versions of the story don’t match, in tantalizing ways.
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The Affair for now has done its job by tantalizingly baiting its hook. The solid performances by its four principals further heighten both the drama and the expectations.
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The pilot (the only episode made available to critics at press time) has some difficult scenes, including an act of marital rape (or something like it), yet the acting is strong and the story is compulsively intriguing. The first thing you want from The Affair is to see where it leads.
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As was the case with the controversial "In Treatment," those with no patience for self-analysis or a psychologically minded view of relationships may find The Affair slow going. But the mystery element should keep even impatient viewers guessing.
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Aside from a few off-key moments, based on the instantly compelling performances, and the novelty of the his-and-hers storytelling, The Affair has an appeal that may be hard to resist.
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It’s a lot to ask, and I worry that the show’s structure will define the program more than the characters within it or the themes explored by it. Having said that, there’s just as much reason for hope that this will be the next great cable drama. Most notably, the cast clicks.
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The Affair is a great first date that has the makings of a great series: pleasurable, provocative, insightful, and with the promise of sexiness.
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The script by Sarah Treem, the show’s co-creator with Hagai Levi, can be murky. Then again, Noah and Alison are telling their stories to a detective, apparently in the aftermath of a major event or crime. It will be a jaded viewer indeed who can resist coming back for more after the first episode ends.
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The Affair looks to be a bit more cerebral than some of Showtime’s other star shows. That makes it no less compelling.
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The Affair is subtle, smart and an intelligent examination of the way in which we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.
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[A] captivating, slow-burn emotional mystery.
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Striking the right balance with such a character-driven construct can be perilous, but with the casting and initial tone, The Affair appears well ahead of the game, to the point where many will find further attendance compulsory.
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The Affair leans heavily on the performances of a strong cast, which includes Philadelphia's John Doman ("The Wire," "Gotham") in a recurring role as Noah's obnoxious father-in-law. I'm not yet entirely sold on the story, but I'm certainly curious.
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Reiner keeps the interest level high but The Affair requires much more buy-in than the pilot cares to offer.
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The “Rashomon”-style storytelling elevates the series from being just another conventional story about a middle-aged affair. But, that can't completely make up for overwrought moments in the opening episode.... But the biggest problem for The Affair is that neither Noah nor Alison is particularly appealing.
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It is hard to find a suitable middle ground, when neither protagonist wants to implicate him/herself. That--this puzzle of what really happened--might be the genius of the show, but it's also frequently its great frustration. If audiences aren't fully engaged while watching Noah's point of view, then having to rewatch everything a second time around from Alison's perspective will be painful.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 179 out of 233
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Mixed: 14 out of 233
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Negative: 40 out of 233
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Oct 13, 2014
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Oct 12, 2014
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Dec 14, 2014