When charismatic and mysterious foster brother Andrew (Robert Webb) unexpectedly arrived back at the John Barleycorn, the life of staid publican’s son Stephen (David Mitchell) was thrown into desperate turmoil.

But after a lengthy spell in the Lyneham Abbey Wellness Centre, it’s Stephen who’s about to come back, refreshed and re-energised, while Andrew has been treading water running a provincial pub.

In this new series, we follow Andrew and Stephen’s ongoing journeys as Stephen’s sister Cass (Louise Brealey) packs up and leaves home, resenting the relationship of mum Ellen (Penny Downie) with young boyfriend Julian (John Macmillan), and as a seemingly altruistic Andrew focuses his troubling charm on the elderly parents of Stephen’s ex-wife Alison (Olivia Poulet). Meanwhile, blunt and uncompromising Uncle Geoff ( Geoffrey McGivern) gets married and ‘re-greens’ his farm, and Mike and Jan (Oliver Maltman and Jessica Gunning) struggle to keep the John Barleycorn afloat as a spectacular rival pub opens up nearby.

Stephen’s (David Mitchell) father Laurie, a local legend and pub landlord, has died and Stephen is set – finally – to take over the pub. Mum Ellen and sister Cass have no interest in the family business – they’re ‘creative’, with weed to buy and energy-centres to rebalance. With his dad dead, it’s now Stephen’s chance to shine. His only achievements so far have been marriage (followed by divorce), a failed stint as a lawyer in London and a slightly disappointing pub refurb. But when the charming Andrew (Robert Webb) turns up out of the blue at Laurie’s funeral, Stephen’s plans go awry.

Charismatic Andrew has lived in Sydney, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Berlin and Limoges but crucially, spent five formative months fostered by Laurie and Ellen as a twelve-year-old. To Stephen, Andrew was just one of a string of thirty-odd foster kids who he spent his childhood resenting. But Andrew remembers every single detail and sees that time as the most important of his life. Now Andrew’s back, and keen to revisit the closest thing he’s ever had to a family. Ellen loves Andrew. Cass loves Andrew. Even Laurie’s erratic brother Geoff loves Andrew. But Stephen doesn’t love Andrew. He thinks he’s a glib, dangerous sociopath who’s about to steal his family, his business and his life.