‘The Buccaneers’ Cast Breaks Down Nan’s Choice, That Finale Twist & What Next in a Season 2
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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Buccaneers Season 1, Episode 8, “Wedding of the Season.”]
The Buccaneers kept viewers on the edges of their seats on the eve of Nan (Kristine Froseth) and Theo’s (Guy Remmers) wedding, as the lingering question of whether they’d go through with the nuptials hung in the air amid her conflicted feelings for Guy (Matthew Broome), who happens to be Theo’s best friend.
It seems that Nan made a choice in the hours before walking down the aisle, giving into temptation with Guy, but when her estranged sister Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) comes to her desperate for help from her abusive husband James (Barney Fishwick) in the middle of the night, catching Nan and Guy during a private moment, motivations soon change.
Ultimately, Nan forgoes running away with Guy and jilting her groom for the safety of Jinny who is sent off in the carriage with Guy, away from James. Meanwhile, Nan goes through with the wedding to Theo with the understanding that she’ll acquire the power of a duchess and will be able to protect her sister against James, despite her desire to take off with Jinny and Guy.
(Credit: Apple TV+)
The shocking ending set to the tune of Taylor Swift‘s “Long Live (Taylor’s Version),” also hints at possible future answers if the Apple TV+ series is renewed for Season 2 as Mr. St. George (Adam James) tells Mrs. St. George (Christina Hendricks) that Nan’s illegitimate mother is on the premises. But who could it be? Only a second season could produce an answer. For now, the stars are delving into the latest revelations, and sharing hopes for the show’s future, below.
What Arrangement Do Nan & Theo Have?
Before her tryst with Guy, Nan was asked to decide her feelings about the wedding by husband-to-be Theo. On the morning of their marriage, Theo wanted Nan to report back, and the conversation is ultimately left unseen to viewers, so what exactly was said between the pair? “Ooh, I mean, it’s not there for a reason. I’d kind of like to leave that open-ended,” Froseth says. While she won’t give a definitive answer, the actress who plays Nan adds, “It definitely fills in more of where her headspace is at, and I honestly feel like she wouldn’t be direct. She’d probably be very scared. I don’t know exactly what the dialogue would be, but that’s a really good question.”
Remmers echoes Froseth’s sentiments, adding, “It’s all about what isn’t said, and at that point, I think it’s quite poignant that she goes to him at his painting studio, which is one of his happy special places, [where] they’ve shared some really lovely moments together. I think it’s all in the look they give each other. It’s all about what isn’t said, and I think that’s really powerful when you can convey so much without saying much. I think also from a plot point, it’s actually quite interesting that you don’t hear what is said.”
In other words, questions about whether or not Theo knows about Guy and Nan’s night together will have to wait to be answered in a second season.
What Is Guy Thinking?
(Credit: Apple TV+)
Guy agrees to escort Jinny away from the wedding, under the belief that Nan is joining them. When she reveals at the last minute that she’s not coming, she declares her love for Guy, hinting at unfinished business between the pair. As for his headspace, Broome says of his character,” Guy and Nan both understand they are not the priority in that moment. Jinny’s safety is the priority and I think they are making a sacrifice of not being together.”
But it doesn’t seem that Broome sees this as an ending to a short-lived thing. “When you’re making a sacrifice for something more important, then it doesn’t feel so much [like] a sacrifice. Almost like [you’re] putting this on hold,” he says. “We’ve got more pressing issues, but I think, it’s still heartbreaking when they’re so close to being together, but they can’t be just yet.”
How Was Jinny & James’ Abusive Dynamic Captured?
It was made clear quite early on that James wasn’t a good guy, but viewers followed Jinny’s descent into the shadows as she became more and more removed from her sister and friends through her marriage. “The more isolated she becomes throughout the show, it’s easier for [James] to have this power over her and make her believe that she has a lot of insecurities and he kind of affirms those by telling her that ‘it’s only me.’ [He] puts her into this bubble of not wanting to let him down and not even seeing that he has this abusive power and coercive relationship.”
