Warning: Spoilers from “The Buccaneers” Season 2 finale below…
Somehow after a season filled with new characters, a forbidden affair and a shocking death, “The Buccaneers” still managed to save its biggest twists for the finale.
During the Season 2 conclusion, out Aug. 6 on Apple TV+, all five American rebels — Nan (Kristine Frøseth), Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag), Conchita (Alisha Boe), Mabel (Josie Totah) and Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) — make surprising choices about their futures, setting up a possible Season 3 that would find them more fractured than they’ve ever been.
Although Season 1 and the current season highlighted the seemingly unbreakable bond between the five ladies as they tackled London’s high society in the 1870s, the episodes leading up to the Season 2 finale hinted that tension between a couple of them would boil over. Prior to Nan’s grand masquerade ball to mark the end of the season, she confronts Lizzy about a secret she has been keeping.
When the party arrives, Conchita and Mabel form a business partnership that will help them conceal their financial struggles and sexuality, respectively. Then, Nan’s husband, Theo, Duke of Tintagel (Guy Remmers), makes a stunning announcement to the guests that catches everyone off guard.
Read on for a recap of the Season 2 finale, ominously titled “She Knows,” and find out the fate of each member of the friend group. Plus, learn how a few “Buccaneers” stars reacted to the multiple revelations that were exposed.
Conchita and Mabel
Conchita, still grieving the death of her husband Richard (Josh Dylan) who was shot and killed by his brother Lord James Seadown (Barney Fishwick) in Episode 6, decided to attend the ball to show support for her friends.
Throughout the season, Conchita and Richard discussed their limited funds and attempted to stabilize their finances by creating a matchmaking service.
Meanwhile, Mabel spent most of the season learning to let go of her romantic relationship with Honoria (Mia Threapleton), who shared that she wanted to pursue a teaching career abroad. The two had an emotional breakup in Episode 5.
In the finale, Mabel approaches Conchita with an idea at the party. She points out that flirting isn’t easy “for people like me” and that it is a struggle to find others like herself in rigid high society. Mabel says she wants to show gay men and women that love is possible. So, she suggests that she work with Conchita to turn her matchmaking operation into a business that brings gay people together. The scene ends with the two toasting to their new venture.
Jinny, Guy and Paloma
Jinny appears to be in better spirits after mending her friendship with Conchita following Richard’s death. She prepares for the ball with Guy Thwarte (Matthew Broome) and Paloma Ballardino (Grace Ambrose), who are much more on edge.
Earlier in the season, Guy and Paloma tied the knot after one drunken night together. Guy, who is still in love with Nan, is hoping that she will forgive him for the mistake. He is also waiting to receive papers confirming his marriage has been annulled. When Guy and Paloma arrive at the ball, it is revealed that Paloma is in possession of the annulment papers but she lies to Guy and says she doesn’t have them yet.
Paloma later runs into Nan and the two discuss Guy. Paloma explains their wedding happened one “crazy night” and she doesn’t remember most of it. But, she assures Nan that Guy loves her. Nan responds by thanking her for taking care of Jinny when she was in Italy and wishes her luck being “Mrs. Thwarte.”
Guy requests to speak to Nan and repeats how much he loves her. When he tries to kiss her as the clock strikes, she darts away and apologizes, leaving him alone.
Lizzy and Hector
The finale begins with Lizzy realizing that Nan knows about the affair between her and Theo. Lizzy immediately travels to the Tintagel estate to speak with Nan privately, although Theo attempts to intervene.
Nan confronts Lizzy and calls her out for betraying her. Lizzy explains that she only let herself fall for Theo when she was certain that Nan didn’t want to be with him anymore. But Lizzy says she will always choose her friend over him. Nan rejects this, adding that Lizzy hasn’t been thinking about her the whole time.
Lizzy then pushes back, accusing Nan of being sanctimonious, given that she was in a love triangle with Theo and Guy, his best friend. Nan counters that Lizzy isn’t who the world thinks she is and everyone deserves to know “the truth” before storming off.
The next morning, newspapers are delivered around town with details about someone in Nan’s “close circle” having an affair with Theo. The article doesn’t name Lizzy, but she instantly worries that rumors will ruin her reputation.
