The Affair: Get Ready for Season Three

Showtime’s Montauk-set drama The Affair returns for its third season this Sunday, November 20, and we can’t wait! For those unfamiliar with the excellent series, here’s a primer and quick catch-up guide that might come in handy this Sunday.

The Affair is the story of Noah Solloway and Alison Lockhart, who meet one fateful summer in Montauk and fall hard for each other. The only problem? Noah’s married with three kids, and Alison’s also married and mourning her little boy, who died after an accident on the beach. Noah’s wife, Helen, and Alison’s husband, Cole, soon find out about the affair, destroying both marriages and setting off a series of dark, twisted incidents that culminate in the murder of Alison’s brother-in-law Scotty Lockhart. Season One tells the story from the unique perspectives of Noah and Alison as detectives investigate Scotty’s death, while Season Two adds in the perspectives of Helen and Cole.

The Main Characters

Dominic West as Noah Solloway: A semi-successful author and schoolteacher, Noah goes from loving family man to reckless bachelor and back again after meeting Alison. Noah’s selfishness tends to get him into horrible situations.

Ruth Wilson as Alison Lockhart: A waitress and former nurse who grew up in Montauk, Alison is mourning the loss of her child and in a vulnerable position when she meets Noah. Alison is looked at by those around her as a broken, fragile woman and as a result acts as such.

Maura Tierney as Helen Solloway: More than just a clueless wife, Helen is a smart woman who struggles with letting go of the life she thought she had following her husband’s affair. Helen has a penchant for nasty arguments and likes to indulge in marijuana to relax.

Joshua Jackson as Cole Lockhart: This Montauk native runs the local horse ranch (an analog for the real-life Deep Hollow Ranch) and struggles to keep his marriage together following the death of his son. While loving and kind, Cole has a temper that gets the better of him.

Supporting Players

Catalina Sandino Moreno as Luisa Lockhart: Cole’s second wife, a free spirit with little patience for Alison’s vulnerable act

Darren Goldstein as Oscar Hodges: The sleazy former owner of The Lobster Roll (yes, that Lobster Roll) who carries a torch for Alison

Julia Goldani Telles as Whitney Solloway: Helen and Noah’s troublemaking, demon-spawn daughter who basically hates everyone

Josh Stamberg as Max Cadman: Noah’s best friend, who pursues Helen after she and Noah divorce

Colin Donnell as Scotty Lockhart: Cole’s shady brother who is found murdered on the side of the road during the wedding of Cole and Luisa

Who killed Scotty?

Well, it’s kind of a long story, but the quick version is that Alison and Helen are both responsible. Alison pushed Scotty off of her and onto the road after he tried to force himself on her, and a drunken Helen ran him down. Noah was in the car with Helen and helped cover up the crime. In the Season Two finale, Noah falsely confessed to killing Scotty, leaving the other characters stunned.

Other Stories

-Wildchild/budding sociopath Whitney has had a crazy go of it. In Season One, she was impregnated by Scotty and had an abortion. In Season Two, Noah got drunk/high at a party and got into a hot tub to watch two young women make out, only to realize in horror that one of the girls was Whitney!

-Alison became embroiled in a “Who’s the daddy?” situation after sleeping with Cole while she was with Noah. Cole turned out to be the biological father.

-The Lockhart family owns the ranch, but also traffics drugs through Montauk.

-Helen still wants to be with Noah, despite him treating her like trash constantly.

Visit DansPapers.com on Monday for a recap of the season premiere of The Affair!