Critic’s Rating: 4.1 / 5.0
4.1
The scary thing about ascension and pure unadulterated happiness is knowing that it sets up an inevitable fall. Is that what we need to brace ourselves for regarding Ruby and James?
After Maxton Hall Season 2 Episode 4, I feel like I’m floating, but a literal and figurative storm is brewing. The hour builds us up so well, largely because they’re about to ruin us, aren’t they?
It’s okay, though, because even if it hurts, maybe it’ll hurt in a great way — if it’s worth it, who am I to deny some melodrama and angst?
Cycles? Oh, We’re Breaking Them; It’s Glorious!
The appeal of Maxton Hall lies in its exploration of two entirely different worlds, where genuinely good people, such as Ruby, James, Lydia, and others, struggle to break the cycles into which they’ve fallen.
No, you can’t control things like the family you were born into, your social status, or even some of the opportunities you have access to, but that doesn’t matter.
Just because you’re born into some form of confinement by these barriers doesn’t mean you have to remain stuck in them. The show excels at showcasing what it’s like for characters with drastically different walks of life.
Even the more loathsome characters have moments of sympathy due to the constraints they face as a result of their social standing. It’s especially glaring for the teens.
The hour contrasts well with those who feel inclined to repeat these cycles because they have no desire, drive, or gumption to disrupt them: Mortimer and Elaine come to mind.
And then you have people like Ruby, James, Alistair, Lin, and others who are actively fighting, trying, or longing to free themselves from the things that could hold them back or keep them spinning.
Maxton Hall Uses Lydia as a Catalyst for Change
Lydia, in particular, is a character who remains one of Maxton Hall’s most fascinating.
She’s in an awful position, pregnant with twins, nonetheless, and still longing for what should be her birthright: running the business, heading Young Beaufort, being all the things that we know she is for the world to see, because she’s passionate about all of it.
But it’s Mortimer’s own insensitivity, chauvinism, and antiquated way of thinking that has a stranglehold on his family. He’s a freaking cancer on his family, and he needs to be excised. It’s infuriating how this man will not let his children thrive.
Yet, it’s through Lydia that we gain a great sense of how this generation, these characters, are determined to disrupt the status quo.
She’s emblematic of what it could be if the Beaufort siblings can free themselves from the shackles of Mortimer and his obsession with image and a strict legacy.
We opened the hour with Mortimer daring to suggest that somehow, James was the one who risked destroying Cordelia’s legacy and all that she worked for, and the irony of that is astounding.
All that we know of Cordelia is that she was a decent woman, philanthropic, and we know that she did side with James regarding Ruby.
Being with Ruby and expressing his emotions doesn’t tarnish Cordelia’s legacy or memory; it honors it, no?
The Beauforts are Changing Their Legacy
I’d even venture to guess that Cordelia is someone who recognized that Lydia was the one suited to head Young Beaufort and should be the face of their legacy in that regard.
Well, now that she’s carrying twins of her own, that can’t be clearer, right?
She represents what it would mean to start over as they should, course correct, and yes, break the cycle that they’re in.
Lydia should and could be at the helm, stepping into her rightful place in the family’s legacy and professional establishment.
Her own children, assuming she actually has them, would represent a new generation growing up with the freedom to pursue their passions, follow their hearts, and not be tied to the restrictions that Mortimer has imposed on James and Lydia.
James can become everything his father isn’t and couldn’t dream of being, and with Ruby by his side, he’d have both love and partnership, the two on equal standing despite their differences.
Ruby and James are poised to be the flip of Mortimer and Cordelia — a potential marriage rooted in love, passion, loyalty, and not some business arrangement.
Maxton Hall sets all of this up. It’s right there for the taking, and it’s part of what makes Ruby and James so easy to root for. They’re bumping up against massive odds. But as long as they stick together, they can get through all of this.
Ruby & James’ Love Ties Maxton Hall Together
The hour provides a reprieve from all of this, for the moment, as they seem to escape the consequences of being star-crossed lovers narrowly. Shockingly, Elaine doesn’t prevail with her mean-spirited stunts at the White Party.
