What up yo.
“The Affair”
I first saw the Ruth Wilson in the phenomenal BBC series “Luther” acting opposite Idris Elba as Alice Morgan…the ravishing, beautiful and hyper-intelligent psychopath.
No one else could have played that role but Ruth. 
What Ruth brought to that role was, for lack of a better word…electricity.
Her connection with Luther was intimate, primal & sexy.
DCI Luther met her because he was convinced she had murdered her parents. (She had)
Even when he could prove it, he didn’t…he began to seek advice from her.
Luther had caught a notorious child killer in a case he was working on for years.
And now, with the killer cornered, instead of bringing him to justice…his rage got the better of him and he tries to kill the child killer.
Well the child killer survived and went into a coma.
Problem is he has just woken up…and this could mean prison for Luther.
(Not giving anything away here kids, this is simply how this wonderful onscreen relationship starts)
He seeks out Alice because only she can recognize and fully accept the darkness within him, as he can with her.
Sadly, this series has since ended,
But hear this now:
BBC’S “LUTHER” Is On My Highly Recommended Viewing List For You Troops
I waited to see Ruth inhabit her next role.
Then it was announced that she would be starring opposite Dominic West from the groundbreaking HBO detective series “The Wire”, in a dark romantic drama series on Showtime.
I didn’t know a hell of a lot more about it except that Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson) was also in it.
Standing on Madison Avenue 2 weeks ago, I see a bus ad with Alice and McNulty in the water together…
I look up the advertisement online and find this…
Then showtime releases the first episode.
I was walking into this show blind.
Last week I watched it and within the first 30 minutes I was completely hooked.
Then the second 30 mins begin…
And the storytelling genius here began to reveal itself.
You’re watching the beginning of this affair from two different perspectives.
The first is from Noah’s recollection.
He is a husband to Helen (played by Maura Tierney), and father of 4 kids. He’s a struggling writer from New York City on route to spend the summer in Long (Strong Island) Island with his wife’s wealthy family on their estate.
He and the family stop in a diner when they arrive in town and they are served by Alison (Ruth baby).
Later that night, they meet again, on the beach in Montauk…
And so it begins.
We then see the story stop, and restart.
This time, it’s Alison speaking with the police.
She takes us through the exact same day, giving her version of their first encounter…and the differences in their stories start popping up immediately.
How she was dressed…
Who made first contact…
Who said what first…
Who started it.
Again, genius storytelling device.
Now, let’s discuss Ruth…
Oh Ruth…
Having watched her portray Alice Morgan with a calculating and chilling confidence, here we are watching her portray 2 different characters in fact.
We see the seductive, uninhibited Allison that Noah will have us believe she is…
And then we see the her she offers police.
It’s that of a suffering, damaged and innocent Allison.
She takes us through her version of the events that took place:
“…so long ago.”
We learn she and her husband “Cole” played by Peter Bishop
WALTER BISHOP
OLIVIA DUNHAM
FRINGE!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry.
Joshua Jackson…
We learn that they have lost a child.
We aren’t told how, but when Noah’s daughter begins to choke on food at the diner Noah and Allison meet at, it’s Allison’s reaction to this event from both their perspectives which seem to indicate that her child died in a horrible accident that maybe could have been prevented.
In her story, she is still shell shocked from the loss and she simply cannot move on from the tragedy.
Now I watch a lot of Film & Television.
And I’m telling you, when a series stands up and defines itself this quickly…it’s something special.
Very few series openers stay with me right out of the gate like this one did.
I cannot get it out of my head.
I want SwePea to watch it, she is to me what Alma Hitchcock was to Alfred…
If I love it,
I pass it to her.
Now if she loves it…
It’s fucking amazing.
She loved it.
Trust me, it’s High-Octane Gasoline.
Get your funnels out.
