In the second episode of The ‘Burbs, Samira is confronted with a nightmare where she loses Miles and rushes into the haunted Victorian house to find him. The following morning, we witness the new owner of the Victorian house, Gary Lawson, placing a “No Trespassing” sign on his lawn. As Samira and Rob are preparing for work, Naveen stops by to share rumors about Alison's tragic demise and her supposed burial in the basement. On their way to work, Rob engages Naveen in a conversation about his experience growing up as a person of color in a predominantly white neighborhood.
Back on Ashfield Place, Gary Lawson, the new homeowner, emerges from his house, and Samira approaches him to set the record straight about her residence across the street. Despite her clear indication of her proximity, he appears unapologetic for the incident with the police. He introduces himself as Gary Lawson and returns her brownies.
Later, Lynn pays a visit to Samira's, and the latter recounts her unsettling conversation with Gary. Dana and Tod arrive for dinner, followed by Agnes – another neighbor who serves as the president of the Hinkley Hills Homeowners Association. She hands Samira an HOA handbook.
As Samira and Rob are at a department store, they encounter Gary purchasing rope, lighter fluid, an axe, and other tools that could be used for nefarious purposes. That night, Samira spots him on their lawn with an axe in hand.
The following morning, Samira and Rob hire Rory as a “mother’s helper.” While out with Rory, they meet Lauren, a woman whose parents reside at Ashfield Place. She used to know Rob and is now married to Danny. Samira then visits the library to locate a copy of the Hinkley Hills Herald but is informed that the borrower has yet to return it.
That night, while Samira heads out for wine night with Naveen and Rob, they indulge in nostalgia and sift through their yearbook. Naveen brings up Alison's absence and laments how everyone pretends like she never existed. While clearing out Rob's childhood bedroom to convert it into a nursery for Miles, Rob discovers Alison's phone among his belongings. Naveen urges him to dispose of it.
At the wine night gathering, Samira bravely presents her case against Gary, revealing that her paralegal has discovered that the house was sold to a trust, which hints at Gary’s potential attempt to conceal his identity. She speculates that he could be either a murder enthusiast or the perpetrator of Alison’s murder. Tod adds fuel to the conspiracy by mentioning that he saw Gary digging a hole in the woods. Suddenly, a plume of smoke emerges from the woods, prompting the group to call for help. Dana persuades them all to investigate, but unfortunately, she sustains a knee injury and is forced to stay behind.
The others continue their search and discover Gary enjoying a bonfire in a fire pit on his property, which explains the digging earlier. They are joined by Agnes, who scolds him for not being more careful with the fire. Gary counters that he is well within the Homeowner's Association (HOA) rules, and they are all forced to leave.
Samira returns home to find Rob painstakingly painting the nursery for Miles. She takes Miles out for a nighttime stroll and stops by Lynn’s house to express gratitude for her help and gives her a key to their house as a symbol of trust. Lynn thanks her but something about her behavior seems off to Samira. Back at home, Rob carefully places Alison’s phone inside a locked drawer.
As the night progresses, we see the other neighbors engaged in various activities: Dana frantically trying to call someone, Gary burning a newspaper in his fire pit, and Tod going through his photos of the Victorian house when he notices Robert’s name on a wall. Bits of ash float through the air, and a piece of burnt newspaper reaches Samira – it’s a clipping about Alison’s death. She realizes that Gary has probably destroyed the newspaper from that day.
