Montauk Archives - TV Fanatic Girl

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 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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Ranking the top 5 moments from “The Affair” season 5 episode 3: “You Are Allowed To Say No”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 3, I realized that sometimes it takes “an enormous fall from grace” in order for someone to come full circle. But what if you can’t see this redemption for yourself? Does that mean that it is incomplete or is it possible that you went right back to where you started without learning anything? Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “503,” it seems like Noah is on a new path, but his obsession over Helen continues to cloud his better judgment. Meanwhile, Helen grows closer to Sasha and Joanie meets a stranger, revealing some darkness within her. My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 3 are:

“You remind me of your mother…”

Part one of the episode follows Noah and we witness him having dinner with his daughter, Whitney. Whitney seems stressed and beyond exhausted, but Noah is concerned that perhaps she is jumping into a wedding with Colin a little bit too quickly, especially since his green card depends on it. Noah knows that his daughter will not listen to him, hoping to convince Helen to talk some sense into her, but I’m interested to find out more about Whitney’s story.

Whitney has been on and off the show so I’m hoping to see some character growth and development for her, but I’m worried about whether or not Colin has true feelings for her. I’m also wondering if Noah will finally be able to repair the damage between them or if he will always feel like an outsider to his own family?

“How’s that working out?”

During Noah’s part of the episode, he receives a call from Janelle. We learn that Janelle never returned his phone calls after Vic’s funeral and that they haven’t spoken in three months. Noah agrees to meet Janelle in person so she can explain things and he discovers that she is running for the school board and is back together with Carl.

Janelle wants to make sure that Noah will keep things quiet about their past relationship since it could damage her campaign and I’m wondering if we will see more of this developed. I’m not surprised that things didn’t work out between Noah and Janelle, but I also want to keep her relevant on the show so some secrets may have to be leaked in order for this happen.

“You are one sick bitch…”

Part three of the episode follows Joanie and once again, we only get a few minutes to follow her, which is starting to irritate me slightly. I’m really hoping that these little bits and pieces will lead to a much bigger part of the puzzle because I feel like Joanie deserves a lot more screen time, but I am trusting in executive producer, Sarah Treem to seamlessly connect everything in a satisfying way. I guess that just goes to show that I am very invested in Joanie’s character and I want to know more!

Joanie sits at a bar in Montauk and lies about having children to the bartender, asking him if she looks like someone who would have kids. The two go back to Cole’s old house and have rough sex, as Joanie proceeds to slap the stranger in order to feel something.

There is clearly darkness and some kind of void inside of Joanie, but I’m worried about this dark path that she is headed on. I’m really hoping that discovering the truth behind Alison’s death will give her some kind of peace of mind because it looks like she is beyond damaged and I want so much more for Alison and Cole’s daughter.

“You’re very territorial.”

In the beginning of the episode, Noah is doing an interview for Vanity Fair and the journalist asks him, “Would you say that the redemption of Noah Solloway is complete?” Noah is unable to answer this, proving once again that perhaps Noah doesn’t have a clue about who he really is or who he is meant to be.

Later in the episode, Noah becomes obsessed when watching Helen and Sasha, reminding me of the crazy Noah we saw in season 3 after he was in prison. I didn’t like this Noah and I don’t want to see him return, but I think that Sasha was on to something. Sasha tells Noah that he can’t see himself and that’s why he doesn’t understand his character. But I have to wonder if Noah will ever be able to truly see himself or if he will forever be trapped in the past, wallowing in self-pity, unable to ever be satisfied?

“You don’t have to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.”

Sasha has some pretty great lines in this episode and I think that he may be the unlikely voice of reason for both Noah and Helen. However, I still don’t completely trust him. Helen and Sasha’s relationship has advanced to the next level, but is Helen truly ready to move on? Helen has a lot to deal with, including the news of her father’s declining health and allowing Sierra and baby Eddie to stay under her roof. Sasha reminds Helen that she can say no, but it seems like Helen may be using Sasha as an escape.

I honestly just want Helen to find some kind of happiness, but I’m not sure that Sasha is her knight in shining armor. Perhaps Helen doesn’t need a boyfriend anymore as she mentioned to her son earlier. I just think she needs to truly love and appreciate herself, but it will be interesting to see what happens next now that Sasha has gained more of her trust.

