Review: Rivals Offers Liberating Escape from Sanitized Modern Television

This article reviews the second season of the television series 'Rivals,' adapted from Jilly Cooper’s novels, praising its refusal to adhere to modern television's trend of sanitized, therapy-speak-driven narratives. The reviewer argues that contemporary drama is often overly cautious and self-aware, whereas 'Rivals' embraces vanity, desire, and poor judgment with refreshing abandon. Set in the 1980s Cotswolds, the series meticulously recreates the era's aesthetic, from nicotine haze to specific fashion choices, while depicting the British ruling class as hedonistic and excessive. The performance of the cast, particularly Danny Dyer, is highlighted for treating the melodramatic plot with serious conviction, preventing the show from becoming mere parody. The piece posits that the show's appeal lies in its provision of an escape from a culture obsessed with managed behavior and emotional caution. By presenting outrageous flirting and terrible behavior as ordinary entertainment rather than pathology, 'Rivals' offers viewers permission to be excessive, serving as a liberating counterpoint to today's anxiety-ridden media landscape.