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The drama surrounding The Affair's final Season 5 has been thick, with star Ruth Wilson recently hinting there was more behind her Season 4 exit than the desire to tell a good story. Now, the situation just got more interesting, as one of the show's other stars may be out ahead of the final season as well. It's being reported that Joshua Jackson is quitting and is unlikely to return to The Affair to play Cole Lockhart, which could throw a wrench in the storytelling for the final season.
As of this writing, Showtime has declined to comment on the report that Joshua Jackson will not return to The Affair. The circumstances behind Jackson's potential exit from the series are unknown, with EW reporting the actor had only been under contract for the first couple seasons and was signing on for additional episodes as they came. The news allegedly comes in the midst of the writing staff figuring out what to do with Cole in the final season, and whether wrapping up Cole's story would take one episode or more.
There's very little information to go on at this point, and potentially several possible explanations as to why Joshua Jackson may not return to The Affair in Season 5. Jackson might not have been happy with the show's plan for his character, or he may have gotten another gig and informed the staff they needed to find a way to live with his story ending in Season 4. There's also a possibility Jackson's decided to abstain from the final season after learning of Ruth Wilson's secret reason for leaving, or his exit simply amounted to another creative decision by the show's writers.
Joshua Jackson's exit could provide somewhat of an unsatisfying end to the character of Cole Lockhart, who was going through a lot of things in The Affair's Season 4 finale. Cole was just about to end his marriage to reunite with his ex-wife, but, ultimately, decided to reconcile with his current wife following Alison's death. Fans would undoubtedly like to see if that decision works out for him, considering that the finale also revealed Cole interrupted Alison's funeral service by stealing and then running away with her ashes. The move would appear to hint that moving on won't be as simple for Cole as some of the others coping with Alison's passing, but if Jackson isn't up to return for more episodes, it might just be how the series decides to leave it.
The Affair is still on track to return for Season 5 at Showtime, with a premiere date expected sometime around 2019. CinemaBlend will keep an ear to the ground for updates, while television audiences can enjoy the fall season of television and see what's around the corner with our fall premiere guide.