Maud Takes Center Stage
Rivals Episode 4 leaves Rupert and his current scandals in the dust and goes deep into the emotional mess simmering backstage at Coronium. As rehearsals for the latest production begin, Tony goes all out to make Maud feel like the star of the evening. He gives her the glamorous treatment she’s obviously been missing for years, from photographers to endless accolades.
Tony openly admits that Monica deserves much of the credit for encouraging him to cast Maud. Meanwhile, Declan hears about Maud’s new role through Charles, adding another strain to their already strained marriage. The distance between them is painfully clear later that night when Maud throws him out of their bed.
James Still the Worst
Maud struggles to regain her confidence, while James once again proves why he is one of the most frustrating characters in the series. He sends Lizzie to fetch the script he left at home, then berates her over a missing marker pen.
Worse, he ignores Lizzie’s excitement about the bidding war for her new book. Instead of backing her success, James turns it around and blames her for not caring about his career. His selfishness is even more insufferable in rehearsals, where he uses the production as an excuse to flirt with another actress while pushing Charles to make the romantic scenes longer.
By this point, Lizzie’s emotional distance from James seems warranted. Clearly the marriage is falling apart, though neither of them is ready to say so openly.
Declan and Tony’s Rivalry Heats Up
Meanwhile, Declan and Cameron meet with Channel 4 executive Clara to try to get funding for their Yeats documentary. Of course Tony can’t help but interfere. He pushes Declan’s buttons at every turn and derails the meeting.
The exchange nearly turns into a physical confrontation until Cameron steps in and de-escalates the situation. She later convinces Declan to attend the opening night of Maud’s play, reasoning that the greatest revenge is to prove to Tony that they’re above his petty games.
The power struggle between Tony and Declan continues to be the main focus of the business side of the story, but this episode wisely focuses more on the emotional damage that their rivalry does to the people around them.
Rupert Is Facing the Consequences of His Actions
For a change Rupert steps out of the corporate drama and into his personal life. His scenes have a noticeably different tone from earlier episodes. The cocky, untouchable charmer is disappearing, and in his place is a man who is finally seeing the damage he’s done.
When his daughter runs away from home because Helen won’t let her see him, Rupert has to face the reality of the situation. Helen makes it painfully clear that his scandals have affected their children, especially Tabitha who is now being bullied at school.
It’s completely understandable why she’s going for full custody. Rupert tries to persuade her otherwise, but he knows deep down that he has lost control of the situation.
These quieter moments give Rupert far more emotional depth than usual, and reveal a vulnerability the show rarely lets him show.
Maud Earns Performance of the Night
Maud and Declan have yet another explosive argument before the play begins. Declan accuses her of letting Tony control her, just to hurt him. But Maud refuses always to put her career ambitions after his.
The confrontation leaves her shaken and unsure of whether to perform, but Tony quickly steps in to reassure her. He admits part of the appeal is annoying Declan but insists he really believes in her talent. He even puts her in the new season of Four Men Went to Mow.
And once the curtain rises, Maud puts all doubt to rest. Her performance is emotive, confident and deeply moving. Even Declan is clearly affected.
This moment appears to be a turning point for Maud. For the first time in a long time, she picks herself over everyone else’s expectations.
Finally Freddie and Lizzie Cross the Line
The emotional climate of the play pushes Freddie and Lizzie inevitably to the conclusion. After years of unacknowledged attraction they finally give in to their feelings and begin an affair.
But the scene soon becomes awkward when Sharon unexpectedly interrupts. Fortunately she does not notice Lizzie hiding nearby, but the experience forces both Freddie and Lizzie to face the reality of what they are doing.
Sharon’s innocent desire to have a loving relationship like her parents’ relationship makes the situation all-the-more painful. Her words had stung Lizzie into near immediate guilt.
The episode makes it clear that their relationship is no longer merely emotional fantasy. It can now destroy many lives.
Charles Breaks Your Heart Quietly
Charles has one of the better storylines of the episode. In the middle of the production chaos, he is calm and professional, but secretly mourning the death of his mother earlier that morning.
James hurts himself and disappears during intermission, so Charles is forced to take Bottom’s place. He gives a brilliant performance, surprisingly, that completely outshines James.
The irony is cruel. Charles is hiding his real emotions and pretending to be someone else for most of his life, but he gives the most honest performance of the entire production while literally wearing a theatrical costume.
Later, Gerald finds Charles crying backstage, finally disclosing the tragedy he has been carrying all day. Unfortunately, Gerald is still unable to completely put Charles above appearances and social expectations because of his engagement to Muffy.
Their relationship is still one of the show’s most emotionally infuriating storylines.
Taggie Finally Gets to Say What She Really Thinks (Finally)
Much of the episode sees Taggie feeling emotionally lost as the tragic love affair in the play reminds her of Rupert. She gets drunk with Shelley in Basil’s bar and spills her insecurities.
Her drunken honesty actually turns into one of the highlights of the episode. For once, Taggie stops idealizing Rupert and starts to face the fact that she deserves better than constant disillusionment.
When she discovers that her mother isn’t coming home, she attacks her father, and men in general, by the end of the night. It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it’s about damn time.
Episode 4 Summary
Episode 4 is one of the season’s most emotionally powerful installments yet. Instead of simply emphasizing the scandal and corporate competition, the episode explores the characters’ individual failures, insecurities, and emotional struggles.
Maud’s story is especially compelling. Seeing her regain her confidence and finally put her own ambitions first makes her story so much more engaging than it used to. But her increasing bond with Tony feels like a whole lot of trouble. Tony’s charm conceals a manipulative and predatory streak that could easily destroy both her marriage and career.
Meanwhile, Freddie and Lizzie’s affair is hard to root for emotionally, despite their undeniable chemistry. The show constantly romanticizes infidelity and shows very little concern for the damage it causes to all involved.
Charles steals the episode, though. The brilliance of his performance, while privately grieving his mother, creates one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series to date.
And by the end of the episode, almost everyone walks away changed in some way. Some get a little more confident, some lose a little more control, and some start to make decisions that are bound to come back and bite them later in the season.