‘Rivals’: 7 Reasons Rupert & Taggie Are One of TV’s Best Slow-Burn Romances
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Rivals, Season 1.]
In a barrage of binge-able television, Hulu is currently serving up one of the most delectable onscreen slow burns in its British import Rivals, which is based on Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel of the same name.
It must be noted that most of the characters at the heart of this somewhat campy and soapy ’80s-set series are quite despicably debauched. And when it comes to the relationship between resident rake Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and Cotswolds transplant Taggie (Bella Maclean), there are more than a few reasons to root against such a pairing.
For one, there’s a significant age gap, second, some of Rupert’s actions towards Taggie early on in the series are entirely unacceptable, and third, they’re metaphorically cut from an entirely different cloth from one another. But this a fictional series, meaning all bets are off, and whatever the showrunners of this show decided to inject into the fabric of Rupert and Taggie’s onscreen push-and-pull dynamic, there’s no use in denying its addictive properties.
But as with all good slow burns, we’re not entirely convinced the finale kiss is the happy ending moment that it may appear to be as Season 1 of Rivals only covers the first half of Cooper’s novel. Should the series get picked up for Season 2, there is potential for the slow burn to be stretched out even longer, and we can’t say we hate the possibility.
Below, we’re rounding up the biggest reasons why Rupert and Taggie have one of TV’s best slow-burn romances*. Beware of spoilers ahead.
*Not to be confused with the show’s best romance—that belongs to Lizzie and Freddie!
Rivals, Streaming now, Hulu
1. The Meet-Cute
Meet cutes can make or break a dynamic, and Rupert and Taggie’s is anything but conventional. After being welcomed to her family’s new abode in the Cotswolds, Taggie walks neighbor Lizzie (Katherine Parkinson) home and, on her way back, notices smoke rising from a nearby estate. Fearing the home is on fire, Taggie takes off running, entering the grounds, and coming face-to-face with a naked Rupert, who is playing tennis with an equally naked Sarah (Emily Atack). Rendered speechless, Taggie eventually finds her voice to alert Rupert of the burning, but he assures her it’s an intentional practice on his country lands. The meet-cute immediately sets the tone for the twosome as Taggie is initially horrified by Rupert’s rude behavior. But then again, she wasn’t the naked one in this scenario.
2. Different Perspectives
Rupert and Taggie are the near-perfect definition of opposites attract. For one, Rupert is a cynical ladies’ man who acts before thinking. Meanwhile, Taggie is the careful daughter of a dysfunctional couple, forced to pick up the pieces around the home when things fall apart. Despite the fact that Rupert is considerably older than Taggie, she exhibits more responsible behavior than he does. Still, she is naive when it comes to the world in many ways, and when her curiosity gets the best of her at a dinner party, observing Rupert and Sarah during an illicit hook-up in the coat room, Rupert interprets that as an open window to get handsy with her. His actions are entirely inexcusable, but they are a catalyst for pushing both characters to shift their perspectives, especially when Taggie doesn’t have the response Rupert anticipates.
3. Forbidden Romance
There’s the aforementioned age gap between Rupert and Taggie. She is 20 years old, and Rupert is at least “old enough to be her father,” according to her own dad Declan (Aidan Turner). It’s never explicitly stated how old Rupert is (Hassell is 44, Maclean is 27), but it is presumed there are at least two decades between them (if not, then close to 20 years). Despite her being of legal age, Declan warns Rupert away from his daughter and, determined to respect the boundary, Rupert’s initial flirtations with Taggie are dimmed the closer he gets to Declan. Despite his efforts to steer clear, the chemistry between Rupert and Taggie is palpable, and adding the forbidden element only makes it that much better.
4. Lessons Learned
After Rupert’s faux pas at the dinner party in Episode 2, he does what he can to prove Taggie’s estimation of him wrong. Whether it’s helping her with tasks at her own family’s New Year’s Eve party or teaming up to canvas the area their franchise bid for local television control, Rupert continually tries to prove to Taggie and himself that he can be better than the cad society has built him up to be. While there are certainly missteps along the way, Rupert isn’t the only one to make positive progress. Through their building bond over the season, Taggie begins to grow her own confidence, particularly when it comes to her work, taking on jobs she can be proud of and standing up for what she believes is right. Goodness knows her confidence doesn’t come from her family, particularly her mother Maud (Victoria Smurfit), who consistently tears Taggie down, even doing so to Rupert when he confides that he has feelings for the young woman.
5. Love Languages
This onscreen dynamic hits on all five forms of love languages in such a satisfying way. While the obvious one would be gift-giving, as Rupert is a man of substantial means and uses that to deliver an apology bracelet to Taggie for Christmas, the other languages are also present with this duo. When Taggie denies the bracelet from Rupert, that shifts his approach to acts of service, helping clean up some messes around the house on New Year’s Eve, even bribing a paparazzi photographer to trade film rolls to prevent a friend of Taggie’s serious embarrassment after being carted away in an ambulance. Forcing Taggie to take a break from her duties, Rupert even sees that she makes her way to bed, and instead of taking advantage of the situation, sweetly tucks her in before leaving. Both Taggie and Rupert also use words of affirmation to bolster each other in moments of self-doubt. They also spend quality time together as they find themselves paired quite often. And as for physical touch, the lack thereof leaves viewers with bated breath for the moments when that love language does appear.
6. Yes to Yearning
Not much needs to be said when it comes to this point. Rupert yearns for Taggie, and it’s obvious from the second episode onward as his eyes wander to her in every room they share. When Rupert is left yearning after Taggie, his eyes take on a whole different shine than they do with anyone else. When Rupert is told to keep his distance from Taggie, that yearning only grows, making a desperate man out of the usually overconfident Rupert. And that goes for Taggie, who finds herself confused over Rupert’s avoidance, initially unaware of her father’s involvement in that metaphorical wedge. When both Taggie and Rupert become involved with different people, their desperation for one another is also obvious when they observe each other with these new flings. Not to mention, Taggie has a steamy dream about Rupert amid an extended absence when he’s away in Spain.
7. That Kiss
Season 1’s build-up leads to one of the most satisfying first kisses on TV. Following a victory regarding their franchise bid, Rupert and Taggie find themselves in her family’s kitchen. While Rupert attempts to compliment Taggie on her new boyfriend, she can’t hide her true feelings any longer and bluntly admits, “But he’s not you.” The admission turns Rupert’s head, and he approaches Taggie, telling her in return, “She’s not you, I can’t breathe without you,” about his current dating situation. Reaching out to her waist from behind, Rupert is careful, exhibiting the changes he’s undergone since first meeting Taggie. Ultimately, she turns around, and much like Rupert’s dialogue, viewers who were surely holding their breath in the moments before exhale in relief as the pair finally kiss.
