The Affair 3.4: The Same Endings in Montauk

In a very effective Cole and Alison episode 3.4 of The Affair, the only thing the two stories fully agreed about was Cole and Allison making love together at the ends. Whatever this may mean for the continuing story, that's a nice, narrative touch.

Otherwise, Cole of course is consistently nicer and more caring in his half hour than he is in Alison's. But Luisa, surprisingly, though no great shakes in either account, is a little less nasty in Alison's. This is likely because Cole, dreaming of sleeping with Alison at the beginning, resents Luisa in a way that goes beyond, or at least is markedly different from, the way Alison's resents Luisa for her presumptuous attitude towards Alison's daughter.

On the assault front, I don't think for a moment that Cole did anything to Noah - he was clearly as surprised about that as everyone else in Montauk.  But I said last week that I didn't think the prison guard did it either - much too obvious a villain - so where does that leave us?   With the same kind of compound mystery we had in the first two seasons, which is good.

It's interesting to see the judicial factors juggled around but still the same as in the first two seasons.   The courts continue to play a role - including now in what kinds of rights Alison can get back as a mother.  The detectives continue playing a role - though they're new, and the case is new, with Noah now victim rather than possible perpetrator (which we now know he in fact was not).

The only one who's really changed, as I mentioned in a previous review, is Oscar.  He's not only a nicer guy, but a father.   That, of course, can do that to a man.  And in many ways the fate of Cole and Alison will be determined by what being parents again will ultimately do for them.

Looking forward to more.

See also The Affair 3.1: Sneak Preview Review ... The Affair 3.2: Sneak Preview Review: Right Minds

And see also The Affair 2.1: Advances ... The Affair 2.2: Loving a Writer ... The Affair 2.3: The Half-Wolf ... The Affair 2.4: Helen at Distraction ... The Affair 2.5: Golden Cole ... The Affair 2.6: The End (of Noah's Novel) ... The Affair 2.7: Stunner ... The Affair 2.8: The Reading, the Review, the Prize ...And see also The Affair Premiere: Sneak Preview Review ... The Affair 1.2: Time Travel! ... The Affair 1.3: The Agent and the Sleepers ... The Affair 1.4: Come Together ... The Affair 1.5: Alison's Episode ... The Affair 1.6: Drugs and Vision ... The Affair 1.7: True Confessions ... The Affair 1.8: "I Love You / I Love You, Too" ... The Affair 1.9: Who Else on the Train? ... The Affair Season 1 Finale: The Arrest and the Rest

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