Interview
‘Maxton Hall’ Season 2: Harriet Herbig-Matten Teases Ruby’s ‘Heartbreak’ Over James
True to its title, Maxton Hall — The World Between Us put Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) and James (Damian Hardung) in very different places by the end of Season 1. After reconciling with James, Ruby couldn’t be happier. The same would be true for James if he hadn’t just found out his mother died.
He decides to keep his grief a secret from Ruby in Season 1’s final moments, and the upcoming second season of the German teen drama picks up immediately afterward. For TV Insider’s Fall TV Preview, Herbig-Matten and coproducer and head writer Ceylan Yildirim dished on what fans can expect from the young couple’s story moving forward.
“After returning from Oxford, Ruby is deeply in love with James,” Herbig-Matten said. “But then something is happening between them and she has to suffer through her first heartbreak. She is out of control, neglects school, all really untypical behavior for her. Let’s say, Ruby is a mess in the beginning of season 2.”
Though Ruby and James shippers will likely be disappointed to hear that such a turn takes place, Herbig-Matten enjoyed the shift in Ruby’s character. “I personally loved it,” the actress added, “because it gave her a realness in this world of perfection.”
James, meanwhile, is in a similar state. “He is losing himself, he’s returning to the old James’ behavior,” the actress said, which creates a sense of conflict within Ruby, who still has strong feelings for James.
Readers of Mona Kasten’s Maxton Hall trilogy, which the show is based on, might have an idea of what sparks Ruby’s unraveling, though the show has kept those details under wraps. Without getting into book spoilers, let’s just say that Kasten’s Save Me ends on an even more tragic note than the show’s first season. We don’t know yet if the moment will make it into Season 2, but it was one of very few deviations from the source material.
The Season 2 synopsis provides a little more insight. It reveals that James “brings [Ruby] back from cloud nine to a harsh reality.” Ruby “has never had such strong feelings for anyone as she does for James — and she has never been so hurt by anyone either.” However, “she can’t forget James — especially since he’s doing everything he can to win her back.”
According to Yildirim, Season 2 continues to explore if a love like Ruby and James’ can exist when they come from such different worlds. Fans will have to wait and see if James can get back in Ruby’s good graces — and if they can overcome all of the other obstacles in their path — when Maxton Hall returns on November 7.
Click here to read the full article on TV Insider, which includes more insight from Yildirim about where Maxton Hall is headed.
Maxton Hall — The World Between Us, Season 2 Premiere, November 7, Prime Video
