telethoughts-blog

[telethoughts-blog]

Girls “All I Ever Wanted”: And More

           Since my senior year of high school, I have always waited impatiently for the newest season of Girls.  Now, however, as the show enters its final season, I wish I could delay it for a month or two.  Despite whatever antics have landed Lena Dunham in the news for the past half-decade, I have continued to be a fan of this polarizing show.  While I usually find the comedy in Girls to build as each season progresses, like many dramas build in suspense, I found this season premiere to be funnier than in years past. The three girls not named Hannah weren’t featured much, but got just enough screen time for us to remember exactly what they’re all about: themselves.  The around the world reading of Hannah’s piece served as a perfect refresher of everyone’s personalities.  Ray proved that he is still the typo underlining hero of the show. But, why, Marnie? At this point, I’m not rooting for anyone to end up with anyone in particular.  I’m just along for the ride.

           Speaking of riding, that’s exactly what Hannah set out to do in this episode with her surfing assignment. Staying true to the character’s essence, Hannah (who was hired for her look, naturally) didn’t even pretend to know the first thing about surfing or even putting on a wet suit.  For fear of injuring her front arm, she chose to venture on land with Paul-Louis instead of on the waves.  But, alas, this isn’t quite the place she was looking for to escape the life she can’t find satisfaction with in New York because Paul-Louis is taken.  Judging by Hannah’s willingness to still have fun for the rest of the weekend, she appears to have matured slightly . . . for now.  In this episode, Lena Dunham found the right mix of comical and endearing.  It’s undeniable that Girls gets conversations going for better or for worse. I can’t wait to lean of the talking points to come for this final season.

[telethoughts-blog]

Homeland “A Flash of Light”: It’s Lit

           In typical Homeland fashion, just when doubt was creeping in, storylines weren’t converging, and jazz wasn’t playing enough, this episode launched the sixth season into motion.  Much of this hour featured Carrie at conflict with different people in her life.  Reda was worried that her backdoor dealing would get him into trouble down the line. President-Elect Keane wanted Carrie to spill the dirt on Dar to get a step ahead of him in spite of the precarious position that would put the former spy in.  Dar decided he hadn’t been creepy enough lately and showed up at Franny’s playground for a showdown, which provided a great scene with a true “You shut up” “No, you shut up” vibe only Carrie and Dar could effectively create.  And Sekou, who apparently became ten times more annoying after his time in prison, defied the one order he was given that would prevent him from landing behind bars again.

           That brings us to Quinn, who tried to warn Carrie of the mysterious man across the street he began noticing last episode.  Carrie mostly gave him the treatment people used to give her and dismissed his suspicions. This turned out to be a mistake when the literal flash of light came in the form of Sekou’s delivery van blowing up after Quinn spied on the neighbor in the area the van was parked the night before.  Or was it?  If this guy has been spying on Carrie, how come he didn’t seem to recognize Quinn at all? There are several suspects for the perpetrator of this attack: Dar, Reda, Keane, Conlin, the ghost of Brody . . . The list goes on and on.

           Finally, there’s Saul, who may have not been let out of the West Bank if it hadn’t been for the incident with Sekou’s van.  Since his storyline wasn’t clearing anything up, I’m glad he’s on his way home.  Why he trusted Etai to get him to the airport, especially when he had apparently already called a cab, is beyond me.  In any case, I need him to stay in New York and get closer to the inevitable reunion with Carrie when they figure out who is playing them (looking at you, Dar) and abort serious threats to national security once again.  Yeah, this storyline just became lit.

[telethoughts-blog]

The Affair Season 3 Episode 10: La Fin?

           The third season’s finisher was an interesting episode; I’ll give it that.  It began with Juliette, which made me groan audibly at my screen.  I have to say that her part was interesting and it wasn’t as if the half hour dragged by like a turtle or anything, but I wasn’t sure what purpose it served in this show, not to mention this very important episode.  Similar to just about everyone else that spends longer than ten seconds with Noah Solloway, Juliette was not having a great time.  She felt uncomfortable bringing an American back home, her husband came to only to pass away by the end of the day, her daughter resented her, and she was not necessarily welcome back at the university in Paris.  Quelle horreur!  

