The Couple Next Door started with a bang this week and, when we say bang, we mean the type up against a kitchen table – and there was plenty of it in episode 1.
The new Channel 4 series is a sexy thriller with a cast of beautiful faces. Imagine Desperate Housewives set in Leeds. And the first instalment (Monday, November 27, 2023) left us wanting more…
Based on a bestselling novel, the drama introduced a couple starting a new life in an idyllic suburban community. Evie and Pete have been together since they met at uni, and are expecting their first baby.
Within minutes of arriving in the seemingly perfect neighbourhood, they formed a connection with their rather gorgeous new neighbours Danny and Becka.
However, when Evie tragically lost her unborn child after a miscarriage, she was left devastated. And it looked like only Danny’s sex-eyes would help. Here are all the burning questions we have after watching episode 1 of The Couple Next Door.
***Warning: spoilers from episode 1 of The Couple Next Door ahead***
The Couple Next Door episode 1: Will Evie and Danny embark on an affair?
I think we already know the answer to this, as the series is sold as a steamy drama, and is adapted from the Dutch series The Swingers. The tension between Danny and Evie was palpable during the first instalment of TCND, but not a sniff of it between Pete and Becka. Something that might cause problems later on…
We now know that Danny (Sam Heughan) and Becka engage in the odd swinging evening. How do we know? Because they do their extra-marital activities in front of the window. Not to mention, Becka opening the door in sexy negligee! No wonder the neighbour always has his binoculars out (more on that below).
Policeman Danny and yoga teacher Becka (Jessica De Gouw) are risk-takers who “have no boundaries”. Meanwhile, teacher Evie and journalist Pete have been together for decades and carry the burden of their childlessness. When a grieving Evie and Pete collide with their new neighbours, it’s a perfect storm.
But we’re pretty sure it won’t stay perfect for long!
Why is creepy neighbour Alan spying on Becka?
A spicy side plot is the sinister presence of Alan, played by Hugh Dennis. The man appears to have no job, apart from spying on his neighbour Becka.
When he hasn’t got his telescope pointed in her direction, he’s on her social media pages, or attending her yoga classes. He’s seriously odd. Is his fascination just sexual? Or is there something more to it?
Either way, he’s a total creep. Not just because his disabled wife (Kate Robbins) is stuck downstairs until he agrees to pay for a stairlift to make her more mobile… But then she’d find out what he’s been up to up there!
The Couple Next Door episode 1: Who does Danny owe money to?
Danny is in debt, and owes money to an (as yet) unknown person. That’s why he was persuaded to do some sideline work for dodgy businessman Robbie Spencer, played by Mark Frost.
Of course, this is the same man journalist Pete was investigating before his boss told him to drop it. So why does Danny have money issues? Who does he owe money to? And will he get caught moonlighting by the police?
If he does get the sack, can he at least keep the leather?
Was the opening sequence a dream or a flash-forward?
The opening minutes of The Couple Next Door saw Evie running from a hut in dense forest minutes after what sounded like a gun shot. In what appeared to be a dramatic stand-off, all four central characters were seen running through the woods. It looked scary rather than sexy.
So what leads them to the forest, who shot the gun, and why? We’re assuming it was a flash-forward, rather than an annoying Dallas-esque Bobby-in-the-shower dream sequence.
What happens in episode 2 of The Couple Next Door?
Fans of episode 1 luckily won’t have to wait long for their next slice of sex-on-toast. Episode 2 continues on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. The programme synopsis from Channel 4 tells us that Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) can’t stop thinking about partner swapping…
Meanwhile, Dany gets drawn further into illegal operations, but a routine job takes a wrong turn. Elsewhere, Alan’s obsession with Becka grows.
We see the four protagonists take a day trip to the coast, and the chemistry between Danny and Evie is obvious – much to the horror of Evie’s husband Pete. But surely it’s just a matter of time before the four of them swap keys.
Anyone who’s watched the trailer knows that the upcoming episodes (six in total) are packed full of twists and turns. And we’re here for it!
Read more: Gogglebox star Marcus Luther on reason his famous son never appeared with him on Channel 4 show
The Couple Next Door continues on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 at 9.15pm on Channel 4.
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