Spoiler-Free Review of “Little Fires Everywhere” on Hulu: Deliciously Deadly Suburbia

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“If they’re saying something untrue, then you should change the story…”

Little Fires Everywhere premiered on Hulu on March 17th 2020 with 3 new episodes (Approximately 50 minutes in length). The remaining 5 episodes of the limited series will air weekly on Wednesdays. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Joshua Jackson, Lexi Underwood, and Gavin Lewis.

The show is based on the best-selling novel written by Celeste Ng. It follows a 90’s family living in the picture perfect suburban town of Shaker Heights. They cross paths with a mother and daughter who have just arrived in town, as secrets, dark pasts, and mysteries are revealed. Each character’s story is intertwined with another, creating a vortex of drama along the way.

This plot and setting may seem familiar, as it definitely channels some aspects of Big Little Lies, The Affair, and Desperate Housewives.

However, the connections and story lure you in right away, making this binge-watch friendly option entertaining. But does it do enough to stand out from its predecessors? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Little Fires Hulu 3 — Images courtesy of Hulu

Witherspoon and Washington are electric on screen.

Their characters certainly have an interesting dynamic and we can absolutely feel the awkward tension between them, as each mother comes from a different socioeconomic background. However, the performances of these two incredible actresses transform these intriguing characters into something far greater. I can’t get enough of them!

The rest of the supporting characters are actually terrific as well and I would like to spotlight Lexi Underwood, who plays Mia’s (Washington) daughter, Pearl.

A mystery that leaves you wanting more.

The opening scene of the series immediately draws you in, as we discover that Elena Richardson’s (Witherspoon) beautiful home is on fire. We know that this is not an accident and it certainly makes you suspect everyone we meet, as we try to get to the bottom of this mystery, while other secrets are exposed along the way.

Little Fires Hulu 2 — Images courtesy of Hulu

90’s nostalgia.

I don’t know about you, but I love a show that can transport me back to a time that I know very well. The show is set during the late 90’s and we get several mentions of this, but the pop culture references seamlessly mentioned really make you feel like you are turning back time.

The kids are seen watching Ricki Lake and The Real World. Elena’s daughter throws in some comments about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and even compares her own high school relationship to Brenda and Dylan’s on Beverly Hills, 90210.

Once you get to the high school dance, the songs will absolutely make you smile. Seriously, one song after the next had me singing along from Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping to The Cardigans’s Lovefool to Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply.

I was in 90’s music heaven and I still know all the words! Enjoy!

The Cons:

Little Fires Hulu 4 — Images courtesy of Hulu

Same Reese. Different show.

I wouldn’t say that this is really a con, but I have seen Reese Witherspoon play this character before. Elena Richardson is very much a mix between Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives and Madeline Martha Mackenzie on Big Little Lies, played by Witherspoon. I’ve seen Reese play this character obsessed with perfection many times and I was hoping for a different role for her.

That being said, she plays the role brilliantly, but I guess I was looking for some more layers from her.

So am I in or out?

Little Fires Hulu 5 — Images courtesy of Hulu

I’m in! This series is exactly what I need right now. The show keeps you on the edge of your seat and there are so many moments in-between the big ones that will take your breath away. Every character and plot point is important and Kerry Washington is out of this world. She’s truly incredible and she lights up the screen with Reese Witherspoon, as we unfold this mystery together.

While some of the suburban drama is predictable, the show has not let me down yet, surprising me with its reveals and twists. I can’t wait to watch the remaining episodes and I absolutely recommend this show.

It is the series to watch right now!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Little Fires Everywhere in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 11: “The Whole Of The Moon”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 11 series finale, the show has come full circle, reminding us that sometimes “time has a habit of making big things seem small,” but when all is said and done, it’s about the moments of love that you truly remember. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “511,” the Solloway family prepares for Whitney’s wedding day. Meanwhile, Joanie returns to The Lobster Roll and crosses paths with a surprising stranger. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 11 series finale are:

“There is such a thing as forgiveness.”

In the series finale, the parts no longer appear, but we still get to see sections marked for Noah, Helen, Joanie, and Whitney. As Joanie tries to decide what to do next, EJ tells her he wants her to run away with him, revealing that he is actually Sierra’s grown up son, Eddie. I have to say that I actually didn’t make that connection before and I thought this was an interesting twist.

Even though EJ may not be Joanie’s epic love, he did help her on this journey, reminding her that it is possible to choose love over trauma. It looks like Joanie is going to have to make her next decisions for herself, but I thought that EJ was an important part of her journey and I appreciated the connection.

“I just want you to be happy.”