           Juliette is puzzling to me.  When looking at her story without a bigger picture in mind, she seems just as bad as anyone else in The Main Four.  (I appreciate that our unreliable narrators are all portrayed as flawed human beings, but them being almost intolerable is a common criticism of the show.  For the record, the only one of them I disdain is Noah.)  She pretended to do her husband’s work in the US because . . .?  She wanted to get away from seeing her husband suffer?  She wanted an American boy toy?  She was desperate to protect his reputation?  I’m not buying that she didn’t want to have to admit how sick he was, which is what she told the dean.  And now she thinks it’s a great idea to have Noah in Paris with her (indefinitely?), where they’re easily seen by everyone, clearly.  Moreover, having sex with him right outside her home after her husband just died is clearly a great idea.  Oui, oui?

           The last portion of this season belonged to Noah.  Quelle surprise!  His version of meeting Juliette’s frenemies featured a strong nuance only this show could provide when there were no subtitles.  Noah was left to stand there smiling in a somewhat idiotic manner because, despite his jokes, the man barely knows a lick of French.  I studied abroad last year and let’s just say I’ve been there. (This episode really made me miss beautiful European cities.  Thanks, show.)  Of course, Noah wasn’t just trapesing around bookstores all day like Juliette may believe. He found Furkat, which led to a typically unsuccessful interaction with Whitney, naturally.  Hmmmm . . . maybe I would have preferred this episode with Whitney’s perspective instead of Juliette’s.

           Throughout the second half of this finale, I couldn’t help but wonder if Whitney learned the truth about the night of Scotty’s death.  Judging by Furkat’s demeanor around Noah and Whitney’s willingness to forgive her father, I assume that the answer is yes.  Although it all seemed a little too easy, I appreciate that these two made up.  After Whitney’s rightful anger about the affair followed by hot tub incident, her relationship with Noah has been a hanging thread in this show for a while, not to mention relative to the actual timeline of the show.  (Noah was in the slammer for three years in the middle of all of this, don’t forget.)  

           During the final scene, I was actually thinking that my secret hope of Noah returning to Alison in the end was, in fact, occurring.  Instead, Noah came to the realization that he had nowhere to go . . . I guess.  I choose to believe the camera cut right before he told the cab driver, “Montauk” until the next season premiere proves me wrong.  He couldn’t have remembered Alison telling him about Peter Pan in that bookstore in Paris for nothing, right?  But, honestly, wouldn’t that ending have been more intriguing than the real one?  It’s not like he was going to go back to Helen and I really don’t think he was jetting off to Paris again (or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.)  In fact, this ending felt as if the writers predicted that The Affair might not get a fourth season and they had to write an episode that could stand as the series finale.  Thank God this wasn’t the case.  We can’t just leave Alison and Cole in limbo like that.

           And that’s a wrap. In my opinion, this episode exceeded the lackluster premise of Noah and Juliette having a rendezvous in Paris and running into Whitney, but fell flat compared to the first two season finales of The Affair.  As a whole, so did this third season.  After an innovative, amazing first season followed by a slightly less sharp second season that made up for its flaws with its suspense and extremely satisfying finale, this season meandered like a wavering, slow ride to The End.  I dare say it felt reminiscent of Homeland’s third season.  On the bright side, if there’s one thing that Showtime series proved, it’s that fourth season comebacks are very much possible.  And, unlike that show, instead of a journey to Islamabad, all The Affair may need is a little more time in Montauk to get there.

[telethoughts-blog]

Homeland “The Covenant”:  . . . Okay Then

          This episode moved along in typical Homeland fashion.  Carrie faced repercussions after breaking the rules only to miraculously come out on top. (She really does have friends in all places, doesn’t she?)  Saul found himself abroad once again and, as usual, he encountered a suspicious character.  (I did have to delight in the fact that I had caught the cigarette case the camera quickly focused on that came back into play later.)  And Dar is still up to his games.  In this episode, it became clear that he has eyes and ears on Carrie.  Uh oh.

           Then there’s Quinn.  As much as I remain on the fence about his character this season, I did appreciate his portrayal in this episode.  He’s slowly returning to that unbelievable badass we’ve come to know and love.  It’s a welcome progression, but it didn’t feel rushed in this episode.  Of course, I can’t forget about the scene with Quinn and Carrie at the beginning of the episode.  Sadly, Carrie blew their previous shot at riding into the sunset. Will these two reunite in that way? It’s Homeland, so maybe during the series finale . . . maybe.  In the present, is there someone suspicious keeping tabs on Carrie like Quinn believes?  I’m going with no.  For now, at least.

