After the success of Bridgerton season one, viewers were ecstatic to hear that they were coming back for a second season. Season one gave us romance, suspense, excitement, and more, which is why everyone had high hopes for season two. Based on of Julia Quinn’s book series, this series consists of eight novels dedicated to each Bridgerton sibling and their quest for love.
As someone who has read the books and seen the Netflix show, I noticed many differences and similarities between the two. Julia Quinn is an incredible author, and I enjoyed seeing the show bring her stories to life. The Netflix series doesn’t follow the entire book plot and the show changed certain aspects of the storyline.
Additionally, they neglected many plotlines from the book as well, and I was really hoping to see those aspects of the novel included. Although the show ventures from the original work, I still liked certain changes they made. Here are several differences between the series and show that I’ll be breaking down in this article!
- Edmund’s death
When it comes to Edmund’s death, the book and TV show versions are fairly similar. In both, Edmund passed away from a bee sting. The main difference is that Eloise is the one to find her father after he is stung.
Anthony is the one finds him in the show. In the novel, Anthony comes home to find his family in despair. I feel that they may have made this change to show how deep Anthony’s connection was to his father. Edmund’s death shaped Anthony’s life in many ways, but one way I noticed in the book was how Anthony did not believe he could live beyond 38 years. Since his father was his biggest role model, and he passed away at 38, Anthony did not believe he could surpass him in any way, including age.
They did not show this in the show, but I wish they did because Edmund made such a big impact on how Anthony views the world. His father’s death also changed his perspective on love because Anthony now sees love as a weakness. He never wanted to fall in love so that he had nothing to lose. Luckily, Kate changed his point of view and brought love into his life, but I wish that the show explored more of Anthony’s relationship with his father and how it affected his perspective.
- How Kate and Anthony end up together
Kate and Anthony got together in the show at the very end of the season, but this was not the case in the book series. Similarly to Daphne and the Duke’s story in season 1, Kate and Anthony were found in a compromising position that forced them into marriage. Kate was stung by a bee, and since Anthony was traumatized from his father’s bee experience, he attempted to suck the venom from Kate’s chest.
They were found and had to get married to avoid any public shame. I wish that they had stuck to the book plot since the bee scene is such a pivotal point.
Forcing Kate and Anthony into an engagement makes the enemies to lovers storyline more intense. The original bee scene is also similar to what threw Daphne and Simon into their marriage, which is why I think the writers shouldn’t have changed the way the second engagement plays out.
- Role of Edwina in Anthony and Kate’s relationship
Another plotline that differs from the original book is Edwina’s role in the love triangle. In the books, Edwina and Anthony’s relationship doesn’t grow very deep and there were no true romantic feelings. The Netflix series shows that Edwina does develop real feelings for the viscount, which is why she is so hurt by Kate’s actions.
Kate and Anthony get engaged in the books after the bee incident, but Anthony proposes to Edwina in the show despite that never happening in the novel. Unfortunately, Edwina and Kate’s relationship suffered in the Netflix series. In the books, Edwina was happy for Kate and Anthony.
I wish that Edwina didn’t have to get so hurt for Kate to find her way to Anthony. I liked how the novel allowed Edwina and Kate to find happiness and love. In the books, Edwina falls in love with a man named Mr. Bagwell, who is not in the Netflix original. Maybe we’ll get to see him in the third season!
- Kate’s fear of thunderstorms
Another key aspect of the novel that I wish we got to see in the Netflix series was Kate’s fear of thunderstorms. She would have nightmares and couldn’t explain her reasoning for her terror. She developed this phobia after her mother’s passing, and she was able to bond with Anthony over the trauma of losing a parent. They could also relate to being the oldest sibling and having to put the needs of their family before their own.
Anthony was scarred from seeing his Father weakened by a mere bee, so he could relate to Kate’s fear. They understood each other in a way that most people would never comprehend. This played such a large role in their relationship development in the novel, and I was hoping for the writers to incorporate that into the show. There was also a scene in the books where Anthony comforts Kate during a thunderstorm when he finds her frozen from terror in the library, and I was disappointed to not see that in the series.
This was one of the moments where they first felt safe with each other, and it enhanced their pre-existing feelings. In the show, we never knew if Kate was afraid of thunderstorms.
- Kate’s accident
Kate falling off the horse had many viewers shocked at the end of season 2. This was a pivotal moment in the show because Anthony finally realized how much he loved Kate. He was terrified to lose her, which waswhy Anthony feared falling in love.
Since his father’s passing, Anthony viewed love as a weakness; Kate was the person to change that perspective of his. She brought love into his life, and this was very apparent in the novels after Kate’s accident. I found it unfortunate that Anthony never visited Kate because he took care of her in the books. She fell off the horse after marrying Anthony, but the couple were not together during her accident in the show.
The accident was also different; Kate was in a carriage with Edwina and Mr. Bagwell. Kate only broke a leg, but she was in a coma on the show. The accident and the circumstances surrounding the occurrence are completely different in the show and the book.
This season of Bridgerton was full of surprises. I enjoyed getting to see the books I love reading come to life. Although there were aspects of the books I wanted to see in the television series, I still felt that Kate and Anthony’s chemistry was able to shine through.
If you haven’t gotten the chance to read the books that Bridgerton is based off of, I would highly recommend it!
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