The Reviews Are In For Season Two Of The Couple Next Door

Graziadaily

5 days ago

When it comes to TV, we know a dark, suburban drama rarely disappoints. So naturally, we were super excited to see that Channel 4's The Couple Next Door returns to our screens tonight for a second series.
Season one of the show tells the story of Evie and Pete, a couple who recently moved to a new 'idyllic suburban community.' But things aren't quite as they seem. They soon get involved in a strange multi-person romance, which descends into chaos.
For season two, there's a whole new set of characters to get to grips with. We meet heart surgeon Charlotte and her husband Jacob, whose lives get turned upside down by their lively new neighbour, Mia.
The synopsis reads: 'The deliciously dark psychological drama returns, as mysterious new neighbour Mia arrives on the cul-de-sac, determined to work her way into the confidence - and the bed - of the couple next door...'
Although season two of The Couple Next Door introduces us to different characters, we're back on the same cul-de-sac where Evie and Pete from season one lived. This time around, we meet heart surgeon Charlotte and her husband Jacob, an anaesthetist. The couple are in their 40s and have been married for 20 years. So far, life seems to be going fairly smoothly for them.
But their lives are disrupted by the arrival of Mia, a mysterious nurse from Norway who begins working at the hospital and becomes the couple's neighbour in the cul-de-sac. Gradually, questions start to niggle at the couple as they question whether they are truly happy, and whether things have changed between them since they met.
The arrival of Charlotte's ex-boyfriend shakes things up further, as there seems to be some unfinished business between the pair. Mia, Charlotte and Jacob embark on a a ménage à trois - initially, it's exciting but things gets darker as time goes on. The tension rises when Mia's past comes to the surface, leading Charlotte and Jacob asking who she really is - especially when patients at the hospital start mysteriously dying.
Without further ado, let's look at what the critics are saying about the show. The Radio Times gave The Couple Next Door three stars, calling it 'sexy, sinister and completely bonkers.' Critic Abby Robinson wrote that the show got her 'thinking about the scores of real-life stories detailing the accounts of women who were in heteronormative marriages for years, before finding love with other women in later life.'
She adds: 'Like the episodes that came before, this offering is a moreish affair that you'll find difficult not to polish off in a couple of sittings. Round 2 is not only steamier, but things take an exceedingly chilling turn when patients in Mia's care start dying, which is infinitely more compelling than the criminal dealings Danny was wrapped up.'
The Evening Standard was less impressed with second series of the show, giving it two stars. 'Given the tantalising promise of neighbourly hanky-panky, viewers must endure hours of tedious hospital drama before they're rewarded,' wrote critic Adam Bloodworth. 'And even then, director Dries Vos hardly serves up Mills & Boon. Sometimes the intimacy is so over-stylised it makes you laugh, although there is some nicely slo-mo camerawork trailing the flirtatious moments beforehand, which titillate more than the sex itself.'
The Telegraph gave The Couple Next Door season two three stars. Anita Singh wrote: 'Everything about Mia is mysterious. Series one felt as if it was trying to do something different, but series two is the familiar tale of a malevolent female who worms her way into a household (Fatal Attraction, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, etc). Mia is running from something in her past, which is glimpsed in flashbacks.'
Viewers have eagerly been binging the show, and the reaction online is mixed. Some people took to X to share how much they were enjoying season two. One user wrote Holy f*** 'The Couple Next Door' season 2 is seriously good! #TheCoupleNextDoor' A second wrote: '#TheCoupleNextdoor Loved the first series So far enjoying the new one.'
However, others were less impressed, with one user pointing out the 'unbelievable' storyline. 'Just watched the first two episodes of series 2, it's a dreadful unbelievable storyline is ridiculous. After a first really good series this was a disappointment,' they wrote. A conflicted user penned: 'Giving #TheCoupleNextDoor another chance as I got bored halfway through.'
Alice Hall is the Staff Writer at Grazia UK. She was previously a Junior Features Writer for The Daily Telegraph. At Grazia, she writes news and features about pop culture, dating, health, politics and interiors.