“Rivals” shocks viewers by killing off crucial character in surprise book change: 'Tony has to pay some penance'

Shania RussellSun, June 7, 2026 at 10:05 PM UTC

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David Tennant on 'Rivals'Credit: HuluKey Points -

Rivals just deviated from Jilly Cooper's novels by killing off a major character in a mid-season twist.

Series star David Tennant and executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins unpacked the character death and the consequences it will have on the second half of the season.

"Tony had to pay some penance for what he has done," Treadwell-Collins teased.

This article contains spoilers from Rivals season 2, episode 6.

Rivals will never be the same after season 2's mid-season shocker — and neither will David Tennant's Tony Baddingham.

Concluding the mid-point of its second season, the steamy adaptation of Jilly Cooper's beloved Rutshire Chronicles novels has proved that doing the homework won't always prepare you for the emotional wallop lying around the corner. Both book readers and show watchers alike were shocked when the latest episode ended with the revelation that Tony's wife, Monica (Claire Rushbrook) had died while driving through a storm.

As if her death wasn't dramatic enough, Monica had been on her way to inform Declan O'Hara (Aidan Turner) that his wife Maud (Victoria Smurfit) was carrying on an affair with her husband and his media rival, Tony. Beyond that explosive confrontation, Monica had finally resolved to set herself free from her unhappy marriage by divorcing her husband and finding a new path forward.

But after she drove off into the storm, with Caitlin (Catriona Chandler) in tow, she was not seen onscreen again. Instead, Rupert (Alex Hassell) of all people made the trek to Tony's house with devastating news.

Claire Rushbrook and David Tennant on 'Rivals'Credit: Disney +

"We found her," Rupert told Tony the next morning, choked with emotion.  "A tree fell and hit the car. Caitlin got out but… Monica's dead."

In Cooper's books, there is no tragic car accident. But rest assured,  executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins says the decision to deviate was not made lightly, sharing that Cooper — who died in October — agreed that the Great Storm of 1987 needed to be included in the story.

"Tony had to pay some penance for what he has done," 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."

Praising the twist, Tenant credited the writers for milking even more drama from the death by having Rupert deliver the news.

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"It's a great bit of writing, make it the person that Tony loathes most in the entire world who has to give him this piece of life-shattering information," Tennant told the outlet. "It's the ultimate twist of the knife."

The loss has the potential to amplify their feud even further, Treadwell-Collins teased.

"Tony's wife has died in the arms of his worst enemy, and that makes the situation even more difficult for him to face," he pointed out. "So, actually, it makes Rupert and Tony's past and feud darker, deeper, and it makes Tony want to destroy Rupert even more."

As for what comes next for Tony, Tennant indicated that he has only just begun to process the loss when he collapses in Rupert's arms at the end of the episode, noting that Monica's absence leaves Tony "adrift."

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Agreeing, Treadwell-Collins added, "Tony has lost the person who he loves in his own way. It is his own fault, and he has lost his moral compass. Going forward, he's lost all his morality. We thought Tony was bad before. He gets even worse, and that ups the stakes for the show."

Unfortunately for fans of the show, there will be quite a long wait before answers arrive. The second season, which premiered in May, is split into two parts. The second half will debut in the winter, showing the aftermath of Monica's death — and whatever consequences await Maud and Tony.

See the trailer for season 2's second half above.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”