There are very few shows in the history of television that end with an old man dancing by himself on a cliff. There are even fewer that could have ever made such an idea work. Yet thats exactly how The Affair concluded its five season run this past Sunday (November 3), with a Fiona Apple cover of The Waterboys The Whole of the Moon. And it was as beautifully glorious as it was bizarre. Spoilers ahead for The Affairs finale.

All throughout The Affair Season 5 the Showtime drama has been jumping between present day and another timeline set several decades in the future. Initially that time jump was justified as Joanie (Anna Paquin) tried to piece together what really happened to her late mother. But as Season 5s finale reveals, that initial murder mystery premise was never what this show was angling for at all. The ending of The Affair was ultimately about the same thing as its beginning: coming to terms with mistakes, whether they be mistakes made in your parents lifetime or yours. Naturally The Affair decided to illustrate this final lesson with one of the most mistake-prone and unrelenting characters ever created, Noah Solloway (Dominic West).

The Affairs final episode was written and directed by series co-creator Sarah Treem. For years now weve seen Noah commit sin after sin, from cheating on his wife and ruining a happy marriage to becoming the center of a #MeToo scandal. Noah has always been a mess, and at least until this final season, he was a mess who was rarely held accountable for him many, many mistakes. That changed once his daughter Whitney (Julia Goldani Telles), disgusted by all of the pain her father has inflicted on so many people, uninvited him from her wedding.

This is far from the first time Noah has been called out for being an asshole. But before the finality of missing his daughters wedding, Noahs comeuppance always seemed to come with a side of pleasure. He ruined his marriage only to have a relatively healthy relationship with Alison (Ruth Wilson). He was falsely imprisoned only for that jail time to lead him to his next great novel and countless job offers. Were deeply aware of how Noah typically responds in situations where he is called out, through bouts of anger, blame, and an uncomfortable habit of lashing out. But faced with his own daughters scorn, Noah doesnt do that. For once he accepts that he is the one in the wrong. He has hurt Whitney, his children, and his ex-wife Helen (Maura Tierney), and he has to pay for that pain.

So when Helen asks Noah to leave the wedding venue after hes finished choreographing a flash mob for Whitneys reception, for once he doesnt fight. He doesnt lash out at Helen or argue with Whitney, pointing to the fact that he almost single-handedly planned her wedding. He meekly leaves the venue and stays away. For the first time Noah demonstrates something akin to humility.

Thats what makes his final dance in Montauk so remarkable. Yes, on the surface it is Dominic West in questionable prosthetic makeup dancing alone in silence. But in the context of this show this dance is the remembrance of a single time Noah put the needs of his family before his own. In that moment hes just an old man with fond, happy memories about his family.

If Apples Container was an internal scream about self-improvement and unseen pain, then The Whole of the Moon is its opposite. Its a celebration of life, understanding, and finally being able to see the big picture. Its right there in the songs lyrics: I saw the crescent / You saw the whole of the moon. This final moment with Noah is one of joy and self-acceptance.

The Affair started with a group of broken people who thought their only hope at self-betterment was to break each other further. Throughout five seasons and countless hookups they did a damn good job of doing just that to the misery of everyone involved. But The Affair ended with at least one of its tumultuous characters realizing that real love and happiness comes from vulnerability. As silly as Noahs dance was, thats a thing of beauty.

Watch The Affair on Showtime

Excerpt from:
Fiona Apple's Cover of "The Whole of the Moon" Was the Perfect Ending to 'The Affair' - Decider