Louise Rugendyke, the national TV editor and a senior culture writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, has awarded four stars to the second part of season two of the Disney+ drama Rivals, singling out David Tennant’s performance as a highlight. The six-episode conclusion streams from November 11.
The review describes Tennant's portrayal of the villainous media tycoon Sir Tony Baddingham as dripping with venom and finely tuned, never tipping into cliché. Rugendyke writes that the character is the big bad wolf of the series, a performance built for its over-the-top world.
The new episodes pick up after the death of Tony’s wife Monica and bring the battle between rival television licences to an end, as well as following the romantic push-pull for the affections of Taggie. Rugendyke praises the series for its ability to mix deep emotion and ambition with the excesses of 1980s Britain.
Adapted from Jilly Cooper's Rutshire Chronicles, the show is compared favourably to Succession and The White Lotus. The review highlights how the series centres female characters while never shying from the hard consequences of the era's sexism and homophobia.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The review provides critical guidance for viewers deciding what to watch this week on streaming services.
- It strongly signals the critical reception of the conclusion to the popular second season.
- It highlights the enduring cultural impact and successful modern adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s work.
Background
Rivals is a British drama series set in the 1980s, adapted from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles. The first part of season two aired earlier this year and ended on a major cliffhanger with the death of Tony’s wife Monica.
What to Watch
- The streaming release of the six new episodes on Disney+ from November 11.
- How audiences and other critics respond to the season’s conclusion and its portrayal of its controversial characters.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe review praises David Tennant as a television villain.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Is there a better villain on TV right now than David Tennant?”
- SupportedThe review awards four stars to Rivals (season two, part two).Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Rivals (season two, part two) ★★★★”
- SupportedLouise Rugendyke is the national TV editor and a senior culture writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Louise Rugendyke is the National TV editor and a senior culture writer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.”
- SupportedRugendyke praises the second part of Rivals’ second season, streaming on Disney+ from November 11.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Rivals (season two, part two) streams on Disney+ from November 11.”
- SupportedThe second-season part two is a six-episode conclusion.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Fans have waited five months for this six-episode conclusion to the second season”
- SupportedRugendyke singles out Tennant’s performance as a highlight.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “For a big show needs a big villain, and as this second batch of episodes proves, there is no big bad wolf like Tony Baddingham.”
- SupportedTennant’s portrayal is described as dripping with venom, finely tuned and never tipping into cliché.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “It’s a performance dripping with venom and so finely tuned that it never tips into cliché.”
- SupportedRugendyke describes Tony Baddingham as the series’ big bad wolf and says the performance is built for Rivals’ over-the-top world.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “A performance built for the OTT world of Rivals”
- SupportedThe new episodes pick up after Tony’s wife Monica dies.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “which picks up in the aftermath of the shock death of Tony’s wife Monica (Claire Rushbrook).”
- SupportedThe battle between rival television licences comes to an end, while the story also follows the contest for Taggie’s affections.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the battle between the rival TV licences – Baddingham’s Corinium and Declan O’Hara and Rupert Campbell-Black’s Ventura – comes to an end, but the real interest, of course, lies in the battle for Taggie’s affections.”
- SupportedRugendyke praises the series for mixing deep emotion and ambition with the excesses of 1980s Britain.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The White Lotus may have stolen all the headlines for the unhinged behaviour of its characters , but it’s got nothing on Rivals , which manages to mix deep emotion and ambition with penis-shaped topiary”
- SupportedThe series is adapted from Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles and is compared favourably to Succession and The White Lotus.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “It was adapted from Jilly Cooper’s bonkbuster series The Rutshire Chronicles”