More than a year after its first season concluded, Rivals has unveiled a first look at its upcoming sophomore season. There is much to anticipate from just these four photos. Most notably, David Tennant’s Lord Tony Baddingham seems to be set on revenge. Rivals Season 1 leaves Tony in a potentially life-or-death situation. After all, Cameron Cook, the Corinium producer and Tony’s former love interest, hit Tony over the head with one of his very beloved and very solid awards in self-defense. This photo from Rivals Season 2 shows Tony in a more familiar position, walking away from his helicopter. But what’s on his mind?
Only time will tell what he has planned! The same is true in learning what’s happening in the other photos. There’s one of Nafessa Williams as Cameron, as well as Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara. What’s next for them after Venturer beat Corinium for the franchise bid? Well, Rivals Season 2 returns to the Cotswolds countryside to find Lord Baddingham “out for vengeance, ready to stop at nothing to keep Corinium’s empire unrivalled,” per its description.
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“Careers, marriages, and reputations hang in the balance as personal and professional lives collide in a world where secrets can’t stay hidden for long,” the synopsis continues. Perhaps this sentence can translate to the photo of Alex Hassell’s Rupert Campbell-Black and Bella Maclean’s Taggie O’Hara. Though Rupert must be with Cameron to help the franchise, Rupert and Taggie share one of the season’s most romantic moments in the Rivals Season 1 finale. It appears they will only have more of those, except in pantries this time around. The chemistry! The buzz! The romance! That photo, like the other three, is such a great tease that it truly leaves one’s mind racing to fill in the context.
Of course, as confirmed by David Tennant and Gary Lamont at this year’s BAFTA Scot Awards, this season is the second part of the late Dame Jilly Cooper’s book of the same name. Cooper passed away in October, and Tennant and Lamont spoke about her impact on the show at the event in November. “And, obviously, we’ve lost Jilly, which is devastating. But she was part of storylining the whole thing, so her fingerprints are all over it,” Tennant said. Lamont added, “Yeah, she was working right up to the end, giving notes right up to the end. So it feels really lovely to have her blessing. I mean, we’re just devastated by it.”
The 12-episode season – up from eight episodes in Season 1 – is currently filming in the UK after beginning production in May. The super-sized season is expected to have “even more wit, desire, and jaw-dropping twists. Power struggles intensify, rivalries deepen, and ambition pushes loyalties to the brink.” Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett are among those joining the cast for Season 2.
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Rivals Season 2 Photos:
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What do you think of the first photos from Rivals Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
