As the episode begins, Adele (Eve Hewson) lays in bed and remembers what Rob (Robert Aramayo) wrote in his journal. David (Tom Bateman) enters and stands above her next to the bed. After the intro, Louise (Simona Brown) sits down and remembers her night with David. A bird lands next to her and Louise wonders what she is going to do. In the morning, David tries to leave the house without Adele noticing. As David walks past a neighbor, she says good morning but he ignores her. Louise walks around David’s office and looks at a picture of David and Adele during happier times. When she tries to leave, she runs into David and they share an awkward moment. He tells her what he is going to do for the day before she asks him to let her by.

David closes the door behind him and Louise greets Sue (Georgie Glen) when she enters. They quickly chat about Louise’s day off. Louise says she is okay and that a cup of tea should fix her up so Sue decides to grab one. Adele contacts David and asks him about leaving early. He says he had a lot of work before she asks him what time he got home last night. David says he doesn’t know and doesn’t say where he was. She wants David to tell her he loves her. It takes a few seconds but David reluctantly says it. When the call ends, David puts away paperwork while Louise and Sue watch awkwardly. Adele sniffs David’s jacket at home. She cries while remembering David when he was younger. Then, Adele sends a text message to Louise asking if she wants to get lunch tomorrow.

Adele remembers her time with Rob and getting high. He tells her that he served one of the guards to get what they’re smoking and calls it a win-win. She says David would be mad but Rob says she shouldn’t tell him and should live a little. Rob says everyone has secrets but Adele says she doesn’t want any with David. They talk about Rob counting his fingers and his dreams. He admits he doesn’t want to dream about going home because the family situation isn’t great. He lives with his sister who isn’t the nicest person in the world and only keeps him around for the benefits check. Back in the present, Adele counts her fingers while David visits Louise once again. He asks if he can come in because today was brutal and he doesn’t want to do that every day.

When he steps inside, Louisa says she feels bad about what they did. David says he does too but because it is the first time he hasn’t felt alone. She doesn’t want to be his security blanket but he says it isn’t like that since he wouldn’t feel like this with anyone else. Louise says they can’t be a thing and her husband left her because he met someone else at work. When asked, David says he couldn’t not come there. He asks why Louise let him in and she says the same. Then, she tells him why she didn’t move on from her marriage. He tells her she is too bright for guys who prefer drinking and screwing. They mention Adele and agree that David should leave. Meanwhile, Adele looks at kitchen knives at home and uses one angrily. David makes it home and learns Adele has made dinner for them.

She says they haven’t eaten together in forever and she is making an effort to make him happy. David wonders if it is happening again and if he should begin looking for a new job. David doesn’t have dinner with her. In the morning, Adele looks at a map with a few marks on it before heading out. She goes for a run. When she returns, she sends a text to Louise and asks if she has done something wrong. She sends several messages and asks to get a coffee. David calls her moments later and Louise decides to eavesdrop on the conversation. David tells Adele that she worried him last night. She says she is going to go to the gym and find a cozy cafe for coffee. David quickly asks if that is meant to be funny. He asks if he needs to make an adjustment but she says no. Before the call ends, Adele tells David she loves him but he doesn’t say it back to her.

Louise seems distraught. She returns home that night and wonders what she should do about Adele. The next day, she meets with Adele and they talk about David. Adele says David is a perfectionist and tends to overdo it at work. She says David often gets stressed and makes bad choices. Adele wonders if David is drinking too much. She apologizes for dropping all of this on Louise but she is the only one she can talk to about this stuff. Louise wonders if there is a way to remind David of the love he has for Adele. She says Louise is right before asking her how she is doing with the notebook. Louise admits she feels like an idiot but Adele says you really have to want to change your life and she needs to stick with it.

When Louise asks who Rob is, Adele says he is an old friend. Louise returns home and practices with the notebook that night. Rob talks about the doctors claiming the dreams are about his guilt because of his habit, but he believes they’re about his family sucking the life out of him. He exits an elevator with blood on his arms. He is chased into an apartment building until he locks the door and tries to wake up. He says he usually wakes up, but it happened and he had six fingers on one hand. He opens a door nearby and enters a beautiful area. He wears a nice suit and Adele joins him. Louise shuts the book and asks where her door is. Adele tells David good morning before he tries to get her to take a new medication. He didn’t like the way she sounded on the phone but she doesn’t want to take new pills.

