The extramarital relationship between a waitress Alison and Noah, the father of four who is a novelist and a school teacher and depends on his father in law financially.
The alternate takes are at times almost comically disparate, zapping them of credibility. Alison comes across as either too aggressive or too fragile; Noah is too devoted to his family or too ready to cast them aside.
If there are three sides to every story - his, hers, and the truth - this initial outing suggests that The Affair will offer an entertaining look at at least two of those sides, even if ultimately, the third is unknowable.
People do terrible things to each other on TV every Sunday night. I'm more than ready for a show willing to admit that the worst possible behavior is quite often perfectly legal.
The Affair for now has done its job by tantalizingly baiting its hook. The solid performances by its four principals further heighten both the drama and the expectations.
