Tony’s Revenge in ‘Rivals’ Brings a Big “0” for Rupert

Rivals dropped the first three episodes of Season 2 as a set on Disney+ and Hulu, and while today that’s regarded as an accepted standard release schedule for streaming shows, there’s usually a storytelling-driven logic behind the choice. In most cases, the premiere requires too much table setting, or the major plot driver doesn’t arrive until the third episode. In this case, the plot driver technically arrived at the end of Episode 2, but Tony’s revenge was too sweet to make us wait.

Beattie’s expose hits the entire Venturer team like a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster to the face. Most of the fire is aimed right at Campbell-Black (the Thatcher bit about “Milk Snatcher” is an amazing capper); the shrapnel is designed to make sure everyone around him gets injured: Helen, Sarah, Cameron, Declan via Taggie. It’s three and a half minutes of brilliant television, and thank all the gods that Hulu didn’t make us wait for it. Poor Charles was kept out of the loop about the contents of this week’s Uncensored episode; Declan is not best pleased with that, or with Charles’ eldercare excuses, because he knows Tony, and assumes this is only an opening salvo.

Gerald is also displeased with the extent to which his boss has been dismantled. He arrives that morning to discover Rupert hasn’t been to bed. He’s still drunk because he hasn’t stopped since the night before, and is currently uncontrollable by anyone, not even Cameron.