There is something about shows set in elite high schools. The cliques, the snobbish rich kids, and of course, a star-crossed romance between a privileged student and a scholarship kid. Maxton Hall – The World Between Us has all of that and then some. The teen drama closed its first season with an audience score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. With the new season dropping on Prime Video this week, Lifestyle Asia caught up with actress Sonja Weiβer, who plays Lydia Beaufort.
Maxton Hall – The World Between Us season 2 picks up after a tragedy. James (Damian Hardung) and Lydia Beaufort cope in the aftermath of their mother’s passing. Ahead of the show’s release, Weiβer opened up about the emotionally loaded chapter. Warning viewers about the heartbreaking episodes in store, the actress says, “You have to be prepared. You have to be prepared for a lot of tears.”
Preparing for an emotionally charged season
Apart from keeping a box of tissues handy, one can also expect things to take a dark turn. “It’s going to be a lot darker with a lot more strong emotions playing into it. As you saw, Lydia and James’ mom died at the end of season one. And James is doing some very bad things to Ruby; he’s just throwing it all away and focusing on himself. He’s in a bad place emotionally.”
James isn’t the only one having a hard time. Weiβer suggests bracing for even more pain. “We have a lot of characters who are struggling. But I’m also excited for all the other characters that we’re exploring.” But is it all doom and gloom? Not exactly. Sonja reveals that female friendship will be one of the highlights of this season. “My favourite part is watching the friendship between Lydia and Ruby (Harriet Herbig-Matten) grow. And also, the bond between Lydia, Ruby, Ember (Runa Greiner), and Lin (Andrea Guo). You might cry in those moments too, maybe just out of happiness, but not out of sadness (laughs).”
Lydia Beaufort was introduced into the world of Maxton Hall as a quintessential mean girl. However, there are nuances to her that eventually make her someone you could root for. “That’s the intriguing part about this character. If you see her at first sight, you think it’s like she’s a posh, mean girl. But the more we get to know her, we see what she’s been living through, what a brave and strong woman she is, and she’s fighting for her beliefs. We see her as a woman in society, who maybe a lot of people can relate to, things that have been played down by men for her whole life.”
Inside the making of a viral teen drama
What goes on behind the scenes? “We’re very good friends. I think people already know that. It’s the best casting ever, because we’re just like a big group of friends who do the thing that they love the most together. And to do it for an audience who loves what we do is the best combination you can have. We meet up when we’re not shooting and go on vacation together. I’m so glad the showrunner got us together,” beams Sonja.
Opening up about the hold teen dramas set in fancy private schools have on audiences, the actress shares, “I think it’s like a modern fairy tale. We have a very romantic and clearly made-up setting, which probably doesn’t exist in the real world. But we can relate to it because it’s set in the present and still has the structures of fairy tales that we grew up on. So, it’s easy to get into the world and dive deep into it. That’s what draws you in and keeps you there.”
Maxton Hall – The World Between Us Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video.
Cover and featured image courtesy: Prime Video
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.