The Season 2 premiere of "The Affair" was off to a tumultuous start, with anger and guilt flying like daggers at each character. What audiences saw was a hint at the past and the present circumstances of the Solloways. In Episode 1, Noah Solloway (Dominic West) gets entangled in a messy divorce with his wife, Helen (Maura Tierney). He is estranged from his kids and his new love life has a rocky beginning.
In Episode 2, Noah and Alison's (Ruth Wilson) relationship is tested further by the sudden appearance of Cole (Joshua Jackson). The promo for Episode 2 unveils Cole's perspective, and the former ranch owner talks about his marriage with ex-wife Alison, his life as a single man, and his relentless pursuit for love from the woman who spurned him.
Episode 2's official synopsis reads: "Alison's endemic summer with Noah is interrupted by an unwelcomed guest. Meanwhile, Cole's self-destructive lifestyle has everyone concerned."
From a slew of promo clips released by Showtime, we can safely gauge that the "unwelcomed guest" is Cole. In the preview, the Montauk native shocks Alison by standing in the middle of her living room in New York. They have an awkward moment, but his presence leaves its mark on Alison. A few clips later, she is seen sitting alone while contemplating her relationship with Noah.
Meanwhile, Cole's life unravels after his marriage ends with Alison. In a separate clip, Cole is seen driving his cab while his brother, Scotty Lockhart asks him to pay heed to a family crisis that has emerged. The Lockhart matriarch is penniless, Scotty's wife, Mary Kate is worried, but Cole is fixated on moving away from Montauk. He even threatens to run his brother over if he doesn't stop talking.
In an interview with Collider, Joshua Jackson teased out his character's fate in Season 2. He said that Cole's insecurities will haunt him and whether or not it changes his perspective towards life remains to be seen.
Jackson said, "Now when we come back to him in Episode 2, that should, I hope, feel like, "Who is this guy because this doesn't like anything like the man we used to know." Now, you're seeing a person from the inside who is actually riddled with their own insecurities and those big, broad questions of who am I, what purpose do I have in life, who do I want to be, what is my life, and what's my reason."
"The Affair" Season 2 Episode 2 airs on Sunday, 11 October at 10pm EDT on Showtime.
Watch the promo here:
