With enchanting balls, dazzling gowns, and love stories, The Buccaneers Season 2 takes us back to 1870s London for another exciting social season.
Showrunner: Katherine Jakeways
Genre: Period Drama / Costume Drama
Number of Episodes in Season 2: 8
Release Date: June 18, 2025
Where to Watch: Stream it Globally on Apple TV+
Season 2 of The Buccaneers starts in 1870s London, but things could not be more different than last year, when we met these young American women for the first time. Nan (Kristine Froseth, of Oh, Canada) is now the Duchess of Tintagel after her marriage to Theo (Guy Remmers), the Duke, a man she does not love but whom she needs to protect her sister Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse). The latter has run away to Italy to escape her abusive husband, helped by Nan’s true love, Guy (Matthew Broome).
Despite their lives taking different turns, the friends’ group remains at the heart of the show, as we also follow the intertwining lives of their friends. Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag) is determined to find love, Conchita (Alisha Boe) turns her financial troubles into a new business opportunity, and Mabel (Josie Totah)’s blossoming romance with Honoria (Mia Threapleton of The Phoenician Scheme) is about to take a new and unexpected turn.
The Buccaneers season 2 focuses once again on the matter of women’s agency and rights in 1870s England, and to some extent, the United States. This was already a successful choice in season 1, but it becomes even more important in the second season, now that the young protagonists have grown up and gained a significant position in society. But their influence, as the series never fails to remind us, is limited to their husbands’ presence, so much so that they are quite literally considered their property. As enraging as this is for a modern audience, it is also the way things worked at the time, and it is refreshing to see a show not only call out this system of oppression but also give us a version of history in which things can potentially change for the better.
Season 2 becomes particularly interesting as The Buccaneers leans into the political side of British aristocracy, of which we’ve only caught a glimpse in season one. Not only does this heighten the stakes for all the characters involved, but it also allows the protagonists’ plot to focus on different elements other than the romance, which was such a focal point of the first season. The show also delivers its twists very well, achieving the perfect balance between delivering cliff hangers that surprise us at the end of each episode and remaining true to the story and its characters.
The soundtrack is just as impressive. I loved the mix between classical music and modern tunes with Taylor Swift and Chapell Roan most notably featuring in this season’s soundtrack. This seems to perfectly capture the overall feeling of a series that achieves a good balance between its period drama setting and modern themes and reflections. The costumes similarly portray this anachronistic trait of the show: nothing in them is historically accurate to 1870s London, and yet, when we watch the episodes, it seems obvious that these are the gowns and clothes a Duchess and a Lady would wear to a ball at the time.
I also particularly enjoyed how the show further explores some characters who were only briefly introduced in season one, such as the Dowager Duchess of Tintagel, who quickly becomes one of the most intriguing characters of this season. The new characters in season 2 are incredibly fascinating, as they allow The Buccaneers to explore new plotlines in its second season that had not been explored properly in its first season. I also wish they were explored more and given more time to shine. For example, Leighton Meester’s character easily steals the show in every scene she’s in, but I could not help but feel that the series did not do enough with this character and the relationships she has with some of the show’s protagonists.
The constant focus on the love stories and love triangles also ultimately hurts the plot. By going back to the same tried and tested formula, which was already overused in season 1, The Buccaneers ends up forgetting about its most fascinating and relevant plotlines. It also once again reverts the entire focus of season 2 on the love stories, which are by this point the least interesting thing about the show. The love triangles – in their every iteration – also simply do not work. Some of the characters involved in them, primarily Izzie and Theo, are seemingly completely rewritten and twisted into a version of themselves I did not even recognise just for the love triangle to go ahead. When it comes to romance, most of the plot not only doesn’t make sense but is also easily predictable.
Overall, Season 2 of The Buccaneers is a fitting continuation of its first season and successfully manages to explore the existing themes introduced in season 1, but also introduces new and exciting ones in order to keep the story feeling fresh and new.
The Buccaneers Season 2 (Apple TV+): Series Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
The Buccaneers Season 2 explores the lives of young American women getting used to England’s politics and newfound status in the British aristocracy in 1870s London..
Pros:
- The theme of women’s rights in the late 19th century is portrayed and analysed well and poignantly.
- The plot twists are delivered very well with a structure that always keeps us entertained.
- The soundtrack and costumes are particularly successful in creating the unique atmosphere of The Buccaneers’ version of 1870s London.
Cons:
- The show introduces some interesting new characters but barely gives them any time to shine at all.
- The focus on love stories takes away from the much more interesting plotlines of this season that focus on the realities of married life for these young women.
- Season 2 once again centres its plotlines on multiple love triangles, quickly becoming predictable and boring.
The Season2 premiere of The Buccaneers will be available to stream on Apple TV+ on June 18, 2025, followed by weekly episodes with the finale on August 6. Read our review of Season 1 of The Buccaneers!
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