One of the most acclaimed shows currently on TV, the second season of Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door is a psychological thriller that interrogates sexism, emotional abuse, power imbalance, and social bias. Lead actress Aggy K. Adams spoke to I-M Inquisitive Minds about the complexity of her character, Mia, a young surgical nurse, both intriguingly manipulative and victimised by deeper systems of control and prejudice.
The series continues to explore hidden motivations and personal secrets within a seemingly peaceful suburban cul-de-sac – this time set around high-flying surgeon Charlotte Roberts (Annabel Scholey), her anaesthetist husband Jacob (Sam Palladio) and their enigmatic new neighbour, Mia Eldegard (Aggy K. Adams).
“Mia is probably the most complex character I have played so far in my career. So much so that she could have her own show.”
– Aggy K. Adams
The multiple layers that build up Mia Eldegard is what makes her so interesting and real. Aggy brings a simmering intensity to the character, capturing her quiet desperation and magnetic allure with remarkable subtlety. “I wanted to make sure the viewer would be intrigued by Mia and her life but also that we would feel connected to her and understand where she’s coming from. The show reflects how in our society, we often judge other people harshly just for being different, for coming from somewhere else, without paying attention to their stories.”
The show thrives on sexual tension, mind games, and manipulative relationships beneath the glossy façade. Aggy’s performance is a study in restraint – never overwrought, yet never cold – hinting at the volatility beneath Mia’s poised exterior. “As the narrative unravels, one realises that a lot of bad things have happened to her in her life, and that what she needs is empathy and inclusion, rather than judgement and gossip.”
Indeed, the series examines bias and prejudice on multiple levels. Mia is an outsider with a hidden identity and lots of cash, who faces suspicion and gets subtly excluded and objectified in the cul-de-sac community where she moves to. On the other hand, neighbour Alan Richardson (played by Hugh Dennis) is the victim of ostracism in the neighbourhood because he is doing community service for voyeurism.
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Mia’s attractiveness gives her immediate social leverage, and characters (including Charlotte and her husband) are visibly drawn to her – a dynamic that plays on the trope of “beautiful young women” wielding influence and triggering jealousy and resentment.
Aggy deftly balances vulnerability and control, creating a character who is as unreadable as she is intriguing. Her portrayal of Mia suggests a woman shaped by isolation and longing, making every glance and silence feel deliberate, charged, and slightly dangerous.
When several patients die of not natural causes, Mia is accused of intentionally causing their death and viewers are led to side with the community that is so quick to judge her. “The show cleverly points out at the rejection of attractive women,” explains Aggy, “especially if they are outsiders.” She adds, “I have felt that rejection before in my life many times, even for the smallest of mistakes. It’s very easy to put the blame on young women. Men get away with much more.”
Besides Mia, in the show, heart surgeon Charlotte constantly has to assert her authority as a heart surgeon over male colleagues who assume Jacob holds seniority – highlighting gender bias in high stakes professional roles.
“The show cleverly points out at the rejection of attractive women, especially if they are outsiders.”
– Aggy K Adams
Mia uses charm and seduction to infiltrate Charlotte and Jacob’s marriage drawing both into a throuple-like entanglement in ways that seem to make her a manipulative, dangerous person. But soon viewers discover that her ex-fiancé Isak had groomed and gaslit her, exerting control through psychological manipulation. Aggy explains, “Mia hasn’t had an easy life, and it doesn’t get easier for her when she gets to Leeds. She’s alone, an outsider and a survivor of an abusive relationship.” For a while, viewers don’t quite know what she is doing and why, something Aggy says she did intentionally “to build the character. You slowly get to understand who she is and where she’s coming from.”
Her position on the topic of abuse is clear. “Victims’ voices are not heard enough,” she states with conviction. “We seem to be pushed to not get involved, to avoid difficult conversations,” says Aggy passionately, “There is a general avoidance and lack of accountability, especially with men. And if you try to raise awareness about the problem, you are quickly punished and told that you ‘hate men’.”
There’s a strong undercurrent of characters gravitating toward figures of power – social, institutional, or seductive. Hospital hierarchy and fame elevate certain individuals, while Mia is pushed aside by most. Alan (Hugh Dennis), the returning neighbourhood outcast from season 1, becomes an unlikely ally for Mia – showing how outcasts often have to align together as the social “elites” would not support them.
“I believe that our society is terrified of consequence, and I feel that stops people from expressing their empathy impulses,” Aggy shares. “I think people are empathetic and good inherently, but often feel obliged to not get involved, to not speak up, to pretend they don’t see. And I wonder, ‘why are we pretending not to see?’.”
Author: Julia Pasarón
Season 2 of The Couple Next Door is showing now on Channel 4 in the UK.
Credits
Team:
Photographer: Ricky Marro @rickymarro_ using Leica @leica_camera
Stylist: Lily Lam @lilylailam
Assistant: Lina Levein @linalevein
Makeup: Dani Guinsberg @daniguinsbergmua using Vieve Cosmetics.
Hair: Marcelo Domínguez Dorado @marcelo_dorado_ using Schwartzkopf
Lead image:
BVLGARI Serpenti Viper earrings, necklace and bracelet in white gold and diamonds.
TEMPERLEY LONDON Louis off shoulder dress.
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MIKIMOTO The Bows triple row pearl necklace with sapphires, white South Sea and Akoya cultured pearls and diamonds, set on 18kt white gold and The Bows white South Sea cultured pearl earrings with sapphires and diamonds, set on 18kt white gold.
CHANEL cashmere tweed wool coat and lambskin boots.
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LOUIS VUITTON Monogram denim pleat skirt and button front top and Odyssée bag.
LOUIS VUITTON Tambour watch automatic, 40mm in yellow gold.
LOUIS VUITTON Color Blossom BB Multi-Motif bracelet and Star pendant in yellow gold, onyx and diamonds; Colour Blossom earrings in yellow and white gold with diamonds.
LOUIS VUITTON Les Gastons Vuitton Large Tag pendant in yellow gold.
CASADEI Patty Platforms in suede.
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