During Helen’s section, Whitney continues to be very difficult on her wedding day. Whitney sticks to her decision and doesn’t want Noah there on her big day, but Helen is trying to figure out why she is even there. Helen’s mother walks in and there is a lot of tension between them all, but when it comes down to it, they all care about one another and show up when it matters.

Helen tells her daughter that she looks perfect and I loved seeing her hold Whitney’s hand while walking her down the aisle. Even though Whitney has been very hard on her mother, claiming she doesn’t want to be like her, they both finally put everything aside here and just focus on this moment of happiness, which was simple and well done.

“My parents were an odd couple.”

I thought it was beyond adorable that Noah remembered Whitney talking about a flash mob surprise at her wedding and actually followed through on it to make her happy, even though he wouldn’t be at the wedding to see it. The flash mob was done to the song, “The Whole Of The Moon,” which you can listen to below!

The dance really made me smile and it was well received by Whitney, but she is shocked when she later finds out that her dad put everything together. I was so happy that Whitney had a change of heart, deciding to get her whole family together to go surprise their dad with some wedding cake. Even Bruce’s moment in the spotlight to provide them with a distraction was amazing.

Things get a little bit awkward when they show up and Whitney discovers that Helen is in there too, making up for lost time with Noah. And so, they all gather outside to eat the wedding cake. This moment was a little strange, but I was glad that Whitney finally realized that her father has been there for her the whole time even though he has made some past mistakes.

Even though the show focuses so much on Noah and his decisions with the women in his life, there has always been this element of family present and I thought it was important that his whole family was back together here.

“You were her whole life.”

After Joanie discovers that Noah was the old man she was talking to at The Lobster Roll, she returns to finish their conversation. This conversation was so important and meaningful for Joanie and it really helped fill in some blanks. Noah talks about how he respected Cole and how Cole always suspected that Ben killed Alison, which Joanie was not aware of.

Noah also tells Joanie about how much Alison changed, feeling everything so deeply, and how much she truly cared for Joanie. Joanie spent so much of her life not knowing the whole story, but she now finally gets to see her mother through Noah’s eyes.

Joanie’s journey is not over; however, as she makes the decision to return to her husband and family, realizing that she has the chance to make things right and I think this was the right call.

Overall, I enjoyed learning about Joanie’s character and I thought this was a clever way to allow Cole and Alison’s story to continue as well, even though they were both not a part of the final season. Like Noah said, sometimes the children need to finish the journey their parents started.

“Will you dance with me on our daughter’s wedding day?”

During Whitney’s wedding, Helen attempts to send Noah the video of the flash mob, but ends up deciding to bring it to him in person. Helen opens up to Noah and says that she feels like she isn’t really present anywhere, revealing that she does still love him.

Maybe these two aren’t necessarily good for each other, but they both have a lot of love for one another and their family. Noah asks Helen to dance with him, which was probably one of the sweetest moments I have witnessed with them and they end up reconciling.

In the future, we see Noah reading Stacey’s novel to Helen at her grave, suggesting that these two have been present in each other’s lives until the very end of their journey. Helen’s name appears as Solloway on her tombstone, which implies that they were married again, but I guess that’s up to the viewer’s interpretation.

We are left with Noah hiking up to the bluffs, deciding to whip out the flash mob dance again after all these years, finally smiling. It looks like Noah Solloway has redeemed himself, discovering who he really is while re-connecting with the ones in his life who matter the most.

Overall, I thought this was an emotional and well done series finale. I shed quite a few tears and I appreciated how everything came full circle. It’s interesting how this show has transformed over the seasons. While I still prefer the first two seasons of the show, I think that season 5 did a great job of summing everything up, while reminding us to focus on the moments of love that truly matter in the end.

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 10: “If You Fall, I’ll Catch You”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 10, Noah was reminded that “if you move you live, if you stay you die,” but he truly puts this saying to the test when he and Helen wind up in a very dangerous situation. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “510,” the wildfire continues to spread, as Helen and Noah are forced to evacuate before it is too late. Meanwhile, Whitney refuses to forgive her father and Noah takes a trip down memory lane, bringing everything full circle. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 10 are:

“I would do anything to undo what happened.”

Part one of the episode follows Helen, as she tries to console her daughter, but Whitney now says that she doesn’t want Noah at her wedding. Helen reminds Noah that he can’t run away from this and that they are a family, but is Helen co-depending on Noah too much here?

Helen continues to ask Noah about the hot tub incident, reminding him that he traumatized his daughter and failed to mention it. Noah tells Helen that he would do anything to take it back and that he was finally getting somewhere with Whitney in Montauk, but it now seems like he is back where he started. Let’s hope this gets resolved before the wedding…

“I think you and I are worth it.”

