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Original poster

Only 10 years late but no spoilers please: is The Affair worth sticking with?

55 replies

AreolaGrande · 21/12/2023 22:43

Am 2 episodes in.

Usually love anything about relationships including non traditional relationships, non-monogamy and also infidelity but am finding this a bit of a drag with the dual perspectives and the fact that no-one in it seems to be very likeable or even remotely relatable.

Plus the two brit leads with questionable american accents.

Imdb score is 7.9 which is making me question my first impression.

🤔

OP posts:
ploikj · 22/12/2023 08:21

I think it was 'of it's time' it was quite clever how it moved through time, but as others say other shows have done it more successfully now like This is Us. I liked it at the time but feel no urge to watch it again, and definitely stuck it out out of habit rather than desire! All the characters are pretty insufferable.

ploikj · 22/12/2023 08:22

Oh yes the 'point of view' filming, I enjoyed that. That made it different.

Blackeyeliner · 22/12/2023 08:27

I really liked it and stuck it out to the end! It did get a bit daft I suppose.

burnoutbabe · 22/12/2023 08:37

ploikj · 22/12/2023 08:22

Oh yes the 'point of view' filming, I enjoyed that. That made it different.

It annoyed me that we never actually knew the truth to some of the different things we saw.

I watched for pacey (and end of the murder mystery around season 3)

ploikj · 22/12/2023 08:42

@burnoutbabe that's kind of the point though isn't it? People believe in their side/interpretation. We each have our own recollections, what does the truth matter if we believe something else?

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AreolaGrande · 22/12/2023 08:47

I really didn't get on with This Is Us. Too saccharine for me.

Have thought of a few other shows I really liked:
Big Little Lies
Sharp Objects
Love My Way

OP posts:
Original poster
AreolaGrande · 22/12/2023 08:53

Also enjoyed The Split and Mistresses.

OP posts:
Netaporter · 22/12/2023 08:54

I’d also recommend “this much I know is true’. Quite bleak and harrowing at times but excellent performance by Mark Ruffalo.

itsmyp4rty · 22/12/2023 08:54

It's old but have you seen Doctor Foster on BBC iPlayer? Suranne Jones is brilliant. I'd recommend it as a really good series about relationships/an affair.

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AreolaGrande · 22/12/2023 09:02

@Netaporter That looks good and has a decent imdb score. Will definitely give it a go. Love Mark Ruffalo. Thank you!

@itsmyp4rty I really enjoyed the first series of Dr Foster then felt it went a bit daft (as they often do!)

Just finished watching The Couple Next Door which was ludicrous but enjoyable.

OP posts:
LadyDanburysHat · 22/12/2023 09:02

If you aren't enjoying the first series of The Affair, I agree with others then not worth sticking with. I liked the first series and only watched it all just to see it through. I also loved the theme song.

Thank you for starting this thread though @AreolaGrande as you have enjoyed a lot of the same series as me, so will be looking at some of the other suggestions.

burnoutbabe · 22/12/2023 09:02

ploikj · 22/12/2023 08:42

@burnoutbabe that's kind of the point though isn't it? People believe in their side/interpretation. We each have our own recollections, what does the truth matter if we believe something else?

True but sometimes I just wanted to know who was completely wrong about certain situations

Just ones that were too factual to be "recollections may vary" type events.

jimbort · 22/12/2023 09:57

Netaporter · 22/12/2023 04:30

I enjoyed The Affair because I enjoyed the replaying of the same scenes/scenarios from the different perspectives.

I agree that This is Us is one of the greatest shows of all time. I was genuinely bereft when it ended.

This! It made me think about how we re write stuff from our own perspective. I really liked Whitney. She was so funny.

Tigertigertigertiger · 22/12/2023 10:07

I couldn't stand either the wife or the mistress's mouth

Pemba · 02/01/2024 05:06

I found it really good, and done in such an interesting way, showing all the different characters' perspectives, which often conflicted with the truth as another character might see it. It wasn't perfect all the way through of course but was an absorbing thoughtful drama about relationships. The last season, set in the future, was very poignant.

A lot of people must have agreed I suppose, that's why it ran for so many seasons. But we all have different tastes, eg I didnt like This is Us and gave up after 1 or 2 episodes. Doctor Foster, yes it was exciting for the first series but the second one just got very silly as I recall. Last Tango in Halifax was a good British long running drama about relationships, although US shows all seem to come up with more episodes.

DoorPath · 02/01/2024 07:08

AreolaGrande · 22/12/2023 08:47

I really didn't get on with This Is Us. Too saccharine for me.

Have thought of a few other shows I really liked:
Big Little Lies
Sharp Objects
Love My Way

You'll love Little Fires Everywhere, in that case

Dreamingofsunnydays · 05/01/2024 21:43

Cheaters on bbc iplayer is good.

RestingMurderousFace · 05/01/2024 22:00

Tigertigertigertiger · 22/12/2023 10:07

I couldn't stand either the wife or the mistress's mouth

Same😆

whiteshutters · 20/01/2024 17:39

I really liked it at the time and especially the showing it from the other point of view. I think I also liked it because the two of them went downhill as it were subsequently but I am mean 😆

FortunataTagnips · 20/01/2024 18:08

I thought it was excellent until the final series, which was very, very silly.

FortunataTagnips · 20/01/2024 18:09

Like the OP, I found This Is Us too schmaltzy.

diddl · 20/01/2024 18:22

The Affair is 10yrs old?

OMFG!

I still haven't watched The Wire!

I enjoyed This is Us overall but it was very annoying in parts iirc.

Loved Love My Way!

KatyPerryMenopause · 20/01/2024 21:55

First two series were fine - the final episode of the second series was great.
They should/could have left it there but it was a victim of its own success.
The showrunner iirc claimed there was always a three season arc but then it went to five seasons anyway along with the shabby treatment of Ruth Wilson irl.
I think they had the end of season 2 in mind as the finale before deciding to spin it out unnecessarily.

Sparklypen · 20/01/2024 22:06

I loved The Affair. There was one series that was less good than the others but overall thought it was great. And I really loved the ending - thought that was done really well compared with other longterm series I could mention.

Tried This is Us, didn't get into it.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 20/01/2024 22:08

I enjoyed it until the 5th season and we didn't finish that. It was good up to there though