A charming suburban cul-de-sac hides a dark past and a very creepy new neighbor in the premiere of Peacock’s new series, The ‘Burbs. The show, which began streaming on February 8, 2026, is a new take on the 1989 cult movie. In the first episode, titled “The Goddamn Brownies,” a bored new mom’s curiosity pulls her into a local mystery that everyone else seems to want to forget.
The story follows Samira Fisher, played by Keke Palmer, and her husband Rob, played by Jack Whitehall. They have just moved into Rob’s childhood home in the quiet town of Hinkley Hills with their newborn son. Samira is on maternity leave and struggling to adjust to the slow pace of suburban life. Her search for a project leads her straight to the strange, empty Victorian house right across the street.
The Mystery of the “Murder House” Across the Street
From her first day, Samira is drawn to the dilapidated house. Her husband, Rob, brushes off her questions, saying it has been empty for about 20 years and that the family who lived there simply moved away. However, when Samira is invited to a neighborhood wine night, she gets a different story from the locals.
She meets a group of quirky neighbors: Lynn, a long-time resident; Dana, a no-nonsense retired Marine; and Tod, an eccentric man of few words. They tell Samira that the house isn’t just empty—it’s supposedly haunted. The rumor is that the family’s daughter, Alison, didn’t just move away. She died under mysterious circumstances, and some people believe she was murdered. Her parents left soon after and never sold the property, leaving the house to decay and “piss off the HOA,” as Dana bluntly puts it.
“It’s haunted as s—t,” Dana tells Samira about the Victorian, while Tod suggests it just has faulty wiring.
The plot thickens almost immediately. Right as the neighbors are discussing the house, a car speeds up and plants a “For Sale” sign on the lawn. This sudden development sparks Samira’s investigative instincts. She visits the local library to research the town’s history and the missing girl. There, she discovers a Tom Hanks Easter egg—a black-and-white video where Hanks appears as H. Horace Hinkley, the mining magnate who founded the town. When Samira asks for old newspaper clippings from the day Alison disappeared, the librarian becomes nervous and claims the archives have been checked out.
A Spooky Open House and a Suspicious New Owner
Driven by curiosity, Samira, Dana, and Lynn decide to attend the open house at the Victorian. Inside, they find a home frozen in time. Samira describes it as looking like both a museum and a mausoleum. As she explores, a burst light bulb startles her, but not before she makes a chilling discovery. In an upstairs closet, she finds a set of painted hearts with the name “Alison” scrawled in the middle.
The house sells almost instantly. Tod, who seems to know everyone’s business, reports that a doctor bought it and has already installed a high-tech security system. The new owner’s odd behavior begins immediately. He moves his belongings into the house in the middle of the night, at 2 a.m., which Samira and Rob witness from their window.
Trying to be a welcoming neighbor, Samira bakes a plate of brownies and takes them over the next morning. On the porch, she notices a security camera that actively follows her movement. The brownies sit untouched all day. That evening, when Rob takes the baby for a drive, Samira goes back to retrieve her good plate. This decision triggers the episode’s most tense and socially charged sequence.
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A Chilling Confrontation and Racial Tension
As Samira steps onto the property to get her plate, she is overcome by a strange feeling and retreats. She then finds herself locked out of her own house and falls asleep on the porch. She is awakened by two police officers at her door. The new neighbor has called the police, reporting that a Black person had trespassed on his property twice.
The show handles this moment of clear racial profiling with a sharp mix of tension and dark humor. The situation is defused only because one of the officers, Danny, recognizes Rob from high school and agrees to drop the complaint. However, the incident leaves Samira shaken and angry. It transforms the mystery from a casual pastime into a personal fight.
Rob suggests they should consider moving, but Samira defiantly states she “won’t be run out by a racist”.
Her new neighbors—Lynn, Dana, Tod, and Rob’s friend Naveen—rally around her in support, showing that while the neighborhood has its dark secrets, it also has a sense of community. The episode ends on a haunting note. From her living room, Samira looks out the window and sees the shadowy figure of the new owner, Gary, staring back at her from the Victorian house. The silent standoff makes it clear that her investigation is just beginning, and the man across the street is watching her every move.
Where to Watch The ‘Burbs and Series Details
All eight episodes of The ‘Burbs Season 1 are available to stream exclusively on Peacock as of February 8, 2026. The series is created by Celeste Hughey and features Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall as the lead couple. The main cast also includes Julia Duffy as Lynn, Paula Pell as Dana, and Mark Proksch as Tod.
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