The Feud (review)

Published by Mason Oldridge, 24 April 2025

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Jill Halfpenny leads on the latest Channel 5 drama, focusing on a neighbourhood feud stemming from a kitchen extension.

The premise may seem boring as a kitchen extension doesn’t exactly sound entertaining, though it is soon learnt that an affair is a major factor in the conflict.

When Emma and John decide to extend their property, they start receiving dead magpies with threatening messages. However, they aren’t short of enemies: friends Sonia and Alan (John is having an affair with Sonia), elderly couple Derek and Barbara (who disapprove of the build as it could move their tree in memory of their missing son Marcus), self-proclaimed ornithologist and CCTV-obsessed busybody Nick, dodgy builder Lee, Emma’s criminal father Terry and police officer Andi (who was suspended as a result of Emma and so takes revenge using Emma’s angsty teen daughter Beth).

Unfortunately, the pacing is incredibly slow and doesn’t justify being a six-part series as there appears to be a whole lot of nothing going on; it feels the majority of the viewing is looking out of windows and watching CCTV.

However, the series does provide a satisfactory resolution as it is revealed Nick killed Alan in revenge for the birds. Emma seems more concerned with proving her husband’s innocence than finding her missing and likely in danger daughter, despite learning of his recent infidelity, which feels somewhat unrealistic, though still results in a heartwarming reunion. Furthermore, the young man interested in the house up for sale at the start of the series decides to move in and is revealed to be Marcus, offering Barbara, now free of her abusive husband, a happy ending, in what is a nice touch.

On the whole, the plot is decent, though should have been told in a more concise timeframe.

6/10