Alisha Boe, Josh Dylan, & Josie Totah Talk Resilience in The Buccaneers Season 2

Another season of The Buccaneers is finally here! It has a mature edge that goes best with a Chappell Roan track, according to its stars Alisha Boe (Conchita Closson), Josh Dylan (Richard Marable), and Josie Totah (Mabel Elmsworth), who sat down with Fangirlish to talk all things The Buccaneers Season 2. The Apple TV+ series inspired by Edith Wharton’s unfinished book of the same name returned for its second season on Wednesday, June 18. 

After a big hiatus between production on the seasons, Boe said, “I was excited to go back to Scotland [where the show films] and see all my buddies.” 

Whether it’s Totah’s misunderstanding about Dylan’s use of the phrase “throw your weight around a bit” or Boe’s when Dylan says “resilience” but she hears “Brazilian,” The Buccaneers cast’s chemistry and friendship are palpable throughout the interview. There’s even a pitch-perfect moment when Boe and Totah reenact Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s iconic finger-holding moment from the Wicked press tour. 

MORE: Don’t miss our thoughts on The Buccaneers Season 2 premiere HERE.

That bit arises when discussing The Buccaneers’s themes of coming of age and sisterhood, also present in Barbie and Wicked: For Good. Both movies will have been released in the same year as a season of the Apple TV+ series. In theory, the blockbusters work as excellent companion pieces to the small screen’s period drama.

Totah has a more specific recommendation for The Buccaneers fans, and we’re obsessed with it: “I think they should watch Season 2. And then they should rewatch it. And then, in between not watching it, they should watch Season 1 and then watch Season 2 again.”

Boe chimed in with a lighthearted “Buccaneers only!” with Totah adding, “Buccaneers all the way!” before Dylan said, “Back to back!” If you understandably need even more Buccaneers in your life, Totah also suggested checking out the 1995 BBC adaptation of Wharton’s novel before diving back into another rewatch of the Apple TV+ series. 

That recommendation is particularly perfect. The BBC version stars Greg Wise as Guy, and Wise will join The Buccaneers Season 2 as Reede Robinson, Hector Robinson’s (Jacob Ifan) father.

MORE: Do you need a refresher on where The Buccaneers Season 1 leaves everyone?

Boe and Totah expressed excitement about Wicked: For Good, which they confirmed for Dylan is the second part of Wicked. “I cried watching the trailer. I can’t wait,” Boe shared. “I love them [Erivo and Grande]. I love them. I can’t wait for it,” Totah added before re-enacting the now-infamous finger-holding bit with Boe. Before some brief yet fantastic impressions, Boe said, “It’s like we are Cynthia and Ariana.” Totah agreed, “We are kind of the Elphaba and Glinda Buccaneers.” Their outfits concurred – Boe in green, Totah in pink.

“One of you needs to stand up and do the riff that Cynthia does,” Dylan suggested. “I’d back you, Alisha,” he added after Boe said she couldn’t try.

That supportive nature shines on screen, too. Boe and Dylan’s characters enter a new era of their marriage in The Buccaneers Season 2. The season premiere sees Conchita and Richard take their partnership to a professional level. They create a matchmaking plan to ease the Brightlingsea family’s financial strife. Dylan teased that “Conchita’s hustling. Richard’s sort of following behind, trying to keep up.” He mentioned that Richard and Conchita “get bogged down in the responsibility.” 

Boe agreed when Dylan shared, “We’re [Conhita and Richard] getting through it, but we get quite serious, and you kind of lose touch with each other. And I think we realize that – we clock that – and then we kind of get our spark back, and we realize you’ve got to stay present in a relationship.”

MORE: We’re still thinking about how The Buccaneers uses a Taylor Swift song in its season finale.

That quality runs through multiple arcs this season, particularly Mabel’s. “I think I learned. I mean, she’s quite – she perseveres, and I think that’s cool. And I learned that. Uh, yeah, I think she’s…I think she’s strong, and you have to be to kind of keep going in that time. And kind of when she feels like giving up to still – she’s still there. And, um, I love her kind of standing tall. It’s very cool, and it’s rare for that kind of time,” Totah shared.

Dylan and Boe agreed, with Dylan teasing that Mabel stands up to Conchita “after the matchmaking.” Boe expounded, “Yeah, you [Mabel] stand up for yourself, and you humble me. You humble Conchita.” Totah provided more context, “Yeah, I do, and I was, like, I call you ‘poor.'” “Yeah, cause I am. I am poor,” Boe responded.

Conchita and Richard may face an uphill battle in their new roles as Lady and Lord Brightlingsea. Still, the five American women – Nan, Conchita, Mabel, Lizzy, and Jinny – find themselves with more drama, influence, and responsibility in 1870s London. “The Duchess of Tintagel” really leans into that aspect of The Buccaneers Season 2. So, it’s fitting that Totah described the new season as “a homecoming” because second seasons “always feel like sophomore year of college or high school or something.”

That growth shines in the depths that The Buccaneers can explore with the characters as it continues to blend contemporary and historical elements in the story, soundtrack, and costumes. “I think that’s a unique element to the show, but I think people watch this show because they care about the characters and they care about their relationships and the drama. And it only gets crazier. It really does. It gets messy this season,” Totah explained.

MORE: Here’s why we think The Buccaneers and Taylor Swift’s music are a perfect match.

The season premiere suggests as much when Nan uses her platform to push rumors about Jinny’s whereabouts off the newspapers’ headlines. Plus, Mabel and Honoria reaffirm their relationship amid the news that Honoria, Richard, and James Seadown’s father is dying. A lot is happening to and around the characters already. So, it’s no wonder that Boe said, “Yeah. This season is very messy, and I think that helps. Yeah. And it keeps the viewers just entranced.” 

Totah and Boe agreed that having Gracie Abrams and Chappell Roan on the show’s soundtrack is a real bonus in keeping fans engaged. They even shared that the girls and writers went to see Chappell Roan in concert in Glasgow while filming The Buccaneers Season 2. Dylan mentioned that the boys weren’t in attendance, to which Totah said, “I think we thought you would…,” and Boe finished, “Not want to go.” Dylan assured them of the contrary, “I would have loved it,” to which Boe and Totah agreed. 

“You would’ve been Pink Pony Clubbing,” Totah told Dylan. “You would’ve been down,” Boe added. Dylan mentioned his love of Roan’s “Pink Pony Club. Toah said the song reminded her of Dylan, and Boe shared that she “could see a slow-motion video of you dancing” to the song. 

There are still seven episodes left to see if Conchita, Richard, Mabel, and the rest of the characters will have a chance to dance on screen amid all the compelling drama in The Buccaneers Season 2. While that remains a possibility, after this interview, there’s no denying that the characters will try their best to move through this season with resilience. Plus, the Chappell Roan-inspired fan edits feel especially limitless now. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

MORE: Are you still debating watching The Buccaneers? Here’s why you should!

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What did you think of our interview with The Buccaneers‘s Alisha Boe, Josh Dylan, and Josie Totah? Let us know in the comments below!

The Buccaneers streams new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.