Rivals Season 2 Episode 6 Kills Monica, Sparks Backlash

The second season of the television drama "Rivals" has concluded its first half with a shocking character death that has sparked significant discussion among viewers. The sixth episode, which premiered in May 2026, ended with the apparent death of Monica Baddingham, portrayed by Claire Rushbrook, after a tree fell on her car during a storm.

The episode depicted Monica confronting her husband, media mogul Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), after discovering his affair with Maud O'Hara (Victoria Smurfit). Following a tense family dinner, Monica left the house and later confided in her friend Lizzie Vereker (Katherine Parkinson) about her unhappy marriage and a past, suppressed romance with a woman, musician Dame Enid Spink (Selina Griffiths). After declaring her intention to divorce Tony, Monica drove away and was killed in the storm. The episode concluded with Tony being informed of his wife's death by his rival, Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell).

The decision to kill off Monica has drawn criticism from many fans and commentators, who argue it exemplifies the "Bury Your Gays" trope, a narrative pattern where LGBTQ+ characters are disproportionately killed off, often after...