5 Reasons You Should Be Watching Hulu's "Rivals"!

With the second season of the hit Hulu series "Rivals" set to air on May 15, there’s no better time to catch up on the show we are obsessed with! Set against the glitzy, high-stakes backdrop of the British 1980s -- an era defined by the entertainment boom and the dawn of sensationalist reality talk shows -- the series chronicles the cutthroat war between two rival television companies as they battle for dominance at any cost. But like any elite drama, the professional stakes are nothing compared to the personal ones -- the show is packed with scandal, romance, and enough manipulation to keep your allegiances shifting every episode. Below is a breakdown of the standout elements that make the series so compelling and why the eagerness for the new season is at an all-time high!

1. Tony Baddingham

At the heart of the "Rivals" drama stands Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), a master of psychological warfare determined to maintain his grip on power at any cost. He is far more than a corporate rival; he is a predator in the boardroom, known for weaponizing private scandal to dismantle his opposition and exploiting personal vulnerabilities to manipulate those around him. With a total lack of a moral compass, Baddingham views his enemies as targets to be neutralized rather than competitors to be outdone. As the war for the television franchise reaches a fever pitch, his return promises a truly ruthless, scorched-earth campaign. Viewers are left to wonder: to what extremes will Baddingham go to this time in order to secure his win?

2. Cameron Cook 

First introduced as the esteemed producer brought on by Tony Baddingham, Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) immediately defied expectations. Many characters were left crestfallen to discover that this acclaimed industry figure was not the man they assumed, but a formidable African-American woman. Throughout the first season, Cook fights to maintain power in an industry where she is consistently overlooked due to both her gender and race. She quickly becomes the central figure the others are rivaling over, and for good reason. With the season finale leaving the audience on a massive cliffhanger that threatens everything she has worked so hard to build, the fallout in the next season is highly anticipated.

3. Will They Or Won't They?

The budding relationship between Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) and Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) serves as a comforting, wholesome escape from the show's otherwise turbulent dynamics, with one major catch: they are both married to other people. Their chemistry and mutual support are undeniable, creating a compelling dynamic that often has viewers rooting for the affair in a way rarely seen in television drama. It remains to be seen how this complicated connection will unfold in Season 2.

4. Taggie & Rupert

From the very first episode, Taggie (Bella Maclean) and Rupert (Alex Hassell) have had viewers in a chokehold. The significant age gap -- with Taggie in her early-twenties and Rupert at least 20 years her senior -- is as startling as it is captivating. It’s been the standout arc of the season, watching them struggle to maintain distance only to inevitably end up closer than before. Much like the tension between Lizzie and Freddie, this is a dynamic that defies convention, yet somehow you can’t help but find yourself rooting for them anyway.

5. The O’Haras

Then there’s the O’Hara household, where Declan (Aidan Turner) and his wife Maud (Victoria Smurfit) are locked in a marriage that feels more like a cold war. Their relationship was a constant source of tension in the first season -- a volatile mix of resentment, bruised egos, and fading intimacy that often hit harder than any boardroom drama. Declan’s professional obsession and Maud’s refusal to simply stand by his side turned their home into a total battlefield. As the chaos intensifies in Season 2, you have to wonder: can their fragile union actually survive the pressure, or are they finally headed for an explosive breaking point?

Stream "Rivals" on Hulu now!