‘Rivals’ Season 2 has one major problem to solve after steamy Season 1, and no it's not too much sex
Contains spoilers for 'Rivals'
LONDON, ENGLAND: Hulu's latest drama 'Rivals' is a wild ride! It’s got all the ingredients for a perfect binge-fest—an addictive plot, knockout performances, laugh-out-loud moments, and yes, plenty of steamy scenes to keep things spicy. Anything lesser than this wouldn't have been acceptable anyway, after all, it's an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel.
Do you recall, Apple TV+'s 'Palm Royale' that was released earlier this year? Now tone down a little on the costumes, multiply the drama by 10x, and add lots of sex- that's the recipe for Hulu's 'Rivals'. While 'Palm Royale' is set in the 60s and revolves around the high society of Florida; 'Rivals' takes us to the era of the 80s in a fictional town of England. It touches upon a wide range of subjects, including misogyny, infidelity, professional rivalry, and even homosexuality. But there's one thing that’s omnipresent throughout the season and it's too hard to ignore.
Happy marriages are a myth in Hulu's 'Rivals'
If you ask a character from 'Rivals' to define a happy marriage, chances are you won't get a satisfying reply! Because in this show, happy marriages are a myth. 'Rivals' sucks when it comes to showing a good, meaningful relationship between a man and his wife. And it's not the damaged marriages that bother us the most. It's the never-ending infidelity and the lust for someone who's not yours.
Take Declan (Aidan Turner) and Maud's (Victoria Smurfit) marriage for example. Their marriage is the most turbulent of them all. They have been married for years and have three adult children. Maud is unfaithful to him, throwing herself at Rupert (Alex Hassell) at the first chance she gets. While Declan is busy making history on television, she is planning ways to seduce the other man.
Then comes Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and James Vereker (Oliver Chris). There's no love between them. Lizzie even attempts to get James's attention and plans a surprise on Valentine's Day. But he is too unbothered to give a damn. But when it comes to his new co-host Sarah Stratton (Emily Atack), he has all the time. And don't get us started with Sarah. The newly wedded wife of Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones) can't seem to take her eyes off Rupert Campbell-Black, so much so that she even plays naked tennis with him.
Lord Tony Baddingham's (David Tennant) married love life is also a joke as he prefers to sleep with his subordinate Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams). We can't even catch a breath amid all this love mix.
'Rivals' needs to treat its women better
"It's 1986! You can have whatever you want," says Lizzie in 'Rivals' Episode 1. But look at the irony. Lizzie's life only revolves around her family and she has almost given up on her dream of writing. Then there's Cameron, the only Black woman at Corinium. She's talented, and ambitious and deserves every bit of what she achieves for herself. But sadly, none of it would have been possible if she didn't sleep with her boss.
Women in Hulu's 'Rivals' are miserable, with Maud O'Hara topping them all. Some of these women are unfaithful, but you can't blame them either. It's 1986 in 'Rivals' where the world still revolves around men.
The lives of the female characters are pretty bleak, but hey, it's a fictional period drama after all. You can’t help but reflect on how far we've come from such blatant misogyny and move on! Hopefully, if there are future seasons, we’ll get to see some empowered women taking charge of their lives.
'Rivals' is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+