The WORST episodes of The Affair
Every episode of The Affair ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Affair!
At once deeply observed and intriguingly elusive, The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher and novelist who is happily married, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of a tragedy. Set in Montauk at the end of Long Island, the provocative drama unfolds separately from both the male and female perspectives, using the distinct memory biases of both to tell the story.
#1 - Episode 11
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/3/2019
It’s Whitney’s wedding day and everything comes full circle.
#2 - Episode 1
Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/17/2018
Noah struggles to adjust to his new life after moving to Los Angeles to be closer to his kids. He attempts to reach a gifted but troubled student while under the stern eye of the school's principal. Helen finally discovers the source of her anxiety, only to be blindsided by a new catastrophe. Season premiere.
#3 - Episode 2
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/24/2018
Cole tries to keep Alison’s behavior from ruining an important deal while Luisa’s legal status threatens their future. An encounter with a local surfer leads Cole to question if he’s the same person he used to be. Alison is saved by a handsome stranger.
#4 - Episode 3
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 7/1/2018
Noah’s attempt to teach his students a lesson in civil duty spirals out of control. Helen can’t handle Vik’s decision and goes behind his back, only to find resistance everywhere she turns.
#5 - Episode 4
Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/8/2018
Alison and Ben dig into her past and begin confronting her fears. Cole’s relationship with Alison is jeopardizing his marriage to Luisa.
#6 - Episode 6
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/22/2018
Noah supports Anton in a decision about his future which puts Janelle in a complicated spot with her ex-husband. Alison makes a surprising discovery about her father, and another about Ben that eventually leads her back to Noah.
#7 - Episode 7
Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/29/2018
Helen goes to Joshua Tree in search of meaning. Noah and Anton begin an adventure with high hopes until an ominous phone call alters their course.
#8 - Episode 10
Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/19/2018
Noah and Anton visit Yale where Noah encounters an old friend. An immensely difficult day forces Cole and Luisa to reexamine their relationship. Helen gets a new perspective on life.
#9 - Episode 1
Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/25/2019
Noah embarks on his journey with the Descent movie by getting acquainted with his star, Sasha Mann. Helen mourns a tragic event. Sierra welcomes a new arrival. Joanie struggles with an upcoming birthday.
#10 - Episode 2
Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/1/2019
Janelle struggles with her relationship and work, so turns to Carl for support. Production for Descent commences, and Sasha takes an interest in Helen. Helen takes her first steps towards acceptance.
#11 - Episode 4
Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/15/2019
Noah, Margaret and Stacey bond over their mutual distaste for Sasha. Noah attempts to sabotage Helen and Sasha’s relationship. Whitney and Colin face the hardships of their relationship. Joanie visits the graveyard.
#12 - Episode 5
Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/22/2019
Sierra struggles to balance motherhood with her burgeoning acting career. Sierra’s mother visits uninvited. Helen works her first design gig and begins to focus on herself.
#13 - Episode 6
Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/29/2019
In Montauk for work, Joanie becomes acquainted with EJ. Together, they explore Joanie’s family history, leading her to question the cause of her mother's death. Rattled, she starts to make some self-destructive decisions.
#14 - Episode 7
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/6/2019
Noah and Whitney travel to Montauk to begin planning the wedding. Noah gets a concerning call. Armed with new information about her mother's death, Joanie confronts a stranger.
#15 - Episode 8
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/13/2019
Allegations against Noah surface and he seeks guidance on how to handle the situation. Helen celebrates a birthday and protects Sierra during an extremely trying time.
#16 - Episode 9
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/20/2019
As controversy swirls around Noah, Helen and Whitney must decide where their allegiances lie.
#17 - Episode 10
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/27/2019
As wildfires threaten Los Angeles, Helen and Noah are forced to run for their lives and confront old wounds along the way.
#18 - Episode 3
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/8/2019
Sasha proposes adjustments to Noah’s script. Sasha’s relationship with Helen blossoms, and Noah takes notice. Bruce’s condition worsens. Joanie’s business trip leads to violent encounters.
#19 - Episode 6
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 1/1/2017
An unexplained absence sends Helen on a journey of increasingly troublesome discoveries. Compelled to return to a place he's spent his life trying to escape, Noah attempts to repair his relationship with Martin.
#20 - Episode 5
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/1/2015
Alison is thrown by a shift in behavior from her hosts, and furious with Noah after a chance discovery. Cole rejects Scotty's plan to make money - but not before Scotty catches him in a situation best kept secret.
#21 - Episode 7
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 1/8/2017
Helen gives Noah the help he needs - but at what cost? At his absolute weakest, Noah's world has never seemed more hostile or bewildering. A vital moment of release turns suddenly into something that can't be undone.
#22 - Episode 8
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/7/2014
Distracted by her burgeoning small business, Helen tasks Noah with representing the family at a literary award ceremony for her father, Bruce. A chance encounter with Alison and her grandmother leads to an uncomfortable truth.
#23 - Episode 4
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/2/2014
In order to spend time together apart from their families, Noah and Alison take a day trip to remote Block Island. But as the two grow closer, they quickly learn that intimacy can be a double-edged sword.
#24 - Episode 10
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/2015
Noah grapples with essential questions. Alison begins to doubt a recent ambition, and renewed interactions with the Lockhart brothers force her to consider a harrowing possibility.
#25 - Episode 8
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/15/2017
An unexpected cause to celebrate provokes a sobering realization in Alison. Soon after, a startling warning leaves her pondering the unthinkable. Cole's frustrations with Alison come to a head, revealing a radical truth.