Welcome to "The End of the World." Noah Solloway has escaped the city with his family to his in-laws' estate in eastern Long Island. He's joined by his loving wife Helen and their four precocious children. At the same time, local Montauk waitress Alison struggles with her husband, Cole Lockhart, to move past a recent tragedy. In a chance encounter, Noah and Alison meet and connect. But in this bucolic beach town, it's impossible to avoid someone you yearn to see again.

Noah can't escape the allure of the mysterious Alison. She, meanwhile, bends under the emotional debt owed to her mother-in-law. As external aspects of their lives weave together, the two are forced to consider an inevitability.

With his novel gaining traction, Noah turns to Alison to help him research the local culture. Cole takes a stand on behalf of his community. Helen deals with business back in Brooklyn.

In order to spend time together apart from their families, Noah and Alison take a day trip to remote Block Island. But as the two grow closer, they quickly learn that intimacy can be a double-edged sword.

As passions flare behind closed doors, Alison and Noah are forced to confront new obstacles at home. Alison gets a surprise visit from her estranged mother, while Noah struggles with the behavior of his daughter.

After Noah spends a night out with his best friend, Max, he discovers there's more to Alison than he's been led to believe. At home, his wife Helen hopes to make the most of the family's time in Montauk.