‘Aff air’ regroups, finds way back to original premise

After three seasons, it felt as if we’d arrived at a natural end for “The Affair,” the absorbing Showtime psychological drama about relationships and conflicting viewpoints.

When last we saw Noah Solloway (Dominic West), his marriage to Alison (Ruth Wilson) was kaput, he’d served time in prison for a vehicular manslaughter he didn't commit, and he was getting over a painkiller addiction.

After so much runaround, Noah was seen standing outside the brownstone belonging to his first wife, Helen (Maura Tierney), peering at her good luck: She’d gained custody of their children and fell in love with Vic (Omar Metwally), the family's handsome pediatric surgeon. It seemed appropriate to leave Noah outside that circle of happiness; even in those scenes — told from his point of view — Noah tended to be an entitled jerk.

But wait: There's more.

Season four, which premiered on Sunday, capably reignites the show's original allure, discarding some unnecessary bloat and focusing once more on the basic premise of “The Affair” — that no two people will ever view the same occurrences and facts the same way. The show also addresses the issue of long and unintended consequences — mistakes that reroute entire lives.

The premiere Sunday skipped ahead a decent amount of time. Helen and Vic are married and living with Helen’s two younger children in Los Angeles. Noah has moved to L.A., too, in an attempt to remain close to his kids. He teaches English at a charter school in Compton, where he views himself as a literary savior for • “The Affair” is shown at 9 p.m. Sundays on Showtime.

disengaged students. Back on Long Island, there's Alison, whose affair with Noah launched a hundred doomed ships. She now works as a counselor and raises her daughter, Joanie. A group of eager investors are about to buy the franchise rights to the successful lobster-roll restaurant Alison owns with her ex-husband, Cole (Joshua Jackson). In his world, Cole tries to placate his restless wife, Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno), who has realized in the Trump era that her chances for full citizenship are slim to none.

While reacquainting ourselves with these characters, there's an almost inexorable pull into their lives. Alison meets a potential new love, a veteran named Ben (Ramon Rodriguez), who, from her perspective, is charming and honest; Cole’s take on the man differs significantly. And in Tierney's superb portrayal of Helen, we see how her take on the same argument with Noah still varies wildly from his.

Along with the emotional messiness, “The Affair” feels dutybound to include some drama or menace with each season. Through moments of flashing forward and back, viewers will figure out that Allison has gone missing and Noah has returned to Montauk to help Cole look for her.

There's quite a bit of subplot here, and it leaves one wondering whether the producers might ever trust “The Affair” to exist purely on its more intimate moments, without needing a crime or a mystery to solve along the way.

The shenanigans in “The Affair” are never as good as its simpler sins.