“The Affair” begins in hindsight, after things have gone terribly wrong.
We just don’t know how.
That layer of mystery saves Showtime’s new infidelity drama from the clichéd middle-aged hookup at its core. In this he said-she said retelling, the truth can be elusive, and the emotions overheated.
But at least it’s not rote, and for now that’s enough to tip the scales slightly in its favor.
See video: ‘The Affair’s’ Dominic West and Ruth Wilson Give Into Temptation in New Teaser
For reasons not clear on the first episode, streaming in advance of the show’s pay cable debut after “Homeland” next Sunday, police are interviewing Noah (Dominic West) and Alison (Ruth Wilson) about the liaison after the fact.