           While this installment kept certainly kept all parts of the story moving, I preferred last week’s episode.  While I’m sure the Sekou storyline is far from being finished, Carrie seemed to right her wrong a little too quickly this time.  I am sure Saul’s work in the West Bank will become compelling once more information is revealed, but right now I am simply left confused and pensive.  (Except for the fact that I love to shred, too!)  But that’s how this show operates and if there’s anything peak TV has taught me to appreciate, it’s a good slow burn.  With that being said, I want more of the president-elect next week.  She is very intriguing and we have only seen her in small doses thus far.

[telethoughts-blog]

The Affair Season 3 Episode 9: Come to My Panic Room

           This week’s episode brought our characters not completely out of Montauk, but way outside the parameters of the custody case that wrapped up (for now) last week.  I found the latest installment to truly be a mixed bag, with Helen’s stellar portion followed by Noah’s overdramatic, predictable descent (no pun intended).  As I hoped, we got to see that “weird day” referenced last episode from Helen’s perspective.  And it was just that.  The Buttholes made a triumphant return and, in a hilarious twist of fate, got themselves locked inside their own panic room.  Helen did what I didn’t realize I had hoped someone would do throughout the whole series in this simple act and we never even returned to the parents, which I highly appreciated.

           But that wasn’t the only enjoyable aspect of Helen’s part.  The confession about Scotty’s death that has sort of been in the works the entire season finally came out, and I found it fitting that it happened in one of those crazy dinner scenes.  A confession similar to Noah’s last season would have been ridiculous, but it shouldn’t have been a calm moment either.  Of course, her family weren’t the only ones Helen confessed to this episode.  We also saw Dr. Ooh La La once again in order for Helen to spill the beans, something she should have done years ago, in my opinion.  He’d find her after work, but will they still be together next season (or even next episode)?

           Naturally, I can’t forget about Helen’s take on that bar scene with Alison.  Have we ever seen my girl from Helen’s point of view before?  Because she was rocking that smoky eye and disheveled but sexy hair look.  She was also a little drunk but much more insightful and sure of herself than in her own version (albeit much less apologetic).  I don’t recall seeing Alison like this ever, but I’m not complaining.  Everything contrasted Alison’s perspective: the drinks, the atmosphere of the bar, who the bartender addressed at the end, and, interestingly enough, the discussion about Scotty.  In Helen’s version, she finally figures out what really happened.  This all seems to suggest she’s done with Noah, but I can’t buy that in the same way that I can’t buy that Cole is done with Alison.  Is Helen still in love with Noah, despite what she says? Unlike the question of who killed Scotty, I don’t think this will ever be fully answered.

           Part Two belonged to Noah and the night went downhill from there.  In what may be the shortest “half” of an episode to date, Noah realized that not only did he imagine Gunther torturing him in prison, but his delusions also led him to stab himself.  And no one was surprised.  I sincerely hope that the show’s writers didn’t expect either of these reveals to be major plot twists.  They’ve both been not so subtly hinted at the entire season.  But there was one twist that came out of Noah’s realizations: he may have killed his mother rather than just helping her commit suicide.  If this is true, then this show has sunken further down the soap opera rabbit hole than it had after last season’s paternity drama. This revelation would also delegitimize the connection he made with Alison several episodes back, which is just a cruel and unusual punishment for people like me, who are hoping those two are endgame.  (Don’t ask me why.)

           In the same fashion as the night of the hurricane, also known as Joanie’s birth, Noah comes face to face with his own mistakes and breaks down weeping.  Once again, I do not feel sorry for him and, after everything that happened last season, I do not think I ever will.  Where does this bring us?  To the season finale of course!  The preview shows Noah in Paris with Juliette.  I guess it makes sense; he royally ruined his relationships with Helen and Alison, so he decides to conveniently pursue the woman who is actually lusting after him.  Maybe Juliette will provide what he needs.  Maybe she is the one person he is truly capable of saving.  Maybe we will find out why her perspective was ever necessary in the first place.  The problem is that I do not care for any of this to take place during the show’s season finale.  However, this show has provided well executed season enders for the past two years, so I skeptically hope that the next episode provides yet another surprising, but oddly satisfying, scene to leave us with until next year.  Will Whitney finally get her own perspective?  Will there be another “murder” mystery on our screens? Will Noah sink back into the ocean and end everyone’s misery?  (One can only dream.)

