Season two of The Affair explores the emotional and psychological effects of an affair that destroyed two marriages, and the crime that brings these individuals back together. The provocative drama is told separately from four different perspectives, revealing four distinct truths. Wilson plays Alison, a young woman attempting to move on from tragedy and build a lasting relationship while contending with the judgment of others and her own self-doubt. Her lover Noah (West) is a burgeoning writer trying to balance the temptations of success, the family he left behind, and the woman he loves. Noah's former wife Helen (Tierney) is attempting to piece her life together while navigating divorce proceedings care for her children, and her parents' noxious influence. Jackson plays Cole, Alison's former husband struggling to overcome past heartbreak and start a promising new life.