Critic Reviews

The acting is extraordinary.

As much as the script, Reiner’s direction makes both stories seem oxymoronically unique and distinct at the same time. The performances are extraordinary, as they must be to complete the process of retelling a seemingly similar story.

The Affair might be an exercise in literary gamesmanship if the acting and writing weren't so strong, or the setting so evocative.... Engrossing.

It’s a series about the complications of life, relationships and especially perspective. It’s also the most innovative new TV series of 2014, especially from its fractured approach to storytelling.

The premiere episode is riveting--the best pilot I've seen this fall. (That admittedly is not saying much.)

Dark and thrilling, The Affair returns with a huge wallop--and glorious French star Irène Jacob is in the house.

The first episode, at least, is terrific, with a distinct, involving tone, and it does very right by its leads.

The Affair is both quietly unsettling and impossible to look away from.

The moment we glimpse Helen’s inner life, she becomes the most fascinating character on a show that’s full of them.... When a friend asks if she knew that Noah was cheating, there are unspoken questions there: How would I know if it happened to me? And if I didn’t know, how could I move on? The fact that viewers are asking the same questions only makes this season more compelling to watch.

With its bold new move to double our number of perspectives, it appears that The Affair will sail over that sophomore slump that has felled so many other Showtime dramas.