[telethoughts-blog]

Homeland “The Man in the Basement”: But Who’s in the Dark?

           I didn’t expect to see this episode so soon.  But I’m not complaining.  If last week got the ball rolling, this week bowled a strike. “The Man in the Basement” provided us with Franny’s first spoken lines of the season, an interaction between Carrie and Saul, a real conversation between Carrie and Quinn, betrayal by Carrie in two different areas, the return of Max, a twist in the Sekou case, and that crying face in all its lip quivering glory.

           The only part of all of this I’m not completely enthralled with is Quinn’s storyline. Although his arc is realistic (at least when you set aside surviving a sarin gas tank), continuing his character on the current trajectory seems aimless.  But a full, miraculous recovery would be too over the top even in the world of TV magic.  Perhaps he will recover enough to be able to help the CIA in some capacity that doesn’t involve physically carrying out missions.  (I miss Carrie in the CIA.  Can’t everyone just work there?  This show doesn’t exactly hint at strict rules regarding being reinstated.) However, Quinn’s role this season could be a welcoming turnaround for Carrie, who always seems to find herself off her meds and in need of some sort of intervention.  She could continue as the caretaker and, in turn, the one who really gets Quinn back on track.

           I don’t know what to make of everything else.  It definitely looks as if the Sekou case will be a continuous thread this season.  With Carrie breaking the rules and Saad’s true intentions revealed (for now), who’s to say where it’s all headed?  Of course, my favorite frenemies Saul and Dar are back at it with a vengeance.  Are Carrie and Dar teaming up this season?  Will Saul and Carrie reunite to take Dar down?  Will the president-elect take matters into her own hands and turn against everyone? Only time will tell (especially since my predictions are never correct when it comes to Homeland).  In the meantime, this show seems right at home.

[telethoughts-blog]

The Affair Season 3 Episode 8: A Convenient Truth

           We finally returned to Montauk.  This episode began with my girl Alison who, despite looking very nervous in court, got what she wanted when Luisa testified that she should earn shared custody of Joanie. This seemed anticlimactic, especially considering the custody battle was the main conflict in Montauk this season. Soon after, our first look inside Woodlawn, the institution Alison had disappeared to for six months, came about when Alison’s doctor asked her to speak with a parent grieving the loss of her child.  (Hmmm . . . would the name of the place come up later in the episode?)  While any scene involving talk of Gabriel is gut wrenching for me to watch, this one didn’t quite hit home for me.  I guess it seemed kind of cliché.

           This incident at Woodlawn led to the suggestion of Alison becoming a grief counselor, which Cole was not thrilled to hear about.  While I can never be mad at my girl, he had a point here.  I mean, he had a point about a four hour commute in the wake of newly granted shared custody.  Cole’s memory of this conversation, much like his recollection of their conversation at the building cite, features a more aggressive, sure-of-herself Alison.  In my girl’s point of view, she is simply a victim just trying to survive.  Most everyone else poses some sort of threat to her happiness.  In Cole’s, he ex-wife is more so willing to take charge of her situation and thus instigates the conflicts they find themselves in.  She also has what Luisa cannot offer: mystique, unpredictability and, of course, being a mother to his child (although Cole’s current wife did want to change that in this episode).

           Towards the end of my Alison’s segment, we were treated to what was, in my opinion, one of the best scenes of the series when Helen unexpectedly joined Alison for a drink. I loved the initial awkwardness of it all with the way they were side eying each other as they sipped their drinks- haven’t we all been there?  Then, when they started to warm up to each other and eventually clinked their Long Island iced teas after realizing they were both divorced from the excuse of a person that is Noah Solloway, it was like a scene straight from the fan fiction I never knew I needed in my life.  Furthermore, has Helen looked more adorable all season than she did in Alison’s perspective with those round glasses?  Here’s to the ladies!