David pushes and pushes until Adele agrees to take the medication. When David leaves, she runs into the kitchen and spits the pill out. At works, Louise checks on David and tells him they need some signatures. She notices he is looking through a folder with Adele’s name on it. When Adele turns off the lights and prepares to leave, Mr. Hawkins shows up and says he wants to see Dr. Ferguson. He scares her and calls her a cow. Anthony screams for David until he comes out. David agrees to talk to him outside and Louise says she will wait until they’re finished. Louise watches David and Anthony through the window. They come back inside moments later and Anthony agrees to meet with David again at 1 PM tomorrow. Anthony apologizes for being mean to Louise before he is escorted outside.

David returns and admits that Anthony is a nutter. She follows him into his office for a drink. They talk about having sex and both admit they wouldn’t take it back regardless. David breaks down and says he isn’t a bastard but there are things. Louise comforts him before they begin kissing. They end up having sex on David’s desk. Moments later, Louise meets with Sophie (Nichola Burley) and tells her about hanging out with Adele and sleeping with her husband twice. Louise says likes both but Sophie wonders if she is just guilty about banging Adele’s husband. She says Adele is kind and generous but sad and lonely. Louise wonders why David is cheating on his wife and suggests things aren’t right between them. Sophie encourages her to walk away but Louise isn’t sure about that.

She says she is always the one doing the right thing and it’ll have to end when Adam comes home anyway. She says she should just enjoy herself since she deserves to mess up a little. Sophie says she needs to ditch them both because she is likely going to get hurt. Louise tells Sophie she is right before agreeing to put a stop to it. David visits her at home later that night. They have sex again. The next day, Louise goes to the gym with Adele. Anthony catches on to Louise’s relationship with David. One night, Louise tells David she can’t imagine him as a farm boy and he admits he can barely remember it. David says most people think they’re in control of their own destiny but he believes much of their lives are shaped by other people’s choices. She notices marks on his arm and asks about them.

David says he got burned but it was a long time ago. He explains there was a bad fire near where he lived and he pulled a girl out of the fire. Louise asks what happened to the girl. David says he isn’t sure and it was a long time ago so he never thought to look her up. Louise has another nightmare that night and opens her door. She sees Adele burning in a fire. She opens another door and sees David burning in a fire. She wakes up seconds later and cries in Adam’s bed. Adele gets the mail before we see another flashback of her signing papers and Rob playing around outside. When she finishes, Rob scares her and she tells him it is better now because David is looking after the house.

He can’t believe she signed over that to David. She tells him that she wears the bracelet because David can’t. He has skin grafts on his arms from the burns he got saving her life. Rob tells her he thought she should’ve waited until she got out of the nuthouse. She says David will take care of her because he always does. Adele leaves her phone when she goes out so David can’t get in touch with her. Adele goes looking for someone and David worries about her at the office. Adele is approached by a girl and attached. When David returned home, she says he hit herself in the face because the pills made her dizzy. He confesses he left work just to check on her. She just wants to spend time together and asks David to stay with her.

He refuses and that upsets Adele. Meanwhile, Louise has another nightmare. She sees Adele sitting on the floor before realizing she is dreaming. She enters a nice room with bright, bold colors. She slices a pie and enjoys a piece before climbing the stairs and getting into bed. When David returns home, Adele confronts him. Both drink and David tries to find out about the black eye. Adele asks why he is coming home so late. She admits she made some mistakes but she thought they were starting new. She claims what happened before they moved there was David’s fault. David almost says he can’t continue before finally admitting he can’t look after her anymore. Adele tells him that he can never leave her and he says he knows.

 

Behind Her Eyes Review

Overall, I am beginning to lose interest in this show and I am a bit surprised the scores elsewhere are so high. I’ve been pretty generous with the show hoping it would pick up at some point but it really hasn’t. I still haven’t developed a deep relationship with any of the characters and that doesn’t help. I am not sure I like any of the characters at this point besides Adam I guess.

Second, there is just too much going on at once and little of it seems to matter. At the very least, little of the action makes any sense whatsoever. How is Rob connected to anything? Why must Louise and David have sex 5 times in an episode? These moments really don’t add anything to the show.

I need more context here. So far, I know that Louise is a single mother who hooked up with her boss and is hanging out with his wife. I guess you could say she is playing both. Furthermore, there is conflict between David and Adele. They have some weird history in which Adele was in the nut house. I don’t see the allure here.

I’ve found the story to be mostly boring and dull without any real substance. The flashbacks are generally confusing and I rarely understand what is going on. Is there supposed to be a bigger significance to any of these things or are they just filling time to create more episodes?

Ultimately, this show isn’t for me and I’d say a lot of people would give it a thumbs down. I’d score the episode a 6 out of 10. Previous and future episode recaps of Behind Her Eyes will be available on Reel Mockery here.