Helen ends up going to Noah’s place to find Whitney’s birth certificate and stumbles across an old letter that Noah wrote to her right before their own wedding. Noah’s letter was truly touching, telling Helen that he was excited to spend every single day with her, grateful that she was going to be his wife.

It seemed like perhaps these two were going to find some common ground, but Noah pushes Helen away after they are told to evacuate. Helen tells him that she hopes he burns, but it’s clear that Noah is feeling beyond defeated and depressed in this moment. Snap out of it, Noah!

“Do you remember seeing him for the first time?”

Part two of the episode follows Noah and he finds a recording from Alison’s deposition. Everything comes full circle, as Alison’s voice comes over the speaker, setting the tone as a dark and stormy night.

Alison is asked, “Do you remember seeing him for the first time?” reminding me of the question that started it all, hooking me on to the show in the first place. We are presented with several flashbacks of Noah meeting Alison and some of Noah with Helen as well, as Noah remembers from the recording what it was like to be happy.

There was a time that he was happy with both Helen and Alison at different times and perhaps he needs to remember that he still has a chance to find that happiness again. The concept of family comes up several times throughout the episode and I think this is what Noah really needs to focus on in order to truly be redeemed.

“I need you.”

Part three of the episode is from Noah and Helen’s perspective and I think this might be the first time we see a joint section. Noah hears from a neighbor that the fire is spreading very quickly and Noah rushes out to go and help Helen. Helen initially wants to stay in the car, but Noah says that they have to move, recognizing the immediate danger they are in.

They end up hiking to get to a fire route Noah knows about, but get stuck at a cliff. Noah is able to climb down and coaches Helen through it, proving to be somewhat of a hero here. Although Helen is clearly sick of his “movement is life” motto.

After avoiding this disaster, these two actually take some time to be open and honest with one another. I think this may be the first time I have witnessed such an honest conversation on both sides, which I thought was necessary since we are approaching the end of the series.

“Hi friend.”

Part four of the episode is from Noah’s perspective. Right before this, Helen ends up bit by a rattle snake to make things even more dramatic, but Noah refuses to leave her side, actually carrying her down the road. Luckily, they are picked up by an emergency vehicle and it looks like Helen is going to be all right. Phew! When Helen wakes up, she says, “Hi friend,” to Noah.

These two have certainly been on quite the adventure, but I thought this journey was more about their own lives together. They revisit who they used to be and who they are now, reminding us that perhaps there is still a new path for their family that includes both of them.

How will it all end? Stay tuned for the series finale next week!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 9: “Like They’re Prey…”

Happy Tuesday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 9, I wondered if Noah can truly be redeemed? Can one really be erased from their own story or is there still a chance to make things right? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In Sunday night’s episode, “509,” the story about Noah is leaked everywhere and it really takes a toll on the entire family. Meanwhile, Helen makes a shocking discovery about Sasha and Whitney determines where her loyalties lie. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 9 are:

“Is she finding any skeletons?”

Part one of the episode follows Helen and we catch up with her right after Petra has called her. Helen is shocked by what she is hearing, but Noah continues to lie, telling her that everything is fine. Once the story is released, Helen immediately knows something is up when everyone begins to stare at her while dropping off her kids at school.

Helen calls Noah and demands that he read the story out loud to her, which includes excessive details about a number of cases where Noah has been accused of mistreating women. Noah looks to Helen, asking her what to do, but he is not the only one who is suffering from the release of this story, as Helen is fired from her job before even starting because of the bad publicity.

“I’m very grateful…”

Even though the Solloway family is dealing with a lot right now, Noah turns to Helen and tells her what a great mother she is. Over the seasons, Noah has constantly placed the blame on someone else. In this moment; however, he takes a second to reflect on the amazing mother of his children who he has wronged, and yet somehow still stands by him when it comes down to the moments that truly matter.

While I don’t think that Noah deserves a second chance with Helen, I thought this was an important moment worth mentioning.

“Do you have any idea what you have done?”

To make things even more dramatic, a fire is spreading across California and Helen evacuates in Sasha’s helicopter after finding out that he picked up her kids. Helen is initially annoyed that he didn’t say anything, but realizes that he was just trying to help. However, Helen’s phone continues to blow up and after she makes a statement, only part of her actual statement is used on television, which doesn’t present it in the best light.

Helen is horrified that her children have to witness this, but everything starts to add up when she realizes that Sasha is the one who gave Petra Eden’s name in the first place. Helen suddenly realizes that Sasha is behind all of this because he wanted writing credits on the movie. Sasha tries to reason with Helen, but she takes her kids out of there, realizing Sasha’s ulterior motives here.

“I just wanted to say hi to the woman who’s ruining my family’s life.”

