How Far Should Adaptations Stray From Their Book?
Rivals Just Made Its Biggest Change From Jilly Cooper's Book Yet
The ending of Rivals season 2, episode 6, did something no one was prepared for—not even the dedicated readers of the book series. They completely altered a character's journey in a way that cannot be undone—and it has the audience divided. It begged the question: How Far Should Adaptations Stray From Their Book?
Rivals is a show I quickly became obsessed with a few years back. I’ve since rewatched the show and can’t even count how many TikTok edits I’ve saved about it. At a glance, it doesn’t even make sense—The show’s two biggest romances have a 20-year age gap, and the others are cheating on their spouses. But those who have watched the show understand that it’s so much bigger beneath the surface. Anyways, like any fan of the show, I locked in to watch the latest episode last Friday and was utterly stunned by the ending. And I wasn’t the only one.
Now, Hulu/Disney+ has structured season 2 by releasing the 12 episodes in two parts. Unlike Netflix’s Bridgerton, they haven’t structured them out a month in advance, but rather five… A bit crazy, I know.
On the brightside, I might actually need those five months to recover from the ending of episode 6.
Now, let’s back up a little bit because I can’t excuse the fact that not everyone who subscribes to this newsletter has watched, let alone heard of Rivals before.
Here’s your crash course:
Rivals is adapated from Jilly Coopers Rutshire Chronicles and takes place in 1980s England. It follows the rivalry between ex-Olympian Rupert Campbell-Black and ruthless media mogul Tony Baddingham. Then throw in an age-gap romances and adultery that some how has us rooting for, and you’re all set!
Coming into this show, I didn’t recognize any of these actors, and after a few episodes, I’m searching up what else I can watch them in. Coupled with an incredible soundtrack, this show has consumed every waking moment of my mind these past few weeks. Dare I say, season 2 is somehow even better than the first season. The chemistry between every character has me in a chokehold. It might lean a bit hard on the sex side of things, but between Heated Rivalry and Off Campus lately, I don’t think anyone is complaining. The sex serves a purpose in each of these shows, so I’m here for it.
Why Rivals Works When It Shouldn't
A massive age gap between a 20-year-old woman and an almost 40-year-old man
Cheating and adultery happening left and right
Messy characters who make the wrong decision every 5 minutes
Endless drama (that might be a bit extreme) packed into each episode
And yet… Almost every character feels flawed rather than villainous. Taggie and Rupert feel like soulmates. Lizzie deserves the entire world, and I don’t care what she does to get her happy ending. Freddie is the real hero at the end of the day. Sarah just wants to be liked. Maud wants her fame. Etc…
🚨 Spoilers Begin Here 🚨
If you haven’t watched Season 2 Episode 6, stop reading now.
This is your last warning.
Seriously.
In Jilly Cooper’s original novel, Monica Baddingham doesn’t die, and her storyline continues in subsequent books.
In the adaptation, Monica is killed during a storm when a tree lands on her car.
I’m not going to lie, her death broke me. I had seen a small spoiler on TikTok and knew someone had died, but couldn’t figure out who it was going to be until she disappeared. I was shocked, and yet it almost felt right for this show. Rivals bends the rules of TV and adaptations. They aren’t afraid. I haven’t read the books, so my natural assumption was that this was a storyline that also appeared in the books. I was initially stunned to learn that it was added into the show.
The chatter on social media has been mixed, with some people liking the change because it proves that no one is safe. Other people think killing off a character strays way too much from the source material.
Honestly, I understand both arguments. And upon further digging, her death makes some more sense.
“Tony had to pay some penance for what he has done,” executive producer, Treadwell-Collins told TVInsider. “The show is a series of wonderful parties. There needed to be some consequences; otherwise, the show would become gossamer-thin. It needed a weight to it.”
David Tennant, who plays Tony, also credited the writers for having Rupert, his rival, deliver the news of her death. “It’s the ultimate twist of the knife,” Tennant expressed. This moment creates a whole new layer to their rivalry and creates more hate inside Tony. Jilly Cooper herself even agreed with the change before she unfortunately passed away late last year.
My Thoughts: I will acknowledge that this is coming from someone who hasn’t actually read the book. I can understand that long-time lovers of these books might be pissed about the change. Lord knows I’d be devastated if a character from a book series I loved got killed off in the adaptation. Despite the devastation, I still might be able to understand it. Monica’s death was nothing if not brilliant writing. A good story has the audience bubbling over with emotion, and that’s exactly what the end of episode 6 gave us. The eerie feeling of something bad about to happen, as Monica was finally free, arose very slowly but didn’t leave. Tears began to fall before Rupert said the words. I was bawling by the time the credits rolled around.
But I get it. Tony needs to hurt, and I think more of us can agree on that. The end of episode 5 had my blood boiling when he stole the tapes, and I wanted him to hurt. The fact that his hurt originates from his deceased wife wrecks me, but I do understand the choice. And just like Tennant said, having Rupert deliver the news was simply brilliant. With the vast number of adaptations being released lately, it was kind of refreshing to have a surprise like this among new audiences and past readers. I’ve always believed that adaptations need to just match the tone of the book, and everything else can be up in the air. This goes beyond that, but I can’t say I’m not impressed.
The tough end to the series also softens the blow of having to wait until November. I need some time to cover. 6 months is a bit long, but I’ll survive.
➡️ If you’ve watched Rivals, what are your thoughts on the ending?
What We Know About The Rest of Season 2
The remaining episodes will release in November 2026
Everyone from the main cast will return aside from Monica Baddingham
Monica's younger sister, Araminta Pemberton (played by Rachel Stirling), will join the cast
The trailers show a scene of Rupert breaking a glass after seeing Taggie with Bas — A scene readers note is from the books.
ICYMI
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I'm so devastated by Monica's death and sad that they seemingly bought into the 'bury your gays' trope. Secretly hoping she'll be brought back in dramatic fashion!
The adaptation question is really a question about what we think stories are for. If the book's job is to live in your imagination, the adaptation's job is to translate it for a different kind of attention. They're not the same project. Rivals is an interesting case because the changes seem to be about updating what the audience can bear rather than what the story needs.