Rivals Returns with New Episodes on Disney Plus

The British comedy series Rivals returns to Disney Plus on November 11 with a new batch of three episodes. The season continues weekly releases through December 2. The latest installment follows the death of the character Lady Monica Baddingham, which the production team describes as a darker turn for the show.

Actor Danny Dyer portrays Freddie, who maintains an affair with Lizzie, played by Katherine Parkinson, while still engaging in sexual encounters with his wife Valerie, played by Lisa McGrillis. The scripts for these scenes contained vague directions for specific physical moves. Dyer and Parkinson developed the choreography together during filming. Dyer stated that the repetition of the moves between the two women reveals a flaw in his character. Parkinson called the resulting dynamic incredibly truthful to the situation.

McGrillis described her onscreen reaction to the physical move as looking like a worm or a thumb. She noted that she appeared to be orgasming with her chin. The production team later decided to extend the duration of the scene to make it feel more fluid. McGrillis re-recorded her audio for the moment to match the longer visual take. She added that she performed a full backbend during the shot and was unsure of her specific movements at the time.

The series continues its tradition of nudity, with Dyer’s character fleeing a house naked after leaving a bath. Dyer stated that he was not permitted to use a body double for the sequence. He attempted to exit the bath gracefully but recalled a difficult shooting condition. He had applied a spray tan before the scene, which sat in the bath water for three hours. This resulted in his upper body remaining brown while the rest of his body appeared pale when he jumped out.

Parkinson sat in the same bath water and noticed the brown residue from the tan. She said she did not know the cause of the water's color at the time. Dyer expressed relief that the final cut did not include a shot of him climbing out of the window with his rear in the air. He described that specific angle as awful to watch.

The new episodes aim to provide more depth to Valerie’s character. McGrillis explained that the scenes offer a glimpse under her character’s exterior, revealing underlying insecurities. She noted that it is easier for viewers to empathize with a character when they understand the reasons behind their behavior. The character has previously been portrayed as body-conscious and critical of her family.

Parkinson contrasted this with her character Lizzie’s husband James, played by Oliver Chris. She described James as a selfish husband who is not as redeemable as Valerie. Parkinson said viewers will likely want Lizzie to end the marriage. The new episodes of Rivals are available on Disney Plus starting November 11.