‘Rivals’ Season 2 Release Date and What to Expect from James Vereker
Oliver Chris has consistently been one of the most entertaining figures in ‘Rivals’, but according to the actor, James Vereker’s crowd-pleasing antics are set to come at a much heavier cost in the upcoming second season.
In a video shared by Film Updates on X, Chris provided a candid overview of his character’s evolving role between the two seasons. He described James in the first series as a “ghastly, vain, self-obsessed, emotionally careless” comic character, a portrayal that the show effectively utilized for comedic effect.
However, in season two, those same traits transition from being humorous to causing real harm, with Chris pointing out that James’s disregard for others results in “really unpleasant consequences.”
James Vereker’s storyline continues alongside Sarah Stratton, portrayed by Emily Atack, who now shares the Corinium screen with him after her breakout in season one. An unexpected pregnancy threatens to disrupt both her career and marriage, exemplifying the messy fallout that Chris hints at—a scenario where James’s self-absorption no longer merely bounces off others but actively distorts their lives.
Critics who have previewed early episodes have largely echoed this tonal shift, noting that season two is significantly darker and trades some of the first season’s lighthearted energy for a more in-depth exploration of how fierce competition can erode real lives. While season one introduced viewers to the shiny, absurd exterior of Rutshire, the follow-up seems far more interested in uncovering what lies beneath.
In addition to the melodrama and its trademark irreverence, the new season broadens its scope to highlight secondary characters who were previously overlooked, with women like Sarah Stratton and Lady Monica Baddingham emerging as some of the most compelling figures as they navigate the ingrained misogyny in both their professional and personal lives.
The twelve-episode season will be released in two batches of six episodes each, expanding from the eight episodes of the first season. Set in the 1980s Cotswolds, where the local television industry is treated with utmost seriousness, the series adapts Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel from her Rutshire Chronicles series.
Chris and co-star Emily Atack have expressed their excitement about returning to the production, with Atack calling the cast reunion a genuine highlight and Chris stating it allowed him to “live in Jilly Cooper world again.” With the added weight on James’s shoulders this time, that world is proving to be far more complex than anyone in Rutshire might want to acknowledge.
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