Hulu Unveils First Look at ‘Rivals’ Return as Season 2 Heads Toward Explosive Finale

The final episodes of Rivals will stream on November 11 in the United States on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, accompanied by first-look images and key art, the streaming service announced Wednesday.

The comeback will begin with a three-episode premiere. Six more episodes are left in the season, which Hulu promises is full of secrets, betrayals, and shocking twists.

This British drama series, based on the best-selling Rutshire Chronicles by Dame Jilly Cooper, has split its second season into two halves of twelve episodes each. The first six episodes aired from May 15 to June 5, ending on an intense cliffhanger and leaving the characters reeling from tragedy, scandal, and betrayal in Rutshire.

In continuation, the fight for the Cotswolds title between Lord Tony Baddingham and Declan O’Hara heats up, and Rupert Campbell-Black finds himself dealing with his inner demons. The plot unfolds against a backdrop of wild parties, Bonfire Night chaos, the Hampshire Hunt Ball, and a difficult Christmas as affairs come to light, alliances crumble, and rivalries escalate. In the midst of the franchise war, Taggie O’Hara has to gather the courage to follow her heart when everybody around her suffers because of ambition, power, and secrets that cannot be kept any longer.

David Tennant portrays Baddingham, while Alex Hassell plays Campbell-Black, Aidan Turner O’Hara, Nafessa Williams Cameron Cook, Bella Maclean Taggie O’Hara, Katherine Parkinson Lizzie Vereker, Danny Dyer Freddie Jones, and Victoria Smurfit Maud O’Hara.

Also starring in the show are Claire Rushbrook (Lady Monica Baddingham), Oliver Chris (James Vereker), Lisa McGrillis (Valerie Jones), Emily Atack (Sarah Stratton), Rufus Jones (Paul Stratton), Luca Pasqualino (Basil “Bas” Baddingham), Catriona Chandler (Caitlin O’Hara), Annabel Scholey (Beattie Johnson), Gary Lamont (Charles Fairburn), Hubert Burton (Gerald Middleton), Gabriel Tierney (Patrick O’Hara), Lara Peake (Daysee Butler), and Bryony Hannah (Deirdre Kilpatrick).

The following three actors have been announced to appear in the remaining episodes: Rachael Stirling (Araminta Pemberton – the vampish sister of Lady Monica Baddingham), Rupert Evans (the wise headmaster David Hawkley), and Santiago Cabrera (Argentine polo star Alejandro Mendoza). As guest stars, Hayley Atwell and Rupert Everett reprise their roles of Helen Gordon and Malise Gordon, respectively.

RIVALS 2

RIVALS 2

These episodes are the last to feature Cooper. The writer of millions of bestsellers in Britain, who was known as the queen of romance and scandal, died on October 5, 2025, at age 88 after falling at her Gloucestershire home. Later, the coroner determined that the cause of death was accidental. Alexander Lamb, the executive producer, reported that Cooper had given notes on the script of the finale just a few days before dying and had approved all twelve scripts of the season.

Disney renewed Rivals for a 12-episode third season on June 16, before the airing of the second half of Season 2. According to Lee Mason, vice-president of scripted content at Disney+ EMEA, the phenomenal audience reaction to the world Cooper created drove the renewal. The streamer stated that the third season will feature even more fragile alliances and secrets harder to keep.

Happy Prince, a part of ITV Studios, produces Rivals. Executive producers include Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Alexander Lamb, Felicity Blunt, Elliot Hegarty, Laura Wade (Olivier Award winner), and Cooper. Eliza Mellor continues working as the series producer. Written by Treadwell-Collins, Wade, Sophie Goodhart, Sam Hoare, Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor, Sorcha Kurien-Walsh, and Dare Aiyegbayo, the series is directed by Hegarty, Jamie J Johnson, and Dee Koppang O’Leary.

All of Season 1 and the first six episodes of Season 2 are streaming now on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.