While often picturesque, full of perfectly manicured lawns and neighborly people, suburbia typically has more going on than what meets the eye. “In Starz’s six-part psychological thriller “The Couple Next Door” (which first aired in the U.K. on Channel 4 in 2023), a young couple is thrilled to put down roots in the suburbs of Leeds, England. Pete (Alfred Enoch, of “How to Get Away With Murder”) and Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) are excited to embark on a new chapter of their lives. Still, they don’t expect to establish a friendship with their neighbors, Danny (“Outlander” star Sam Heughan) and Becka (a particularly good Jessica De Gouw), to forever alter their relationship and their lives. Based on the Dutch series “Nieuwe Buren,” and written by David Allison, the show is highly bingeable, deliciously sexy and completely ridiculous.”
“The Couple Next Door” opens with a bang. A gunshot rings out in the woods, and shortly thereafter, a barefoot Evie is seen running through the trees as Pete, Danny and Becka race behind her. Flashing back, the audience meets Pete and Evie the day they move into their subdivision. Friendly and energetic yoga instructor/influencer Becka immediately offers her policeman husband Danny’s services when she sees Pete struggling to unload a moving truck. From there, a bond between the couples forms. Despite being well-settled in her and Pete’s decade-plus-long relationship, Evie, a school teacher, is intrigued by the obvious passion Becka and Danny have. Their electricity awakens a sensuality within her that she’s desperate to explore. However, journalist Pete is content with the status quo in their vanilla marriage.
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The series primarily focuses on the growing sexual tension among the foursome, especially after a spa weekend goes off the rails. Allison also pads the narrative with several other storylines. Danny and his colleague Gary (Joel Morris) get entangled in some drama involving a local gangster. Unfortunately, the plot never fleshes out to completion. Additionally, Danny is forced to confront some skeletons from his past. While it’s evident that he’s imperfect, his choices lean toward soap opera territory and could have been tapered slightly to be more realistic. Moreover, the addition of a random Christian-based cult falls fully into trashy beach-read territory.
There is also an intense subplot involving yet another neighbor. Alan (a fantastic Hugh Dennis), an older man, has developed an unhealthy fixation on Becka. The fallout from his delusion showcases how women are often punished for the wrongdoings of men. Instead of the cop drama narrative, this diversion might be richer had it focused on the roots of Alan’s infatuation, his marriage with his long-suffering wife Jane (Kate Robbins) and why this entire suburban community seems nearly void of feminist and progressive women. (Surely, not every millennial in Leeds is deeply offended by the idea of sex work.)
Despite a wafer-thin plot, the acting (even with Heughan’s choppy Australian accent) holds the show together. Though the actors are given very little to work with, feelings of anguish, betrayal, longing and desire are all palatable. Enoch soars as a man who can’t quite reconcile what his life has become. Heughan is sharp as a hyper-masculine cop who wants to do the right thing but falls back on his avoidant and emotionally withdrawn coping mechanisms. Tomlinson had perhaps the greatest task in depicting a woman who tries to step outside of what is expected of her while trying to heal from past traumas. Yet, it’s De Gouw who really sparkles in the series. She’s magnetic and agile, giving real depth of character to a woman who could have been a cliché, cookie-cutter depiction of a “hot” mom.
Though the show has its predictable (and absurd) bits – including the fact that it seems to want the audience to see Enoch as an average-looking man — the chemistry among the cast members blazes throughout. Showcasing relationship breakdowns, non-monogamous and otherwise, due to the unwillingness or inability to communicate effectively, make up for the more puzzling narrative stumbles. Ultimately, “The Couple Next Door” is no revelation, but it’s still a fun, guilty little treat.
“The Couple Next Door” premieres Jan. 17 on Starz, with new episodes dropping weekly on Fridays.