Mild spoilers for Rivals season 2 episode 5 ahead
Rivals season 2 episode 5 is now streaming on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (international), and I fear that I’m the only fan who found it underwhelming.
Still, the “quiet before the storm” effect is exactly what I should expect from a penultimate episode, with the hit series going on a temporary hiatus after next week’s episode 6. But for most of episode 5, things felt like more of the same.
Maud (Victoria Smurfitt) is still making incredibly bad decisions by choosing to have an affair with Corinium TV executive Tony (David Tennant), while wholesome lovebirds Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie (Danny Dyer) have never felt more distant from each other.
Surprisingly, it’s Rupert (Alex Hassell) who’s the most well-behaved, determined to climb back on his reputational horse after Tony’s takedown on live TV in episode 3. Then there’s Declan (Aiden Turner), who appears to have eyes for Cameron (Nafessa Williams)… despite the fact that she’s been dating Rupert.
But none of these characters I’ve mentioned are the one I think has had the strongest character journey so far. And if I had to put money on it, I think said individual will be the polar opposite of who they are now when season 2 part 2 finishes airing.
Rivals season 2 episode 5 proves that Monica is the strongest character in the entire series
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Frankly, Claire Rushbrook’s back must be hurting from carrying the entirety of Rivals season 2 in her role as Tony’s long-suffering wife, Monica. In season 1, she was downtrodden, meek and sidelined at every opportunity, while Tony’s repugnant behavior meant her pet dogs were in her bed more often than her own husband.
Five episodes into season 2, however, and she’s a changed woman. She has stood up to Tony to try and regain control in their marriage, leveraging his adultery in an attempt to gain the upper hand. She’s hellbent on Tony remaining successful against Declan and Rupert’s rival TV company Venturer, and is prepared to go rogue to make this into a reality.
This doesn’t mean that her fears and insecurities have gone away, though. Episode 5 sees Tony drag Monica onto a Corinium daytime TV show to prove to the public that their marriage is a picture of health, insisting that she is given a makeover that makes her look incredibly uncomfortable. But this only allows for Enid (Selina Griffiths) to once again swoop in and save the day.
If you were paying close attention, episode 4 suggested that Monica and Enid could eventually have a romantic connection, and episode 5 only solidified this theory. After the interview, Enid comforts Monica with a signed photo of her favorite German athlete. When Monica’s daughters suggests Enid is a “funny fish,” Monica responds, “That’s incredibly unkind. People might say that I’m a funny fish, too.”
If that isn’t thinly-veiled subtext for “we both find women attractive but that isn’t public knowledge,” I don’t know what is. My hope for episode 6 and beyond is that Enid’s interest allows Monica to re-find the self-confidence she had in the series 2 premiere, and eventually dump Tony to live authentically. A girl can dream, right?
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