This article contains spoilers for The Couple Next Door episode 3.
The Couple Next Door is a psychological drama revolving around the complicated relationship between two sets of neighbors. There's Evie (Eleanor Tomlinson) and Pete (Alfred Enoch), two lovers who've just moved into the area, and their new neighbors, traffic cop Danny (Outlander's Sam Heughan) and his fitness instructor wife, Becka (Jessica De Gouw).
After the group's revelatory beach trip in episode two (wherein Pete and Evie learned about Danny and Becka being non-monogamous), Evie's curiosity about the arrangement (and Danny!) has only deepened. In the third episode, the pair headed off for a spa trip with Danny and Becka, where the sexual tension between the two couples finally bubbled over. Plus, Danny's colleague Gary hinted that there would be consequences for what happened during the hijacking, and Alan's obsession with Becka deepened even further. Here's a full recap of everything that happened in The Couple Next Door episode 3.
A close call
The Couple Next Door episode 3 opened with Danny replaying the events of the hijacking. As he headed out to work, Pete stopped him to ask if he'd been at the building supplies company he and Sophie had been staking out whilst investigating corrupt councillor, Robbie Spencer, as he swore he'd seen two traffic cops at the scene.
Danny claims he was nowhere nearby, but offers to help Pete (within reason) with his big scoop, but refuses to look into Robbie's records for fear of losing his job. At work, Danny asks Gary what they'd been transporting. He says they were illegal diamonds, and says they will have to meet with Robbie Spencer given the goods were stolen, but Danny isn't interested.
Elsewhere, Alan posted a link to the website of indecent images of Becka he'd stolen from her house on her social feeds in revenge for her kicking him out of her yoga group and watched as her followers quickly started reacting to them. Meanwhile, Jean met with a stairlift engineer downstairs, who confirmed he'd be fitting the equipment within a couple of days.
At work, Pete's colleague Sophie turned up some fresh info that suggested their investigation into Robbie was a bigger deal than local council corruption. Spencer's fictitious business colleague had an account in the Cayman Islands that was full of cash.
Out on a run through the neighborhood (wherein she almost spots Alan staring at her through his telescope), Becka spots Evie in the street and invites her and Pete out for a spa weekend with her and Danny.
Meanwhile, Gary reviews the CCTV footage of the convoy, reassuring Danny that they weren't recognizable in the footage. Danny tells Gary that this means he's out for good this time. When Gary says it doesn't work like that with Robbie Spencer, he insists Gary is responsible for dealing with him since Gary recruited him for the job.
Changes
Becka heads to the yoga studio, where she's informed that half of her students dropped out last minute, for some reason. Elsewhere, Danny goes to Lena's house to deliver more cash and talks his way into the house to meet his other son, Ethan.
Danny is keen to build a relationship with Ethan. Lena is worried that he's going to disappear again, but Danny insists he's back for good. In exchange for getting to know him bet, Lena asks Danny to tell Becka about Ethan, but he says he needs more time.
Becka picks Olly up from school and walks home with Evie alongside. Whilst chatting, she admits that she does miss her younger years and wishes to be off having more adventures. Evie, in turn, admits she worries she won't ever get to be a mum.
At home, Evie tells Pete about the spa weekend, and he gets annoyed that she'd agreed to go away with them without even discussing it with him. He challenges her, saying she feels 'a million miles' away from him at the moment, but reluctantly agrees to go away since she claims the trip will make her happy.
Across the road, Danny explodes when Olly challenges his authority. Becka says his outburst was uncalled for, and asks what's got him in such a foul mood, but he doesn't say what's on his mind.
During the night, Evie wakes up to what sounds like screaming out into the street and is surprised to find Danny had done the same thing. He explains that the noise is just foxes mating; as they make small talk, Danny learns that Evie and Pete will be joining them on the spa trip.
The getaway
We rejoin the two couples arriving for their swanky hotel trip which Becka was given for her large online following. Whilst they're settling in, Becka promises that she's living in the moment, and won't be looking at her phone all weekend. Over at Alan's the stairlift is installed, and Jean is thrilled to finally be able to head upstairs.
Whilst Becka and Evie go for a facial, Danny and Pete get massages. Danny asks Pete about his big scoop at work, though Pete doesn't reveal any crucial info about it. We then join Evie and Becka in the sauna, wherein Evie reveals how curious she's been about their relationship.
Before long, she hints that she'd be interested in trying non-monogamy with them. Becka questions whether it would be Pete's thing, too, but Evie reveals they'd already discussed it.
Back in the neighborhood, Alan is spying on the street again and plans to go back to Becka's house. When he comes downstairs, he finds Jean has made a special meal to celebrate the fact she can rejoin him upstairs again. Alan is visibly unmoved and says he's got to pop out again, leaving Jean on her own in the house. As he crosses the street, Alan's stopped by Gloria, who tells him that the two couples have gone away together.
Whilst getting ready for their evening together, Danny playfully asked when Becka was going to tell him about inviting the neighbors. The pair soon agree to break their rules about not sleeping with friends. In the other room, Evie asks if Pete is enjoying himself.
He doesn't sound very enthusiastic, and questions whether Becka and Danny only brought them along to try and "corrupt" them. Evie then proceeds to ask whether it would be such a bad thing if something were to happen between the four of them and hints that she'd find it a real turn-on if it did.
The two couples start drinking, playing games, and smoking drugs together; after a brief interruption from a hotel worker after they set off the fire alarm, the evening quickly heats up.
Becka kneels in front of Pete and starts to kiss him. Soon, Danny stands up from the sofa across from Evie; he takes her by the hand and walks her into the other room, shutting the door behind them. Before long, they're having sex. Things also continued the same way between Becka and Pete, but Pete ended up stopping things partway through, clearly uncomfortable with how the evening had progressed.
Elsewhere, Alan picked his way into Becka and Danny's bedroom, wherein he found one of her robes. Alone, Jean made her way upstairs to his room, discovering his computer and telescope. Although she couldn't figure out his password, she spotted him in their neighbor's house; troublingly, he also spotted her through the window.
Back at the spa hotel, Becka finally looked at her phone, finding tons of missed calls from her friends, and the website where Alan had shared her intimate videos.
The Couple Next Door is available to stream on the Channel 4 website and on Starz in the US.
