Rivals star Aidan Turner addresses Declan’s ‘aggressive’ scene that’s sparked fan backlash

Expand ** Rivals season 2 episode 8 spoilers follow **

Bonfire Night was a difficult watch for Rivals fans and proved just as unpleasant for Aidan Turner to play, given his complicated feelings about Declan O’Hara’s handling of the situation.

After the latter episodes of season two dropped on Disney Plus, viewers have finally seen Declan’s reaction to Maud’s affair with the odious Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).

The secret comes out at the inaugural O’Hara Bonfire Night, shortly after the appearance of some sparklers and an effigy of Margaret Thatcher (as you do).

Having learned the truth, Declan roars, rages and even raises his fists at Maud. He admitted to Metro it was alarming to film; the scenes have unleashed furious debate on the show’s Reddit forum, where some have deemed his temper ‘out of hand’.

The acting adage tends to be that you have to find sympathy for your character, no matter how heinous the actions, but Turner questioned whether there’s a ‘dissonance’ to such an approach.

‘During that bonfire scene, he got really, really angry and aggressive, and sort of ran after her and went for it,’ said Turner, referring to the moment he dresses Maud down in front of the great and good of Rutshire

‘I could believe in it for Declan, but given that news, I don’t think that would be my MO, to chase somebody down,’ said Turner.

He went on to question: ‘What if other people weren’t around? [Declan] really blacked out for that moment. That was quite terrifying. I don’t think I’d go down that route. But I do understand in that moment how somebody like him could do that.’

Victoria Smurfit had more time for the idea of mining Maud for what she can ‘love and respect’, in amongst all the flaws – but did draw the line at engaging in extramarital affairs ‘with Billy Jack and Johnny Go Lately’.

‘But what about Billy Jack? He’s really handsome,’ teased Turner, sitting next to her.

I don’t think that would be my MO, to chase somebody down… What if other people weren’t around?

Then, from Smurfit, another answer: sometimes it’s best not to dwell on it. ‘I suppose I just don’t think about it,’ she said. ‘I kind of love it when we’re stuck in situations where we’re doing some crazy brilliance,’ she added, praising Turner as a scene partner.

Among the fan reactions, the most popular after the Bonfire Night episode has been the suggestion that these two crazy kids should probably call it quits.

Is there a route back to a happy marriage? The actors don’t seem hugely hopeful: Turner ‘doesn’t know’, while Smurfit offers ‘never say never’.

Read Senior TV Reporter Rebecca Cook’s three-star review here.

The fan favourite characters are still (mostly) there, as is the staggeringly good soundtrack and impressive Cotswolds production value – but the Rivals brand of buffoonery-in-a-bottle has waned.

That is in large part because of where we left off the first part of season two, with the untimely death of Monica Baddingham (Claire Rushbrook).

The loss has shaken up the revels of Rutshire, but whether the change from the book was necessary remains unclear.

Declan is, rather understandably, ‘shocked and hurt’ by Maud shagging his sworn enemy, said Turner. ‘There’s been affairs in the past, but they had this understanding of what they were and who they were, and how they went on from them.

‘This is very different, and with somebody very, very different,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if he can fully forgive.’

Looking at the relationship at a remove, Smurfit said she can see that Declan and Maud are ‘built to be together’ – but the lying is a destructive force.

‘I feel like they would always want to be together. I think they love each other,’ she said rather optimistically, before adding: ‘They don’t like each other sometimes.’

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The first three episodes of Rivals season 2 part 2 are now on Disney Plus, with new episodes dropping weekly.

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