Doctor Foster recap: Here's everything that happened in the second series

Doctor Foster completely captivated the nation when it first appeared on our screens in 2015. Starring Suranne Jones as the eponymous Doctor Foster, audiences also devoured the second series in 2017, furthering the story of GP Gemma and her cheating husband Simon, played by Bertie Carvel.

After the BBC confirmed in February 2026 that a third series was in production, fans are understandably going back to the streaming service to rewatch the original two series of Doctor Foster - but if you have a pretty full up watchlist already, take a read through our handy episode guide and recap below for the second season, or click here to read our Doctor Foster series one recap.

What happened in Doctor Foster series two?

Series two, episode one

The second series of Doctor Foster opens with Gemma (Suranne Jones) happily settled into her new life post-Simon (Bertie Carvel). Things are good with Tom (Tom Taylor), work is going well and she has good friendships around her. But just when everything seems to be going right, it starts going wrong, as everyone around her receives mysterious red envelopes. When Tom opens his up, it's an invitation to a party from his dad and Kate (Jodie Comer), announcing their intentions to throw a party to get married and celebrate their move back to the area - sparking all hell to break loose.

Gemma encourages Tom to go, but he doesn't want to. Simon then texts Gemma to share the news and adds their new address. She takes a detour on her way to work the next day to have a nosy, and even walks around the house as the door is unlocked - before Simon turns up just as she's leaving.

They talk in the kitchen and he recounts his happy life with Kate and their daughter in London, but both wanted to move back home. The small talk turns nasty when he asks if Tom is attending the party and she says no, then he asks if she's with anyone. She goes to leave and Simon patronises her, telling her to move on from him and trying to belittle the life she's rebuilt without him.

Unsurprisingly, she arrives at work flustered and has a run-in with the new doctor Sian (Siân Brooke). She assesses a patient, James (Prasanna Puwanarajah), and there's a palpable frisson between them - but she rebuffs his proposition of a date. However, she changes her mind and leaves as Tom goes to his dad's wedding party. Unfortunately, this makes Gemma incredibly distracted while out with James, and she can't stop checking her phone. She texts Tom to ask if he's ok and Simon sends her a picture of them together, leading her to panic and leave the restaurant to go get him. She takes James with her and has a run-in with Simon on her arrival, and even Tom asks her to leave after revealing James is his teacher.

Simon makes a speech about his new family, and then Kate does one too - and directly thanks Gemma for coming to the party in an attempt to humiliate her. Gemma snoops around Simon and Kate's bedroom and he finds her there where she accuses him of still finding her attractive. He admits it and she claims to be recording their conversation before flip flopping between saying she did and didn't to mess with his head. He strongly advises her to move away from the area.

She bumps into Kate on the way downstairs and they spar - but then she gives her a gift and tells her not to show Simon. Kate duly hides it behind her back, implying that there are already cracks appearing. Gemma searches for Tom but can't find him, growing increasingly frantic, before he appears and they get a taxi home with James. Tom and Gemma talk about James being his teacher, and he cruelly calls her "desperate". She drowns her sorrows in more alcohol after he goes to bed and looks at something in a drawer that's obscured to the viewer.

Gemma conducts a probation review with Sian and they clash, as Sian clearly indicates she isn't a fan. Gemma is then handed flowers and grins while ringing James to thank him - but while leaving a message, she opens the card which reads "bitch" and immediately ends the call. She drives round to Simon's new house and gives Kate the flowers, pointing out the message and declares they must be from Simon. Kate brushes off the allegations and promises to call the police if she returns.

She gets home and Simon is there, and they immediately butt heads. Simon tells her that "there's only one way I'm leaving now and that's in a coffin," with Gemma retorting that it's "good to know". Tom storms down the stairs with a packed bag and leaves to go live with Simon, leaving Gemma bereft and confused. Gemma gets the item she was eyeing up in the drawer earlier on and removes her wedding ring from it. She dissolves it in something, then gets four needles from her bag and a medicine bottle as the scene cuts between that and the image of Tom having a happy family meal with his dad, Kate and their daughter Amelie.

