Eighteen months after its international debut, the second season of Maxton Hall–The World Between Us premiered on Prime Video in weekly releases throughout November. The first season of the German romance series quickly became a global hit in 2024, attracting the largest first-week viewership for an international original in Prime Video history.
★★★ 1/2
Adapted from Monica Kasten’s book series, Save Me, Maxton Hall–The World Between Us follows academic overachiever and scholarship student Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) as she navigates life at an elite private school. Determined to earn a place at Oxford University, Ruby keeps her head down until she unwillingly discovers a secret that threatens the reputation of her powerful peer Lydia Beaufort (Sonja Weißer). Ruby’s discovery quickly pushes her into a rivalry with Lydia’s twin brother James (Damian Hardung), though the lines between enemies and lovers quickly start to blur.
After a heart-wrenching season finale that saw James and Lydia unexpectedly lose their mother Cordelia (Clelia Sarto), the second season continues shortly after its cliffhanger, with a broken James attempting to process his profound grief. He grows distant from Ruby, pushing her away and turning to substance abuse, which marks the first of several setbacks for the new couple. While clichéd, the execution is undeniably powerful, largely because of Hardung’s performance as opposed to the writing itself. His portrayal of James’s numbness and anger is hard-hitting, and it’s clear that this is the character’s first encounter with genuine hardship. It also sets him up for a meaningful character arc from the spoiled ‘trust fund’ baby we were introduced to in season one.
In spite of her heartbreak, Ruby remains committed to her end goal (Oxford) and immerses herself back into her responsibilities at Maxton Hall, where she is tasked with organising a fundraiser for the Alice Campbell Foundation. Initially, it is easy to speculate a downward spiral for her character, however the fact that she remains headstrong and focused is admirable. It proves that while she can acknowledge her pain, she still exists as her own person outside of James, and does not rely on him for her sense of self. While the pressure on her from Headmaster Lexington (Thomas Douglas) seems unfair and highly unrealistic (the students must raise £40,000 to host a charity fundraiser), the event provides a backdrop to the episodes that is not only reminiscent of season one, but a perfect opportunity for James to win back Ruby.
Ruby also grows closer with James’s twin sister Lydia throughout the season. Aside from James, Ruby is the only person who knows about Lydia’s affair with their teacher—and the first person to know about her pregnancy—and the two characters form a beautiful support network that grows from strength to strength in season two. While the circumstances are heavy, watching the pair blossom as friends provides a heartwarming relief from more weighty topics.
The focus on Mortimer Beaufort this season is also very interesting. While viewers have an understanding of Ruby’s parents and their dreams and sacrifices, the attention on Mortimer is substantially more significant and it feels important to understand him as both a villain and a driving force behind Ruby and James’s volatile relationship. In season one, he threatens to ruin Ruby’s future, and in spite of his personal circumstances in the second season, he doesn’t ease up on this. This is especially surprising after a vulnerable moment after tea with Ruby and his children, which hints at redemption, yet is short-lived. Mortimer’s unpredictable nature is frightening. However, it adds a level of suspense that makes each episode feel charged with uncertainty. What initially appears to be him warming to Ruby, taking an interest in her family and ambitions, is later revealed to be far more calculated. He weaponises the information to have her Oxford scholarship revoked and her mother fired—a ruthless move that makes his arc one of the most gripping threads of the season.
Despite being driven by the stakes of his business empire and his high expectations for James, some of Mortimer’s actions raise the question of whether he is taking things too far? Regardless of his status, it’s hard to believe that a grieving single father with a crumbling business empire would care enough about his son’s girlfriend to completely destroy her life.
The finale also leans on an unnecessarily dramatic misunderstanding, ending the season on a cliffhanger that feels more contrived than compelling. Would the name of the student in question really be omitted from such serious accusations? The moment is effective in raising the stakes, but it comes at the cost of plausibility, leaving the viewer more frustrated than intrigued.
As a welcome relief, season two plants the seeds for some blossoming relationships between a few of the side characters. Ruby’s sister, Ember (Runa Greiner) and James’s close friend Wren (Esmael Agostinho) have a chance meeting at the charity gala, and it’s later implied that they are still in contact. Meanwhile, Ruby’s best friend Lin (Andrea Guo) admits to having history with lacrosse captain Cyril (Ben Felipe), who seems to have chemistry with both her and Lydia. While this initially sets the scene for a love triangle, this potential plot point fails to progress as Lydia reconciles with Mr Sutton in the penultimate episode. Perhaps this will be explored in season three?
Still, a few frustrations linger. The show continues to dodge its most obvious plot hole: despite being set in England—with the occasional day trip to London and Oxford—the characters speak exclusively in German, a choice that season two makes no effort to justify. It will be interesting to see how this translates into the third season, where we can expect to see more of Oxford University as a backdrop.
The Verdict
The second season of Maxton Hall maintains its emotional momentum and presents these episodes in a way that refuses traditional tropes of conflict. Instead of Ruby blaming James and allowing Mortimer to tear them apart, the pair face challenges as a team, which is a testament to the maturity of their relationship. By the final moments, Ruby collapsing into James’s arms signals not only the depth of their bond, but also that her resentment is squarely directed at his father. At the same time, the season finale reflects many of the frustrations threaded throughout the series: Mortimer’s increasingly ruthless behaviour strains believability, and the closing misunderstanding feels more orchestrated than realistic. It’s a messy, emotional ending, but one that sets the stage for a strong third season.
Words by Nicole Colucci
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