Hector (Jacob Ifan) goes to visit Lizzy and despite being hurt he says he is interested in protecting her from the backlash. He offers to get engaged again, saying that the relationship would be mutually beneficial. She accepts his proposal.
But at the ball, Hector’s true intentions are revealed. His father, Reede Robinson (Greg Wise), approaches him and says he knows Hector is the one who leaked the information about the affair. “Can you face yourself?” Hector’s father asks.
Ifan speaks about his character’s underhanded methods to reunite with Lizzy in an interview with TODAY.com, sharing that he was a fan of the twist.
“I think I was always sort of slightly pushing for him to have maybe a darker side or a slightly more sinister edge. I think just because (of) the nature of his job and the nature of ambition and the nature of wanting to be in power,” he says.
But he says he understands Hector’s actions.
Ifan continues, “I think it generally came from a good place. I think he wanted to affect change, but I still think that there’s something slightly Machiavellian belonging to anyone who lusts after (power).”
Ibrag tells TODAY.com that she agrees with that assessment of Hector’s character. “I feel like it came from a place of almost a wound,” she explains. “He’s not a malicious person … not like a Seadown.”
Ifan shares that he didn’t learn that his character had a manipulative side to him until he received the script for the finale.
“It’s really nice to discover something about your character that you didn’t know. It shocked me, and therefore it made the whole journey seem more authentic. I was slightly disappointed in him, but as an actor, I thought it was a fun way to go,” he says.
Nan and Theo
After Lizzy departs the estate, Nan gives Theo an ultimatum: either let her stay at the castle or she exposes the affair. He is confused as to why she would want to live with him and remain in a loveless marriage. He calls her a “nobody” and says she should leave.
Nan writes to her mom, Patti St. George (Christina Hendricks), and asks her to meet in secret. She reveals that she is pregnant with the heir of Tintagel and is four months along. She becomes emotional as she worries Theo and his mom will take her baby. Patti and her come up with a plan: to publicly announce her pregnancy at the ball to catch Theo off guard and prevent his family from excluding her.
But Theo is also plotting. At the ball, he asks Lizzy to not give up on him and says he is concocting a plan. When midnight arrives, he interrupts Nan’s big moment to make a declaration of his own.
He confirms that he and Nan have been living “a lie” for the last few months and that he does not love her. He says he wants to celebrate his true love, not keep it hidden.
“So, from this moment forth, I renounce my title,” he says, adding that he is abdicating his responsibilities to his duties and his wife.
Theo says he and Nan will be getting a divorce. “From this moment on, I am no longer a Duke, and Annabel St. George is no longer a duchess,” he concludes as Nan walks away.
Lizzy chases after her and the two argue again. Nan wonders how their friendship crumbled. She yells at Lizzy before letting it slip that she is pregnant. She asks Lizzy to keep her secret. Nan wishes Lizzy good luck lying to Theo and runs off. The last shot of the season shows Nan fleeing down the beach with a smile on her face.
Frøseth tells TODAY.com how she interprets Nan’s feelings at that moment.
“I think it’s freedom,” she says before playfully adding, “Maybe right after she stops running, she realizes, ‘Where am I going to go?’”
She continues, “I’m very excited to see where she is going to go and how she’s going to raise this child. Is she going to go back? I really hope she stays by herself.”
Frøseth says she joked with Hendricks that the two could raise Nan’s baby in the countryside. Frøseth then shares what she hopes to see from her character in a potential Season 3.
“I’m being serious. I actually think that she should be by herself, and I was really proud of her when she made that decision,” she says. “It’s a really courageous decision to leave things behind, but I think things have gotten so toxic within the friendships, within the men. There’s so much happening and she’s been making a lot of sacrifices and too many impulsive decisions. It’s just time to get away.”
Who Is Theo’s Brother?
Theo’s mom (Amelia Bullmore) speaks to Hector’s dad, her longtime love, following Theo’s speech. She says that she has worked to maintain Theo’s title her entire life and she won’t stop now. “I can’t allow it,” she says. “So, I wrote to Kit.”
Kit is revealed to be Theo’s brother, who was conceived from Theo’s father’s extramarital affair. Theo is unaware that his brother exists.
“Kit is dangerous,” Reede warns when he learns Kit is already on his way. The scene then cuts to a shot of Kit riding a horse toward the estate.
