'The Affair' season 3 episode 8 spoilers, news: Cole reaches his breaking point; series gets early season 4 renewal from Showtime

Alison (Ruth Wilson) considers the unthinkable on the upcoming episode of "The Affair"

Titled "308," next week's episode will see a huge confrontation between two characters. According to the official synopsis, an unexpected reason to celebrate leads Alison to make a sobering realization. Soon after, a surprising warning pushes Alison to do the unthinkable. Things take a different turn when Cole's (Joshua Jackson) frustrations with Alison reaches a critical point, eventually revealing a radical truth about their relationship.

Just weeks before the show's season 3 finale on Jan. 29, Showtime has picked up "The Affair" for a fourth run. Network president and CEO David Nevins announced the renewal Monday afternoon at the Television Critics Association winter press tour held in Pasadena.

Season 3 kicked off three years following Noah's (Dominic West) shocking admission of guilt after taking the fall for a crime he didn't really commit. The series also introduced a fifth perspective through Juliette Le Gall (Irene Jacob), Noah's new love interest.

Despite the traumatizing experiences he went through, Noah tried to start anew, but the damage caused by his past decisions continued to haunt him. Alison went on to raise her daughter Joanie with Cole (Joshua Jackson) and Luisa (Catalina Sandino Moreno) in Montauk. However, her past continues to catch up with her as Luisa and Cole attempt to build a future together.

In terms of ratings, "The Affair" hovers around an audience of just under 1.5 million in Nielsen's Live+7 ratings. Previous seasons have been more critically-acclaimed, with season 1 winning a Golden Globe award for best drama in 2015 and the best actress trophy for Wilson. Tierney also took home a Golden Globe last year for best supporting actress as Noah's wife, Helen. The program only has three episodes left before the third season officially wraps up.

The third season of "The Affair" airs every Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.