Directed by Tarek Roehlinger and Martin Schreier, Maxton Hall: The World Between Us is the story of two people, coming from completely different backgrounds and eventually realizing that they couldn’t live their lives without each other. The series is based on the novel, Save Me by Mona Kasten, and unfortunately, the series brings nothing new to the table. So, let’s find out what happened in the series and where the lives of the different characters led them.
Spoiler Alert
Why did James go to talk to Ruby?
Maxton College was the kind of place where one set of students came from extremely privileged backgrounds, and the other set came through merit. Based on that, the crowd in the college was divided into two parts: there were students who toiled day and night in the hope of getting admission into premier universities like Oxford, whereas the other set partied throughout the year as they knew that their family name would come into good use and secure their future. Ruby Bell was one such girl who knew that she had to be successful at all costs to bridge the gap that existed between her and the other faction. Nobody knew her; she had a few friends; she very rarely went out; and her entire focus was on her studies. Ruby’s life changed when she walked into Professor Sutton’s room, and she caught him red-handed, sharing an intimate moment with one of the students named Lydia Beaufort.
The Beauforts were one of the trustees of Maxton College, and their apparel line was known worldwide. They had a huge empire, and from Maxton to Oxford, they had everybody in their pocket. Graham Sutton got extremely scared, and even Lydia broke down as she felt that Ruby would tell everybody what she saw. Ruby had no such intentions, but Lydia wasn’t sure about her, so she went and informed James, her brother. James was that rich and famous brat who was soaked in a superiority complex, and he didn’t have any doubt about his capabilities. He knew that they would be able to settle the matter, but he had no clue who he was up against. At first glance, James and Lydia both didn’t seem to be very nice or genuine people, but as the series went on, it became apparent that they had layers to them that nobody saw. James went to talk to Ruby, but she shunned him. He first tried giving her money, and then he thought, in all pompousness, that she wanted to get intimate with him. In Maxton Hall, James realized that Ruby couldn’t be bought, and so he decided to resort to other measures just to make sure that she never opened her mouth.
What happened at the welcome party?
Ruby didn’t want to get her recommendation letter from Sutton, as she knew that if she got people to know about his relationship with Lydia, his credibility would be questioned, as a result of which the letter would not hold any value. So Ruby went to Professor Lexington, who told her that if the welcome party, an event that she was organizing, was a success, then he would definitely give her that letter. Ruby was motivated to execute the event without any mistakes. James had other plans, though, and he made it a point that the welcome party turned into a huge disaster. James called strippers to the party, and before anybody could do anything about it, they went and scandalized the entire crowd. Lexington was fuming with anger, and the next day he called both James and Ruby to his chamber. Somebody had seen James going to the DJ and giving her money, and so Lexington got to know that it was him who played a prank. Lexington knew that Ruby was not at fault, but she was managing the entire event, and it was her responsibility to make sure that such a thing didn’t happen. Lexington told them that both of them were going to be on the organizing committee of the next event, and until then, James would not be a part of the lacrosse team, and even Ruby wouldn’t get a letter of recommendation.
How did James and Ruby fall for each other?
Probably every girl who had come into James’ life had their own ulterior motive, and so even he had developed these preconceived notions about people. James had no clue that Ruby was nothing like those girls. Apart from his sister, nobody really tried to understand who James was. Nobody saw the baggage he carried on his shoulders, and nobody knew how claustrophobic his privilege made him feel. James and Ruby had an argument in a class, and the latter said some really mean things that hurt his ego. Later, when Ruby went home, she realized that she hadn’t done the right thing. She felt like going and apologizing to him, though she was hesitating because she didn’t know how to face him. But Ruby decided that, for once, she would do the right thing and accept her fault. James didn’t know how to react when Ruby said that she shouldn’t have uttered those extremely hurtful words and that it was unfair to him. From that day on, James started seeing Ruby in a very different light. He felt exposed in front of her; he felt vulnerable like never before. It felt like his haughtiness was washed off by the empathy that Ruby showed towards him. Eventually, in Maxton Hall, Ruby, and James both fell for each other, and the entire college was surprised as they didn’t understand how they could be compatible since they came from two different worlds. At one of James’ parties, one of his friends threw Ruby in the pool, and the poor girl felt devastated. James literally lifted her up in his arms and dropped her home. That day, James knew that no matter what, he was going to be with this girl, and nothing could come between them.
