The first three series of a drama hailed by fans as a 'masterpiece' and the best 'ever made' are currently streaming in the UK free of charge. The Affair premiered in 2014 and focuses on a tumultuous romance between schoolteacher Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and grieving waitress Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson), both of whom are married when they hit it off at a diner where Alison works.
A Trailblazing Psychological Drama
The show is described in ITVX's teaser blurb as a 'trailblazing psychological drama about desire, betrayal and the emotional fallout of an affair'. The Affair was lauded for its rich exploration of complex relationships and clever narrative conceit of showing events from the perspective of different characters, a technique made famous by Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. It was created by Sarah Treem and Hagai Levi and ran for five seasons, wrapping up in 2019.
Fan Reactions and Praise
Fans have flocked to IMDb to praise the drama. One gave it a 10/10 calling it 'best tv show ever'. 'They don't make tv shows like this,' they added. 'This is drama at its best. Superb writing and cast of actors, so much talent in this one show. I wished there were 10 seasons of this because it never gets old, it never gets tiring or dull or pointless like many other shows do.'
'Probably season 4 is my favourite because we have travelled so far with these characters that they feel like friends now or people we care about, so human and so fragile and imperfect and real,' they continued.
Another fan said they were 'sucked in immediately and ended up binge watching' it. 'Very good acting and what I love about it is, the depiction of every character's different perspectives in each episode,' they added. 'It is such an honest, insightful representation of life and the truth that all human beings experience and see things differently.'
A third described it as a 'beautiful story of cause & effects', saying the final season 'deeply ties up the entire series in a nice well done bow'.
Viewer Discretion and Streaming Details
The hard-hitting show's episodes have 15 certificates and confront drug use, violence, and self-harm, so viewer discretion is advised. In March, the first three seasons of The Affair were added to ITVX where you can watch them for free with ads. The broadcaster previously confirmed that the fourth series will be added in the summer and the fifth in 2027. You can also stream all five seasons on Paramount, or buy individual episodes on YouTube.
