Rivals season two has arrived with much anticipation, as viewers dive into the first three episodes of the hit 80s bonkbuster adaptation. The raunchy Disney Plus ensemble series, based on the late Dame Jilly Cooper's bestselling series, returns after two years with its standout cast, including Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Emily Atack, Alex Hassell, Danny Dyer, and Katherine Parkinson.
Plot Intensifies in Season Two
In season two, the power-hungry Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) has declared full war on former TV host Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner) as they battle for dominance in their television enterprises. The supporting characters are torn apart by the heated rivalry. The charismatic Rupert (Alex Hassell) teams up with Declan while struggling to control his feelings for Declan's daughter, Taggie (Bella Maclean), who is trying to keep her catering career afloat. Meanwhile, presenter Sarah (Emily Atack), her husband Paul (Rufus Jones), co-star James (Oliver Chris), and his wife Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) all side with Tony while navigating their own complicated romantic entanglements, with Danny Dyer thrown into the mix.
Episode Two Dinner Party Chaos
By episode two, the dynamics are messy, and the dinner parties are even messier. While hosting her own party, Sarah secretly hires Taggie to cater, leading to absolute mayhem in an immaculate 10-minute one-shot scene. Rupert sneaks over to help Taggie out of a beef bind, and various main characters pop in and out of the kitchen, with people being shoved into cupboards left and right. The scene includes an accidental pregnancy reveal, a banged-up nose, a pretend trip to the toilet, and wince-inducing moments in the wine closet, not to mention a close call when Tony almost uncovers the whole situation.
Fan Reactions Overflow
Pulled together with pitch-perfect comedic timing and layers of tension, fans cannot get over how wild the sequence is. Shelby Elpers wrote on X, 'Season 2 Episode 2 has one of the most impressive sequences yet, with an incredible Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton at its core.' Aams declared, 'The dinner scene in episode 2 was everything.' Coolcatdizi shared, 'I actually love how morally grey Sarah Stratton is but that doesn’t stop me loving how chaotic she is and genuinely wishing her the best.' Charlotte echoed, 'The first three episodes of Rivals series 2 are incredible!!! Emily Atack doing her best work during the episode 2 dinner party kitchen scene.' Marriverse agreed, 'Episode 2 dinner party scene is peak comedy.' Vic reflected, 'Episode 2 was just hilarious television that dinner scene could’ve been a whole episode I would’ve watched an hour of Taggie/Rupert/Sarah trying to keep their secret.' Ririndrama declared, 'Sarah’s dinner party scene was absolutely insaneeeeee and the fact that it was shot in one take, now this is what you call REAL TELEVISION.'
Critical Acclaim for Season Two
The show's comeback has been an unmitigated success, with fans bingeing the first chunk of episodes and critics giving it a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety wrote, 'To say there is a lot going on here would be an understatement. Yet, Rivals manages to be a grandiose display of brilliant soapy drama.' The Independent said, 'That’s what makes Rivals such a rare treat in today’s television landscape. It is well-written and well-acted, but it aspires to nothing more than being fun.' The Guardian praised, 'Rivals walks this tonal tightrope in a flammable fuchsia tutu. Which is to say, perfectly.'
If you have not yet watched the new season, this is your sign to cancel your Saturday night plans and experience the dinner party scene in all its glory, along with other juicy plotlines. Episodes will be released every Friday until June 5, with six more to round out the season before the end of the year. Rivals season two, episodes one, two, and three are available to stream on Disney Plus now.
