Your Friends and Neighbors Episode 8 Recap: When Did We Become These People?

Apple TV+’s ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ started with Andrew Cooper seemingly hitting rock bottom after getting fired from a job he gave his life to. But with each episode, he seems to sink deeper into a pit he keeps digging for himself, and as the season nears its end, it seems that there is no way out for him or anyone. As his options shrink, he is forced to confront the reality of his circumstances and has to consider what would be the best thing for him to ensure his survival, even if it means staining his reputation. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Coop’s Arrest Divides the Opinions of His Friends and Neighbors

Coop’s public arrest at Paul’s funeral means that every single person in the neighbourhood knows about it. Generally, people are not inclined to believe that Coop, who has never been violent in his entire life, could kill a person; they are forced to reconsider after the truth about his and Sam’s affair comes to light. The ladies discuss this at the sauna, where Grace defends Coop, stating that he couldn’t have killed Paul for Sam because he is still in love with Mel. And it seems that vice versa might be true as well.

After spending a night in jail, Coop receives bail, which costs him $250,000. Fortunately, Kat has accepted the role of his attorney, and she doesn’t hesitate to give him a reality check, as bleak as it might seem. For now, he gets to go home, all thanks to his father, who spent his own money to get his son out of jail. Immediately after leaving the station, Coop goes to Mel’s place, where he tries to explain himself, hoping to see his children. However, Mel doesn’t know what to believe about him anymore, or at least, she says so because she is too hurt to find out about him and Sam. She also refuses to let him see the kids because she thinks he has brought enough chaos into their lives, and she doesn’t want to make things worse.

Meanwhile, Coop goes back home, where his sister tells him that the cops looked into the basement as well. He runs to secure his stash, only to find the place empty. He knows that the cops don’t have the money, or they would have asked him about it. This means that someone else, who knew about his trysts, has taken it. His first suspect is Lu, and he immediately goes to her shop to confront her. She reveals that she set Christian upon him, but that was to stop the man from killing him. She also tells him that she did not take his money, and after all the mess he has landed himself in, she doesn’t want to see him again.

Mel’s Feelings for Coop Get the Better of Her

While Mel might be angry with Coop about sleeping with Sam, it doesn’t mean that she believes he is a murderer. However, she cannot stop the public from believing that, or at least theorising about it. When she and Nick go to the coffee shop, everyone stares at them, but what really gets on her nerves is when she sees Sam, who tries to be cordial with Mel. She apologizes for not telling her about the affair with Coop, mentioning that she was too scared to talk about it. But Sam doesn’t care for her excuses and treats her harshly. As Sam defends herself, especially with Coop being the only suspect in her husband’s murder, Mel lets it slip that she slept with Coop, not realising that Nick is right next to her.

Mel also calls Sam a gold digger who is squeezing every ounce of sympathy on the death of the husband she hated, which leads Sam to hit her. And then, Mel hits her back. To make matters worse, the video is recorded, and soon, it is on every single phone. Tori and Hunter find out about it at school, which makes things even more tense for them. Tori tries to find some comfort in her boyfriend, but when he talks about how Coop could be a murderer because he has been violent before, Tori punches him right where her father had punched him a while back, finally ending their relationship.

Meanwhile, Elena gets a bag full of money, which she stole from Coop’s place, and repays her brother’s loan, while also clarifying that he will not be working another drop ever again. She intends to keep him out of trouble, but how successful she will be remains to be seen. Coop, in the meantime, is visited by Nick, who punches him in the face, but then apologizes for it. When Barney shows up and sees them sitting together, he proposes a night full of drinks and drugs, and that is exactly what they do. The three friends go out and get hammered. By the end of it, Coop almost tells Barney about robbing the houses, but the latter falls asleep, leaving Coop to shelve his confession for another day.

Coop is Confronted With His Limited Options

While they spend the night having as much fun as they possibly can, Coop, Nick, and Barney enter the next day fully aware of the reality of their situation. Barney goes back home to have his wife confront him about the money he’d hidden in his sweater drawer. When he confirms that he got it from Coop, she tells him to be careful and to think about his family before anyone else. We don’t know what Nick intends to do with Mel, but she faces the consequences of her actions when the video of her hitting Sam leads to her getting fired. Coop comes home to find his son sleeping on his couch. When Hunter asks him if he is going to prison, Coop assures him that he is innocent and will be proven so. And then, Hunter tells him about having a girlfriend.

While his son’s news makes him happy, this joy doesn’t last long as Kat tells Coop that his best option at the moment is to take the plea deal, with which he will be out of prison by the time Hunter graduates from college. However, Coop is adamant about his innocence and intends to fight for it. Kat mentions the problem of his DNA being found at the crime scene and the murder weapon being found in his car. She makes it clear that no jury would see Coop as the innocent party. She also beseeches him to be honest with her and tell her the truth about what he was doing in Sam’s house that night, but he brushes it off by saying that it’s complicated. And he is not wrong.

If he tells Kat about the robberies, he will also have to confess that he robbed her house, which will further complicate things between them, which isn’t something he can afford at the moment. When Coop goes back home, he finds Mel waiting for him. She tells him about getting fired and asks him if he had anything to do with the murder. Things lighten up between them, but at the same time, she wonders how their lives turned so messy. This leads Coop to reflect on his own trajectory, seeing that there is only one thing that comes to his mind. He knows he got himself into this mess, but he wonders how he couldn’t have seen where he was headed.