NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 12: (L-R) Daisy Goodwin, Rufus Sewell and Jenna Coleman attend 'Victoria' Season 2 Premiere on Masterpiece on PBS on December 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Victoria Season 2)

PBS treated a select few to the first episode of Season 2 in New York a month before it airs in the United States. The sneak peek included a panel with stars Jenna Coleman (Queen Victoria) and Rufus Sewell (Lord Melbourne) as well as series creator Daisy Goodwin, where they shed light on the upcoming season, but also tons of great news coming out of PBS.

Victoria season (or series, as it’s referred to in England) two airs on Jan. 14 in the States, but a select audience got a look at the upcoming season (which has already aired across the ocean in the UK) and there’s a lot to be excited about. Victoria stars Rufus Sewell and Jenna Coleman were on hand as well as series creator Daisy Goodwin, to take questions from the audience and to illuminate audiences on what they can expect coming up.

Renewal for the series

But first, the good news, the series has been picked up for another season. Yes, Anglophiles, our commanding queen will return after this season concludes. Considering that the real Queen Victoria had nine children, there’s plenty of drama centered around births, I’m sure.

Considering the huge popularity for the show — both in England and in the U.S. — this comes as no surprise. Considered by many as “the new Downton Abbey,” it’s a no-brainer to keep this drama going, even if it doesn’t quite deliver in terms of viewers and production quality as Downton did. But even so, it still stands on its own as a worthy replacement, and with a combined 16.2M viewers it’s the second highest show on PBS in 20 years (and ratings gold), just behind Abbey.

Series Two, Episode One Review

Episode one takes up where series one left off, after baby number one. With the newborn comes lots of drama and new political intrigues. Throw in an unpopular war in Afghanistan, and you would swear that history really does seem to repeat itself!

If you felt the relationship between Victoria and Albert (Tom Hughes) was becoming a bit stale, don’t worry their relationship gets very, very testy right from the start. Albert takes up more responsibility while Victoria was busy with baby No. 1, but she’s anxious to get back to work, however, Albert’s not so anxious to give up his larger role. Combine that with some post-partem depression over her first baby, you can see why Albert wants to keep his wife protected, but this is Victoria and she’s not one to sit back and cope while others run the country for her. Even in vulnerability, Jenna Coleman does such a great job letting the steely strength shine through her performance. I, for one, was kind of hoping series creator was going to change history and have her end up with Lord M since the two (Coleman and Sewell) have incredible chemistry. But injecting tension into the marriage between Victoria and Albert is a real improvement for the second season.

Coleman, waddling around after giving birth, asserting her strong will to get back into politics, and refusing to be treated as a wheelchair bound invalid just because she’s a new mother are fun to watch.

Another exciting twist is a hint that things aren’t quite over for Mr. Francatelli (Ferdinand Kingsley) and Mrs. Skerrett (Nell Hudson) — one can only hope!

New faces and tidbits from the creator

Another highlight from episode one was the introduction of Dame Diana Rigg. Much like she was on Game of Thrones as Lady Olena, she again plays a loud-mouthed character, the Duchess of Buccleuch, Mistress of the Robes, and just like on Thrones, she chews up the scenery. Although Buccleuch is different from the “Lady of Thorns,” what the two have in common are injecting some fun and humor in what can sometimes come across as a rather serious show. Trust me, Rigg is a fantastic addition to the series. I’m looking forward to any of the episodes that feature her this season.

“Series three will start in 1848 which was a hugely dramatic and eventful time for both the royal family and Europe, with revolutions on the continent and uncertainty around the monarchy. Viewers can expect more drama than ever before in the third series,” Goodwin said during the panel.

She also talked about the magical Christmas finale, which she said will feature a “near-death” occurrence, “danger, and peril.” But some good news too!

“There’s snow, there’s ice, there’s dramatic rescues, there’s dogs, there’s proposals, there’s everything you could possibly want… It’s a two-hour Christmas special, so I hope people will enjoy it,” she added.

Chemistry between Sewell and Coleman

Also back is Lord M! Although he’s in quite a different state than season one. Having left after the first five episodes, there was a question of Rufus Sewell returning since his story with Victory seemed to end, with him being replaced by Sir Robert Peel (Nigel Lindsay) as prime minister, and her married to Albert after he (gently and graciously) rejected her.

But thankfully, Goodwin saw reason and found a way to bring him back, well, because he and Coleman have serious chemistry, and watching the two of them — even if they don’t end up with each other (sigh) — was the true heart of the series, in my opinion.

“What wouldn’t work is trying to repeat the situation and the dynamic that Lord M and Victoria had in series one, fun though it was to play,” Sewell said, according to RadioTimes. “That had to end.”

He’ll be quite different this season too.

“After that Melbourne, who had always been a very vital man, changed and ageing caught up with him relatively quickly so what was interesting was navigating his changed relationship with Victoria and also with Albert,” said Sewell in the same interview.

“When the producers came to me with a way to bring him back in season two that was still true to the story, I was only too happy to come back.”

Coleman and Sewell talked about how their chemistry developed naturally while at the panel. Sewell said it was something that “grew naturally” and that he and Coleman really enjoyed working together.

Seriously, just look at these two!

Stay tuned!

Victoria will be in the U.S. starting January 14, on PBS. If you are a member, you can binge watch the entire season — all the reason to become one! — after the first episode.

Also coming in 2018, an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, which we got to see a preview of. It features Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke’s daughter, Maya Thurman-Hawke, by the way, and looks gorgeous. Expect this Masterpiece Theatre gem to air in May.

If you love history or the royals, there’s a lot to salivate over on PBS in 2018.