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The Ex-Wife season two

The Ex-Wife season two | Show review

The Ex-Wife is back and more twisty than ever, with Céline Buckens’s Tasha starting a new life following a series of traumatising events. At the end of the first season, Tasha’s duplicitous husband, Jack (Tom Mison), attempted to run her off the road to kidnap the couple’s daughter, Emily, and be with his ex-wife, Jen (now played by Katie McGrath). This resulted in a horrific car crash in which Emily was killed. Or so it would seem. With Emily now a young girl, Tasha is in hiding in Cyprus in order to protect her daughter from her narcissistic father.

Back in London, Jack, who awoke from his coma at the end of the first season, believes that he killed Emily. Incarcerated for death by dangerous driving, he is released from prison and is mystified as to Tasha’s whereabouts. Meanwhile, Jen has to cover up Tasha’s covert plot, but she, too, may be hiding a dark secret.

Buckens shines as the once seemingly villainous Tasha, who is now forced into an impossible situation for the sake of her child’s safety. As the multifaceted Jen, McGrath seamlessly fills in for Janet Montgomery, while Mison is genuinely menacing as the abusive Jack. Though such subject matter could easily descend into sensationalistic tropes, the series does a good job of depicting coercive control in a surprisingly sensitive manner.

However, the decidedly high-gloss drama is rather soapy at times. The showrunners rely a tad too much on twists in lieu of organic plot development. It’s a shame, since Tasha, Jen and Jack are far from two-dimensional characters, and one can’t help but feel that they would have benefitted from a somewhat more refined and subtle script.

That said, the show is undoubtedly binge-worthy and ideal for those who just want to unwind with a good old-fashioned TV thriller. Packed full of moreish twists, The Ex-Wife leaves you clicking the “next episode” button faster than Jack can concoct his next nefarious scheme.

Antonia Georgiou

The Ex-Wife season two is released on Paramount+ on 10th April 2025.

Watch the trailer for The Ex-Wife season two here:

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