Rivals Season 2 Review: More Drama, More Chaos And No Shortage Of Bonking

Electoral stress, public scandal, news broadcasters in crisis, class tension – no we’re not talking about 2026. The time has come to jump back to 1980s Rutshire and slide between the sheets for another romp with Disney+’s Rivals.

Yes, after a two-year wait that’s left us as full of yearning as Freddie and Lizzie’s slow-burn romance, Jilly Cooper’s iconic bonkbuster is about to hit our screens for a second season – and fortunately, it’s a repeat performance worth shouting about.

To catch you up: when we last left Rutshire, David Tennant’s baddie Tony Baddingham was lying bleeding out after a whack to the head by his ex-mistress Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams). Meanwhile, the only Tory we’ve ever fancied, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell), was confessing his love to Taggie, Freddie Jones and Lizzie (Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson) finally took their affair to a much-needed climax and Aidan Turner’s Declan O’Hara won the IBA’s franchise bid, but lost his wife Maud (Victoria Smurfit) in the process.

And after being left on a cliffhanger for two years, I can confidently say that despite the huge build-up, the second season hasn’t lost its stride… or stamina.

Having seen the first three episodes, if season one of Rivals was all about “will they, won’t they”, season two is the aftermath packed full of “holy shit, what happens now?” moments.

The plot continues with the Corinium versus Venturer, with David Tennant returning as a recovering – and out for revenge – Tony Baddingham (hey, it’s not a spoiler if it’s in the trailer). Danny Dyer continues to give the performance of his career as moustached class-climber Freddie Jones, while Alex Hassell’s lothario Rupert finds that his past has well and truly caught up with him as Rutshire goes to the polls.

Aidan Turner delivers another broody performance as Declan O’Hara (you aren’t ready for his shower scene) and there are also inklings of a bigger storyline on the horizon for Luca Pasqualino’s Bas. Plus, of course, there’s a whole lot of white jodhpur-clad polo.

However, it’s the women of Rivals who really take the reins in season two.

Emily Atack is the stand-out of the season – thanks to her character’s much-more-developed story arc and, as a result, screentime, Sarah Stratton is a powerhouse mix of comedy, devastation and drama in season two. We won’t spoil it for you, but there’s a dinner party that’s a real slapstick comedy masterclass.

Claire Rushbrook’s Monica Baddingham finally finds her backbone and get to play the part of a woman scorned (“you make yourself very easy to beat” is a putdown that will have you wincing), while Bella Maclean’s lovesick Taggie continues to be the ensemble’s most consistent moral compass of the entire show.

Cameron Cook, Maud O’Hara and Lizzie Vereker) also all decide that enough is enough in their own ways, making for an amazing “fuck you” to the more misogynistic storylines weaved throughout the series.

As for the rest of the characters (including one truly unexpected cameo that will be an extra treat for Eastenders fans), well we’ve not even touched the surface – you’ll just need to wait patiently for Friday.

And in case you’re worried that Rivals’ libido has begun to wane, please remember this is a Jilly Cooper adaptation. No, it certainly doesn’t take a dip (it takes exactly eight minutes and 23 seconds into the first episode before you see your first willy – two, in fact) and there are plenty of sudden Cooper-tastic sex scenes that will have you feigning shock to mask your utter delight. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you that the phrase “mole in the hole” will make you cringe for weeks.

We’re in the depths of a TV landscape filled with harrowing true crime documentaries, gritty police dramas and news broadcasts that routinely remind us the world is on fire. What Rivals offers is something outrageously needed – FUN.

Do we need to really acknowledge that the characters of Rivals are all morally bankrupt? No. Do we need the absolute chaos of a naked Rupert Campbel- Black getting smacked with a riding crop mid-coitus by a woman he doesn’t actually love, because of course he’s busy lusting after his business partner’s daughter? Absolutely.

Backed by a soundtrack of 80s bangers, the new series delivers exactly what we need in a week of grim headlines: pure, unadulterated escapism.

Its unique blend of utter silliness, seriousness and chaos makes us glad that Rivals is so much more than an illicit affair, it’s a long term relationship we want to keep far beyond the morning after.

Rivals season 2 is available 15 May on Disney+