Rivals on Disney Plus is a racy eight-part adaptation of the bestselling Dame Jilly Cooper novel that delves into the world of 1980s independent television in the UK. Set in the fictional British county of Rutshire, the story centers around a long-term rivalry between ex-Olympic rider turned politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), who, along with their friends, family and neighbors, drip with ambition, lust and power.
Here's everything that happened in Rivals episode 2...
The second episode opens with James Vereker on his chat show, plugging Declan's new live show that will air that evening. Everyone has gathered at the Corinium Television studios ready for the first show to start, and there is an air of excitement as well as nervousness. In the offices, Tony welcomes members of the board and woos them with champagne, while down in the studio Declan is ready and waiting for his disgraced Hollywood star, Johnny Freelander, to take his seat on the stage, but he is nowhere to be seen.
With the show about to start, Cameron goes to find their guest and discovers him having sex in the postroom with Daysee, one of the production assistants on the show.
Meanwhile, Taggie, Maud and Caitlin are at home, watching Declan's debut on TV with Lizzie when the door goes, and it is Rupert, who has arrived to watch with Tony's brother, Bas Baddingham in tow. There is a lot of flirting going on between Maud and Rupert, which annoys Taggie because her mum is spending more time looking at Rupert than watching her husband on screen.
The interview gets off to a good start, but soon Declan, who has written his own questions and done his own research, asks a controversial question to Johnny about the sex tape shame he was caught up in. It turns out that Johnny actually paid the woman he is sleeping with in the tape $500,000 to release it so he could paint himself as a victim. At first, the whole studio goes silent and Cameron is convinced their star is going to walk out, but Johnny eventually admits to what he did (mainly because Cameron has put vodka in Johnny's water glass) and Declan gets the scoop of the century.
How to watch Rivals: stream the British drama show online
After the first epsiode wraps, the Corinium team has a party and everyone is heaping praise on Declan. Johnny goes around to meet all the staff who work at Corinium and shakes their hand, but Daysee is left devastated when he doesn't recognize her, despite the fact they had sex only a few hours earlier.
Back at Maud's house, she is slow dancing with Rupert, much to Taggie's horror, while Caitlin is telling Lizzie and Bas about their mum's recent affair and what happened when Declan found out. Before she can go into too much more detail, Taggie cuts her off.
Rupert walks Lizzie home and she tells him to be careful because it is clear Maud has the hots for him, but he tells her he loves her, but that she can't tell him what to do. Later, Declan gets home and Maud pounces on him - she tells him she has been waiting all evening for him to get home so they can go to bed, but secretly it is her flirting with Rupert that has got her in the mood. Elsewhere Lizzie gets home to James, who is in a grump about Declan being the new flavour of the month at work, and he berates her for not being more supportive of his career.
Caitlin heads off to boarding school, but her parents don't bother to see her off, only Taggie is there to wave her off in the taxi. Meanwhile, Declan's career is flying, with 10 million viewers tuning in to watch each episode. He is making headlines all over the press, but Maud is more worried about a dinner party they have been invited to by Valerie and Freddie Jones, which Declan turned down. Taggie is catering the party, but Declan says he needs to work. Maud is convinced that Declan is keeping her from meeting new people as punishment for her affair.
Declan, Tony, Charles and Cameron discuss who they want on the show next and everyone from Princess Diana to Margaret Thatcher are named. Cameron suggests Rupert, and Tony is adamant that will never happen. After the others have left, Tony asks Declan why he is down and he admits he has a £80,000 tax bill left from living in London, and Tony offers to pay it off for him.
Later at Valerie and Freddy's house, Valerie tells Taggie she has to wear a maid outfit for the evening. Taggie says she thought she was just cooking the dinner, but Valerie says she needs her to serve it as well. Valerie is on edge, wanting the evening to go well, and as people arrive it is awkward when Paul and Sarah Stratton are there and Rupert walks in. Later things get even more tricky when Cameron arrives and Tony is terrified something might be said about their affair in front of his wife.
Taggie goes to put Cameron's coat upstairs and walks in on Rupert and Sarah having sex in a spare room, despite the fact Sarah's husband is downstairs. Rupert sees Taggie at the door, and she races off back downstairs.
Everyone sits down for dinner and everyone compliments Taggie on the food, but Rupert can't keep his eyes off her as she serves the dinner. Later Taggie comes in with a beautiful pavlova and goes around each guest offering a slice. However, when she gets to Cameron, Rupert puts his hand up Taggie's skirt, which makes her jump, causing the pavlova to land on Cameron's Armani suit. She is fuming and yells at Taggie, who rushes out completely humiliated and in tears.
Lizzie drags Rupert out of the dining room and has a go at him for ruining the party, and also what was meant to be the start of a new business venture for Taggie. He comments that he didn't realize someone as pretty as her would even need a job, and Lizzie is cross.
Rupert goes outside where Taggie is putting her coolboxes back in the car. He tells her he thought she wanted him to touch her, to which she asks why he would ever think that. Taggie drives off in tears and we get the impression that Rupert isn't used to women turning him down.
The following day Declan apologises to Cameron at work, saying he will pay for the designer suit that his daughter ruined. Tony points out it wasn't Taggie's fault that the pavlova got spilled and explains about Rupert touching Taggie, which leaves Declan raging. Ready to go around and punch Rupert for what he has done to his daughter, Tony suggests that revenge is better served on live TV, and why don't they invite him to be their next guest, so that Declan can confront him in front of their 10 million viewers instead.
All episodes of Rivals are available to stream on Disney Plus now.