Series two, episode two

Gemma is left completely confused and in despair over Tom leaving to go live with his dad. He won't answer her calls, and she watches him from the car, following him all the way to school. While there, she bumps into James and agrees to a breakfast date with him. She then sees neighbour Neil (Adam James) and instructs him to go along to the office space that Simon owns and "bump into him" which he duly does, and the pair's stilted conversation ends in an agreement to go for a drink.

She then sees Tom's best friend Max (Frank Kauer) while watching her son at school again later on and tries to get information out of him - but he won't give anything up. She continues following Tom and surprises her by going to her place of work, the GP's. He goes in for an appointment with new doctor Sian, and Gemma senses an opportunity to try and manipulate information out of her. She invites Sian over for tea under the guise of getting to know each other better and Sian counters with inviting Gemma to hers instead. As Gemma leaves for Sian's, the doorbell goes and it's an estate agent - Simon has sent them round to value the house and pressure Gemma into moving away.

Simon and Neil's meeting is tense. Simon tries to rile Neil by asking how sex was with Gemma, and things continue to descend into awkwardness. Throughout the night, Simon plies Neil with drink and essentially puppeteers the now-faithful Neil back into his old ways, flirting with someone at the bar - who he eventually goes to bed with.

Simultaneously, Gemma's meal with Sian begins awkwardly - but they eventually open up to each other, each discussing their children and past failed relationships. After a while, Gemma asks Sian straight why Tom came to see her - something she refuses to do and they immediately go back to trading insults. However, after they go into the garden for a cigarette, Sian admits that Tom has anxiety but reassures Gemma. When Sian goes inside to get dessert, Gemma nicks the wine and sneaks off.

She goes round to Max's house, and it's quite uncomfortable watching as it's so inappropriate, but she offers him the wine to try and get info out of him. Devastatingly, Max tells her that Tom has said he doesn't love her, and she leaves broken-hearted, ending up at Simon's house. She makes eye contact with Tom in the window and rings his phone, but he declines the call and turns away. As Gemma turns to leave, she sees Kate kissing a man she doesn't recognise.

She leaves and goes to a nightclub where James appears, they kiss passionately but he refuses her sexual advances - he doesn't want to sleep with her in that state. She leaves and sees Simon as she's heading to the taxis, shouting at him across the road that she's got something to tell him. He takes a photo where she looks drunk as leverage, and when she gets home she sees Anna (Victoria Hamilton), who says Neil isn't back yet. They sharing a knowing, disappointed look.

Yet another estate agent visits to do a valuation, leaving Gemma unnerved. James brings breakfast round and they talk about the future before sleeping together. She sees Neil sleeping in his car, who through bleary eyes tells her what he's learned - that everything is above board and Simon's got really lucky. Neil breaks down, regretting his actions, and tells her Simon hates her - adding that he somehow knows everything and asks who could be feeding him information.

She confronts Sian who admits to knowing Simon prior and telling him the odd tidbit, but affirms that she's changed her mind and realised that Gemma's not the baddie in the situation. Gemma goes to confront Simon and asks what he has said to Tom to make him suddenly have disdain for her. Gemma tells Simon about Kate with the other man, but Simon explains him away as Kate's godfather. The argument gets increasingly more intense until they're stood inches from each other, but the moment is ended as her phone rings. It's the school - Tom has been in a fight with Max, and is immediately excluded.

Series two, episode three

The trio go out for breakfast together after the school meeting, and Gemma asks why Tom "attacked" his best friend Max. Tom says he asked for it, then that it was about Isobel (Hope Lloyd) who he says hates Simon because he "bullied" her mum when she worked for him. Tom walks out and Gemma and Simon argue, and she asks him again what he has told Tom to make him hate her. They agree to work together for Tom's best interests and be a team to support him.

Neil starts moving out from his and Anna's home, and Anna invites Gemma over for a wine - but she explains she's indisposed with the Tom situation. To Gemma's shock, Tom turns up at home, saying that he's had an argument with Simon in the car and that Simon is suggesting he move to a different school. Simon quickly arrives at Gemma's, and she invites him to stay for tea.

