Prime Video knew exactly what it was doing by casting Damian Hardung and Harriet Herbig-Matten to bring James and Ruby to life on Maxton Hall.
Based on Mona Kasten‘s Save You book series, Maxton Hall centered around an evolution of enemies to lovers between scholarship student Ruby Bell (Herbig-Matten) and her wealthy classmate James Beaufort (Hardung), who set his sights on her when he realized she knew a secret that could ruin his family’s reputation.
It didn’t take long for the chemistry to escalate on screen and viewers — including Us were seated for any scene between Hardung and Herbig-Matten. The costars exclusively told Us Weekly about how they approached filming together.
“We had a very interesting dynamic while shooting. Because we were literally just going through everything that the characters were going through,” Hardung shared in June. “Whenever we knew the next day we’re gonna have a shoot where we hate each other, we literally didn’t talk the night before. If we knew the next day we’re gonna be best friends then we went out for dinner together.”
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While Hardung found it to be “24/7 exposure” to their characters, Herbig-Matten said it was “really easy” to work with Hardung.
“We have a similar way to go into character and we kind of pushed it to the limit in some scenes. For example, the staircase scene when we screamed at each other,” she noted. “It was really intense and we just helped each other and we trusted each other. It was really important to trust your partner.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of James and Ruby’s steamiest moments — so far:
Tension in the Air
While it seemed like dislike at first sight, fans saw the James and Ruby vision as soon as they met. They were initially at odds when James tried to bribe Ruby to keep quiet about his sister Lydia’s (Sonja Weißer) secret romance with a teacher. Ruby made it clear that she couldn’t be bought by throwing James’ money right back at him.
James and Ruby were meant to come off as enemies but the way they invaded each other’s personal space just hinted at what was still to come.
Growing Closer
James and Ruby fell into a pattern of being antagonistic to one another until they had no choice but to work together. While planning an upcoming event at their school, James extended an olive branch by taking a day trip with Ruby that turned into them trying on Victorian era clothes — and nearly sharing a kiss.
If it wasn’t for James’ father ruining things as usual, James and Ruby probably would have started dating then and there.
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The Dance That Changed Everything
After not being able to keep away from each other, James and Ruby started fresh at a party. Ruby walked in and James only had eyes for her. It only made sense that the pair shared a dance, which offered them an opportunity to see how things could be if they just acted on their feelings for each other instead of fighting it.
A Pool Scene We All Know and Love
Obstacles outside of James and Ruby’s control kicked things up a notch at the party. When Ruby was thrown into a pool as a prank, everyone quickly realized she couldn’t swim. This is where James sprung into action like the hero that he is and saved Ruby. (The scene also offered fans the opportunity to see James carrying Ruby out of the water like something out of a romantic novel.)
James proceeded to drive Ruby home, which is when they bonded on a more emotional level. It was at the point that James — and Us — realized how much he cared about Ruby and just how inevitable their romance was.
The 1st Kiss Heard Around the World
Nothing good can last forever on a TV show since it needs drama but just leave Us in this moment. James and Ruby’s first attempt to actually address what was brewing between them took place at their school event. They shared another dance before going somewhere private to turn on the lights. Except, James and Ruby instead set off some fireworks with their first kiss.
And that is when the scene ended for most fans because nothing else — and no one else — memorable appeared on screen after that.
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Channeling ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Vibes
In order to keep Ruby safe from his abusive father, James proceeded to break her heart. This meant plenty of angsty moments for Us to enjoy but at what cost? The fan-favorite couple kept their distance but the pull and the yearning that they felt for each other wasn’t exactly easy to ignore.
James slipped up during a trip to Oxford where he momentarily grabbed Ruby’s hand and wished her luck for her interview. The reflex touch visibly affected both of them in what could be considered a nice nod at the 2005 iteration of Pride & Prejudice. (An iconic scene in the film featured Mr. Darcy’s (Matthew Macfadyen) hand gently grazing Elizabeth Bennet’s (Keira Knightley) in passing before he tried to shake off the powerful moment.)
The Staircase Reconciliation — and Everything After That
Most couples wouldn’t officially get together after having a screaming match but then again most couples aren’t James and Ruby. Season 1 concluded with the famous staircase scene where Ruby urged James to fight for what he wanted and what he wanted was a future with her.
The twosome had a very necessary talk about their future before having sex in the show’s steamiest scene so far. James and Ruby will have to address more issues when the show returns for season 2, which Maxton Hall hinted at in the last moments of the finale. But for now, viewers get to go back and rewatch James and Ruby’s romantic stroll and parting kiss after solidifying their decision to fight to be together.
