I am not much of a television watcher. In fact, I was unsure of how to turn my t.v. on for many years, which remote and the sequence of buttons to click, but was never motivated enough to learn. That was until “True Detectives” with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey on HBO last year. Now, Showtime is previewing a series entitled The Affair, which promises to feature an honest, slightly empathetic or at least justified look at the complicated and much maligned subject of marriage and cheating. As enticingly introduced in Cara Buckley’s write up on September 3rd in the New York Times (thanks to Frank Jelnicky for passing this on to me), “Imagine an extra marital love affair in which neither party can be blamed.” Cognizant of the touchiness of the subject, the Israeli writer Hagai Levi notes the challenge of writing something compelling and engaging, serious, without elicited “knee-jerk audience disapproval.” In addition to the promised feature of the landscape of beaches along Long Island, I am looking forward to seeing how the writer and producer’s efforts achieve that challenging goal in their measured choice in casting and intimate, dicey subject matter.
I guess it is time to take lessons in television operations.
"My mistress' eyes are nothing…"
In the gaze of the other 
Okay a quick response, by the looks of the woman on the right, who seems more ready to mow a lawn than entice this more than handsome gentleman into any kind of physical pleasure. I would say whoever picked that dress for her and told her to pose like big foot confused by headlights is also in charge of the LIMITS the script is surely bound by. I generally consider these very “white” productions geared towards a middle aged housewife in Iowa, perhaps Sioux City.
I also feel a producer feels obligated to deliver what people expect more than provide an exploration of reality.
This is pretty much a soap opera with ashtrays. Oh and would someone lend that woman on the right a hair brush, please. She is obviously the tawdry witch who is the mistress as when the designer submits costume sketches, as these productions are color coordinated so the characters stand out against a background, the producer decides by the LOWEST common denominator among the target audience. The director has instructed her to assume this glum posture as it his idea of what a mistress would be as opposed to the well groomed wife on the right? Truly all is decided upon planned acceptance of the original story concept more than providing society with an altruistic glimpse of a complicated social passage.
I would also say, in a more real context, the man would be much less handsome and much better dressed. Woman need a reason to have sex, men need a place. These girls, either one, would not give this man a second look were he not able to sustain a very nice weekend with all the frills at one of your finer hotels. Sorry to be cynical, but you can’t blame an older woman for not wanting to repeat earlier behaviors she is hopefully past.
wife on the left,… this has so many errors but I can’t edit, just spew.
I love your run down of the visuals, but we will just have to wait and see whether it is pure pablum or some attempt at broaching a complicated subject in with some sophistication. I don’t think there are cheating types or looks, so I disagree with your assessment of the guy’s chances or the women’s attraction or motivations as a general statement. If I can figure out how to, I will watch.