           But, naturally, this show is about women and men, and the second half of this episode returned to Cole. His perspective provided some semblance of the truth, and it was all quite convenient.  Cole’s very metaphorical construction of the new house ran into a building block impasse.  Naturally, his physical attempt to solidify his new life was halted by the powers that be in Montauk.  Throughout this episode, I was getting Noah/Alison vibes from Cole and Alison.  But when my girl visited him in jail, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Noah and Helen from the second season premiere.  I don’t know if that means anything.  In another metaphorical scene, he is confronted by the force locking him up: Alison.  Conveniently, although phones and other methods that don’t require making an eight-hour trip at night exist, Cole was at Woodlawn that fateful night and telling the truth would mean spilling all the beans.  I don’t necessarily agree, but okay.  These two gave off Noah/Alison vibes once again when they talked by the pier after he was let free (although that smoldering look at the end implied he feels quite shackled).

           It was almost too easy. Suddenly, the custody case was completely resolved. Then, not only is Cole innocent, but he was also forced to reveal his feelings about Alison.  But the happenings in Montauk have been much more enjoyable for me this season than what’s been going on elsewhere.  And I’m not just talking about the Noah-lite episodes.  The symbolism with Alison successfully building the old house and Cole struggling to build the new house was reminiscent of that brilliant first season.  I will gladly take moments like that over whatever the writers are trying to accomplish with Noah and his endless flashbacks. But, sadly, with only two episodes to go this season, I am afraid that may be it for Joanie’s biological parents this year.  This episode tied their story up with a bow as much as The Affair can.  

[telethoughts-blog]

Homeland “Fair Game”: It’s Alive

           Well, the jazz has returned.  As this season premiere opened with a first look at Carrie Mathison in New York, I could not help but be reminded of the fact that, while it has only been a few weeks since the fifth season finale graced my screen, it’s been over a year for most.  I feel so lucky now, but I am well aware of the harsh, cold reality the end of this season will find me in.  I’ve seen mixed reviews from this episode, which isn’t surprising to me.  I think it was an okay, solid season starter.  Once this show officially wrapped up the Brody storyline, each season seems to stand on its own.  Therefore, Homeland’s premiere episodes are about setting scenes and introducing us to new characters.  I fully expect midday abductions, frenzied scenes of Carrie running through a crowded place, and that famous crying face to come down the line.

           For now, there are just loose, dangling threads yet to be sewn together.  Dar Adal and Saul are back at the CIA game and maintaining their usual frenemy tactics.  I wonder if more about Dar will be revealed this season.  After the clueless state of mind he seemed engaged in for the majority of last season, I hope he is at least back to his old self.  For Saul, I only want good things, especially after the atrocity that was Allison last season.  Although many disagree, I believe the heart of the show is nested in Carrie and Saul’s relationship.  I can’t help but wonder where these two stand these days.  As for Carrie, I want her back in the CIA, but I don’t hate her current role in advocating for Muslims in need of legal help.  However, I don’t understand why Otto Düring is still in the picture.  No, really. He has clearly spent some time with Franny (and Carrie, by extension) off screen, so did she initially accept his proposal last season in full and has since demoted his role in her life? I just can’t figure that man out and I can’t help but want him out of the picture.  Sekou, another one of Carrie’s loose threads, may be around for a few weeks or the entire season.  I am interested enough in his story for now.

           Speaking of Carrie, one of the biggest questions coming into this season (that was already heavily addressed in the promos oddly enough) revolves around romantic interest Quinn’s state of being.  Did Carrie really pull the plug (literally) last season?  Was he going to make it to the premiere only to meet his maker by the end of the episode?  Well, folks he survived.  But the old Quinn is clearly gone forever (which, in TV speak, means for now).  I found all of Quinn’s scenes heartbreaking from his struggles with Carrie to his stagnant existence as another number in the VA system to his reality of not being able to defend himself when faced with a gun in the brothel.  With the shot of him attempting to get into Carrie’s part of the apartment and Carrie keeping the door locked, I am left to wonder about his motivations and where this relationship is actually headed, if anywhere.  Was Quinn so frustrated with her daily visits to the hospital because he didn’t want her to see him in his current state or because he really feels done with her?

           Of course, I can’t forget Madame President-Elect.  (I see you, Heather Dunbar!)  many have pointed out that Homeland’s writers clearly thought the election was going to have a different outcome. If this is true, they are not alone. But I see characteristics of both candidates in Elizabeth Keane, which has also been pointed out.  If the trailers for what’s to come reveal anything, it is that the president-elect will play a major role this season.  I am excited to see how that all unfolds as there must be a lot that we do not know about Ms. Keane yet.  And the same goes for season six.  Pawns are at play, and that is really it for now.  He’s alive; it’s alive.

