The episode kicks off with Sonia Spence (played by Amy Nuttall) lost in nostalgia, reminiscing about her moments shared with John Barnett (portrayed by Rupert Penry-Jones). As they reminisce, he recounts an anecdote about a drunken friend who, at an ungodly hour of 2 a.m., rang a stranger's doorbell and panicked. In response, the elderly occupant, wielding an air rifle, shot him twice, chuckling that he hadn't had such amusement in ages. Sonia echoes his sentiment. John ponders aloud whether Emma Barnett (embodied by Jill Halfpenny) still recognizes him amidst her work-laden schedule. Sonia playfully ribs him about his unemployment, to which he responds with a kiss. Initially taken aback, she returns his affection.
Cut to the present, where Nick Hewitt (depicted by Alex Macqueen) meticulously fixes his CCTV camera. Across the street, John expresses his disdain for installing a security camera outside their abode. Emma reminds him of the brick that shattered their window when Nick's camera was inoperative. He dismisses Nick as crazy but unlikely to perpetrate such an act. She insists that Derek Abshire (acted by James Fleet) is to blame, fueled by his hatred towards them. He suggests it was merely a prank, but she vows to interrogate all their neighbors.
Sonia ventures out to dispose of the trash. Emma greets her warmly, prompting a smiling Sonia to turn back inside. Emma's concern lingers as she asks if Sonia is alright. Sonia assures her she's fine and relates the news of the Barnetts' new security camera to Alan Spence (played by Ray Fearon), who remarks that no one can fault their caution.
Meanwhile, Lee Hatby (portrayed by Chris Gascoyne) glances up from his work to find Sonia observing him intently. She voices her discomfort around him and jests if he's behind the magpie killings. Derek questions Lee's motive for terrifying his client. Sonia then leaves for work, while Derek calls St. Michaels, faux pas about missing Saturday's GCSE conference. The receiver informs him there was no conference scheduled that day.
Elsewhere, Barbara Abshire (acted by Tessa Peake-Jones) camouflages her black eye with makeup as Derek informs her of the Barnetts' raised defenses. She peers out the window thoughtfully. Beth Barnett (embodied by Megan Trower) receives an invite from PC Gallagher (played by Jamie-Lee O’Donnell) to her upcoming photo exhibition. Gallagher mentions having photos of John and Sonia at Aidan’s Kitchen, and Beth eagerly accepts. Gallagher urges her to bring her own photos for her agent friend to see, which Beth claims she has missed and abruptly ends the call.
Nick reviews security footage showing Lee approaching Derek, directly staring into the camera. Beth overhears Emma berating Derek and Barbara through the mail slot, suggesting she jump the fence to check for "lunatics" lurking at the back. Emma denies murdering magpies and persists in her attempts to rescue them. Nick approaches, remarking on the odd timing of their camera installation following his own vandalism. Beth leaves for college as Nick inquiries about Emma's motivation for getting a security camera. After accusing him of privacy violations, Emma admits defeat, decided to join forces with him. He boasts of the Council's support for his parking permit petition. She asks if he's a bird enthusiast, to which he claims the title of ornithologist. Emma then reveals Derek's alleged magpie slayings and tells him about the dead magpie tossed through her window. He queries her basis for implicating Derek, noting they're the only two with grievances against her. He denied any involvement with the dead magpie. Just then, a magpie perches gracefully on the fence, adding an eerie undertone to the scene.
Lee approaches John, requesting an upfront payment for the plumbing and electrical works. John agrees to consult with Emma about it. Lee hints at his exasperation with having to seek Emma's approval for every little thing. John counters that they make decisions as a unified married couple. Lee responds with a sarcastic remark, to which John warns him not to intimidate or disrespect him in his own home. Lee dismissively wonders who John thinks he is.
Meanwhile, John receives a text message from an unknown number, requesting a meeting. Lee, with a sly smile, nods in Pawel's (Patryk Szewczyk) direction, hinting at some unspoken understanding.
At the Magistrate Court, Emma is preparing her client for his hearing when Ian Casey (Joel Beckett) requests a private conversation. She politely declines, but Ian insists that it's about Abul Masood (Joel Kai Ali). Reluctantly, she asks her client to wait in the courtroom and then views a video that Ian shows her, depicting Masood and another man in a heated dispute with the police. Masood, speaking in English, rails against the cops. Ian accuses Emma of knowing about the incident and implies that it led to Gallagher's job loss. Emma refuses to take the blame, calling Gallagher a racist. She asserts that there is no evidence against her and proceeds into the courtroom.
Elsewhere, Nick reviews security camera footage meticulously. John waits for Sonia at a café when Terry Dobson (Larry Lamb) enters and takes a seat opposite him. John acknowledges that he knows Emma has been communicating with Terry. Terry inquires about the progress of the house extension, and John wonders why Terry cares. Terry apologizes for losing his job and attempts to steer the conversation towards Emma. As John prepares to leave, Terry grasps his hand and expresses a desire to discuss Emma further. Just then, Sonia enters, spots them together, and leaves abruptly. Terry asks about her, and John denies knowing her, urging Terry to leave them alone before exiting himself.
Gallagher, hiding in a nearby car, snaps photos of the encounter. In a different location, Emma asks Lee to slow down the project's pace. He responds with sarcasm, suggesting they could just end it altogether. She ignores an incoming call from Terry and steps outside for a smoke. Derek invites her for coffee, and she accepts. A magpie perches on the fence, and Emma greets it warmly. During their coffee, Derek expresses interest in redoing her kitchen shelves and asks about the dead magpies that were sent to her. She jokes that Derek must be behind it, referencing a past incident involving Derek and Marcus. Derek expresses concern that Sonia might be lying to John and wonders if Emma thinks John has been faithful. In return, she asks if Derek has ever had affairs, to which he remains silent. As she leaves, Derek kisses her cheek.
