Rivals Season 2 Episodes 7-9 Review: A Darker Return to Rutshire 

After a long wait, Rivals Season 2 Episodes 7-9 bring fans back to a darker Rutshire. In the wake of Monica’s death, everyone is weighing the costs of their actions.

Of course, some are handling it better than others. Tony, now with nothing to lose (apparently his two children who don’t already hate him don’t count), is ready to burn everything and everyone to the ground.

Monica’s death is what lights the fuse and leaves this mess of characters seemingly quite unhappy by the end of the premiere episodes.

The elephant in the room is Declan and Maud with the reveal of her affair leading to one of the series most explosive scenes yet. Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit have always played their characters as fiery, but normally those fiery scenes turn from hate to making up very quickly and physically.

Not in this case, as Declan cycles through betrayal, sorrow, and rage at finding out about Maud’s affair. There’s a reference to Maud getting an Emmy elsewhere in the episode, but this scene should be on the show’s own awards submission reel.

For all of its soapy storylines, the acting on this show is never less than brilliant and compelling. Which is what makes some of the storytelling stagnation in this half of the season frustrating.

How many times is it going to play the same game of lovers and losers? Especially when almost everyone is starting to fall into the losers column.

The losers include Declan of course but also Caitlin losing Archie because she didn’t rat on her mom. Gerald breaking Charles heart again, though seemingly for the last time, while also humiliating Muffy, also counts in the losers column.

Freddie and Lizzie are still decidely lovers, with a romantic spontaneous getway to Paris to boot. But even they are living on borrowed time as they repeatedly acknowledge what devastation their affairs could bring to their famiies.

Valerie and James (especially James) aren’t the nicest spouses, but there are innocent children involved. One naked slip up has them sliding towards the losers column.

Last but not least: Taggie and Rupert. Their respective romances with Bas and Cameron end up as losses leaving a path for them to be together. Unfortunately Rivals pulls the rug out from under its dedicated shippers to give Rupert too much of a conscious.

Using Monica’s death to spur Rupert on to being better is egregious both in that it’s a textbook case of fridging a female character AND it takes away one of the key romances the viewers tune in for! He’s so terrified of hurting Taggie that he hurts her by rejecting her advances.

Oh Rupert, you handsome idiot. Less moralizing and more kissing!

There is one other score to keep track of on Rivals, and that’s who wins the television license bid. With Venturer having a leak and the licensing board getting new leadership it’s a tight race between the two teams.

Rivals Season 2 Episode 9 takes some time away from the in-story drama to address the dramas Venturer is proposing and proves why they’re the superior candidate. It’s inspiring to hear Declan talk about democracy, and you almost think the good guys are going to win for once.

That cliffhanger is left on a dangerous note as Tony uses the sexual assault of Daisy by Reverend Penney to blackmail him into securing Corinium’s bid, and we’re left waiting to see the outcome.

Tony is every bit the monster Declan and Rupert say he is, but the show couldn’t work without him. Every soap opera needs its villain, and Tony is all too happy to play that part.

What did you think of the return of Rivals? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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Rivals airs Wednesdays on Hulu.

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