The Couple Next Door

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 good news is that it is slightly less mad and more layered [than the first season], though if you keep watching you will see it still shamelessly dangles the sex carrot.

Of course, there are moments when the sheer absurdity of the plot can dilute the writing's attempts to raise those searching, knotty questions and themes. Yet, that certainly won't dilute your enjoyment if you liked season 1.

There's a distinct lack of subtlety and nuance in The Couple Next Door, with some characters resembling archetypes rather than real, flesh-and-blood people, but it's slickly made and it does have something to say about long-term relationships and the so-called rules we establish for ourselves, sex and desire and how our wants and needs shift over time.

The Couple Next Door is not an easy or particularly relaxing watch, with constant drama and secrecy that extends beyond the two couples that grows exhausting.

When the four aren’t interacting with each other, you can’t help but wonder what the point of this series is. Even if the show were longer, unfortunately, its side characters aren’t interesting enough to warrant any screen time, even though our main characters interact with them enough that they should draw our attention. Instead, the core four actors feel like the only people not sleeping through these scenes.

The Couple Next Door avoids almost anything thoughtful, and as an erotic thriller, written and directed by men, its top gear stops at “hungry glances” as opposed to actual sexual provocation. Because its stars are inarguably attractive and capable of stirring up at least a modicum of chemistry, there are times when The Couple Next Door maybe lives up to its junk-food aspirations, but it’s mostly thin gruel.