[telethoughts-blog]

The Affair Season 3 Episode 7: To Know Noah

           I’ve watched the latest episode of The Affair twice and, naturally, I have some thoughts.  I had hoped this one would really deliver and I was not disappointed.  While, I like many others, did not walk away from this hour of TV with a smile on my face, I left satisfied.  This installment mirrored last week’s and started with Helen. This first half hour was among the kind that warranted yelling at the television.  It was pretty clear that Helen was determined to keep Noah in the basement even if that meant lying to her younger children, lying yet again to Dr. Ooh La La as well as ignoring his seemingly sound medical advice, dismissing a concerned Whitney, ignoring Nina’s call, and voluntarily talking to his parole officer.  Noah was taking up literal and figurative space in this episode, which became abundantly clear when Dr. Ooh La La decided to remove himself from the situation.  (I can’t be the only one wondering what took him so long.)  

           The surgeon’s departure was a pivotal point in the episode and brought up the complexity of Helen’s situation.  While I thought she was finally going to tell someone the truth about that fateful night and one of her kids would dramatically overhear, that didn’t happen.  Instead, she swore that she wasn’t still in love with her ex-husband but couldn’t offer a different explanation.  And she might not still be completely in love with Noah. But there is a part of her that will never stop loving him.  And there is a part of her that feels extremely guilty for the death of another person as well as the fact that he went to jail instead of ratting her out. And there is a part of her that feels utterly confused by people claiming she doesn’t know Noah as well she thought she did, and thus delegitimizing her marriage.  So she changed the present to validate the past.  But, as the end of the episode proved, Helen found out that knowing Noah comes at a hefty price.

           Next came Noah’s part which was, as usual, the low point of the episode.  We witnessed even more flashbacks and hallucinations involving Gunther.  I have to agree with the panelists of the Afterbuzz TV installment of this show here.  (I would highly recommend their videos/podcasts, by the way.)  There must be something I’m missing or don’t know yet.  Yes, Noah was tortured in prison (either physically or by the manifestations of Gunther in his own mind) and yes, Noah’s time is up but he has never been less free.  But why are we being incessantly reminded of this and how is it moving the story forward? If there is a bombshell hiding the corner that will conveniently be dropped come the season finale, such as a rape reveal or Noah realizing Gunther never did anything to him or that he wasn’t hallucinating nearly as much as we’re being led to believe, I wish it could have come sooner.  In the end, knowing this side of Noah has become a chore for even himself, it appears.

           Another nuisance that comes with Noah these days is that I can’t believe anything he remembers.  His recollection of Helen as a nonchalant, cunning, villainous seductress after Dr. Ooh La La’s departure was almost comical. But, interestingly enough, however unreliable Noah’s depictions are these days, I couldn’t help but be reminded of his memories of Alison in season one.  Perhaps Noah is just as far off the mark as Helen is in actually knowing his former spouse these days similar to how there was so much he had not yet discovered when he first met Alison.

           I realize from the many tweets and reviews that are spread around about this show each week that this episode was flat out depressing for many.  And I can’t argue with that sentiment.  But I do feel a renewed sense of hope in the show after last week’s milieu.  This time, the writers really dipped into something they do best: inevitable sadness. As with every TV show I highly enjoy, The Affair has a special quality I can’t quite put my finger on.  It is the ultimate car wreck too cringeworthy to not stare at.  Even when someone has a roof over her head, a loving and handsome partner, and a family life somewhat back in order after such turmoil, she has to throw it all away for the guy that ruined it all before.  She can’t even bring herself to slightly care about her son’s participation in the musical Jane Eyre.  (Don’t think that metaphor was wasted on me).  And she had been heading in that direction all season.  I saw it coming and yet it was painful to watch.  It’s a highly calculated car crash though.  I still can’t look away.  Well, especially not when Helen and Alison have a scene together next week and Noah didn’t make the preview.  And don’t think I’ve forgotten Cole doesn’t have a real alibi for the night Noah stabbed himself.  Whoops, I meant, “was stabbed”, of course.

[telethoughts-blog]

The Affair Season 3 Episode 6: And Your Point Is . . .

