This post contains spoilers from Your Friends and Neighbors from this point forward.
The opening of Your Friends and Neighbors season 1 episode 2 couldn't be more different from the opening of the first episode. Mainly, there's no dead bodies. But there's definitely a death, since Coop's hopes to land a new job are all but officially dead. His latest job interview goes south quickly because he comes in a little too big for his britches. He wouldn't have the same freedom he's used to and he would essentially be used to gain clients for a nepo baby he loudly insults.
Now that a new job with a new firm isn't in the picture, Coop looks at the stolen watch on his wrist and decides it's time for drastic measures: pawning the Nautilus watch. He's offered $175k, aims for 200, and settles on 185. However, the deal hits a snag with the pawn shop owner asks for the watch's box and certificate of authenticity. Coop keeps negotiating with the man, who sends him to a pawn shop in the Bronx instead. He's definitely out of his depth on this one.
When he arrives at the Bronx pawn shop to meet Lu, she takes him to the back of the shop and offers him $65k. He counters with $95k, but she knows that he's not selling this watch legitimately, surmising that he buys and sells expensive items for fun. After she reads him for filth and he's honest about his desperation, he accepts her original $65k offer. Something tells me this won't be the end of Coop's business with Lu and the next time, it won't be so cut and dry.
Coop and Sam's secret relationship heats up
The quick pawn shop payday brings Coop to his country club for a round of tennis with Tori before her tournament the next day, but when he arrives a bit late, his daughter's already practicing with Nick. Coop steps in, not before reminding Nick that he slept with his wife, and Tori gets her dad back for punching Jake in the groin. There's a lot of pressure on Tori to perform well and get into Princeton, and Coop seems to be the only one really supporting her and keeping her focused.
During brunch, Coop searches for Hunter and makes pleasantries with Jake before spotting Sam, who's stressed about her ex-husband bringing his new young girlfriend to the club. Because of how her ex made her feel, she's willing to forgive Coop for the moment to hookup again. Coop finally finds Hunter, who's high to his dad's frustration, and they agree to get the drums from his house. On the way, they pick up Ali and drop her off at their parents' house to move back in. They are a real trip, and Coop decides not to leave his sister with their parents and bring her to his house.
Later that night, Coop drops by Sam for their hookup, and she opts to have sex in Nick's showy SUV to really stick it to their exes. Coop stays the night rather than leaving right after, which makes their arrangement much more personal and begs the question why they don't just test the waters and go public, not caring what everyone at the club would think. He gets up in the middle of the night for cookies and milk and runs into Sam's son Henry, who asks to be tucked back in and for Coop to stay until he falls asleep. Coop obliges and reflects on how far away he is from his own life.
In the morning, he talks to Ali about his relationship with Sam and how he weird he feels about the current state of his life, which he further digs into a deeper whole when he breaks into a neighbor's house before Tori's tournament. He decides to be late since he knows these neighbors, Jules and Brad, are at the tournament, too. He takes another expensive watch hiding in the back of a drawer. He discovers Jules and Brad bought the SATs answer key for their daughter. He snaps a picture.
Mel and Lu stay on Coop's case
Finally, he shows up at Tori's tournament after she'd already advanced to the finals, and Mel's mad at him. Fortunately, Tori wins and she's quick to forgive her dad. Coop returns to Lu's pawn shop with his new acquisition. She turns him down this time, which could put a wrinkle in his plans. In the middle of his meeting, Lu's forced to pull a gun on a customer who pulls a knife on the clerk. Coop watches this whole mess go down and realizes that Lu isn't someone to cross. He still tries to sell the watch, but she places the gun on her desk to remind him of his place.
In episode 2, we also join Mel at work at the wellness center. She's a therapist who works with young patients. One particular young patient's struggles with his anger and how he processes it strikes a chord with her for some reason. Later, when all the women at the country club pry into her relationship with Nick, Mel seems a little hesitant to commit. Inspired by her sessions, Mel talks to Hunter about his relationship with Coop. She tells him it's okay to have fun with his dad and miss him, but he doesn't view their current relationship as different from when his parents were still married.
Mel goes to a bar for a glass of wine before Tori's tournament and lies in a text message to Nick when he asks where she is. She chats with the bartender, some light and playful banter about age, but she's seemingly feeling some rage. On the way to her car, she keys a random car like her young patient had just to release what she's feeling inside. What is she feeling inside? Does she regret having an affair with Nick and blowing up her marriage? She won't be when she learns what Coop has been up to.
The end of episode 2 finds Lu watching Coop drive away on her security cameras. Once again, his faulty trunk from the run-in with Jake pops open. He gets out of his car to close the trunk, and Lu watches while on the phone with a mystery person. She's giving this person Coop's license plate number and wants "everything" they can find on him. Honestly, she's giving him way too much credit. It's not like he's a crime kingpin. Still, he just made a new, powerful enemy.
Watch Your Friends and Neighbors only on Apple TV+.