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After that shocker of an ending in Rivals season 2 episode 6, we could probably all do with a bit of a break from the hit Hulu and Disney+ series.
Annoyingly, we have to wait even longer than first thought for the remaining six episodes to be released. Rivals season 2 has a release window of November 2026, which could potentially take us into early 2027 depending on the schedule structure.
"Twelve episodes is a lot for people to enjoy," writer Laura Wade told me earlier in the season. "I think that we partly wanted to drag out that enjoyment a little bit. But also from a practical point of view, it takes a long time to deliver twelve very complicated period pieces of drama.
"Do we just release the first six and crack on with finishing the second six, which is what we're doing right now? Or do we wait, an extra six months of release for 12? We didn't want to wait. Also, we've got the FIFA World Cup coming up, so we're releasing the first half before the football. Get that out of the way, and then release the second half."
But now we know (and in my case, begrudgingly accept) the season 2 release schedule, what can we expect from what's to come next? According to one star, episodes 7-12 can best be summed up in one word: "madness."
'You definitely won't be disappointed'
"There is a lot of stuff going on in these second six episodes... I was involved in some pretty fun, full-on scenes towards the end," Rich Keeble, who plays Brian Hetherington in the hit series, tells me.
"In episodes 10, 11 and 12, there's some high drama. I won't say anything, but we were filming in one location all week. Monday to Friday, had Saturday off, then back in there on Sunday. Every day, I remember thinking, 'Oh, my God, what are we doing today?'
It's likely that the above trailer has only referenced scenes in the earlier episodes in the next batch of six (e.g. episodes 7 and 8), so anything Keeble is referencing here is a complete surprise.
"There'll be something else in these scenes. We had like 50 cast in, 50 set assistants on top... and it was just madness for a week for a few scenes in one episode.
"If you've enjoyed these first six, then you definitely won't be disappointed. I think that the second half has a lot more going on. We've really hit the stride... everyone's on their A-game."
All I hope is that Monica's (Claire Rushbrook) legacy is handled appropriately — and perhaps if the rest of season 2 is dazzling, I can forgive the creators for killing her off.
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