While Tom goes upstairs, Gemma overhears Simon telling Kate a familiar tale on the phone, that he needs to stay late at work - same cycle, different wife. As he leaves the kitchen, she tries to set up her phone filming on the side, but James rings and foils her. Simon boldly confesses to Gemma that he often dreams about their house and reminds her of a sexual encounter they had in the kitchen. Later, the three have a strange but friendly family meal together, and Tom tells them that he and Max fell out because Max likes Isobel and thought she was interested in Tom.

Tom goes to bed as Simon and Gemma tidy the kitchen together, and she once again sets up her phone to film. She attempts to seduce him and he resists for a while until eventually relenting - but then spots the phone filming and furiously deletes the video. They spit insults at each other… Until Gemma suggests that they carry on, despite the phone no longer recording. They do the deed, then sit on opposite sides of the room from each other - clearly disgusted at themselves and full of regret.

Anna comes over with the wine she promised earlier, and admonishes Gemma for having sex with Simon - having heard them from outside. She breaks the news that she's going to live up with her sister in Edinburgh, and Tom comes down for a drink. Anna tells him that she's leaving and he's upset at the news, and she quickly asks him what happened with Max - but he won't tell her, either. She berates Gemma, saying it'll break Tom if they keep getting back together and breaking up again.

The next morning, Gemma and Simon talk to the headteacher of the school about Max's appeal. Gemma is horrified to learn that, despite them agreeing to a united front, Simon's gone behind her back and already emailed them that morning about moving Tom to a different school. After the meeting, the school send the video through of Tom attacking Max, leaving Gemma appalled. She confronts Simon and he tells her once more to look at Tom's private photos, eventually giving in and finding pictures of him kissing Isobel.

On the way to Ros' hen do, she spots Isobel and goes to talk to her. Isobel says they kissed at the party but she changed her mind as things escalated, she explains that Tom assaulted her and that's what the argument with Max was about. Gemma is utterly aghast, apologises and encourages her to talk to her mum about it. Tom is found at Anna's house, and when Gemma arrives, Anna tells her that Tom heard her and Simon having sex. Tom admits that Simon knew about his assault on Isobel, and Gemma asks why he did it then apologises about him hearing them together. Tom takes off, with Gemma chasing him. James turns up and tries to help but Tom angrily tells him about Gemma and Simon.

Gemma follows Tom to Simon's, where Kate won't let him in the house - saying that Amelie isn't safe after Tom's actions. Tom's heartbroken when his dad won't back him up and runs away again. Gemma eventually finds him on a park bench where he pours his heart out to her, expressing his guilt and regret over what happened with Isobel. They patch things up and decide to leave town together.

Series two, episode four

Simon seems distant to Kate when she wakes up in the morning, and finds an envelope with her name on outside the door. She opens it to find a note reading "Your husband left this at mine. Gemma x" along with Simon's tie, and she's incredibly suspicious and concerned when he can't give her a simple explanation. After he leaves for work, she finds the wedding gift from Gemma and opens it.

Kate takes Amelie round to her parents' and expresses her relief that Gemma has left the town - but still seems anxious. She heads off to college and bumps into a heavily pregnant Carly (Clare-Hope Ashitey) while with a friend. Kate follows her and aggressively asks if she's helping Gemma again after the tie incident, but she affirms she's not. Kate heads off to Simon's office at lunchtime, and while he's getting them food she looks through his phone and finds the picture of Gemma drunk.

After Simon comments about how good it is that Gemma has left, Kate remarks that he's talking about her again. He then brings up the idea of Tom moving back in with them - but she tells him again that it will never happen and insults him. She asks about the picture of Gemma on his phone, and while he answers truthfully, she's not reassured about his answer. She leaves and bumps into Sian, who confirms Gemma's departure. Kate is again uneasy after Sian comments that Simon predicted Gemma would leave with astonishing precision, and Sian shows her the house listing.

Kate books a viewing and snoops round the house, writing down the address of a hotel that has been left on a post it note - presumably where Gemma has gone. Anna comes round and catches Kate trying to sneak out, telling her about Simon and Gemma sleeping together the other night. Kate leaves to confront Gemma and Anna pays the estate agent - it was all a ruse to lure Kate to the hotel. When Kate arrives, she finds Gemma there with her parents… And her daughter, Amelie.