Part two of the episode is from Whitney’s perspective. Her phone also starts blowing up when the story about her father is released. Even though Whitney receives calls and texts from Colin, she decides to call Furkat instead for a shoulder to cry on. After realizing her mistake when Furkat mistreats her, Whitney gets on the same plane as Audrey Nelson, who is one of the women accusing her father.

Whitney decides to sit right next to her to get some answers and I was really proud of her in this moment. In the earlier seasons of the series, Whitney was sometimes presented in a selfish and materialistic light, but she has grown so much and has experienced her own misfortune, suddenly realizing that perhaps it really is about the power rather than the man, understanding where Audrey and the other women are coming from all too well.

“Why are you still defending him?”

Later in the episode, Whitney comes clean with Colin and he still continues to be there for her, reminding her that she is worthy and special. This reunion is interrupted; however, when both Noah and Helen show up at Whitney’s place to come up with a plan. Helen claims that this is all her fault because of Sasha, but Whitney asks her why she is still defending her father?

Whitney explains that part of the reason why she entered into previous destructive relationships was because of what her father did to her mother and she reminds her father that she has seen how he truly looks at women, “like they’re prey.” Whitney’s awkward encounter with her father in the hot tub comes back up, which is something that Helen was not aware of.

I thought it was important for Whitney to speak her mind here so that Noah can finally see things from another perspective. Maybe he isn’t completely guilty or innocent, but I am really wondering at this point if his story will lead him to an ultimate redemption or to a darker path of destruction? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 8: “You Can’t Just Invent Reality”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 8, I realized that “life is short,” but how should that impact our decisions in the here and now? Should we hold grudges for past mistakes or should we attempt to keep an open mind and heart…even when we have been burned before? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “508,” Helen celebrates her birthday, but ends up dealing with a lot of drama during the festivities. Meanwhile, Noah spirals out of control when he finds out more about the accusations against him. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 8 are:

“She said you’re a genius.”

Part one of the episode follows Helen, as she interviews for a dream job and earns the position. Go Helen! Helen is finally doing something for herself here and I was so proud of her. We also learn that it is her birthday, but she doesn’t seem to like celebrating all that much, but perhaps all she really needs is lasagna with a candle in it rather than a big production, but I’m not really sure that Sasha Mann knows how to be low key and thoughtful.

“It’s about control.”

Helen receives a message on social media from Sasha’s fiancée’s daughter, Christiana, and agrees to meet her for lunch. Christiana explains that Sasha is keeping her own money from her and asks Helen to try and help her reach him. She tells Helen that it’s not about the money…it’s about Sasha maintaining control over his image and I think Helen is finally seeing some more signs of this.

When Sasha shows up with balloons to surprise Helen, he expects her to just drop what she is doing and is very rude to her daughter. It doesn’t look like he’s the one for Helen and I feel like she is about to discover even more about his character.

“She’s amazing.”

During Helen’s part of the episode, we also catch up with Sierra and find out that child protective services is now investigating her after the car accident with baby Eddie. Helen attempts to intervene and recognizes that Sierra needs help, selflessly offering her a place to stay and talking to the child protective services rep on her behalf.

When Sierra’s mother shows up, Sasha tells Helen to stay out of it, but Helen sticks up for Sierra, refusing to just sit by and let her go to some institution. Sierra is constantly put down by her mother, but she does have a moment when she stands up to her.

She tells her mother that Helen is amazing and that she loves her kids even when they make mistakes. Even though Sierra and Helen have a complicated relationship, Helen has clearly been a positive and supportive influence on her life. I was really proud of Sierra here and I’m hoping that everything will work out for her.

“She can’t accuse me if I did nothing wrong…”

Part two of the episode is from Noah’s perspective. Noah is counseled by the legal team and is instructed not to say anything else to the reporter from Vanity Fair. Only Noah refuses to listen to the advice and decides to go see the reporter anyway to clear up his statement.

After Noah explains that he and Eden had a consensual flirtation, Petra continues to ask him questions and shares information on his former student’s book, which also accuses Noah, giving him a very bad reputation.

Things are not looking good for Noah right now, but he walks out of the office when Petra decides to ask him how he felt about Alison’s suicide, suggesting that his depiction of her in his book could have led her to this.

“Walk away right now.”

Even though I’m not a fan of Eden, I was saying the same thing to Noah again and again on my television. Noah meets up with his former lawyer and learns he is in a real mess now, but he decides to track Eden down to clear everything up, even though he is told to do the exact opposite. Noah shows up at a book event and confronts Eden. Eden tells Noah that she is not afraid of him anymore and Noah is shocked by what is happening.