The Affair still has me hooked and I can’t wait to find out more! 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 2: “Be A Little Selfish”

Happy Sunday TV fans! After watching Showtime’s The Affair season 5 episode 2, I realized that sometimes we have to take some much needed time for ourselves. A lot of times it may seem routine or necessary to deflect our own feelings and worry about what is going on around us, but you also don’t want to lose who you are in the process. Perhaps it’s more about finding a balance, but taking care of ourselves can help more than we realize. Please note spoilers are ahead if you have not gotten a chance to watch the latest episode yet.

In tonight’s episode, “502,” we see things from Janelle’s point of view, reminding us that Noah really is completely oblivious and off in his own world sometimes. Meanwhile, Helen bonds with Sasha and Joanie takes a work trip up to Montauk, but will she find the answers she is looking for? My top 5 moments from The Affair season 5 episode 2 are:

“Girlfriend is a strong word.”

Part one of the episode follows Janelle, as we see things from her perspective during Vic’s funeral, which really helped fill in some blanks since we know that Janelle did disappear several times. I am a big fan of Sanaa Lathan and I love the character of Janelle. She is strong, opinionated, and brilliant.

Noah says that he can’t wait for Janelle to get to know his family, but the whole situation is slightly awkward and a bit overwhelming, especially when Helen’s father mistakes her for the help and Noah’s daughter, Whitney, points out how she is super excited that her dad is dating a woman of color.

Janelle does her best to deal with these inappropriate side comments with grace, but you have to wonder how long her relationship will last with Noah? I personally think that Janelle is out of his league, but I am trying to keep an open mind here.

“Are you always this honest?”

Three months later, we see things from Helen’s perspective, as she agrees to go on set with Noah and Whitney. Noah was under the impression that they were shooting a harmless family scene, but Helen actually has to watch a reenactment of the moment when she found Alison’s bra in her drawer. Helen is clearly going through a lot after Vic’s death and is speaking her mind even more than usual.

She is not intimidated when meeting celebrity, Sasha Mann, and she points out that the character based on Helen should really be more of a bitch. Sasha appreciates her feedback and thinks that Helen is quite extraordinary and I have to say that I agree!

“Montauk…”

I was worried that we were not going to get a chance to check in with Joanie at all during this episode, but we do get some time with her. Joanie is seen throwing up in the toilet, but wants to cover it up. Does this mean that she is pregnant or is something else going on here? Joanie is just as guarded and secretive as her mother and she has been trying to keep busy with work. Joanie accepts an assignment out in Montauk and tells her husband that she will be staying in her dad’s old house.

When Joanie arrives, Montauk seems like a ghost town and her fingerprint is not recognized at the house. Joanie decides to break in and it looks like she is about to discover even more ghosts as this story unfolds, but will she be able to uncover the truth behind Alison’s murder? I’m also curious to find out more about how Cole died and I am very interested in this story-line, as this keeps the story of Alison and Cole alive for us.

“Don’t come from within. Come from above.”

After Janelle discovers that she is now being offered a co-principal job with a young white male teacher with very little experience, she decides to go visit her ex-husband, Carl, to get some legal advice. Janelle will have to take a pay cut and Joel will be the face of the position, while she will get stuck doing all of the administrative work, which hardly seems fair. Carl initially presents her the facts, but it’s clear that Janelle is looking for some real support here.

Janelle says that she doesn’t play well with others, but I honestly like that about her. She tells it how it is and sometimes you need that in order to maintain structure and she has been trying to create some real change within the school district, which is pretty much what she was hired to do. Carl presents her with an alternative idea and tells her to run for the school board, which would really shake things up.

This would certainly be a huge change for Janelle, but she also decides to pick things up with Carl romantically again, which could have some interesting consequences. I already assumed that her relationship would not last very long with Noah, but is she ready to jump back into a failed marriage? We’ll have to wait and see, but I hope we get some more screen time for Janelle because she is fantastic.

“Live now for us both.”

Helen reluctantly agrees to meet with Sasha Mann and she even lets loose to play some basketball, but things go south when Sasha hits her right in the face with the ball. Helen feels sick and has a slight breakdown and Sasha actually handles it quite well and tries to support Helen. Helen explains that she wasn’t prepared for how permanent death is, opening up a little bit here.

When Helen returns home, she finally plays Vic’s recording for her and he tells her to “be a little selfish,” understanding that Helen is probably keeping her grief to herself to stay strong for everyone around her, but that she needs to be happy and enjoy life for the both of them.

I thought this was an important moment for Helen and Vic really touched on some of the points I made in last week’s blog about Helen enjoying life so I was happy to hear him say something similar. Is Helen finally ready to move on? Let’s hope so!

The ladies of The Affair are certainly holding my undivided attention as we sink deeper back into the ocean. 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!

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