Jilly Cooper's Rivals on Disney - episode 1 discussion thread WITH SPOILERS! Open the Pouilly Fume & curl up on the sofa with a lurcher puppy here!

[TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack]

Exciting!

Just finished it and now I'm bereft! I enjoyed it so much!

Poured myself an enormous gin and tonic earlier to watch one episode. Ended up watching four.

One of my favourite things was how perfect the locations were, penscombe priory is exactly as I'd pictured it, same with Rupert's house and the interior of the falconry. It's obviously been made by people who love the book.

Love Maud, Lizzie and Monica. None of the men are really how I'd imagined them (tony is really broad in my head, don't know why !) but it's no worse for it and Danny dyer is perfect as Fred Fred.

Rivals has always been my comfort book so I know it far too well and so far this adaptation is living up to the book.

I’m on episode 6 now, swoon, loving it!

feel free to discuss all of it here, I shouldn’t have put ep 1 in the thread title

Yes! Recognised it straight away. I’m 6 episodes in and it’s still really weird to see people driving cars up to the front door of the Poldark house and wandering around looking all modern. Keep expecting Ross to turn up on his horse 😄

I'm on episode 2. Danny Dyer is aceing it as Freddie. Loving him and Lizzie.

Helen!

i have one episode to go but plan to go straight back to episode one again and drink it all in - it’s so well done I am sure I missed lots of stuff first view

Episode 2 down - am lagging dangerously behind. It's so good! I'm sorry but Alex Hassell is perfect as Rupert regardless of looks. Victoria Smurfit is amazing as Maud, she's got that combination of breathtaking glamour and utter cringeworthy desperation down perfectly. I also really like slightly older slightly feistier Taggie. I'm so happy! But I don't dare look at anyone else's posts yet as I don't want anything spoiled even if I have read the book to death and back, at least three times a year for the last 25 years

NOOOOOOOO oh fair enough

I wished they had followed the book on Rupert and Taggies second meeting in the kitchen at the Priory (great set btw, exactly how I pictured it) I loved that part of the book, where Rupert took real notice of Taggie, and JC's lovely description of her:
Rupert, watching Taggie, decided she really was very beautiful. It was if someone had taken a fine black pen and drawn lines along her lashes and around the irises of those amazing silver-grey eyes.

Also I have found some of the scenes with Charles Fairburn quite heart wrenching, Gary Lamont is doing a fabulous job.
I am bereft it's over after waiting for what seems like years!!! Will we have to wait until October 2025 for the next part?

I've watched again with DH after initially watching 1-5 alone and very much enjoyed the rewatch.

Yes, Freddie had red gold curls. Also I can't even remember in the book,but I always envisaged him with a round, rather florid face. So at first the DD version just wasn't working for me but it turns out that DD is knocking it out of the park and he and Lizzie are superb.

God yes - Danny Dyer has absolutely run away with this. He’s just completely brilliant. If you asked me last week if I thought I’d be crying at a Danny Dyer performance I’d have laughed in your face!

I thought the book went to when the result of the franchise was revealed? The series seemed to stop in an odd place.

Okay Disney. Rest of Rivals please and then the other books too. So pleased it has been done so well. I also loved the portrayal of Monica and Mousie and agree David over acted.

I had to laugh at the Alex Hassell quote about at the age of 44, being ok with a bit of being objectified - I'm sure Maud and those of us over a certain age can relate:

Rivals’ Alex Hassell: ‘I don’t mind seeing my bum and willy on screen’

www.thetimes.com/article/99243d8e-b937-4796-8aa7-cdc53708a61d?shareToken=9abf9d76f84bbe03ee0f9616e13e4817

I can’t get to grips with Caitlyn, but she’s a minor character so I can live with it.
She’s supposed to be 16 and merry, she looks 30 and just isn’t carrying it off.

Great article @52crumblesofautumn Not seen Alex Hassell in anything before this and he sounds like a well grounded bloke. Seen plenty of him in this, lol!

I haven't read the books so assuming from what others have said here that perhaps they aged Taggie up and made her a bit feistier so it doesn't seem like grooming from a modern view.

I think in my younger years I would have loved an RCB character to sweep me off my feet, but nowadays I think I'd rather a Freddie who worships the ground you walk on. They have done his and Lizzies relationship beautifully - not that I ever condone affairs but you can certainly see how they might develop when her husband is such a twit. They remind me of Julia and her useless husband in Motherland.

They remind me of Julia and her useless husband in Motherland.

Ha ha-I wonder why that might be 😂

@mum2jakie indeed we have! 😂

Have just IMDBd him after your post, I thought he looked familiar absolutely hadn't cottoned on it was the same actor. - Well he plays a shitty husband well 😄

Caitlin is all wrong - too old. Everyone else spot on though surely Taggie is dark haired in the book.

He’s superb!!

Just finished it. What a bloody DELIGHT.

loved it all but most utterly especially when they all danced to the Birdie song.