Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Hulu’s ‘Rivals‘ continues the secret affairs of the characters, throwing in some shocking combinations in the mix. What hasn’t changed is the fact that Lord Tony Baddingham is a serial cheater. His string of affairs isn’t hidden from his wife, Monica, and while she has tried to turn a blind eye to them for so long, she finally reaches her breaking point in the mid-season finale. What makes things tragic is that the revelation costs her more than it does Tony, and her tragic fate will have serious ramifications for all the characters in the future. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Monica is Finally Done With Tony’s Affairs
The sixth episode of Season 2 brings a raging storm to Rutshire. Everyone is forced to coop up inside their houses, which is rather prudent considering how bad the weather gets. However, the upheaval in the Baddingham house makes it impossible for certain characters to remain under the same roof. The episode begins with Tony’s son, Archie, and Declan’s daughter, Caitlin, consummating their romance. Prior to this, Archie had developed the film in the camera he’d borrowed from his father. It turns out that before Archie took photos of birds, his father took nude photos of Maud O’Hara.
When Caitlin discovers the affair, her first instinct is to go home and confront her mother. However, Monica intercepts her first. She is shocked to see Maud’s photos, but not because she didn’t expect Tony to have an affair. Even though things had been going great between them, she knew that her husband wouldn’t really change. So far, he had managed to keep his affairs out of their home. He may not have been very subtle about keeping things a secret from his wife, but at least he never brought that trouble home. More importantly, those affairs were always flings, and there was nothing too personal about them.
With Maud, things are different. She is Monica’s friend, and Tony seduced and manipulated her to get back at Declan. Monica doesn’t like the idea of her friend being exploited that way, but that is not the only thing that irks her. The fact that their son now knows about his father’s promiscuities and, worse, he knows that Monica not only knew about it all along but didn’t do anything, shakes her into a weird sense of awareness. While she tries to sweep it under the rug, Archie confronts Tony over the dinner table, forcing Monica to leave the house even though the storm outside is already causing havoc.
Monica Meets a Tragic Accident
The first time Monica steps outside, she reaches Lizzie’s house. They have a heart-to-heart about being in a marriage where their husbands don’t love or appreciate them the way they should. She also asks Lizzie about her affair with Freddie, while also confessing that she had been in love with someone (Dame Enid Spink) she wasn’t allowed to be with before she married Tony. The conversation ends with the women deciding that they deserve better, at least when it comes to following their hearts.
When Monica reaches home, she tells Tony that she will not be putting up with him anymore. He has taken things a stretch too far this time and she is ready to divorce him. She also makes it clear that this won’t be an amicable separation. She will air all his dirty laundry to the world and she will hire a great lawyer so she gets to keep the kids and the house, which had always been hers to begin with. Tony says some harsh words too, particularly in reference to Monica’s lack of sexual interest in him, but nothing is going to change her mind anymore.
In fact, Monica is so sure that she decides to take Caitlin home right then. Not only will she drop Declan’s daughter off, but she will also loop him in on his wife’s affair. This doesn’t spell well for anyone, and to his credit, Tony gives Maud a heads up. However, by this time, the storm has gotten worse, and on the way, a tree fall over Monica’s car. While Caitlin gets out of the car in time, Monica takes the brunt of the force and dies on the spot. She is found by Rupert, who came out in the storm to find her and Caitlin with Declan. And in an ironic twist of fate, it is he who delivers the news to Tony.
Tony is truly heartbroken to discover that his wife is gone. While he may have repeatedly cheated on her all these years, he did love her, in his own twisted way. She may not have been his partner in bed, but she was his partner when it came to running Corinium. Most importantly, she kept him grounded and tethered, knowing just how to reset him when he would spiral too far. Now that she is gone, there is nothing holding Tony together, and that is certainly not a good news for anyone. Tony is hurting, and he will make sure that so does everyone else.
Read More: Rivals: Is Rutshire, Cotchester a Real Town in England?
You must be logged in to post a comment.