Drugs, Drinking, and a Meltdown: Season 2, Episode 4 of ‘The Affair’

This week, Showtime’s drama focused on the consequences of Noah and Helen’s marital breakdown—with drugs and alcohol on one side, and a sad journey into the night on the other. Shop ▾ As Helen, Maura Tierney just supplied Affair fans with the standout scene of the second season so far. Drunk and slugging wine by the gulpful, she kicks off her shoes, strips down, and throws family laundry baskets to the four winds, to the tune of Lucinda Williams’s “Changed the Locks.” An extra treat: Sunday’s episode was directed by John Dahl of The Last Seduction and Red Rock West fame, and also, more recently, Breaking Bad and House of Cards, among others. There are some visually arresting elements...