(Credit: Apple TV+)
Jinny finally speaks out when the relationship puts the future of her baby in danger, seeking help from Nan who had been betrayed by her after James told Theo’s mother about the bride-to-be’s illegitimate parentage. “An important part of her arc is that she is really young as well,” Waterhouse points out in Jinny’s defense. “She doesn’t really know who she is from the start. And then even less so towards the end. And it’s not until she finds out that she’s pregnant that she kind of [realizes] that if he treats her like this, he’s going to treat the baby like this and therefore she’s got to get out.”
As for playing the “bad guy” of the season, Fishwick notes, “I think the challenge is trying to root it in an understandable human motivation. So to think less about the consequences of his actions because he’s not really aware of that.” That becomes apparent when viewers watch James realize in real-time that Jinny’s made a run for it. Chasing after her, James runs down the path toward the gates of Theo’s estate only to be thwarted. Ultimately, James’ need for control, Fishwick says, stems from the fact that “he’s very, very insecure.”
One person who had the satisfaction of watching James squirm was one of his victims, Lizzy (Aubri Ibrag). As he peered around the church for Jinny, Lizzy sent a devious look his way as Nan entered the space to walk down the aisle without her sister. “Throughout the series, that’s what Lizzy’s journey is all about, getting that satisfaction from gaining her power back because she lost so much of it,” Ibrag points out. “She sort of compromised her self-worth with this man. So I think it’s a pretty sweet moment… but it’s at the cost of maybe not seeing each other ever again,” she adds of Jinny’s separation from her sister and friends. “[There]’s a lot at stake in that last moment.”
What Is Next for Conchita & Richard?
(Credit: Apple TV+)
After a rocky start to their marriage due to his family’s lack of acceptance, Richard (Josh Dylan) and Conchita (Alisha Boe) make plans for a less extravagant future. Just as Richard has severed ties with his family, Conchita learns her own has suffered a financial setback, leaving the new parents to stand on their own two feet.
“I would love to explore what a happy marriage might look like because you see them happy for the first episode, and then it’s just turmoil,” Boe says of potentially lighter storylines for Richard and Conchita. “I want to see them be good parents to Minnie and parenting together, and falling back in love again and rediscovering why they fell in love.” Admittedly, Boe adds, “I’m stressed for them in terms of being broke because, let’s be real, Conchita is a very extravagant person. I think it would be interesting to see how she would navigate having to work and feel a little taste of struggle.”
As for Dylan, he says, “It was very satisfying,” to have that moment of telling Richard’s parents off and defend Conchita in the penultimate episode. “He didn’t really understand his anxiety. Richard doesn’t quite understand why he feels a particular way, why he feels so pulled between head and heart. I think [though] the love he has for Conchita and their relationship, [he’s able] to find the strength that I don’t think he’s necessarily had before, emotional strength.” Should the show be back for a second season, it would be nice to see that newfound strength on display.
Will Mabel & Honoria Reject Societal Norms?
(Credit: Apple TV+)
In a sweet moment with her sister, Mabel (Josie Totah) confessed that she isn’t attracted to men and is lesbian. As for capturing her coming out experience, Totah recalls filming the scene with Ibrag, “We both understood the weight of that type of scene. I just remember watching those kinds of scenes growing up and seeing myself in so many ways and feeling so validated, not necessarily in the same way that Mabel was expressing herself, but in my own identity. And I wanted this one to be done well.”
What it boiled down to was finding the right time. According to Totah, “We almost shot that scene three or four times. It was supposed to be originally in a different episode. It wasn’t even supposed to be in episode eight.” Ultimately, it found the right spot in the finale, as Mabel had to be honest with herself to reassure Honoria of her feelings.
By the end of the episode, their mutual affections had been affirmed, with a promise to stay true to one another, but what would that look like in this period setting? It’s too tough to call quite yet, but Mia Threapleton who plays Honoria says, “I just want them to be happy. I think we both just want them to be happy in their story and keep loving and keep being in love in a very wholesome and gorgeous way.”
What did you think of Season 1’s ending and are you hoping for a second season of The Buccaneers? Sound off in the comments section, below, and stay tuned for any news on the show’s future.
The Buccaneers, Streaming Now, Apple TV+