It’s refreshing to see the series spare Ruby that humiliation in the moment when most shows would lean into it. And bringing in Elaine’s evil brother could have erupted into something cliché, but for the most part, they don’t touch that during this hour.
Primarily, the hour allows James to assert himself and publicly claim Ruby — something he wanted to do and made known during their sweet bubble moment in her room.
They don’t waste time re-establishing them in public fashion, and they didn’t really have time to waste, so that works out.
Thus, the hour wraps us up in the whirlwind of Ruby and James’ love, floating on cloud nine and feeling untouched even as all of their obstacles and challenges remain on the fringes waiting to strike.
When we get Ruby and James together, and it’s just them, their love story sings — the romance and the yearning are alluring, and you’re able to block out everything the way that they have.
Ruby’s Ascension Runs Parallel to James’ Identity Struggles
James just existing in Ruby’s home — this happy, warm environment that had eluded him his entire life, despite his massive house and all the privileges his wealth afforded him — it makes you smile, yet also evokes a bit of sadness.
It’s evident that, as much as Ruby’s cycle is rooted in simply finding success, opportunity, and the comforts that come with it, and extending it to her family she loves — James needs what Ruby has: warmth, family, a house with charm, love, and acceptance.
James in Ruby’s space allows him to see her more than he has and fall deeper in love.
It places the importance of Oxford into perspective, and it feels like James is charmed and drawn to Ruby’s self-assurance and her clear understanding of what she wants and desires.
Ruby has dreams and a plan that she’s worked for — she has a strong sense of purpose.
And James is lost — he never had the space to plan and dream, as Mortimer has his life laid out for him. It places him in a fascinating position of a self-identity crisis as he doesn’t know what he wants out of life.
Thus far, all he knows for sure is that he wants Ruby. It works for him on some level, but I’m also curious to see James figure himself out beyond that.
It’s Getting Steamy; Love That for Me, I mean, James & Ruby 😉
As he is really taking a stand against his father and breaking that hold requires him to have more to stand for and strive toward than just loving Ruby.
Ruby is a spark of light, but I’d love to see James find his own, become that himself.
The scariest part about this uncertainty for James in all aspects of his life, but Ruby is that it makes her his Achilles heel.
Mortimer knows where to strike and hurt his son to get him in line, and undoubtedly, James’ public declaration will spur on Mortimer’s villainous ways.
Ruby and James had a seemingly perfect day, with James giving her the classic Rich Boy date that only works because he’s so charming. Their heated, sexy makeout session? I lived for it.
I’d like to think James didn’t want to actually go at it in Ruby’s bedroom because it was a matter of respect for her parents.
Europeans are built differently, but do you guys really head into your bedrooms with hot guys your family knows you love and do unspeakably hot things behind closed doors?
NEVER would’ve happened in my home growing up!
Ruby Serves as James’ Weak Spot, And Mortimer Will Make It Hurt
But given that James understood how sex was a destructive part of their relationship when he hurt her, I appreciated the significance of his not wanting to give his full body to Ruby until after he could love her out loud. It highlights how important this is to him.
Sadly, we know Mortimer is about to be a dose of cold water, whisking in to ruin Ruby and James’ happiness completely. I’m not looking forward to that.
There are moments when Maxton Hall allows Mortimer to reveal shreds of depth and complexity, such as his brief comfort with James; however, for the most part, he’s stuck in a terrible rut of cruelty, with no bounds, and serves as a one-dimensional villain.
It runs the risk of becoming a troubling issue for Maxton Hall. I’m struggling with Mortimer as much as I am still frustrated with the lack of dissection of the inappropriate nature of Lydia and Sutton’s relationship.
Over to you, Maxton Hall Fanatics.
If you love our Maxton Hall content, we also covered The Summer I Turned Pretty, and other endearing romances like The Way Home, Virgin River, and Mistletoe Murders. Click around, subscribe to our newsletter, and thank you for supporting an indie site like ours. We appreciate all the support, shares, and comments.
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