The day then rewinds and Gemma texts Kate's mum Susie (Sara Stewart) asking to meet. We then return to the meet at the hotel and Susie tells Kate about Gemma and Simon sleeping together, but Kate doesn't believe it. She admonishes her parents for not liking Simon, but then does a U-turn and says that he's already admitted it to her and that they're working through the infidelity. Gemma is left alone at the hotel and goes up to the room to find Tom - they talk about genuinely leaving, for good.

When Simon gets home, Kate reveals all about everything that has happened that day. She tells him she lied to her parents that he'd already come clean about cheating on her so she could save face in front of them, and he finally admits the infidelity. Kate accuses him of still having feelings for Gemma, but says she doesn't want to emulate Gemma's behaviour and "get angry", asking for time to get over it. She notices him eating his dinner rather contentedly as if nothing has happened.

Later that night, Kate meets Gemma at the hotel before they both go to Gemma's house where she tells her about all the ways her former relationship with Simon has seeped into his new marriage to Kate. The gift she gave Kate was revealed to be Simon's wedding speech about Gemma, where he called her "my obsession, my life" and that everything he's done over the last two years has been about her.

In the morning, Simon goes to Gemma's house, but there's no one there. He tries to withdraw money, but his account's empty and he can't find business partner Mark, Kate's godfather, at the office. Kate messages "come home now", which he duly does, and arrives to a removals van packing up their house. In disbelief, he accosts Kate's dad Chris (Neil Stuke), who is overjoyed that Simon will no longer be part of their life. Mark relays to Simon that he's out of the business, and when Kate appears she says they're moving to France and that he'll never see his daughter again.

Gemma arrives and Simon is beside himself. He kicks her car in fury and she drives off, calling Tom to tell him it's all over and that they can go home. She has a change of heart, driving back to the house to find Simon sat on the floor. Feeling pity towards him, she offers to put him up in a hotel but they fight again. He snatches her phone and sees the hotel where Tom is and leaves to find him. Gemma gets back in her car, and in a moment of rage it looks as though she's swerved towards Simon to hit him.

Series two, episode five (season two finale)

Gemma swerves away from Simon at the last minute, coming to her senses, and arrives at the hotel. She tells Tom to pack up quickly and says Simon is coming to find him, explaining the events of the morning. They get in the car and manage to drive away just as Simon arrives at the hotel. Gemma and Tom arrive home and discuss their future - with Gemma suggesting that they redecorate the house together for a fresh start, but Tom announces that he's considering moving out once he gets to 16 the following year, leaving Gemma visibly crushed. She asks once more what it was that Simon told him, and he walks away.

Simon turns up at the house and Tom goes out to talk to him in the hopes of defusing the situation. He wants to talk without Gemma but Tom refuses, and Simon starts spouting slightly unhinged nonsense about how sometimes children have to look after their parents. Tom fires back that he knows Simon is using him to get at Gemma and goes back into the house, leaving Simon and Gemma outside. Simon whispers that he wants to stab Gemma and she retorts that perhaps he should stab himself - with him threatening to do just that. Simon disappears and Gemma remembers a happier time from their life as a family.

Tom, Gemma and James go out for tea with Ros (Thusitha Jayasundera) and her new husband Connor (Philip Wright), and they're all getting on happily - until Simon spoils the peace by banging on the window, getting the attention of the whole restaurant. Gemma goes outside to calm him down and he asks her to get back together with him, attempting to give her something which she immediately bins. They argue and Simon threatens ending his life again, when Tom comes outside and asks him to leave, calling him a "failure".

When they arrive home, Gemma notices something wrapped up outside the house and brings it inside, looking around cautiously. James presents her with a gift, it's earrings but Gemma seems completely unbothered by them - perhaps with their relationship in general - and when he talks about a new start, she again looks non-committal. After a conversation with Tom about her late parents, Gemma opens the wrapped-up item.