What happened between Lydia and Sutton?
In the latter half of Maxton Hall, we learned that Lydia and Sutton’s affair was not just an infatuation; they really had feelings for each other. Lydia and Sutton knew each other before the latter joined Maxton College. They talked via email and eventually grew quite close to each other. When Sutton joined the college, they decided to part ways because they knew the kind of scandal it could create, but their feelings never fizzled off. Lydia had planned that she would not get intimate with him, but she could not stop herself. She got scared when Ruby saw her in Sutton’s chamber, and after that, she never got an opportunity to clarify things with Sutton. One day, Lydia saw Sutton with his ex-partner, and she felt really insecure and jealous. She wanted to spend her life with Sutton, and she was ready to give up anything for that to happen. Sutton was a practical man, and he knew that it would be unfair for Lydia if he asked her to come with him. He kept resisting her, but one day, he gave in. He told Lydia to meet him at a particular spot the next day, and he said they would escape from the town and create their own world in a place where nobody knew them. It was an impulsive decision, as Mortimer Beaufort was a man of great influence, and Sutton was well aware that he controlled the lives of his kids and that he wouldn’t let it happen. The kids couldn’t make any decisions about their lives without asking him. But still, no logic or practicality could come in between their love. Sutton waited for Lydia the next day, but she didn’t turn up. Lydia decided that she couldn’t make such a reckless decision and that she had to cater to other things that had the potential to impact how her life was going to be in the future. We got to know at the end that Lydia was pregnant but she kept that fact to herself and probably if there is a Maxton Hall season 2 we will get to know what step she takes.
What happened between James and his father?
Mortimer Beaufort liked being in control, even when it came to his children’s lives. He knew that Lydia was the one who had an interest in their family business, and she had great acumen for it, too, but he still wanted James to become the next CEO. It was because he felt that whatever Lydia touched got destroyed, and for me personally, it was difficult to understand how a man of that caliber could be driven by such nonsensical and superstitious things. During the press conference of the “Young Beaufort” line, Lydia decided that she would attend the conference instead of James, and he would go to the college gala as he wanted to be with Ruby. But Mortimer didn’t let that happen, and he literally dragged James out of the gala and took him with him.
Even when the entire “Young Beaufort” line was created by Lydia, he made sure that James became the face of the organization. James, on the other hand, didn’t want any of that, but he didn’t know how to face his father. His father got to know about Ruby, and he very blatantly asked him to sever all ties with the girl. James didn’t say anything at that moment, probably because he felt intimidated by him. James actually stopped talking to Ruby after they reached Oxford. But that was something that wasn’t sustainable, and sooner or later, the feelings had to come crashing down. James saw Ruby with another guy, and he couldn’t hold back. Ruby and James once again got together, and this time, he decided that he would take the reins of his life in his hands. Ruby and Lydia qualified for Oxford, and James decided that he would explore his options and not follow the path told by his father. Lydia and James both went back to their house, and they found out that a day before, their mother had gotten a heart attack and passed away. Their father didn’t even inform them about it because, apparently, he didn’t want their interviews to get spoiled. Mortimer was still taking business calls, which spoke volumes about the kind of man he was.
James, at the end of Maxton Hall, lost his temper and assaulted his father. James was shattered from within, and he left his house and went directly to Ruby’s place. James wanted to cry on Ruby’s shoulder, but he saw her rejoicing with her family and celebrating her achievement. James quietly went away from there, and Ruby telepathically felt his presence. If there is another season of Maxton Hall, we will get to know if Ruby and James end up together and if the Beaufort siblings are able to take a stand against their father.