     After a couple of weeks that felt like months, it was finally time to sink back into the ocean for the first time in 2017.  First, the writers decided to check in on Helen, whose perspective is always welcome on my screen.  Her portion of the episode reminded us that all the minor characters outside of The Main Four (Juliette who?) existed.  We learned that the Buttholes are reunited, Martin is treacherously close to flunking out of high school (Those Solloway kids are real winners, aren’t they?), Nina is still in the picture (yay!) and Max is still around (and getting around).  But Helen was having a rough day, and she seemed subconsciously determined to take everyone else down with her.  For the one of The Main Four who seems universally loved by viewers and is commonly regarded as “the favorite”, it was her turn to remember herself as self-destructive and downright mean.

     When it comes to Helen these days, I have to wonder how much of her actions are due to guilt about running Scotty over and how much of it is a desperate desire to have Noah back in her life.  I assume it’s a combination of both.  And on that note, would she have slept with Max if he weren’t about to get married or was she in such a confused and rejected state that she needed to feel desire from someone else?  I can’t imagine that she and her ex-husband are endgame for the series, so I also wonder who Helen will ultimately end up with.  She gave Dr. Ooh La La plenty of causes for concern in this episode. Another interesting thing to note about her part: warm, gentle, forgiving Nina that we have come to know from Noah’s narrations was intimidating, accusatory, and sly from Helen’s eyes.  Has this friction always existed or has Nina just decided to lay it on thick since she has a growing hunch that her brother is innocent?

     Next came Noah.  Again.  Groan. My initial reaction to the later half of this episode is, what the hell was that?  Seriously, I turned to my mother who watched it with me as the credits began rolling and muttered, “Maybe one day we’ll find out the point of that.”  And that’s the issue I had with Noah’s part this episode.  Last season, I understood that his visions of running Alison over and all the talk about Descent was symbolically providing insight into his relationship with Alison and events surrounding Scotty’s death as well as the trial.  This season, what Noah is dealing with internally is more mysterious to me.  The flashbacks with Gunther seem to explain how prison hardened him and I have been suspecting a reveal of rape from the first episode.  But I can’t believe the show would spend that much time looking back on Noah’s time in prison just for that purpose, so I must be missing something.

     This brings me to the dinner scene with the characters from Noah’s high school days.  These minutes were the real question mark of the episode for me.  Stevie was definitely giving me Gunther vibes, but what is that supposed to mean?  Are we getting closer to learning that Gunther is just a pigment of Noah’s overactive imagination?  (But Helen saw him, too?)  Was this just meant to reinforce all the elements of Noah’s past that are coming back to haunt him?  Grant and Stevie almost seemed like an angel and devil on his shoulders, respectively.

     Then, we were finally left with Noah facing his teen self in the lake, which is almost too puzzling to try and make sense of. Was he having a literal flashback? Perhaps after he helped his mom die, he felt so distraught and traumatized that he tried to drown.  Or was he on a Vicodin high thinking that he could save his young self?  To be honest, I think we as viewers don’t have enough information to be able to answer this yet.

     Needless to say, I didn’t particularly enjoy Noah’s segment.  I found it nice that he finally went back to his childhood home and made peace with Martin (for the time being anyway), but, as I’ve already mentioned, what was the point of all that?  I couldn’t help but think that, since I hate Noah as a character, why not give Dr. Ooh La La a perspective for once?  My favorite episodes of this show are always the ones that show the Rashomon effect and make you really question what happened and why two people remember the same chain of events in such opposing ways.  But if a sixth perspective is really too much (although I am still waiting to understand why Juliette composes our fifth), then how about checking in with our bizarre parents in Montauk?  I mean, how many times have we seen Noah’s part this season even though Cole’s has only been shown once?  (That means he’s tied with Juliette, which is not what I want to see from someone in The Main Four).  Sarah Treem, the genius showrunner of The Affair, said in an interview that this season climaxes in the seventh episode, which airs next week.  Thank God, because I’m almost starting to worry that this show has lost just a little bit of its magic.