At the end of the episode, Noah comes by to wish Helen a happy birthday, but when Helen gets a call from Petra, it’s clear that things are only going to get worse for Noah. Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 7: “She Needs Someone to Blame”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 7, I realized that it’s never easy making amends. Maybe we make progress and help others around us, but what happens when unfinished business from our past surfaces in the present? Are we still able to push the reset button or do we discover that perhaps we haven’t really learned anything from our past mistakes? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “507,” Noah helps Whitney prepare for her upcoming wedding and runs into an old friend. Meanwhile, Joanie comes face-to-face with Benjamin Cruz, but will she get justice or will she wind up in even more pain? My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 7 are:

“Let’s at least try.”

Part one of the episode follows Noah, as he goes with Whitney to Montauk, helping her with her upcoming wedding. They arrive at Helen’s parents’ house and Bruce is getting worse and worse. He doesn’t know who Noah is, which is clearly putting a lot of stress on Helen’s mother. When the bills start adding up for the wedding, Whitney seems defeated and stressed, but Noah tries to remain calm and says they can figure this out, attempting to make things right for his daughter.

“End of an era…”

Noah and Whitney decide to stop at the Lobster Roll, but they discover that it is very different, as the new owners seem to have a different vision for it. I have to say that the restaurant certainly lost its charm and it looks like everyone is not as friendly as they used to be. This place clearly brings up some memories for Noah, as he reveals to Whitney that this is the place where he first met Alison.

Noah and Whitney bump into Luisa, who is leaving for New York. Noah finds out that she and Cole are separated and that Joanie is going to live with Cole in Vermont. Noah wants to say goodbye to Joanie, but doesn’t make it there in time, but this does close the loop on a few questions I had about Cole during present day.

“You’re trying to make amends.”

I have to say that I was really impressed with Noah during this episode. He really puts Whitney first and tries to make her wedding special for her, ultimately just wanting her to be happy. Whitney confides in her father about her own affair and Noah tries to shed some light on his own past, but this is difficult since it involves their family.

Right before Noah’s part ends, we discover that Eden is claiming that Noah coerced her into a sexual relationship and he receives a call from Vanity Fair about it, which means that Noah’s past is about to come crashing into his present, but is he prepared to deal with his prior actions and take some real responsibility? Even though Eden is probably trying to get something out of this, Noah is not completely innocent either so it will be interesting to see how this all unfolds.

“So glad you are finally here…”

Part two of the episode is from Joanie’s perspective and she finally tracks down Benjamin Cruz. Joanie says her name is Gabrielle and claims she suffers from PTSD. Ben seems to recognize Joanie when she takes off her sunglasses, but he plays along. They even try out EMDR therapy, which is part of what brought Ben and Alison together in the first place.

After the charade is up, Joanie asks Ben if he killed her mother and he says, “Yes.” Ben is not hiding anything from Joanie at this point and asks her, “Have you ever met someone who looked at you…all of you…even the savage parts and they didn’t flinch?” Ben claims to have truly connected with Alison and he says what happened was an accident. Ben wants Joanie to decide his fate now and he seems to be truly sorry, but I’m not buying it and neither should Joanie.

“You can’t touch me now.”

After talking it over with EJ, Joanie decides to call the authorities and they head out to see Ben, but he’s ready for them and says that Joanie is actually his patient. When Joanie signed a paper, she actually signed a release to be a patient and he plays back parts of the recording where Joanie described how she wanted to brutally kill Ben.

No one will believe Joanie now and she ends up attacking Ben, but he defends himself and then begins choking her. Ben realizes that Joanie wants him to put her out of her pain, but does not kill her.

While Joanie has now finally discovered the truth by facing the man who killed her mother, she does not obtain the closure she was looking for, but I’m hoping that there is a way to still bring Ben to justice somehow for Alison and for Joanie. Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

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**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 6: “I Think He Killed Her”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 6, I learned that there can be an ongoing game of tug of war between resilience and trauma. Is it possible to channel trauma to become even stronger or are we destined to be broken, repeating the fate of our parents? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “506,” Joanie meets a man named EJ, who has been studying the Lockhart family history for quite some time. As Joanie uncovers new information behind her mother’s suicide, she begins to realize that perhaps there was more to it. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 6 are:

“If you touch me, I’ll stab you.”

Part one of the episode follows Joanie and I was really happy that part one lasted for the entire episode, as Joanie has deserved some screen time for a while now. We catch up with Joanie in the cemetery and she meets a stranger named EJ. After being momentarily creeped out by his staring, EJ offers to give Joanie a ride and she hesitantly accepts.

EJ studies family histories and is very interested in the Lockhart family tree, explaining that he has a theory on trauma running in families. When he finds out who Joanie is, he is starstruck for sure, but Joanie doesn’t seem to be too interested in what he has to say just yet. That is, until she finds out that she is taking samples at the place where her mother died.

