Final Season of ‘The Affair’ on Showtime Aug. 25

The fifth and final season of drama The Affair starts on Showtime Aug. 25. Sarah Treem created the show and Dominic West, Maura Tierney and Sanaa Lathan are in the cast.

Anna Paquin has joined the cast for season five.

Season five finds the characters coming to terms with the consequences of their choices as they make the realization that if they really want to change their futures, they must first face the past. Helen (Tierney) has an intoxicating affair with a movie star (guest star Claes Bang). Noah (West) has to swallow his pride and jealousy and step in to take care of his family in her absence. Paquin stars as Alison and Cole’s adult daughter Joanie Lockhart, who returns some years in the future to piece together the truth about what happened to her mother, bringing the whole story full circle.

Related: ‘On Becoming a God in Central Florida’ Premieres on Showtime Aug. 25

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.