During a tense phone conversation, Sonia's voice trembled with apprehension about Terry recognizing her. John, on the other end, hinted that Emma might harbor suspicions. As she attempted to confide in him about her pregnancy, stress etched across his face, prompting him to propose an end to their illicit affair and seek her input. They mutually concurred that it was the best course of action and terminated the call, leaving Sonia shattered in tears.
Meanwhile, Nick peered intently through his study window at the live security footage capturing the bustling street. His eyes widened as he witnessed a delivery man handing a package to Derek. In a flash, Emma darted over, accusing Derek of being the culprit behind the magpie killings. Her voice rose in a crescendo as she summoned Barbara. Derek, in turn, shifted the blame onto Emma, claiming she was the reason Barbara was stressed and confined to bed. Emma steadfastly denied any wrongdoing and warned him that everyone was closing in on him. Nick watched her storm off, his gaze fixed. Inside, Barbara's eyes were glued to a photograph of Marcus, while Derek whispered plans of relocation.
At the Magistrate Court, Emma's voice crackled through the phone, informing Terry of their 4 PM rendezvous at the park. Just then, Ian called her name, and her frustration spilled over. "If you're here to intimidate me, you're not the first," she snapped. To her astonishment, Ian confessed to filing a complaint against her for misleading the judge, leading to her suspension—a revelation she deemed absurd. A court staff member then barred her from entering the courtroom. As Emma departed, Gallagher's fleeting smile mocked her from afar.
From his study window, Nick's heart tightened as he beheld Barbara's bruised face. At the park, Terry recounted his encounter with John to Emma, who demanded details of their conversation. Terry denied spilling any beans but admitted contemplating revealing how he expedited their construction project. Emma, accusing him of intimidation, scoffed at his implication that John was entangled in an affair. She cursed him, stormed back to her car, and found the window shattered. Inside, a deceased magpie and a chilling note—"Three for a girl, four for a boy"—rested on the backseat, attached to a picture of Marcus and Beth.
Returning home, Derek approached her, inquisitive about the scene. Emma insisted he was to blame and flashed the photo-note combo, elucidating its grim significance. He offered to confront Derek, but she declined. Switching gears, she inquired about Sonia's whereabouts, and Derek confirmed she was at work. Intrigued, Emma retreated indoors, questioning Lee about Derek's recent visits. Lee's focus shifted to his unpaid debt, prompting Emma to assure him of repayment. As she turned to leave, Lee seized her arm, insisting on immediate payment. Rummaging through her bag for Sonia's phone, Lee tried various PINs in vain. Placing the phone back, his eyes fell upon a positive pregnancy test.
Emma's suspicion deepened when she discovered the same photo of Beth and Marcus on her social media feed, painting a darker, more interconnected picture of events unfolding.
Beth encounters Gallagher in a cozy restaurant ambiance, where Gallagher plants a kiss on her lips. Beth inquiries about the presence of her agent friend, to which Gallagher replies she will join them shortly. They order cider, savoring the moment. Meanwhile, at home, Emma scrutinizes security footage, catching Nick arriving and pausing to eye their newly installed camera with suspicion. John enters the scene, querying about the car's fate, and Emma hands him a photo. He delves further into where the incident occurred. Emma recounts her encounter with Terry at the park, where she requested his assistance in expediting their building application. Terry, she says, has proposed she underwrite a loan, which she refused. She wonders aloud if Terry was meeting someone else, to which he casually responds he had stopped for coffee. Trusting Terry's word over his actions, Emma believes him. However, Lee shatters their hopes by announcing the Council has halted their planning due to discrepancies, which Emma knows Terry orchestrated. Lee insists on full payment, and John offers to intervene with Derek, only to be dismissed by Lee, who exits with a stern glance and a smirk aimed at John.
Later, Emma pays Nick a visit, hinting at satisfaction over his parking zone's rejection. She demands to see his CCTV footage, accusing Derek of placing dead magpies in her car, prompting Nick to summarily eject her. Frustrated, Emma rings Derek's doorbell repeatedly, labeling him a "crazy bastard," all while Derek observes from his study and Sonia peers through her bedroom window. Nick, unable to concentrate on his bird sketches, snaps his pencil in frustration. Emma frets about Derek's silence, while John wonders if Terry was behind the planning reversal. Emma, gazing at their family photo frame, questions the authenticity of their shared moments and demands to know about the woman at the café. John realizes she is referring to their conversation about Terry and, as Emma raises her voice, he insists he isn't lying, only to have her hurl the photo frame across the room, shattering it against the wall. Derek, unfazed, cranks up the jazz music.
Elsewhere, Beth wishes Gallagher well and shares a tender kiss before Gallagher explains the significance of her exhibit, leaving Beth to explore on her own. Beth's eyes fall upon a row of photos Gallagher captured of Terry, Sonia, and John, lined up on the wall. Back home, Emma reveals her plan to dig up Derek's tree to John, oblivious to Sonia standing nearby, discreetly discarding a pregnancy test in the trash. Lee, lurking in his work van, keeps a watchful eye on them. Sonia ventures into the kitchen but retreats upon seeing Alan. Emma bursts into the house armed with a shovel, confronting Derek about the dead birds. A scuffle ensues until John steps in, pulling Derek off Emma. Derek stumbles, hits his head, and collapses to the floor.
