Ep 3. Episode 3

The Affair season 5 episode 3 continues to follow the personal and professional lives of the characters in the show. The episode begins with Helen visiting Sasha Mann's set, where she meets up with Noah and Sasha. Both men are bitter with each other and spend the initial minutes of the episode exchanging insults. As soon as the three of them catch up, they take a tour of the studio where Sasha is shooting his current movie. Helen seems quite impressed with the studio and the magnitude of the film production.

While the trio is touring the studio, Sasha receives bad news about his movie and becomes dejected, which puts a damper on the day. Sasha becomes desperate to get his movie back on track, but seems to be on the losing end of the conversation. Meanwhile, Helen takes a moment to make a phone call to her mother and learns unexpected truths about her parents' sexuality. They remain in shock for the remainder of the day.

In the second half of the episode, we see Sasha, Noah, and Helen having dinner with Vik's mother, who is upset with Helen for speaking with the kids about their father's suicide, which she feels is too soon to address. During dinner, a heated argument ensues between Noah and Sasha, which gets further amplified as the evening wears on. Noah expresses his frustration with Sasha's method of directing, which he feels diminishes the intensity of the movie. Sasha takes the criticism harshly, and their argument turns into a physical altercation between the two men.

Meanwhile, Helen is trying to calm them down, but it seems to be having no effect. Vik's mother is shocked and leaves the restaurant. The altercation ends as abruptly as it started; Sasha leaves on his own accord, and Noah and Helen head back home. The incident appears to have a sobering effect on the two as they silently make their way back home.

Finally, once they reach home, Noah seems to be in a reflective state of mind where he thinks about how much his life has changed, and how much more change could come in the future. He confesses to Helen that he feels like she has moved on from their relationship, and that its been hard for him to come to terms with it. Helen reassures him that she was only coping with a tough situation in her own way. In the scene, the emotion was palpable, making the scene one of the most stirring of the season.

To summarize, The Affair season 5 episode 3 is an intense episode that showcases the personal and professional lives of each of the characters and their daily struggles. It's an episode of emotional revelations and conflicts that reflect the complicated nuances of human relationships. Ultimately, the episode ends on a poignant note of realism that leaves the viewer in a melancholic state.