“There’s no way she could have drowned herself in water that shallow.”

After parting ways with EJ temporarily after viewing some old police records, EJ calls her and says he has something to show her. The two watch a breathtaking super moon in the sky, which ends up triggering something within Joanie. Joanie brings up the data on the super moon from the night Alison drowned and realizes that the water where she drowned was extremely shallow, like a bathtub.

This brings up some questions about her death, but Joanie doesn’t seem quite ready to process it, as she decides to sleep with EJ, trying to turn everything off. EJ questions her about her fetish for being choked and becomes a little bit too talkative, which prevents Joanie from truly losing herself…but perhaps she needed this to actually start dealing with the emotions swirling around inside of her.

“Are you sure it was suicide?”

Joanie returns home the next day, but seems extremely irritable and distracted. Joanie’s mom comes to visit and we learn that she is referring to…Luisa! Remember her? Even though I was never a fan of Cole and Luisa’s relationship, I was happy to discover that Luisa remained in Joanie’s life even after she and Cole split up because Joanie needed a lot of support.

Luisa tells Joanie that Cole was the most determined person she ever met and that Joanie reminds her of him in so many ways. Joanie proceeds to tell Luisa that she feels like Alison ruined everything, but it’s clear that she is unable to process the grief that is taking over right now.

“He could do anything.”

After having a meltdown over her oxygen garden failure, Joanie panics and tells her husband, Paul, that she has been cheating on him for years. Paul tells her to get out and Joanie ends up on EJ’s doorstep. She opens up to EJ about her father and we learn that Cole died of a heart attack at age 72.

Joanie blames herself because she thinks that if her father was not alone, he would still be alive. EJ tries to get Joanie to talk about her father, recognizing that she is not allowing herself to feel anything and she tells him that Cole could do anything, bringing up some touching and heartwarming memories.

“I don’t know who the hell Benjamin Cruz is…”

EJ shows Joanie Cole’s box of letters, which he rescued from the trash, and shows Joanie some newspaper clippings about Benjamin Cruz. Joanie initially doesn’t recognize him and I was laughing at EJ’s theory about him being Cole’s lover, but Joanie has a memory about the day she met Ben Cruz, as we see a flashback accompanied with Alison’s voice over. Joanie wakes up suddenly and tells EJ that she remembers that Ben Cruz was her mother’s boyfriend and says, “I think he killed her,” as all of the pieces start to come together now.

Will Joanie be able to uncover the truth? I can’t wait to find out! I’ve been waiting for this episode since the new season started and I thought that it was brilliantly done, giving us the chance to truly understand Joanie and allowing Alison and Cole’s memory to still be present and relevant. Joanie’s coming for you, Ben! Look out!

Justice for Alison Bailey!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

My performance of the week ending 9/28/19 on TV goes to…

Emily Browning as Sierra on Showtime’s The Affair. So, one of the reasons why I love this show so much is because it continues to surprise me. The Affair does a fantastic job of presenting things from different perspectives and it really makes you think a lot.

Sometimes I wonder if both sides truly see things that way or if there is a compromise somewhere in the middle of what really happened, but it’s all left up to interpretation and that’s why this show is so brilliant and thought-provoking. Please note some spoilers are ahead if you are not up-to-date on the series.

I never really cared that much about Sierra’s character in season 4. Sure, she was the fun free spirit next door that kind of shattered Helen and Vic’s world temporarily, but in season 5 episode 5, we got to see her in a completely different light and I’ve been thinking about her performance all week, as it really struck a chord with me.

My first impression of Sierra was that she was used to getting what she wanted, living in a bubble, free of any real responsibility. In season 4, she actually tells Helen that she wants her life and that statement practically becomes reality when she has a brief affair with Vic, which leads to her giving birth to his child.

Motherhood is clearly a lot harder than Sierra had anticipated and she is struggling a lot. After witnessing some of Sierra’s interactions with her overbearing and successful mother, I started to have a lot more sympathy and understanding for Sierra. She constantly tries to tell herself that she is enough, but actually believing that is no easy task when you are constantly being judged and criticized.

Sierra makes some questionable decisions throughout the episode and I honestly worried about her choices as a mother, but it looks like she may have finally had a wake up call after falling asleep at the wheel with her baby in the back seat.

Sierra is more than enough, but perhaps her own dreams may now be different than what she originally imagined for herself. Sierra is responsible for the life of her child and this means she will need to put a lot of her own ambitions on hold, but I’m hoping that she sees that she has a true chance to make someone else feel worthy and enough.