It's a wine bottle cork, and Gemma has another flashback about a night celebrating something with Simon with a bottle of champagne. The cork flies off and they laugh together, keeping it as a memento that "once upon a time we had fun". Gemma startles awake in the night to see a car driving off and races to Tom's room - he's disappeared. Although James tries to help, he irritates Gemma and as she quickly dresses, she breaks up with him there and then. She rings Tom and Simon answers the phone saying "leave us alone", but she can hear Tom in the background sounding on edge.

Gemma heads to the hotel that Simon is staying in and convinces the receptionist to hand his room key over - but they're not there. She leaves the building to try and find them, following her instincts and eventually finds them at the side of a dual carriageway. Tom tells her Simon is threatening to end his life and she tells him to go further up where it's safer, then attempts to talk Simon away from the edge. He becomes agitated and grabs her, nearly pulling them both into the traffic. He lets go and walks into the road on his own, narrowly avoiding death as Gemma pulls him away. She says something to him that convinces him to come away, but Tom doesn't hear and neither do we.

They go for food together and Simon orders alcohol, and Tom tries to reassure Simon that he's going to be ok when he moves to London - but there's clearly something his parents aren't telling him. Simon breaks down in tears and Gemma orders his food for him exactly as he likes it, proving that she still knows him inside out. He admits that he hates himself and what he's done, and finally admits to Gemma what he told Tom that convinced him to live with him instead all the way back in the first episode. Tom says it doesn't matter, but Gemma says she worked it out; Simon told Tom that Gemma had left him on his own briefly as a baby. She explains that she suffered from postnatal depression and her shock that Simon would stoop that low to use that against her.

After Tom accuses her of wanting him dead, Gemma vehemently denies it but Simon affirms she did. Tom vents his frustrations that she wasn't as present as he would have liked growing up, and she defends herself as being hardworking - saying the only way she's "failed" him is in her choice of his father. Gemma goes to her car and decants needles and substances from her doctor's bag into a plastic bag, laying everything out on a table in the hotel room. When she returns, Simon tells Tom he will never see him again and finally admits his fault in all the screw-ups over the years and absolves Gemma of the guilt for their family's upheaval.

Simon opens up to Tom about feeling relief when his own dad passed away, leading Tom to suspect Simon is planning to end his own life. As Gemma and Tom leave, Simon goes up to the hotel room and begins to follow Gemma's instructions. Tom sobs in the car, and Gemma returns to the hotel room just as Simon is about to fatally inject himself. She talks to Simon about her own parents dying before emphasising to Simon how painful it would be if he went through with it. She suggests he doesn't go through with his plan as Tom will need him one day, and Simon asks why she had the right tools in the first place. She admits she wanted a weapon when Simon took Tom away.

He asks if she'll ever forgive him and she promises she won't, but admits that time may begin to heal the wounds. She again asks him not to go through with it and gives him pictures of Tom that he used to take when he went away for work. He asks her to take the equipment and she duly does as the pair say a final goodbye to each other. As she leaves the hotel, she listens to her voicemail messages - the first is from the headteacher, revealing that Tom is allowed back to school after all, while the second is from Sian who's pleased to hear she's returning to work.

Before she can get to the third, she notices that Tom isn't in the car and ends the call to ring him. She notices his phone is in the car and begins frantically searching for him, running down to the spot she found him and Simon - only to find police cars. Thankfully, they're only handing out a speeding ticket, and she then listens to the final voicemail. It's from Tom, explaining that he wants to be away from both her and Simon and that she'll never see him again. She falls to the ground in anguish before talking to the police, then goes back to Simon in the hotel room to explain and we then see her listing Tom on a missing child site with missing posters around.

The episode ends with Gemma talking to the camera - to Tom - with a plea for him to come home, explaining that she'll always be waiting for him.

Author: Emma Dodds

Emma Dodds is a Digital Content Editor across Bauer Media's Rayo brands, including the Hits Radio Network, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS, Cool FM and Magic Radio. With a focus on long-form features, Emma prefers digging into a topic and really uncovering a well-rounded view of an artist - using honed SEO skills to figure out the answers to the questions people are really interested in. She especially enjoys a deep dive on song meanings analysis and lyrics interpretation!

• Suranne Jones
• jodie comer