'The Affair' season 5 dissects who Jadon Sand's Trevor Solloway has become in the aftermath of his father's romantic fling
Showtime's almost five-year-old hit drama 'The Affair' is coming to an end this year. With its fifth and final season premiering around the end of August, we will see the complex story of Noah Solloway (Dominic West) get murkier in the aftermath of his affair with Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson). While Alison was revealed to be dead in the finale of season four, the story continues to get murkier with people still reeling from the mystery of what happened to her.
In the midst of all this chaos are the children of Noah and his ex-wife Helen (Maura Tierney) who have grown up surrounded by the mess their parents weaved around their lives. According to Jadon Sand, who plays their younger son Trevor, season five will see the story come full circle depicting the implications of the affair even after a 10-year leap in the timeline.
"In the first four seasons, the focus of Trevor's story has been on how Noah and Alison's affair impacted his childhood and shaped the way he grew up. This season takes a bit of a different approach now that he's a teen," Sand teased in an exclusive interview with MEA Worldwide (MEAWW).
"Now we get to see the result of that childhood; who he's become. There's a big change to his character this season that I really can't wait for the audience to see." Sand was, of course, referring to the sexuality of Trevor, as he was on the verge of coming out in the initial bits of season four.
At the same time, we saw Noah kind of rush Trevor into coming out. Granted it seemed like encouragement at the time, but given their rocky past, Sand notes that this only strains their relationship further. But there is still hope.
"Noah and Trevor have always had a really strained relationship. Trevor loves his father very deeply and trusts him just as much. Every time Noah breaks that trust, however (and he does it a lot), I think it gets harder for Trevor to love his father the same way. They rebuild and destroy their relationship over and over again, and that's actually another big part of Trevor's journey this season. He wants to break the cycle, to reconnect with his father, but that’s tougher than you’d think," Sand says.
The hope for reconciliation between the father-son dynamics is further highlighted by how the final season teased an arc of redemption and forgiveness for Noah. And Sand would like fans to know that "there are a few pivotal moments this season that reshape their relationship for better and for worse. Trevor really struggles with Noah’s mistakes, especially this season, but season five is about Noah's path of forgiveness, and Trevor is definitely a part of that."
All of 16, having been a part of such a grave and mature chaos, Sand considers his growth with the character to be more significant than others, and for that, the last five years are to be credited. "Because I've been with Trevor for so long, he’s a bigger part of me than most," he explains, adding: "Trevor’s story, at its roots, has always been about self-discovery and coming into his own. Trevor has grown a lot over the years. He's come so far from the innocent little kid he was, and I think I’ve mirrored that growth a bit. He knows so much more now about his world and his situation, and I do too, literally! Before last season, I wasn’t allowed to read the scripts."
When asked what is his take on the upcoming installment was, Sand enthused about how it has given him "all the emotions! Seriously though, it's bittersweet. We shot the pilot when I was 10, and now I’m 16, so it’s been a huge part of my life for a really long time. It’s kind of crazy we’re at the end. I’m going to miss our amazing cast and crew, especially the other 'Sollomanders'."
He adds, "Everyone has so much love for the show and these characters, so it’s really hard to say goodbye. However, we’re going out with a bang! This season is really something special, and I think you’re all going to be blown away by how we end the show. It’s just awesome."
All over, Sand notes that being on the show has been pretty enriching and not just because of the "freaking brilliant actors" that his on-screen parents, West and Tierney, are. From West singing a song about rat infestation back during the filming of the first season, to Tierney getting him addicted to the game 'Plants vs. Zombies' during the filming of the final season, Sand is taking away more than just fun behind the scene moments with his co-actors. And if you can't wait to see him in the final season of 'The Affair', you can always check out 'The Lego Movie 2' which is out now on Blu-Ray and digital.
'The Affair' season five premiers on August 25 at 9 pm only on Showtime.