Emily Browning’s performance was inspiring, real, and heartbreaking. I was completely captivated by her during the episode and I even lost track during her part of the episode because I was so engrossed in her story. While a lot of the attention focuses around Noah and Helen (previously around Alison and Cole), I absolutely love that some of the minor characters are getting a chance to tell their own story. In this season, we got to witness things from Janelle’s perspective and Whitney’s, but Sierra’s part truly resonated with me.

What’s next for Sierra? We’ll have to wait and see, but I am really hoping that she turns things around. She is enough and I just want her to see it for herself, but I also want her to realize that she cannot run away from motherhood and that it’s a part of who she is now.

Stay tuned for a recognized performance on TV each week!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 5: “You Are Enough”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 5, I realized that you can tell yourself over and over again that you are enough, but you need to truly believe it. Sometimes that means trusting our instincts and other times that means saying no, but it all comes down to how we view ourselves and perhaps how we want to be viewed. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “505,” Helen prepares to make her official debut as Sasha Mann’s girlfriend, but is constantly pressured by others around her. Meanwhile, Sierra desperately tries to adjust to motherhood, which becomes even more difficult when her own mother arrives in town. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 5 are:

“I’m so sorry…”

Part one of the episode follows Sierra, as she adjusts to motherhood. Sierra has been raising baby Eddie by herself for four months and it is clearly taking a toll on her. Sierra desperately tries to find her balance and tells herself, “Everyday and in every way…today, I am enough.”

Even though the phrase certainly has a nice ring to it and I think I might try it out myself, Sierra has trouble keeping her cool, especially since baby Eddie will not stop crying. Sierra goes to an acting audition and initially thinks she did not do a good enough job, but I am more concerned that she decided to leave baby Eddie in the car during the audition…

“I just didn’t think men like you existed…except in the movies.”

During Helen’s part of the episode, Helen and Sasha appear to be getting closer and Sasha even tells Helen that he loves her. Helen is slightly hesitant, but it looks like she does have strong feelings for Sasha, but things get a little bit overwhelming when she learns that she will be basically making a public debut as Sasha Mann’s girlfriend at a party.

Everyone seems to comment on how “normal” Helen is, which makes me wonder if she is really cut out for the Hollywood lifestyle and we even get to run into an old friend…Noah’s book agent, Eden. Remember her? I have to admit, I was glad to see a little bit of jealousy running across her face when she saw who Helen was dating, especially since she did have a brief affair with Noah as well in the past.

“She’s been like a second mother to me.”

After Sierra lands the role, she is beyond excited, but she suddenly remembers she needs to find someone to watch baby Eddie. After her mother bails on her, she tries to ask Helen, but Helen tells her to figure it out and Stacey offers to watch him. Sierra makes another questionable call by leaving her baby with a 12-year-old, but does end up doing well at her first taping…once she gets out of her head.

Perhaps she should have left it there, but Sierra decides to have some time for herself and ends up doing drugs and sleeping with the director. After stumbling into Helen’s place at 2 am, she decides to take baby Eddie for a drive to calm him down and crashes the car. Luckily, she and Eddie are OK, but I’m hoping that this is a huge wake up call for Sierra.

“I don’t love you anymore.”

During the episode, we also get a brief moment between Noah and Helen. Noah comes to apologize to Helen for his behavior and tells her that he still loves her and wants her back. Helen stays strong; however, and tells Noah that she doesn’t love him anymore and that she’s not sure what the word “love” means to Noah.

While I’m not convinced that Sasha is the better choice for Helen, I was proud of her in this moment. Noah has had so many chances with Helen and he has continued to mess them up. While I appreciate his honesty with Helen, I think that she was right to turn him down here. Go Helen!

“You have everyone fooled.”

Helen tries out saying “no” in this episode, but she starts to have second thoughts about it later on. Vic’s mother, Priya, begs Helen to bring baby Eddie to meet her brother because she doesn’t want everyone in her family to know that Eddie is actually Sierra’s baby. After witnessing Sasha breaking his promise to one of his friends about a movie deal, Helen starts to realize that perhaps Sasha isn’t as perfect as he may seem.

Priya knocks on her door and tells Helen that she has everyone fooled and that Vic told her she was a selfless person. This encounter clearly impacts Helen and I think she is going to start really looking at her choices moving forward. While I want Helen to find happiness for herself, I also don’t want her to turn her back on who she is either.

