The world longed for a TV plot with male yearning and Rivals delivered. Perhaps you have seen the stream of TikToks coming in about Alex Hassell’s character, who’s been given the title of the new Mr. Darcy, replacing the iconic hand flex with a tormented knuckle bite. If not, here is a recap of the new show that people have been raving about and what we know about a potential Season 2.
Spoilers for Rivals below.
Season 1 Rivalry
The Disney + series is an adaptation of the 1988 Jilly Cooper novel, Rivals. Set in 1980s England, news celebrity Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) joins the cut-throat world of Corinthium television. Along with him, he brings his glamorous yet egocentric wife, two daughters, and a son. Not too far from their manor lives Rupert Campbell Black (Hassel), an infamous bachelor known for his previous Olympic days, royal title, and playboy conduct.
The managing director of Corinthium, Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) quickly reveals himself as the antagonist with his money-grabbing and corrupt ways to stay in power. His confidant Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) is a powerful and domineering executive who is the true driving force behind the program’s success. Tensions rise between these characters, but the lines become blurry between enmity and love.
Declan and Rupert, who begin as rivals, ultimately join forces to take down their common enemy, Tony Buddingham, forming an unexpected brotherhood along the way.
With an extensive ensemble cast, each character bears unique quirks that propel them into intriguing storylines, like the level-headed author Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson), promiscuous news anchor Sarah Stratton (Emily Atack), and gentle Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer). In this twisted and rather steamy universe, morality is gray. Marriages are never quite secure and people fall in love with the wrong people. These muddled moments are embedded with humor and unexpected heart.
The Romance That Everyone’s Talking About
Lingering stares and unconfessed yearnings encapsulate the dynamic of Rupert and Taggie (Bella Maclean) — the onscreen couple that has inspired so many TikToks. Rupert, the older, seductive but well-meaning bachelor, crosses paths with Declan O’Hara’s 20-year-old daughter, Taggie. As the oldest child of rather self-interested parents, Taggie is used to dealing with the repercussions of their misguided actions and putting herself aside to prioritize the needs of others. Though her character is rather shy, cooking becomes her entrance into society.
Following a few unfortunate interactions between Rupert and Taggie, Taggie becomes the only person who can get through to him. She sees beyond his games and expects better from him, which slowly impacts his character as his behavior increasingly begins to match those expectations throughout the series.
This undeniable “will they, won’t they” romance is made complicated by Declan, who forbids Rupert from being with his daughter. Rupert does the right thing for once, but their draw to each other proves to be more challenging than they expect. The other complication, not as specifically targeted in the show, but more so by fans, is the clear age gap.
Taggie is 20 years old and Rupert is in his late 30s. This age gap has caused debate online: some think the age gap works in their favor given the characters’ matching level of maturity, and others think this age difference is problematic regardless.
The last episode of Season 1 leaves the audience on several cliffhangers. Rupert and Taggie finally confess their feelings, though Rupert is faking a romance with Cameron Cook to keep her working for their competing television program. Taggie also does not want to distress her father or sacrifice the work she has a large stake in. With so many loose ends, there needs to be another season to tie them up.
What We Know About Season 2
Rivals is based on the four-book series and, despite a few minor changes, the show adheres to the original plot. The first season only covers half of the first book. At the end of Season 1, Tony appears dead after an altercation with Cameron Cook. In the book, however, he survives the incident. As far as Rupert and Taggie, they navigate the tensions keeping them apart, but ultimately end in an engagement. Will Season 2 follow this path, or will audience critique of the age gap inspire an alternate ending? Whether or not these questions will be answered depends on Disney+, which has not yet announced its renewal for a second season.
Nevertheless, the first season’s storming success points to more Rivals to come. The cast and creators have also shared in this hope. The show’s producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins told TV Insider, “There are so many possibilities about what could happen but what we do know is revenge is a dish best served on television.”
Danny Dyer, who played fan-favorite Freddie Jones, told Radio Times that filming the show might even take precedence over his other projects, including the popular British series EastEnders, saying, “We might be busy on the second series of Rivals so you know, Walford or Rivals–maybe I can do both.”
If the series is renewed, production won’t start until 2025, so the audience will likely have to wait until 2026 for a new season. At the very least, we have the books to keep us entertained — and a surplus of Rupert edits on TikTok to hold us over.
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