The Affair shocked viewers with the way it brought Alison Bailey's time on the series to an end. In a surprising move, the show revealed Alison had died in the eighth episode of the Showtime series' currently airing fourth season. As television fans know, death is a prevalent, if not always-used, exit strategy that series implore in the event of an actor vacating a series. So, did Ruth Wilson have any say in how Alison left the show? And what would her dream ending for her have been? Wilson said:
No, I had no say over how the character's arc was going to end, or how she would die and leave. I always hoped that she would ... I always had the image that she would walk into the sunset with her son with no man. That's what I hoped for her. But no.
Ruth Wilson's comments regarding Alison's exit story to Vulture come following an interview with CBS This Morning, wherein she discussed her exit from the series. While she acknowledged she wanted to leave, she said she was not allowed to reveal the reason why. When asked if her desire to exit The Affair was due to an issue relating to pay parity, she clarified that she had "never complained" to Showtime regarding that.
While the mystery of why Ruth Wilson wanted to exit The Affair remains open, how Wilson would have liked to have seen Alison leave the show has been solved. The Affair's choice to have Alison die has spawned further mystery into how exactly she perished. While the police investigating her death ruled it a suicide, the show posited two scenarios in the time leading up to her death. In the first sequence, she and her boyfriend Ben reconcile after he confesses he is married, leaving the possibility open to suicide.
In the second scenario, a fight ensues between Alison and Ben, and he ends up killing her. Ruth Wilson hasoffered her opinion on which of the two dueling scenarios she thought contained the true nature of Alison's death. Wilson said she believed it was the second version that depicted Alison being murdered by Ben. She added that it was not clear.
Time will tell if Ruth Wilson's thought is the correct one. Either way, Alison's death has rocked The Affair, and the show will continue to grapple with the implications of her passing. There is only one episode left of the current season. Fans will have to tune in to see if The Affair reveals the truth surrounding Alison's death in the Season 4 finale. There is a whole other season before the show concludes for good, so fans may have to wait for Season 5 before it is revealed.
The Season 4 finale of The Affair airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. For new television shows set to arrive this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres. For the new television premiering this summer to keep you busy until fall comes, check out CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide.
