Let Joshua Jackson Explain How to Watch The Affair and Stop Worrying About the Truth

Maura Tierney and Ruth Wilson also weigh in with their thoughts about the truth on the Showtime drama

The Affair introduced some new things this season: full-frontal male nudity, new characters, and oh yeah, two new point of views. We're now seeing Noah's side of the story, Alison's story, Cole's perspective and Helen's version of what's happening. So which is the truth?

"I don't know. I used to think mine was more truthful 'cause everyone does, they're written more three-dimensionally, your own version, so they always feel more truthful. But I don't know," Ruth Wilson told E! News News at The Affair's PaleyFest New York panel. "You keep sort of playing other versions or your version becomes ridiculous… I don't know, I think mine is, for my character, is the truth."

They're all telling the truth. But not really.

"It's interesting because a lot of the critics are bothered by the unreliable narrator and who's telling the real truth—that's the reason I like the show," Maura Tierney told us. "I don't think anybody really tells the real truth. I think they can't because we're experiencing this moment, you and I at the same time, very differently and we're going to remember it differently and both think it's the truth. And both are. I enjoy that a lot about the show."

Still confused about who and what to believe? Let Joshua Jackson explain.

"I think the best way to try and unlock this story, to unlock the narrative is to stop struggling with the objective truth as though any one of the characters might be lying. I think if you just accept that each person is telling their own version of the truth—it's a slightly uncomfortable place as an audience member—but it's ultimately up to you to figure out what seems the realest when you put that pastiche together," Jackson told us. "I don't think that the story [co-creator Sarah Treem] is trying to tell is these people are liars, it's only that their internal monologue, their version of reality, does have some wide variances. And then, to be fair…I think we went over the top at the end of last season. I think a lot of audience just went, 'No way, it's just too much,' and that's always going to be the tension of our show is sort of trying to find what the sweet spot is of how much we can have variance inside of these scenes without breaking the suspension of disbelief for the audience."

There you have it. Sit back. Relax. Enjoy The Affair.

The Affair airs Sundays, 10 p.m. on Showtime. Flashback to the first season with the video below.