Stories like this also take place in real life. Prince William made headlines when he split with his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton in April 2007. The break-up did not last and four years later, the couple got married in a magnificent ceremony viewed by tens of millions around the world.
Such a scenario captures the popular imagination and reinforces the view that love can be sweeter and stronger the second time. Not all pairs who reunite, however, were lucky enough to find a happily ever after.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's fiery relationship went down to Hollywood history as the most dramatic of the past century. They first married in 1964, a year after their first on-screen collaboration, and divorced after 10 years of lavish lifestyle and bitter fighting. The couple could not easily let go of each other and they remarried in 1975. The cycle of fighting and making up resumed and a year later, the couple divorced for the second and last time.
While a rekindled affair has the potential to correct past mistakes, several experts agree that second chances are more likely to end in more relationship woes.
A study by Amber Vennum, assistant professor of family studies and human services at Kansas State University, revealed that people involved in on-off again relationships or cyclical relationships tend to be impulsive in their decisions. These include matters such as moving in together or having a child together.
She also added that couples who reunite believe that their partners have changed for the better and that communication has improved. This belief turned out to be a disappointment for pairs who reconciled.
While attempting to revive a doomed romance may have more negative consequences, some experts believe that there are relationships worth a second chance.
Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne, a psychology professor from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, emphasized the role of forgiveness in human relationships. Dr. Whitbourne recalled studies showing that people who forgive tend to be happier than those who don't and that people can still change for the better.
Will Vennum's research prove right in the case of Noah and Alison? Or will forgiveness be in order?
The Affair's season 3 finale airs first and exclusive, express from the U.S. on January 31, Tuesday, 9:55pm (8:55pm JKT/BKK) on RTL CBS Entertainment.