Caution: Spoilers for the penultimate episode of The Affair Season 4 lie ahead.
While discussing her exit from The Affair in an interview, actress Ruth Wilson, who portrayed Alison, confirmed that she had left the series. You are therefore probably unlikely to see her pop up in The Affair's fifth and final season. Even though Alison was killed off in Episode 8, she appeared in Episode 9, so anything could theoretically happen. Ruth Wilson was recently asked about word circulating that she wanted to leave the series. Wilson responded by saying:
Um, I did want to leave, but I'm not allowed to talk about why.
Suffice it to say, that was a bit of a record-scratching moment when it occurred on the CBS This Morning. Visibly taken aback by Ruth Wilson saying she could not disclose why she wanted to leave the show, Gayle King attempted to gain some clarity.
Gayle King asked about the issue of pay parity, which King said she had heard a disagreement over was the reason behind Ruth Wilson's decision to exit the show. When asked point blank about whether a dispute about money had come into the equation, Ruth Wilson offered a succinct reply, saying:
I've never complained to Showtime about pay parity.
To break down the situation, Ruth Wilson wanted to leave The Affair. At the same time, Wilson says she is not at liberty to discuss why she wanted to leave it. Following Wilson's interview, Showtime reacted, telling THR that going into Season 4, "everyone" had agreed Alison's story arc "run its course."
Following the episode wherein it is revealed that Alison has died, The Affair's showrunner revealed that Wilson had requested to leave the show before ground was broken writing Season 4. The Affair will have one more season before coming to an end with Season 5. With another season still to go, the bombshell death of the show's co-lead and the subsequent mystery surrounding her death has hugely impacted the series.
And The Affair dealt viewers another shocking blow when it depicted two versions of events that transpired leading up to her death between Alison and her love interest Ben. While the police believe Alison died by suicide, the latter of the two sequences depicted Alison being murdered by Ben. So which version does Ruth Wilson believe it is? Wilson said:
I think it's murder. It's not entirely clear, and also, is it the fantasy version is the first half and the second half is reality? I'm not coming back, so she's dead.
It is unclear how much longer the mystery will go on before being solved. But with Alison's death being revealed so late in the season, it would be surprising to have the mystery surrounding it resolved before Season 4 ends. Not to mention, there is still another season for the show to sift through the mystery. As for Ruth Wilson's interview, you can watch it below:
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.
