The Gathering is a thrilling mystery that focuses on a group of teens and their parents after talented gymnast Kelly (Eva Morgan) is attacked at an illegal beach rave in Merseyside.
As we jump back in time to see the events that unfolded prior to the attack, we meet suspicious characters from different walks of life, who could all be responsible for Kelly's assault.
Kelly's best friend Jessica (Sadie Soverall) becomes both her love and sports rival as the pair's friendship becomes fraught when boys, drugs and sex is involved.
The incident at the beach party brings to light the intertwined sex lives, loyalties and rivalries of the teens on the island and questions how they can negotiate their sense of identity and freedom under the close surveillance of their parents. But which one is responsible for the crime?
Here's everything that happened in The Gathering episode 1...
The episode opens with a violent attack on Kelly at an illegal rave on Hilbre Island where she has been found unresponsive by Merseyside police.
One month earlier
Kelly has her hands full helping her widowed father Paul (Warren Brown) around the house and is pushing herself to compete in elite gymnastics all while grieving the loss of her mother.
During an assessment with her teacher, Kelly is called out of school for a dental appointment. However, when she goes to meet her dad at the school gates, it's actually Adam (Sonny Walker) and his friends, who are a group of urban free-runners she has been hanging out with. Their reckless lifestyle and free spirit threatens Kelly's bright future as an accomplished gymnast.
While Kelly skips school with the free-runners, Kelly's wealthy teammate Jessica and her controlling mother Natalie (Vinette Robinson) see her with the gang while out in the city.
Jessica leaves her judgmental mother to speak with Kelly about the gymnastics club, but Kelly is jealous when Jessica flirts with Adam. Adam quickly downplays his attraction towards Jessica when Kelly brings it up.
Later on, Paul goes to his son Tate's parents' evening, where the teacher praises how intelligent and polite Tate is. Paul is taken aback when she gives him a brochure for an elite private school for Tate to look into.
Kelly and the free-runners have a run-in with the law when they're caught trespassing on private property. After evading the police, Kelly rushes to her gymnastics class and quickly cleans up her injured hands to avoid suspicion.
Kelly has an argument with her coach during training and is pulled into her office. Believing that she's in trouble, Kelly is surprised with the good news that she has made it onto the national squad, but the coach threatens that she will be off the squad if she keeps freerunning.
Instead of telling Jessica that she made it onto the team, Kelly lies that the meeting was about being late with her fees.
Kelly is rattled when Jessica tells her that Adam has been messaging her all afternoon.
Back at their respective homes, it's clear that Jessica and Kelly live completely different lives. While Kelly and her dad celebrate her achievement, Jessica is put under massive pressure to succeed by her pushy mum Natalie, who opts to go out on a date after promising to spend time with her daughter.
Adam rings Jessica after she posts a flirty comment on his photo and the pair hook up over video call by stripping off.
While this is going down, Natalie is bombarded with messages while out on her date and rushes out of the bar in a panic. As she speeds home, Natalie is furious that Jessica isn't picking up her phone and hits a delivery man on his bike. She confronts him, before driving off again.
Natalie storms into Jessica's room, who is doing homework, and lashes out at her for not caring. Jessica is baffled by her mum's outburst and Natalie soon realises that she doesn't know about Kelly making it onto the team and she didn't.
The next morning, Kelly prepares her dad for the open day at the private school. Meanwhile, a devastated Jessica refuses to get out of bed, but her forceful mum states that she's booked her in for a gymnastics trial at Manchester and ignores Jessica's refusal.
Kelly goes on a date with free-runner Bazi (Luca Kamleh-Chapman) on the docks and Jessica is put under intense pressure by Natalie during her gymnastics trial at Manchester. Natalie pushes Jessica to perform a tricky gymnastics move in front of the coach, despite not feeling confident and she ends up injuring herself.
Later on, Adam is jealous that Kelly has been hanging out with "outsider" Bazi and makes his dislike towards him very clear.
At the private school open day, one of the teachers sees Paul and demands someone call the police. As Paul and Tate notice who it is, they run away and the unknown man chases after them, but they manage to escape.
Back home, Paul is annoyed that he ruined Tate's chances and tells Tate to keep what happened a secret from Kelly.
The next day, Kelly admires her new leotard and apologises to Jessica for not telling her about making it onto the team. Despite still feeling hurt by the ordeal, Jessica congratulates her anyway.
Later on, the coach announces that Kelly has been suspended from the team after being sent a video of her freerunning in town. Kelly believes it's Jessica who sent in the video to destroy her opportunity of a lifetime as she is the only one who knows about her freerunning antics.
The police show up at Kelly's house with a warrant to search the property and rifle through the family's belongings. After they find a striped orange shirt in Paul's bedroom, he's quickly arrested and Tate blames Kelly for everything.
Paul is interrogated by the police where it's revealed that he attacked a man called Julian Bolen after he asked him to keep his dog under control.
Elsewhere, Julian and his son discuss "that girl's dad" being arrested, who doesn't echo his happiness about the situation.
"Thought you'd be pleased after what she did to you," he says.
One month later
Kelly is heard screaming as someone drowns her in the water at the illegal beach party.
The morning after, Adam, an injured Jessica, Natalie, Julian's son and Bazi are all watching the news about a teenage girl who was found unresponsive after the party on Hilbre Island.
Paul calls the police and tells them that his daughter Kelly is missing after not returning home from the party.
The Gathering airs on Tuesday, May 14 at 9pm and Wednesday May 15 at 9pm. All six episodes will be available as a box set from May 14 on the C4 streaming service.
