Rivals comes back Wednesday, Nov. 11, with three episodes at once, then one a week until the Dec. 2 finale. Part 2 adds three new characters, including Lady Monica Baddingham's "vampish younger sister."
Rutshire is back in session. Rivals Season 2 Part 2 premieres Wednesday, Nov. 11, with three episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. and on Disney+ in the U.K. and other countries, Disney says.
After that, it's one episode a week. TVLine reported new episodes arrive every Wednesday through Dec. 2, which lines up like this by our count:
Nov. 11: Episodes 7, 8 and 9
Nov. 18: Episode 10
Nov. 25: Episode 11
Dec. 2: Episode 12, the season finale
That's 12 episodes for Season 2, four more than Season 1's eight. The first six are already streaming. Part 1 started with a three-episode premiere on May 15 and wrapped with a midseason finale on June 5.
So if you're planning a binge, you'll have to wait until December to finish it. Hulu isn't dropping all six at once.
Here's Hulu's latest Rivals Season 2 trailer:
What happens in Rivals Season 2 Part 2?
Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner) keep fighting over the "Cotswolds crown," and Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) has to face his "personal demons," according to Disney's U.K. press site.
The new episodes run through hedonistic parties, Bonfire Night, the Hampshire Hunt Ball and what Disney calls "a turbulent Christmas." Affairs unravel, and secrets come out. So, a normal week in Rutshire.
Spoiler warning for Part 1: The midseason finale killed off a fan favorite, the Press Association reported. TechRadar says Part 2 opens with Monica's funeral.
Who is new in the Rivals Season 2 cast?
Three new characters arrive in Part 2, Disney's U.K. press site says:
Rachael Stirling as Araminta Pemberton, Lady Monica Baddingham's "vampish younger sister"
Rupert Evans as David Hawkley, an "erudite headmaster"
Santiago Cabrera as Alejandro Mendoza, an "Argentinian Polo legend"
They join two big names added in Part 1. Hayley Atwell plays Helen Gordon, Rupert's ex-wife and the mother of his two children. Rupert Everett plays Malise Gordon, Helen's husband and Rupert's old show-jumping coach. Both are listed as guest stars for the new episodes.
Who is back for Rivals Season 2?
The core cast returns, led by Hassell, Tennant and Turner. Here's who else is back, with their characters:
Bella Maclean: Taggie O'Hara
Nafessa Williams: Cameron Cook
Katherine Parkinson: Lizzie Vereker
Danny Dyer: Freddie Jones
Emily Atack: Sarah Stratton
Victoria Smurfit: Maud O'Hara
Claire Rushbrook: Lady Monica Baddingham
Oliver Chris, Lisa McGrillis and Rufus Jones are on the returning list, too.
Where can I watch Rivals in the U.S.?
On Hulu, or on Hulu on Disney+ if you have the Disney bundle, the Disney+ website says. Outside the U.S., Rivals streams on Disney+.
Season 1 is there, too. All eight episodes dropped at once on Oct. 18, 2024, so it's an easy catch-up before Wednesday.
Is Rivals renewed for Season 3?
Yes. Disney+ renewed Rivals in June, five months before Part 2 arrived. Lee Mason, a Disney+ scripted executive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the team was "delighted to be bringing audiences a third season," MickeyBlog reported.
No Season 3 date has been announced. Dominic Treadwell-Collins of Happy Prince, the show's production company, said the team will "dive deeper into the Rutshire Chronicles."
Who wrote Rivals?
Dame Jilly Cooper. The series adapts her novel Rivals, part of her Rutshire Chronicles, and it's set in 1986. Cooper was an executive producer on the show.
She died in October 2025 at 88 after a fall at home, while Season 2 was filming, the Press Association reported. Happy Prince said its one sadness is that "Jilly didn't get to witness the love for season two."
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Disney UK press (2026), the Nov. 11 three-episode premiere, the new Part 2 characters and the plot details
TVLine (Sept. 9, 2026), the weekly Wednesday schedule through Dec. 2
TechRadar (Sept. 9, 2026), the three-plus-weekly release pattern and Monica's funeral
Disney+ (Nov. 6, 2026), where to watch in the U.S. and the Part 1 cast additions
Disney UK press (June 6, 2026), the six-episode Part 2 order, returning cast and the June 5 midseason finale
Disney UK press (May 14, 2026), Part 1's three-episode premiere on May 15
Laughing Place (Feb. 5, 2026), the two-part, 12-episode plan and Hulu on Disney+
Press Association via The Irish News (June 16, 2026), the Season 3 renewal, the midseason finale and Jilly Cooper's death
MickeyBlog (June 16, 2026), the Lee Mason quote
The Disney Driven Life (Sept. 13, 2024), Season 1's all-at-once Oct. 18 release
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