Rivals season 2 part 2 reviewed: praised performances, doubts over the Rupert–Taggie romance
Reviews of the second half of Rivals season 2, which returns this week, credit the cast and production but question the pacing, the split release and the central Rupert–Taggie storyline.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2The second half of the second season of Rivals, the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novels, returns this week, picking up after the death of Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook) in a storm. The IndependentLC “Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook) is dead.” Read at The Independent ↗ ColliderN “Following the shocking death of Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook), all of Rutshire is in shambles.” Read at Collider ↗ Mixed · 2Collider gives the return date as 11 November on Hulu; The Independent covers it as a Disney+ show returning "this week" and describes it as six episodes, while Collider refers to Episodes 7 to 10. ColliderN “Rivals Season 2 returns November 11 on Hulu.”“For much of Episodes 7 to 10” Read at Collider ↗ The IndependentLC “which returns this week with six episodes to conclude its second series” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Both reviews call the decision to split the season into two parts odd. The Independent's Nick Hilton calls it "bizarre" and suggests it was motivated by the streamer's financial model. Collider's Therese Lacson blames the "bizarre split-season release" for some pacing problems. The IndependentLC “The decision to split this second series in two was a bizarre one, surely motivated by the streamer’s financial model.” Read at The Independent ↗ ColliderN “which can be almost entirely blamed on the bizarre split-season release” Read at Collider ↗
Mixed · 2Storylines carried into this half include Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) reeling from Monica's death, the breakdown of Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud O'Hara's (Victoria Smurfit) marriage, the affair between Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (Danny Dyer), and Gerald (Hubert Burton) and Charles (Gary Lamont) facing the Aids crisis. ColliderN “Aidan Turner and Smurfit deliver their best performances to date as Declan and Maud's marriage crumbles.” Read at Collider ↗ The IndependentLC “The tryst between Lizzie and Freddie feels like a surprisingly genuine depiction of the moral quagmire of adultery” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2The reviews differ most on the romance between Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Taggie O'Hara (Bella Maclean). The Independent says Taggie is "utterly monochrome" and that pairing her with Rupert has "neutered the show's most fun character". Collider says Maclean "gives Taggie some teeth" and that the "will-they-won't-they" pays off in the finale. The IndependentLC “has neutered the show’s most fun character by pairing him off with the most boring one” Read at The Independent ↗ ColliderN “Maclean gives Taggie some teeth in Part 2”“pays off in the finale, which culminates in a bombshell moment that makes all that yearning worth it in the end” Read at Collider ↗ Centre · 1Collider praises Tennant's performance as Tony and Hassell's turn as a reformed rake, and says the production, including a large ball in Episode 10, a bonfire night and a party in Argentina, is "in top form". It also says the tone is darker than before and that one off-book reveal in Episode 10 is not properly foreshadowed. ColliderN “Tennant gives a masterful performance, showing a man who has nothing left to lose.”“the production of Part 2 is in top form”“it never feels properly foreshadowed” Read at Collider ↗
Left · 1The Independent calls the show a "high-class soap opera" and an "accomplished, jolly romp" that is saucy and unafraid to lampoon Thatcherite Britain, but says its large cast leaves some relationships "a bit lost". The IndependentLC “Rivals is a high-class soap opera, with slightly racier sex scenes.”“Rivals is still an accomplished, jolly romp through the Sloane Ranger culture of the 1980s” Read at The Independent ↗ Centre · 1Collider notes that season 2 ends where Cooper's second novel ends, that season 3 is starting production and will move to the third book, Polo, and that a character from the fourth book already appears in Episode 7. It worries the show is "buckling under the weight of its characters". ColliderN “With Season 3 starting production soon, it's clear that the world will continue expanding, and they'll venture into Polo, the third book in the series.”“The show already feels like it is buckling under the weight of its characters” Read at Collider ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- A critical review that enjoys the ensemble and satire but argues the central Rupert–Taggie romance is the show's weak point.
- Emphasis
- Character writing, the Taggie 'problem', the supporting storylines and the streamer's reasons for splitting the season.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little on the production design, individual performances or what lies ahead for season 3.
- Charged language
- “Taggie Problem”“utterly monochrome”“neutered”
- For example
-
“This show is developing a Taggie problem” — The Independent
“so much of this second season’s climax is wasted on Rupert and Taggie” — The Independent
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- A largely enthusiastic review that praises performances, set pieces and the darker tone, with reservations about pacing and cast size.
- Emphasis
- Acting, production values, fidelity to Cooper's novels, and what season 3 will bring.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not criticise the Taggie character as a weakness, and does not discuss the financial reasons for the split.
- Charged language
- “soaring heights”“masterful performance”
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Part 2 of Rivals season 2 returns this week after a gap of several months.
- Monica Baddingham's death drives the story of this half.
- Both reviews call the split of the season in two odd.
- Both reviews say the cast is large and the show is crowded with storylines.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether the Rupert–Taggie romance works
- Left
- Taggie is a dull character and pairing her with Rupert drains fun from the show; the romance has no real tension.
- Centre
- Taggie gains 'teeth' and the long-awaited payoff in the finale is worth the wait.
-
Length of the gap between the two parts
- Left
- Six months between the halves.
- Centre
- A five-month hiatus.
Left1 article
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The IndependentLC · · Opinion
Rivals season 2 part 2 review – This show is developing a Taggie problem
Mixed Opinion review that appreciates the soapy ensemble and satire but is sharply critical of the Taggie character and the Rupert–Taggie romance.
Centre1 article
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ColliderN · · Opinion
‘Rivals’ Season 2's Return Teases Its Most Ambitious Shakeup Yet | Review
Sympathetic Opinion review that is warm toward the season, praising the cast and production while noting pacing and overcrowding concerns.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 9 Nov 00:01 First The IndependentLC Rivals season 2 part 2 review – This show is developing a Taggie problem Opinion
- 9 Nov 00:01 First ColliderN ‘Rivals’ Season 2's Return Teases Its Most Ambitious Shakeup Yet | Review Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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