Aidan Turner has spoken out about the intense Bonfire Night scene in Rivals season 2, where his character Declan O'Hara reacts aggressively to discovering his wife Maud's affair with Tony Baddingham (David Tennant).
The scene, which unfolds at the inaugural O'Hara Bonfire Night, sees Declan roar, rage, and raise his fists at Maud in front of guests. Turner admitted to Metro that filming it was alarming, and the moment has sparked intense debate among fans on the show's Reddit forum, with some calling his temper 'out of hand'.
Turner questions his character's actions
Discussing the scene, Turner said: 'During that bonfire scene, he got really, really angry and aggressive, and sort of ran after her and went for it.' He added that while he could believe the reaction for Declan, it wouldn't be his own approach: 'I could believe in it for Declan, but given that news, I don't think that would be my MO, to chase somebody down.'
He went on to question: 'What if other people weren't around? [Declan] really blacked out for that moment. That was quite terrifying. I don't think I'd go down that route. But I do understand in that moment how somebody like him could do that.'
Smurfit on Maud's flaws and the couple's future
Victoria Smurfit, who plays Maud, said she can find things to 'love and respect' about the character despite her flaws, though she drew the line at Maud's affairs 'with Billy Jack and Johnny Go Lately'. Turner teased in response: 'But what about Billy Jack? He's really handsome.'
Smurfit added that she prefers not to overthink the character: 'I suppose I just don't think about it. I kind of love it when we're stuck in situations where we're doing some crazy brilliance.'
On whether Declan and Maud can salvage their marriage, Turner said he 'doesn't know', while Smurfit offered 'never say never'. Turner explained that Declan is 'shocked and hurt' by the affair, noting: 'There's been affairs in the past, but they had this understanding of what they were and who they were, and how they went on from them. This is very different, and with somebody very, very different. I don't know if he can fully forgive.'
Smurfit, however, believes the couple are 'built to be together', adding: 'I feel like they would always want to be together. I think they love each other. They don't like each other sometimes.'
The first three episodes of Rivals season 2 part 2 are now streaming on Disney Plus, with new episodes released weekly.
