A Need-to-Know Guide to The Buccaneers

Was life in the Gilded Age all that gilded?  In the HBO Max series, penned by Downton Abbey’s creator Julian Fellowes, the focus is on the class divide between America’s old money aristocrats and new money industrialists, and the often exhausting rules of “society.”  Apple TV’s The Buccaneers, which just returned for its second season, delivers a sharper contrast, instead exploring the cultural conflicts between British aristocrats and the wealthy Americans invited into their “social season” to find husbands.

While the story is fiction, it’s rooted in history. For several decades, beginning in the late 1870s, the daughters of “nouveau riche” Americans — often shunned by old money snobs like the Astors and Vanderbilts — were invited to England to the cash-poor but estate-rich Brits, a transactional arrangement that led to 450 marriages and the reshaping of international relations.  The most famous among them, Brooklyn-born heiress Jennie Jermoe, became Lady Randolph Churchill—the mother of Winston Churchill.

Yet as The Buccanneers reveals, despite all the lavish balls and gorgeous gowns, life for the women was far from gilded.

Based on the unfinished novel by Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers hasn’t received the same degree of love as its period-piece counterparts. And that’s a shame; the series offers one of the most feminist takes on life during the late 19th century. It’s also set to a soundtrack that exclusively features modern day female artists — including Taylor Swift, Brandi Carlisle, and Gracie Abrams, who help narrate the emotional lives of the characters while underscoring their rebelliousness.

What’s the story?

The Buccaneers follows five wealthy, young American women who are the crème de la crème of New York Society after they’re invited to London for their social season. While their assignment is to find “titled” husbands, they discover that the British play by a different set of rules, and they quickly challenge the strict social codes and values in this new world.

The draw of The Buccaneers

Part escapism, part harsh reality, part inspiration, The Buccaneers is a bold series that draws some parallels to our current moment — especially as we witness a roll back in women’s rights. This is why it drew me in, and how it sets itself apart from a show like Bridgerton.

The show still has all the things we love about period dramas: extravagant costumes, ornate ballrooms and candlelit streets, sweeping shots of the British countryside and seascapes, and swoonworthy romances. Yet it doesn’t shy away from historical realism. This was a time when LGBTQ+ romances were forbidden, women were property, and your worst nightmare was being trapped in a bad marriage. It’s rare to find a period drama that reflects the emotional weight of the constraints of women’s lives, and even rarer to find one that still has its share of fun, frothy moments.

At its heart, the real romance in The Buccaneers is the sisterly bonds between the five girls. Conchita, Mabel, Lizzy, Jinny, and Nan are there for each other through thick and thin, through weddings, bad in-laws, and even daring escapes.

The key players you need to remember

Nan St. George (Kristine Froseth): We learn that Nan doesn’t give a hoot what others think of her when she scales down a building to retrieve her friend’s earring. Her act catches the eye of Guy, a British gentleman, and the two are instantly drawn to each other.

While in England, Nan has another meet-cute with Theo, a man she believes is a painter. She falls for him long before discovering that he’s actually a Duke. An inevitable love triangle follows, further complicated by the fact that Theo and Guy are besties.

Jinny St. George (Imogen Waterhouse): Unlike her sister, Jinny cares very much about what others think of her. While she is more free-spirited than the Brits, she has no trouble falling in line with their social norms. She quickly bags herself the wealthy Lord James Seadown, who happens to be the brother of Conchita’s husband.  But her big catch is far more sinister than he initially seems.

Conchita Closson (Alisha Boe):  Conchita is the most American of the girls. She’s outspoken, loves a good soiree, and wears her hair down—the scandal! Her wild personality catches the interest of Lord Richard, the not-slimy brother of Lord Seadown. Lord Richard loves Conchita for exactly who she is, but his family does not. They don’t appreciate Conchita’s Conchitaness, and constantly belittle her, leaving her longing for life back in New York.

Mabel Elmsworth (Josie Totah):  While Mabel has fun with her friends, she’s not that interested in getting married. Mabel prefers the ladies and takes an interest in the stuffy Honoria Marable, the younger sister of the Seadown brothers. Her carefree nature is the perfect yin to Honoria’s uptight yang. But will she succumb to all of the societal pressures?

Lizzy Elmsworth (Aubri Ibrag): While her sister Mabel has fun in England, Lizzy’s journey was a big disappointment. She thought Lord James Seadown was into her, but it turns out he just wanted to see her naked—a big no-no in 19th-century England. Lizzy tries to tell Jinny about what a creep James is, but she doesn’t listen. The big question is whether Lizzy will get a worthy love interest in the second season.  But hey, she did dodge a bullet with Lord Seadown.

Patti St. George (Christina Hendricks): Jinny and Nan’s loving mother has been trying to climb New York’s social ladder for years. She’s in the “new money” category and knows that the best way for her daughters to succeed is to marry a wealthy British aristocrat. What’s a better match than a Lord or a Duke?

Patti has a few secrets of her own. She is not Nan’s birth mother, for one, and her husband has a wandering eye. By the end of season one, Patti hits her breaking point.

What’s in store for Season 2?

Expect more romance, love triangles, and betrayals in the new season.  Despite becoming one of the most powerful women in England, Duchess Nan is not so happily married. Her husband suspects something’s amiss, that she may be longing for his best friend. After all, she only married him so her sister could escape Lord Seadown.

Meanwhile, Nan’s mom, Patti is now determined to divorce her husband, but 19th-century laws didn’t exactly favor women’s rights. As Patti fights for all she’s worth, Nan’s birthmother (played by Leighton Meester) shows up.

Thankfully, Lizzy is due to get an exciting and powerful new love interest this year. As for Conchita and her family, they have to figure out how to live as commoners (the horror!). The upside: she discovers a new talent in matchmaking, which equaled big bucks back then.

What are the critics saying? 

Season 1 of The Buccaneers was compared to its better-known counterparts, including The Gilded Age. In Poppie Platt’s review for The Telegraph, she noted that, “when compared to Julian Fellowes’s lavish but dreadfully dull The Gilded Age, here is a period drama that has managed to hit the sweet spot between modern whimsy and actual intellect.” In the The Hollywood Reporter, Angie Han described the series as, “If [Bridgerton] was a blushing bride dreaming of happily ever after, The Buccaneers might be her worldlier cousin — more skeptical and more pragmatic, but with an intriguing sharpness that feels all her own.”

For Season 2, the biggest concern so far has been the major tonal shifts throughout the series. One minute it’s all dancing at the ball, and the next it’s melodrama and melancholy. But the new season has earned some praise for its unpredictability, fast pace, and edgier themes — as well as for its emotional depth.

When and where to watch?

Season 2 of The Buccaneers premieres June 18th on Apple TV+. New episodes will come out every week on Wednesdays.