In what year does The Buccaneers season 2 take place? Details explored

The Buccaneers season 2 returns to Apple TV+ with more elegance, tension, and emotional upheaval than before. Inspired by Edith Wharton's unfinished book, the show keeps exploring wealth, gender, and identity through the perspective of five American debutantes who challenge England's inflexible high society.

Following a glitzy but turbulent first season, the second chapter offers more character development, surprising story turns, and a change in tone fit for the ladies' changing position in their new environment. The main events of The Buccaneers season 2 take place during the 1870s.

Released on June 18, 2025, The Buccaneers season 2 picks up after the events of season 1, where Nan St. George (Kristine Frøseth), Jinny St. George (Imogen Waterhouse), Conchita Closson (Alisha Boe), Lizzy Elmsworth (Aubri Ibrag), and Mabel Elmsworth (Josie Totah) left their mark on the English elite.

Nan is now the Duchess of Tintagel; Conchita is Lady Brightlingsea; Jinny has disappeared with Guy Thwarte (Matthew Broome), sparking a scandal that headlines every London newspaper. Every episode keeps track of their love life, personal conflicts, and political awakenings in a society where reputation rules everything.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Buccaneers season 2.

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What year does The Buccaneers season 2 take place?

The Buccaneers (Image via Apple TV)

Though The Buccaneers season 2 does not openly state the exact year in which it takes place, the main events happen in the 1870s, at the height of the Gilded Age. The show takes viewers back to a time when women had clear roles, marriage was often a business deal, and partnerships between old British names and new American money were not only common, they were necessary.

During this time in history, people lived in luxury and followed strict social rules. The series depicts all these aspects through its pictures and stories. With their fancy dresses, tailored coats, and signature high-society accessories, the outfits are true to the style of the time. From garden parties to debutante balls, the attention to historical detail in architecture, décor, and even etiquette provides strong clues about when the story is set.

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The Buccaneers take control of their stories in England

The Buccaneers season 2 continues to treat London not just as a setting, but as an ever-evolving character. It is a city where status is everything, and appearances must be carefully maintained. The American girls are no longer outsiders by the time the new season begins. They are deeply embedded in the fabric of the English aristocracy. Some of the girls are celebrated, some are criticized, and all of them have changed.

Nan, now one of the most influential women in the country, finds herself torn between the responsibilities of her title and the needs of her heart. Her red dress at the Black & White Ball isn’t just a fashion choice but a public statement.

Meanwhile, Conchita is battling to preserve her family’s finances amid growing pressures, and Jinny becomes the center of a national scandal. These narrative threads blend seamlessly with the period's obsession with status, legacy, and gender politics.

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The continuous fight for freedom

One of the most compelling aspects of The Buccaneers season 2 is how it looks at what it means to be a woman in a society that limits her freedom, desire, and sense of self. During the Gilded Age, women did not have much formal power, but they were supposed to look strong and calm, especially when they were in public.

In The Buccaneers season 2, the women confront some of their most difficult choices yet. Jinny's relationship with Guy is a dangerous attempt to get away from both society's rules and the law. Their "kidnapping" of Jinny's future child from her husband, Lord Seadown, brings up difficult questions about marriage, consent, and parenting rights. These were issues hotly debated during that era.

At the same time, Mabel and Honoria are navigating a same-sex relationship, something unthinkable in that society. Lizzy, meanwhile, explores new romantic possibilities with a member of Parliament, whose presence adds a layer of political intrigue to the already thick web of upper-class drama.

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Exploring the timeline of The Buccaneers season 2

The Buccaneers season 2 presents visual and narrative cues that assist in placing the events in perspective, even without mentioning the precise year. Historical authenticity permeates the residences' décor, the invitation design, the newspaper appearance, and the significance of the London social season.

Transatlantic newspapers, increasing industrial power, and changing legislative views towards women's rights further help to depict a period about ready for major upheaval.

The costumes are especially telling. Fashion in this era underwent subtle transformations, moving from the wide crinolines of earlier decades to the narrower silhouettes in this show. Bodices become more structured, sleeves evolve, and the characters' hairstyles shift slightly from season to season.

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The Buccaneers season 2 is a reflection of Edith Wharton's world

Although unfinished, the book by Edith Wharton serves as the basis for the show and draws on the reality she experienced. Traveling to Europe as a young lady during a period of comparable societal transition, she saw the difference between American individuality and British legacy. The show deftly catches this conflict and bases societal criticism and character development on it.

Every episode carries Wharton's condemnation of class, gender norms, and ambition ingrained in it. Using their historical background to challenge rather than romanticize the past, The Buccaneers season 2 magnifies these ideas with a contemporary lens. Female autonomy, gay identity, ethnic variety, and intersectional feminism all find expression here, honoring Wharton's vision and extending it for a modern audience.

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What is The Buccaneers season 2 all about?

The Buccaneers season 2 (Image via Apple TV)

The Buccaneers season 2 picks up where the first season left off, deepening the drama as the five American women—Nan and Jinny St. George, Conchita Closson, and Lizzy and Mabel Elmsworth—find themselves no longer strangers in British high society. Now deeply entrenched in England’s aristocratic circles, the women face the consequences of their past choices while navigating love, scandal, and personal awakening.

Now, the Duchess of Tintagel, Nan, wrestles with the tension between her public duties and private desires. Jinny and Guy flee to Italy, masquerading as a married couple after escaping the control of Lord Seadown, igniting a scandal that follows them across borders.

Every woman has to face changing power relations and society's expectations as The Buccaneers season 2 develops. Dealing with the decreasing health of her father-in-law, Conchita seeks to provide stability for her family going forward. While Lizzy starts a great new relationship with a British MP, Mabel and Honoria investigate the complexity of a same-sex relationship in secret.

The season broadens its ideas of identity, independence, and revolt and probes more emotional ground. Season 2 aggressively questions convention while capturing the inner lives of women resolved to build their own futures, while friendships are challenged and loyalties change.

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When and where to watch The Buccaneers season 2?

The Buccaneers season 2 is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday through August 6, 2025. Just like the first season, this new installment features a total of eight episodes.

The season premiered with episode 1, The Duchess of Tintagel, on June 18, followed by weekly releases: episode 2 on June 25, episode 3 on July 2, and continuing until the season finale on August 6. Viewers can catch all the drama, romance, and scandal by tuning in weekly on Apple TV+.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Riya Peter