‘Rivals’ Season 2 Episodes 7-9 Recap and Ending Explained: Monica’s Funeral, Maud’s Exposure and the Road to the Hunt Ball
The second half of the season arrived with three episodes streaming on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ internationally. They dropped at 3 a.m. ET. This ‘Rivals’ recap covers all three, so spoilers follow.
The midseason finale ended with the death of Monica Baddingham, played by Claire Rushbrook, who was killed when a tree hit her car in a storm, moments after learning her husband Tony had been sleeping with Maud O’Hara. The new episodes spend their time on the fallout, and on a question that hangs over the rest of the run, which is who can stop Tony now that he has nothing left to lose.
Monica’s Funeral Opens the Recap
The first episode opens with Monica’s funeral, where her son Archie delivers a eulogy that reportedly shifts the power balance between father and son. Tony rejects the sentiment, and only Caitlin comforts him. Monica’s younger sister Araminta, played by Rachael Stirling, arrives at the Falconry and quickly becomes a presence around Tony.
Rupert Campbell-Black has his own reckoning. He and his ex-wife Helen reach a sense of closure, and Rupert credits Monica for changing how he sees things, which nudges him toward repairing his relationship with his son Marcus. He then pushes Taggie away, fearing he will ruin her.
Tony rebuffs Rupert’s overtures entirely and kills Monica’s peacocks. One review notes that the funeral takes up only a fraction of the episode, and that its main flaw is that there is not enough of Cameron. The hour closes on a cliffhanger over how Muffy will react to Gerald’s honesty, as the secret romance between Gerald and Charles carries extra weight against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis.
Bonfire Night and the Declan and Maud Showdown
Bonfire Night is where Rutshire’s buried secrets ignite. Maud ends her affair with Tony, which only makes him want her more. Venturer’s mole hunt narrows, and suspicion falls on Cameron, whose colleagues are quick to blame her. Cameron tells Rupert she will always be the scapegoat.
Elsewhere, Taggie and Bas share a first kiss, and the wedding plans for Gerald and Charles are pushed up after the fallout with Muffy. The episode keeps its romantic threads moving while the central conflict builds toward its confrontation.
That confrontation is a dialogue heavy showdown between Declan and Maud. Maud admits she slept with Tony in their own home and runs from Declan, who tells everyone he never saw the truth in front of him. The affair is no longer a secret. Speaking to TV Insider, executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins had teased that if Declan ever found out, there would be fireworks.
The Mole Hunt and Venturer’s Pitch
The third episode, written by Sorcha Kurien-Walsh and directed by Dee Koppang O’Leary, deals with the aftermath. Maud is absent, so the men mostly reflect on her betrayal without hearing her side. Tony’s camp spins the story as Maud seducing him and leans on Monica’s death for sympathy, but neither Declan nor Rupert bites.
Declan accepts that his own hubris and obsession played a part. He and Rupert agree that Venturer needs Cameron back, but only if the men change. The pitch closes with a speech from Declan about democracy, and Taggie’s idea of including Marcus is accepted.
As for the mole, the episode suggests Maud is a traitor to Venturer but not necessarily the only one. No second name is confirmed. That leaves the franchise fight with an open question about who else inside Venturer is passing information to Tony.
‘Rivals’ Ending Explained and the Hunt Ball Setup
The closing scene belongs to Taggie and Rupert. Under pressure to hold her family together, Taggie turns to Rupert at Penscombe, hoping he will win so she can stay. He regains his fight, but the closing exchange is heartbreaking because Rupert does not see himself as capable of making her happy. In effect, he is the one keeping them apart.
The scene leads straight into the Hunt Ball, setting up the next batch of episodes. Treadwell-Collins has previously promised a famous Hunt Ball moment of a jealous Rupert and a wine glass. That makes the ending feel like a deliberate runway into one of the story’s best known set pieces.
Bas, stung after Taggie politely turns him down, bets on when he will sleep with her. Lizzie and Freddie’s affair is also exposed to James. The fourth episode of this half arrives on Nov. 18. The season finale follows on December 2. If you think Rupert can overcome his self doubt before Bas turns a wager into something real at the Hunt Ball, the comments are open for your case.
