Rivals season 2 review: Wit, heart and relentless shagging as the residents of Rutshire return

by

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

You’ll see him in the promotional materials, so it’s no surprise to reveal that Lord Tony Baddingham is still alive. David Tennant’s villainous character seemingly died at the end of the first season of Disney’s adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s novel, collapsing in his office and appearing lifeless, but he’s back!

The first season of Rivals focused on carefully establishing the glamorous world of Rutshire and the lives of its wealthy residents during the indulgent 1980s, with Tony as a central figure. While the show is full of unexpected twists, it generally avoids permanently removing main characters.

The surprises when Rivals arrived in 2024 likely depended on whether you were familiar with Dame Jilly’s novels.

Those familiar with the original stories understood the characters were clever, kind, and surprisingly complex beneath the surface of scandalous behavior and lavish settings, all of which the TV adaptation captured beautifully. Viewers unfamiliar with the books likely saw them as purely entertaining and provocative, and the TV series didn’t shy away from that enjoyable, over-the-top quality.

Just to quickly summarize: Lord Tony runs Corinium, the ITV station for the Cotswolds area. His main rival is Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Alex Hassell), a former Olympic show jumping champion who is now a charming but unfaithful government minister during Margaret Thatcher’s time as Prime Minister.

The first season followed Tony’s relentless attempts to outsmart Rupert, a charming but troublesome man from a higher social class. The show was filled with a colorful cast of funny and endearing characters, and cleverly kept viewers guessing about who was truly the bad guy. It was completely enjoyable – a guilty pleasure with no guilt attached.

A show like Rivals really surprised everyone with how confident, wild, and good it was. Now, with a successful first season under its belt, it faces a challenge. It can try to be even more over-the-top, risking becoming ridiculous, or it can settle into a comfortable groove, which might make it less exciting but more sustainable.

The new series of Rivals starts by establishing a few key relationships, and then largely sticking with them. For example, romance author Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and electronics entrepreneur Freddie (Danny Dyer) have a connection – they’re in love and have been intimate – but a lasting relationship is complicated because they are both married with children.

Rupert is falling for Taggie, a promising young caterer, but a relationship is impossible – she’s the daughter of his coworker. He’s currently in a passionate relationship with Cameron, a successful TV producer, who recently made a dramatic statement by hitting her ex, Tony, with a TV award during a ceremony.

Life in Rutshire has taken a bit of a turn towards the scandalous. The season kicks off with some surprisingly explicit moments – including two instances of nudity and a rather suggestive encounter – quickly followed by a public mishap involving someone accidentally locked out of a hotel room while naked. A funny celebrity makes a cameo as a surprised onlooker. And wait a minute… is that who I think it is? It actually is!

Overall, ‘Rivals’ focuses on typical relationship drama. Instead of big, shocking twists every episode, each character experiences one interesting development. It can’t recreate the fresh excitement of the first season, or keep up the constant partner changes that made it so fun. The show smartly scales back and focuses on more grounded stories.

Dame Jilly Cooper passed away last October, shortly before the second season of ‘Rivals’ was being made. However, her beloved characters and the world of Rutshire are in good hands and will continue to live on.

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You can watch Rivals on Disney+. The second season starts streaming on Friday, May 15, 2026. A Disney+ subscription costs from £5.99 per month.

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Authors

Jack Seale

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2026-05-11 14:34