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Rivals season 2 review: Jilly Cooper bonkbuster remains as gripping as ever, but unsettling tensions overtake the first three-episode release

Rivals season 2 review: Jilly Cooper bonkbuster remains as gripping as ever, but unsettling tensions overtake the first three-episode release

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Dame Jilly Cooper may no longer be with us, but her legacy still speaks for itself and, frankly, Rivals Season 2 on Hulu and Disney+ is the perfect tribute to the fast-paced chaos that is synonymous with its name.

Picking up shortly after where we left off in season one, the collective excitement of our Rutshire set has turned a little sour. Cameron (Nafessa Williams) goes unnoticed after becoming convinced she killed her boss, Tony (David Tennant), after hitting him with a TV award in self-defense.

Lothario Rupert (Alex Hassell) immediately jumps to Cameron's defense, once again overshadowing his on-again, off-again relationship with neighbor Taggie (Bella Maclean). Meanwhile, Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (Danny Dyer) desperately try to hide their feelings for each other, while Sarah (Emily Atack) tries to climb the ranks at Tony's Corinium television station, despite some damaging obstacles.

Rivals season 2 opens another hornet's nest, but it's not full of drunkenness and angst

Rivals Season 2 | Official trailer | Hulu – YouTube

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If I'm honest, I'm still not entirely sure if I love it or hate it. Rivals Season 2 delves even deeper into a heated costumed rivalry. Tennant's Tony Baddingham is somehow even more hateful than he was in season 1, intent on getting revenge on Rupert, Cameron, Declan (Aiden Turner), and even Sarah in one fell swoop.

For me, Declan and his family are easily the weakest link of the season. While Declan is lost in Cameron and Rupert's drama with Tony, his wife, Maud (Victoria Smurfit), is on screen for what seems like two seconds. Taggie, who yearns tirelessly for Rupert, also begins to get bored.

But his loss means there will be gains to be made elsewhere, especially with Tony's long-suffering wife Monica (Claire Rushbrook). He's finally starting to respond to Tony's adulterous ways, and instead of moping around in bed with a bunch of fluffy dogs on his lap (not a euphemism), he's starting to see the benefits. More of this energy in season two, part two, please.

Everyone else is too stressed or afraid to desperately need sex, so while the steamy scenes are still present, they often blink and you'll miss them. The boisterous fucks in Rivals It's half the fun of watching it and it's integral to the show's DNA, so the heady energy it's missing is notable.

Dame Jilly Cooper's legacy continues in the safest of hands

Taggie and Rupert look at each other while standing in a pantry.

A closed pantry…? (Image credit: Disney+)

what is clear Rivals Season 2 is that Cooper has an obvious hand in every inch of these episodes, with most of the production taking place before his death in October 2025. His input is clear, concise, and has been carried out with aplomb, which speaks to how well the show will handle in his absence.

What's more, we are beginning to see the seedlings of the JCU (Jilly Cooper Universe) being planted. Avid novel readers will know that Pole takes place between Cooper's novels Riders and Rivals…and without giving anything away, there's a surprising ode to how The Rutshire Chronicles could easily expand to television.

My personal thanks of the season? Emily Atack's quietly devastating take on Sarah's solo story and the gift that keeps on giving in the form of Lizzie and Freddie's affair. It's the healthiest part of the raunchy series, and that's considering the fact that they're literally cheating on their spouses.

Has Rivals Did season 2 make sure it was the sassiest, raunchiest, craziest show available to stream? Absolutely. Is it a slight step down from season 1? Probably. But is it likely to bounce back strongly later this year? I would put money on it.