It’s rare for “The Affair” to dump a full-fledged heel like Adeline on its audience, and for good reason. The show’s characters have always thrived on nuance, contrast, even contradiction — characteristics that render clear-cut heroes and villains obsolete. That’s what makes Adeline a misfire, even in the hands of an actor as gifted as Leigh. Debuting as she does in Sierra’s first P.O.V. segment, before we’ve had a chance to see much of the world through her daughter’s eyes, she comes across as a grinning, oblivious monster. She’s a one-note character, and that one note nearly drowns out this entire section of the episode.

I reviewed this week’s episode of The Affair, which contained a rare misstep, for the New York Times.