Overall, I thought this was another revealing and moving episode, but I also want more Joanie screen time. It looks like we will be getting a Joanie-centric episode next week so I am super excited about that. There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding Cole’s death and Alison, so I’m hoping we will finally get to devote some time to that in episode 6. Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 4: “There You Are Noah”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 4, I realized that sometimes one decision can set forth a course of events. If you are given the chance to have everything you ever wanted, would you take it? Sometimes the decision is not always clear cut, but once we get everything we thought we ever wanted, is it enough? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “504,” Noah shows us a glimmer of potential, but continues to be thrown off course by Sasha’s relationship with Helen. Meanwhile, Whitney crosses paths with an ex-boyfriend who could change everything for her and Joanie tries to make a clean start. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 4 are:

“Well for once we want the same thing…”

Part one of the episode follows Noah and the kids seem excited about attending Sasha’s Halloween party, while Helen’s mother disapproves. Noah seems to really be putting forth an effort with both Trevor and Stacey, reminding Helen that he just wants to maintain a healthy and stable co-parenting environment/relationship. Let’s just hope he can keep this up because Noah has the tendency to get distracted and obsessed easily with other things, especially since Helen is still dating Sasha.

“You want her back.”

During Noah’s part of the episode, he runs into the new sheriff in town, Joel, who is just dressing the part for Halloween, but he does point out to Noah that perhaps he wants Helen back. Noah denies this, but then why is he so obsessed with Helen’s decisions? Is it more about Helen or does he feel like Sasha is replacing him?

Noah is upset to discover that Sasha will be credited as the co-writer of the movie based on his book, so I have to wonder where his frustration is really coming from? Helen is taking care of Helen and I wasn’t a fan of Noah trying to leave behind a bra so that she would get angry at Sasha. It just seemed selfish and childish and Noah needs to leave that part of his life behind him.

“Hi Dad.”

Part three of the episode follows Joanie and she decides to start cleaning out Cole’s house. Only she begins throwing out all of the pictures of Alison and Cole as well. She then finds the box of letters that Cole learned about on his trip to Morro Bay and tosses it, which instantly broke my heart and then she stumbles across the chest with Gabriel’s toys. Joanie pauses when she gets to this one, immediately recognizing and understanding the meaning behind it, but she throws it out as well and takes off on Alison’s old bicycle and heads to the cemetery to say hello to her dad.

It looks like Joanie is trying to erase every part of her past, but I’m not sure this is the right answer. I’m looking forward to finding out what actually prompts her to go and find Ben Cruz. She seems willing to part with these reminders of her family, but what makes her want to solve the mystery behind Alison’s death?

“I don’t want to be looked at anymore.”

Part two of the episode is from Whitney’s perspective, which was a nice change of pace. I mentioned in last week’s blog that I wanted to find out more about Whitney’s story so I was pleased to see this. Whitney has been struggling for a while now to get by and her rent is past due. Colin is putting a lot of stress on her since he can’t work and she begins to resent him for it. To make things more complicated, Whitney’s much older ex-boyfriend, Furkat, returns. Remember him from Paris? He begs Whitney for her forgiveness and invites her to a gallery opening, introducing her to some connections along the way.

Later on, Whitney has a conversation with Furkat’s new connection, who asks Whitney, “If you could have everything you ever wanted, what would it look like?” Whitney talks about wanting to open up her own gallery and ends up sleeping with Furkat. The man she spoke to comes in to watch and Furkat explains that he can give her the gallery she is dreaming of. Whitney has come so far as a character, but she gives in here and allows this to happen; wanting to get that much closer to her dreams, but everything has a price.

At the end of her part, she crawls back into bed with Colin and holds on to him, as the guilt of her actions washes over her. I thought this was a revealing and vulnerable moment for Whitney and I started to think about how similar she is to both her mother and father. Helen warned her daughter about not giving up her dreams for a man, while Noah has always put his dreams above all else in some regards, so you have to wonder which side of the scale Whitney will ultimately end up on?

“Because I’m her father.”

It’s been a while since I have given a Noah moment my number one spot, but I have to say that I was impressed by his loyalty to his daughter, Stacey. After Stacey gets her period for the first time, she locks herself in the bathroom. Noah asks Helen’s mother to help out and puts her in her place, reminding her that he is Stacey’s father and he is not going to leave her side. Helen’s mother is actually impressed by this and says, “There you are Noah…welcome back.”

Stacey is grateful that her father stands by her and they are absolutely adorable heading into Sasha’s Halloween party. Too bad Noah makes some bad decisions after this, but his moment with Stacey reminded us that perhaps Noah needs to put aside Noah, the writer…Noah, the director…Noah, the lover and just simply focus on being a good father. Can he stay on track? Stay tuned!

I hope you enjoyed the list and feel free to post your own theories and thoughts on The Affair below in the comments section. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

[twitter-follow screen_name=’TV_Fanatic_Girl’]

Have a performance on TV that you think is simply outstanding? Feel free to contact me with your nomination for the week by Friday at midnight!

The Dreaming of Wonderland Book Series is available here!

Free Instant Preview of The Search for Alice is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe. Thanks for your support!

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