[telethoughts-blog]

Waiting

         I’ve never been a patient person.  From as far back as my memory goes, I have been playing the waiting game.  It’s a paradox, really.  I can triumph in never losing, but I can’t smile at my victories because it’s a game I’ll never beat.  As a kid, I’d wait for dinner to be ready or school vacation to arrive. As a teenager, I’d wait for my friends to text me back about making plans or for the next Carrie Underwood album to drop (that one can come any day now, by the way).  Now, as a college student, I wait with trepidation for grades to be posted online and with boredom for classes to be over.  I am quite familiar with the puzzling reality that ten minutes feels like mere seconds when I’m scrolling through the Internet, but an antagonizing eternity when I’m sitting in class forcing myself to take copious notes.

           But there is another eternity I deal with on a regular basis, and this particular form of the waiting game is far from a recent phenomenon.  It is the time between 8:50 and 9:00 on Sunday nights before The Walking Dead comes on.  It is the extra week between new episodes of The Affair because Christmas happened to fall on a Sunday this year.  It was the time between that first cryptic article about a Gilmore Girls revival and November 25th of this year. It has been one of the very few drawbacks of every summer and winter break, especially now that many TV shows go on hiatuses that last far longer than the holiday respite now that mid-season finales have become an entity.  

           However, although I have only the upmost respect and sympathy for binge watchers, I am, at the end of the day, a sucker for live TV.  Where would I be if it weren’t for the waiting game?  I suppose I’d be playing it nonetheless: counting down the days until the next big get-together with my friends and crossing off squares on my calendar until it says another break from school is upon me.  But there’s a part of me that needs events to happen sooner: a consistent program that will last an hour at the same time every week; a short escape from my world with something that mirrors my own life but is just different enough to never come close to it.  Plus, there is a certain part of my mind that feels obliged to honor the writers of my favorite shows with the courtesy to watch them in the manner they have set out for me.  Over the years, this has meant standing by for months to find out who killed Rebecca, if Luke would accept Lorelai’s proposal, and who fell victim to Negan’s Lucille.  (I’m still not over that last one, by the way).  For me, the waiting game is inevitable.  So I’m still playing.

           I finished Homeland a few days ago after starting the series in September.  I never thought I would enjoy a show about terrorism; I figured it’d hit too close to home with the recent headlines and fear spreading throughout our country and around the world.  But I wanted another drama after realizing The Leftovers would only last for one more season.  And, despite that third season I had heard so much about, Google was still consistently recommending it, so I finally decided to give it a try. It didn’t take long for me to become enthralled in the world of the CIA from Langley to Berlin.  I found myself questioning everything.  What are Brody’s real motivations?  How did Claire Danes manage to inherit some of that acting talent I was convinced Tatiana Maslany stole from the rest of Hollywood?  Why is Dana still on my screen?  Is there some kind of television photoshopping I don’t know about that allows a baby to look so much like Damien Lewis?  Of course, season six premieres on January 15th, but it will be available online much sooner.  (Why, Showtime?  I don’t understand.)  That early viewing possibility tempts me like a molten chocolate cake, but watching it would welcome another eternity since the next episode will not be available early (as least as far as I know).  This situation brings me the only slight victory I ever find with the waiting game if I manage to hold out until the live television showing.  I am quite stubborn, so it looks like I won’t run into Carrie Mathison again until January 15th (but don’t quote me on that one).

           But I am not exactly witnessing a drought in the meantime.  If I truly limited myself to only live TV, I would be thoroughly missing out.  I am slowly making my way through the second season of Twin Peaks.  (I started it concurrently with Homeland. Needless to say, I wish I could find the later episodes more compelling.)  Once that is finished, I promised one of my friends that I would watch The Healer, a Korean drama. TV shows of this genre are like a drug to her.  Far from a fan of the waiting game, she has lost nights of sleep to binge watching. I can only admire such dedication.  Next up is American Horror Story.  (I still have to finish Hotel, which I am committed to doing before starting Roanoke).  But I like to have two shows that I watch that are not live, and all the latter ones fill the first slot for the time being.  The second, which once belonged to Homeland, was replaced with Mr. Robot last night.  While I always say on should not judge a show by its pilot, I became enthralled after the first five seconds.  The show strikes me as one with a good combination of drama and suspense. Elliot, Rami Malek’s character, seems just likable enough for me to sympathize with, but far enough away from my own world to keep me guessing.  With only nine episodes to go, I might be finished with the first before Netflix is unable to turn off autoplay for Twin Peaks.  All the while, The Affair will still not return until next year.  In the meantime, I’ll be waiting.