Cast:

KristineFroseth as Nan, Alisha Boe as Conchita, Matthew Broome as guy, Guy Remmers as Theo, Josie Tota as Mabel, Imogen Waterhouse as Ginny, Josh Dylan as Richard, Aubri Ibrag as Lizzie, Mia Threapleton as Honoria, Barney Fishwick as james, Amelia Bullmore as the Dowager, Jacob Ifen as Hector, Grace Ambrose as paloma, Christina Hendricks as Patricia, Adam James as the Colonel, Leighton Meester as Nelle

Length: 8 episodes

Streaming Service: Apple TV +

Audio Description Created By: pixel Logic

Written By:

Narrated By: Roy Samuelson

What is It?: In the continuation of the first season, the American girls and their British boys continue to tell stories of enduring strength among women in times when their voices were never meant to be heard. Nan continues to struggle with her love for Guy, but must continue to remain the Duchess in an effort to prevent her sister from falling under the hand of her abusive husband. Ginny continues to keep her son safe, with the help of Guy, feeling the distance from her friends and family. Conchita continues to find new ways to entertain herself as a matchmaker, and keep her relationship with her husband in the honeymoon phase. Lizzie finds a suitable match, but is she in love with someone else? And the season will also be rocked by the revelations of Nan’s true mother, as Miss St. George is determined to separate herself from her cheating husband. One thing is certain, not everyone will make it to the third season as they started, if they make it at all.

What Works: I became more engaged with the characters in the second season, as the scripts continued to push stronger women forward, and less shrinking violets. Even the quietest of the bunch are still quite wise, like the Dowager, who is far more politically savvy than anyone would give her credit for. A good chunk of the first season is building discourse between nan and Theo, who finds out why Nan stuck around so long. But, since Nan is doing all of this for Ginny, and putting her own happiness on hold for the safety of her sister, in many ways Ginny is the actual central character.

she doesn’t drive the story, but rather is the story, as characters are still affected by her season one decision to marry a prick. It’s that through line that will rock the middle of the season, and destroy you emotionally. the payoff, the emotional wrecking ball of Ginny’s determination to keep her son safe, culminates in an hour of television that is both deeply maddening on a level of human rights, but also tragic as the price gets paid by one who shouldn’t have had to pay for this.

And, at the trial of the St George family, be prepared to be livid at the utter disregard for civility in an effort to pretend like the Colonel is some moral beacon. While the line of questioning is so perverse it scares of witnesses, it does end up inspiring the best witness of all to come forward. I initially was not taken with this show, and now I’m sad I have to wait for news of another Seasonn. It is a show that certainly got better, and with the twist at the end, seems to have set up a third season that is ready to aim higher.

What Doesn’t Work: while I’ve given them a lot of grace, most of the cast is clearly too modern. They have a hard time pretending they fit in the past, or sound like they weren’t born after 2000. If you compare this to the ensemble of something like The Guilded Age, there are far more cast members in the HBo drama that feel time period appropriate.

And while I did love how many of the beats Conchita gets in the second season, compared to her perpetually disappearing character throughout the first, they have almost entirely forgotten the LGBTQ storyline. It was a more pronounced part of the first season, but feels cut for time in the second, because it didn’t connect directly to the St George trio of women. There are other women in this, and some like Mabel come off as underdeveloped simply because they aren’t Nan. it is an ensemble show, it just has a really hard time actually balancing that cast, and maintaining a storyline for each of the girls.

the Audio Description: Almost exactly the same as the first. it was another solid track. I know they don’t like to put cast in the opening credits, to which I think this show sees less affected since it has a smaller chance of guest stars, but it does seem to follow the cast well. the intimate scenes are well described, and there are some notes toward the costuming. the most emotionally devastating part of the entire season was also handled with maturity and a balance that allows you to feel the moment without being emotionally manipulated. It’s a really solid track.

Why you Might Like it: In my humble opinion, the show got better. So if you liked Season 1 t all, you owe it to yourself. if you’ve never checked out this show, and wouldn’t mind a little period drama with a flair of The CW in it, this might also be for you.

Why you Might Not Like it: It certainly is no downton Abbey or Guilded Age, so if you like only the highest of high brow period dramas, this wants to be that, but the casting prevents it.

Final Thoughts: The commitment to telling strong stories that empower the female cast is what made the Buccaneers rise in its second season, with high drama, and lasting consequences.

Fresh: Final Grade: 81/100