Nothing is more exciting than a new season of the raunchiest British period drama!
I just finished watching Season Two of the Netflix hit, “Bridgerton,” and I must say, I LOVED this season far more than Season One. Season Two follows the eldest Bridgerton son, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and introduces two more female characters: Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). The sisters have traveled from India to London so Edwina can find a suitable husband. However, things go ary when, after Anthony and Edwina are engaged, Kate and Anthony fall madly in love. Of course, a delicious love triangle ensues!
Although Season Two is not as, well, sexy, as Season One, the chemistry between Bailey and Ashley is intense — I could not draw my eyes away. Personally, I thought their tantalizing relationship blew Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon’s (Rege-Jean Page) more traditional relationship out of the water. However, with Page absent from the cast, Dynervor’s Daphne did an excellent job advising to her siblings as the more experienced Bridgerton child.
Ashley and Chandran are stellar as the intelligent and beautiful Sharma sisters, and their presence brings a whole new dimension to the show. What I enjoyed most about these characters was their independence and outspokenness, particularly Kate’s. Kate is a well-developed female character, with is a welcomed departure from Daphne’s more traditional, under-developed character.
Additionally, the integration of the Sharmas’ Indian background was smooth and true-to-life. Their clothing blends Indian silk colors and patterns with Regency-era silhouettes. One especially notable scene before the Edwina-Anthony wedding featured the Sharma women performing a Haldi ceremony; they smear Turmeric paste onto Edwina’s arms and face to bestow blessings upon the married couple. The success of acknowledging Indian culture in Season Two is nearly effortless, starkly contrasting from Season One’s acknowledgements of the world of Bridgerton as a “post-racial society.”
On a different note, Penelope Featherington, Nichola Coughlan’s character, continued to infuriate me. She recklessly destroys her friendships by publishing gossip in the Lady Whistledown papers. Penelope continues to complain about how difficult her life is, claiming that Lady Whistledown is the only thing she has left. However, her status within the ton puts her in a position of privilege, and it is thoroughly disheartening that she refuses to acknowledge that social advantage. Yet, despite this inferiority complex, I do find moments to pity her throughout the season. Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) also has this fatal flaw; her feminist pursuits blind her from reality and prevent her from seeing the damage she is causing herself and her family.
One fabulous surprise from Season Two was Ruth Gemmell, who plays Lady Violet Bridgerton. She is a fully fleshed-out, multi-dimensional character, who becomes stronger after her husband’s death. A fantastic mother, fierce matriarch and joyful friend, Lady Violet is a delight in every scene in which she appears. I hope to see more of her in the coming seasons.
I am thrilled by Season Two of “Bridgerton,” and I will have to read the books in the meantime until Season 3 releases!