After exploding onto Apple TV+ late last year, The Buccaneers is reloading ahead of Season 2 by adding a Gossip Girl. A new set video shared today shows the arrival of Leighton Meester on the acclaimed Edith Wharton adaptation in a yet-unnamed role. She adds some extra firepower to a show that already boasts a beefy ensemble headlined by Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, and Imogen Waterhouse as the titular five women. Filming is still underway in Scotland for their next tale of cultural clashes and relationship drama in London's high society.
If the first season of The Buccaneers was about the women making their presence known by storming into the tightly corseted 1870s London with fun-loving American sensibilities, Season 2 sees them practically running the place in positions of power and notoriety. Yet, as the finale showed, almost none of the women got their happy endings, with Nan (Frøseth) in particular pressured into marriage and becoming the influential Duchess of Tintagel. They've all been forced to grow up and embrace England as their home, even if they're not living the lives they desired for themselves. Now, they have to fight to be heard as they wrestle with romance, lust, births, deaths, and other hurdles that come up in their journey to make their way in a world against them.
A lot of lingering questions are left behind by Season 1 as The Buccaneers all face uncertain futures. The identity of Nan's birth mother has yet to be revealed, Jinny is now on the run with Guy away from her abusive marriage with her unborn child, Honoria and Mabel strive to make their relationship work in a society that will disavow them, and Lizzy is still seeking a story of her own in London. Everything leaves room for series creator Katherine Jakeways to build on Wharton's story and make it her own. So far, that's worked out well with the series scoring a strong 76% from critics and 94% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The rest of the ensemble will return alongside the newcomer Meester, including Christina Hendricks, Mia Threapleton, Guy Remmers, Matthew Broome, Josh Dylan, and Barney Fishwick.
Where Else Have We Seen Meester Before?
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Tales of high drama and romance are prime territory for Meester, who's still best known for her roles as Blair Waldorf in the original Gossip Girl. Still, a period drama that is shaping up as the antithesis to the more glamorous worlds of Bridgerton and such is newer territory for her. Outside the teen series though, she's shown a wide range with romantic features like Country Strong, comedic roles like in That's My Boy with Andy Samberg, and even intense thrillers like the recent River Wild reimagining. She was most recently seen in the Freevee original rom-com EXmas with Robbie Amell last year, though she's also lined up to join Luke Cook and Clancy Brown in Good Cop/Bad Cop at The CW, The Roku Channel, and Australia's Stan next year in addition to her role in The Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers Season 1 is now streaming on Apple TV+. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Season 2 as the literary adaptation nears a return. Watch the arrival of Meester below:
The Buccaneers
History
The Buccaneers are the daughters of America's new rich -- beautiful and untameable, despite the best efforts of England's finest governesses, they are on their way to London to snare themselves an aristocrat, low in funds but high in class, to make a perfect match.
Release Date November 8, 2023
Cast Guy Remmers , Matthew Broome , Simone Kirby , Kristine Froseth
Main Genre Drama
Seasons 1
Watch on Apple TV+
