Hands slapped against the tiling. The camera closes in on steamy patches of skin. And then, a woman runs her finger down her husband’s back, all the way into his buttocks. His face looks thunderstruck as he reaches a state of undeniable euphoria. That is how Rivals season 2 opens, with Declan O’Hara (Aidan Turner) and Maud O’Hara (Victoria Smurfit) spicing things up in the shower with an important index finger.
A Scene Designed to Spark Conversation
‘That’s the talk-about moment,’ showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins tells Metro, bringing up Maud’s so-called ‘magic finger’ before the question is even asked. Trust the most bonktastic show on TV – based on books by the late, great Dame Jilly Cooper – to open with a scene that will make audiences gasp, and perhaps consider experimenting in their own sex lives.
‘Our sex is usually quite fun and quite joyous,’ executive producer Alexander Lamb says. ‘And hopefully it makes people at home also go, “Shall we try that?”’ The creative team behind the series explicitly hopes that viewers will take inspiration from the scene and incorporate similar playful acts into their own relationships.
The Origins of the 'Finger Bum Gag'
As diehard Rivals fans know, Declan and Maud have a tempestuous relationship. They are often ravenous for one another when they are not at each other’s throats. Maud feels cooped up at their new home in Rutshire, where they moved after Declan started a new TV job at Corinium, the station owned by Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant). The O’Haras hit a rocky patch when Maud had an affair before the events of season one, but they endeavored to save their marriage, vowing not to keep secrets from each other.
In season two, Maud feels liberated after bagging a role in a play in London, and she is over the moon when Declan comes to support her. After a night out on the town, they head back to Maud’s hotel room, and very soon they are a tangle of limbs in the shower. The idea for the ‘finger bum gag’ actually came from executive producer Felicity Blunt, sister of The Devil Wears Prada actress Emily Blunt and wife of Stanley Tucci.
Director Elliot Hegarty, who directed the opening episode of the second season, wanted to find ‘new ways to convey our sex scenes,’ he explains. ‘Sex in a shower with water, backlit, always looks sexy, always looks great. Practically, it’s not always that easy. Who knows? But I knew it would look great. The scene was written up, and it was okay. Then Felicity said, “What if she stuck her finger up his bum?”’ And the rest is history.
Authenticity Amid the Campiness
While Rivals is a fictional story where the campiness is amped up and the hair is larger than life, the authenticity of the characters is one of the reasons fans love the series so much. This is conveyed in Declan and Maud’s marriage as, despite having been married for a very long time with three grown-up children, they are still able to keep each other on their toes. ‘This couple still fancy each other so much after such a long amount of time married, and their sexual language, they’re still surprising each other,’ says writer Laura Wade. ‘I think that’s really inspiring as well, isn’t it?’ The extent of inspiration viewers take will undoubtedly be in the eye of the beholder.
More Than Just Sex
Declan and Maud’s finger play is just the tip of the iceberg. Following the nude tennis in Rivals season one, the second outing also opens with two penises on full display during some skinny dipping, and Danny Dyer revealing he also went full-frontal. Of course, Rivals is not just about the sex. As written in Metro’s review of season two, the series also carries heavy emotional weight, which could take viewers by surprise. One thing is for sure: the retro drama kicks off with a bang, and audiences will not be able to resist jetting back to the 80s for some classic countryside romping.
Rivals returns for season 2 on Disney Plus on May 15.
