The Buccaneers Season 2, Episode 8, “She Knows,” sees secrets and suspicions reach an all-new fever pitch to create a revelatory season finale. This episode, written by Katherine Jakeways and directed by John Hardwick, is, perhaps, the most chaotic outing of the season; it contains wall-to-wall, often jaw-dropping drama. The characters and their stories come together with a lasting impact.
There is no denying that The Buccaneers’ Season 2 finale serves its function of closing one chapter to look ahead to another. Its execution isn’t awlays the smoothest; some choices are confounding yet fascinating. Therefore, “She Knows” emphasizes where this season repeatedly loses its edge and where The Buccaneers can sharpen it in a (hopeful) third season.
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Imogen Waterhouse and Alisha Boe in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+.Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. 
Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, Alisha Boe and Josie Totah in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. 
Josie Totah and Aubri Ibrag in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+.
The Truth Is Out
Once again, The Buccaneers saddles itself with a frustrating time jump – Guy reveals it’s been two weeks since Paloma introduced herself as Guy’s wife. Consequently, everything that follows is needlessly confusing. For example, “She Knows” drops into Nan’s anger as though no time has passed, which feels disconnected from what precedes it. There is no reason that Nan shouldn’t believe Guy will at least try to move on after their final conversation in Italy.
There is no reason why Nan should believe Guy has anything other than the best intentions. This season positions Guy as one of the more selfless and trustworthy characters on The Buccaneers. So, the heightened tension between them – after significantly diffusing it in the wake of Jinny’s return, Richard’s death, and the divorce trial – feels forced to compound Nan’s stressors. Without Guy, there is plenty for Nan to contend with before the season ends.
The season finale is more successful with the complexity and broken trust among Nan, Theo, and Lizzy. After multiple time jumps, it’s a relief to see Nan and Lizzy finally communicate, for better and worse. Unfortuantely, that conversation and any around it emphasize the weaker points of Nan and Lizzy’s friendship. The only outing this season that reflects the unparalleled trust Nan says she has in Lizzy is “Holy Grail,” six episodes ago. Even the argument that those qualities align better with Nan and Conchita falls flat now. This season inconsistently represents the girls’ friendships. Like “A Whole Love,” there are too few scenes in “She Knows” that capture that foundational sisterhood.
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The Masks Are Off
Meanwhile, it’s smart of the script to make Nan’s attachment to Theo unsentimental. The significance of the title of husband for him and, therefore, duchess for her works. Nan needs those to feel safe and protect her baby. Nevertheless, the reveal that Nan is pregnant is wild, although not entirely unpredictable given the season’s themes. The development coincides with The Buccaneers’ elevated drama with more mature themes, but the timing, unsurprisingly, is flimsy. Learning that there have only been four months since the honeymoon tour puts this season’s strange pacing into a new perspective.
Additionally, Nan makes it clear that she wishes to secure her title to maintain her positive political and social influence. It’s a shame that Nan’s work in that regard only really appears in “Holy Grail” and then in one conversation in “Every Single Piece of My Heart.” This season never meets the mark, and it’s unfortunate because, again, that work’s greater prominence benefits Nan and Hector, a new series regular character. Hector receives and accepts a job offer after chasing one all season, but it doesn’t have a rewarding impact.
This season rarely shows life outside of Lizzy. Instead, it reveals only the pivotal turns in dialogue. While a refreshing gender swap to how stories frequently unfold, it only undercuts any understanding of Hector’s motivations in leaking the story about Lizzy and Theo to the press. It’s a shame, too, because The Buccaneers can do excellent character work – Hector and Reede’s scene, where they don’t see eye to eye literally and figuratively, reflects as much.
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Christina Hendricks and Imogen Waterhouse in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. 
Amelia Bullmore and Greg Wise in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. 
Kristine Frøseth and Guy Remmers in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. 
Aubri Ibrag in “The Buccaneers,” now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+.
The Future Is Bright — For Some
Similarly, the gaping holes in The Buccaneers’ timeline rarely do any favors for the characters who have been on the show from the beginning, like Mabel. Mabel moving through her heartbreak is the levity that “She Knows” needs. However, that story folding back into the matchmaking storyline doesn’t work as well as it could if this season were more consistent in its prioritization of Mabel’s personal life. Plus, after presumably wrapping up that plot four episodes ago, The Buccaneers Season 2 moves on to weightier subject matter.
Thankfully, the storyline has more positives than negatives for “She Knows” and The Buccaneers’ (hopeful) future. The story’s reemergence causes creative symmetry with the season premiere, contributing to a satisfying viewing experience. More importantly, this storyline comes alive with a more inclusive lens to view matchmaking or “making introductions.” Imagining what this story will mean for Conchita, Mabel, and The Buccaneers’ world is compelling.
So, “She Knows” shows the period drama’s intentions to world-build. This tease goes beyond Nan, who is running free – for now. This season finale has one of the most exciting reveals – Theo has a brother, Kit. He will be the Duke of Tintagel now that Theo has renounced his title and all that entails. The ominous shot of Kit riding into the show’s world sets a specific tone. His arrival makes the Tintagel business and love triangles have an even more critical context. In turn, if it sticks the landing and reinvests in the love story between the girls, The Buccaneers can naturally expand into another different, exciting version of itself.
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What did you think of The Buccaneers Season 2, Episode 8, “She Knows?” Let us know in the comments below!
The Buccaneers streams new episodes every Wednesday on Apple TV+.
