Marianne is on a student exchange program in Sweden for a year. Her breakup with Jamie has cost her some of her friends, but she is still in touch with Connell and Joanna. She is in a relationship with Lukas, a photographer who she meets at a college party. Back in Dublin, Connell is enjoying his relationship with Helen and continuing his studies at Trinity. Word of Marianne’s sex life with Lukas makes its way back to Dublin, and when Connell bumps into Peggy at a party she asks him about the gossip and whether things were like that with him and Marianne. Connell is upset by the gossip and worries about Marianne and whether she is ok on her own in Sweden.