You're sat down ready to watch the first episode of The Couple Next Door season two - you're excited, you remember the first season being great, but... what exactly happened in series one again? Well, as the show first aired in November 2023, you'd be forgiven for not remembering what happened in The Couple Next Door season one, or when Hugh Dennis' Alan appears on screen being not quite clear on how his role ended last time. But don't worry - we've got you covered.
The Couple Next Door returned to Channel 4 on Monday July 14 - with the whole series airing on its streaming platform too. This time around, a whole new cast of characters are living on the close - after the explosive ending to series one, none of the four main characters are (understandably) still hanging around. The only remaining character is Alan - but there is an Easter egg that reveals even more about how series one ended too.
What happened in season one of The Couple Next Door?
Couple Evie and Pete (played by Eleanor Tomlinson and Alfred Enoch respectively) move to a new home, next door to Becka (Jessica De Gouw) and Danny (Sam Heughan). Evie and Pete are excited to start a new life after conceiving a much-longed for baby by IVF.
Read Next
The neighbours rally round after Evie suffers a baby loss - realising she's developing feelings for Danny, Evie is happy to discover on a trip to try and cheer her up that Danny and Becka have an open relationship. Later, after Evie says they're interested in exploring things with their neighbours (perhaps more on her side rather than Pete's...) they make a date to hook up. But on the night, Pete chooses not to get involved, while Evie and Danny sleep together.
There's a very complicated sub-plot where it's revealed Danny has a secret child from a fling that Becka doesn't know about. He's being blackmailed and to cover things up, after emptying the couple's savings, he gets embroiled in a diamond heist that goes wrong.
Pete is a journalist and attempts to look into what Danny's big secret is - only complicating things further. After Danny manages to get a man called Robbie Spencer arrested for the crime, his team track the group down for revenge and there's a fracas that leads to Becka finding out about Danny's secret son - and Pete stealing a gun.
In a final showdown, things go tragically and terribly wrong. Evie is pregnant and tells her father and Pete that she's in love with Danny. Pete almost shoots Danny, but when Danny's pursuers turn up, Evie's Dad shoots them. After Pete shoots Danny in the leg, Evie gets the gun, tells Pete she loves Danny and shoots her husband. Before the end of the series, Evie and her dad are arrested - Pete is in rushed off to hospital.
What happened to Evie and Pete in The Couple Next Door?
In the first episode of season two of the show, viewers learn that Pete did survive, but than Evie is in prison for attempted murder and will serve five years in jail - it's all revealed on the front of Alan's newspaper.
What happened to Alan in The Couple Next Door?
If that wasn't enough plot for you, there was also a side plot involving Alan (Hugh Dennis) and his wife Jean (played by Kate Robbins). Kate is disabled and unable to sleep upstairs - she's asked repeatedly for a stairlift so she can return to bed with her husband and hopes to rekindle their romance - but Alan repeatedly says they can't afford it.
In fact, Alan has developed an obsession with neighbour Becka and has even set up a telescope to spy on her. His obsession builds and he begins to stalk her, visiting her exercise classes and scouring her social media.
Near the end of the series, Jean makes it upstairs and uncovers Alan's obsession - she looks through the telescope to discover he's actually broken into Becka's home and is committing a lewd act. On realising he's been discovered, Alan has a stroke.
Jean covers up for him and says Alan was helping to confront an intruder in Becka's home, but when she realises they also have considerably more money than she thought, she takes half of everything, leaves Alan with carers and promises that justice will be served.
Alan returns in The Couple Next Door season two
Alan is back in season two, still struggling with the effects of his stroke and completing community service. Everyone knows what happened, so he's trying to make amends while repaying his debt to society.
Writer David Allison explained why he had chosen for only Alan to return to the show, saying: 'He does provide a kind of anchor to the street, he’s quite nosy, he wants to get involved in other people’s lives, so naturally he tends to insert himself into stories.'
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
