Dearest readers,
The second season of the hit Netflix series hit the streaming service on March 25th, accumulating 193 million hours viewed in its first three days of release. This wild statistic is remarkably unsurprising though, as fans like myself have been eagerly anticipating this next installment of Bridgerton since season one aired in December of 2020. The regency-era adaptation of Julia Quinn’s historical romance books drew a large crowd the first time around. The romantic drama was pitched as sexy and entertaining, built for the female gaze.
I and many others thoroughly enjoyed the first season following Daphne and the Duke. It was full of banter and steamy sex and fantastic renditions of Taylor Swift in orchestral form. The season even earned a whopping 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans critiqued elements of the show though, specifically the nature of some relations between Daphne and Simon. They have incredibly toxic moments, including one scene where Daphne technically assaults him, though she attempts to defend herself. It was certainly problematic and a point of controversy for fans of the show and books alike. As much as viewers otherwise enjoyed the sudden sex scenes and the chemistry between the characters, people quickly began to look forward to future seasons featuring other members of the Bridgerton family.
Enter Anthony Bridgerton.
Season two follows the oldest Bridgerton sibling in his complicated love story with Kate Sharma, the elder sister to Edwina Sharma, whom Anthony is intent on pursuing. The show depicts a hellish love triangle between the Sharma sisters and Anthony, though it is glaringly obvious to viewers that Anthony only has eyes for Kate. As the episodes progress, we’re taken along on an agonizing slow burn between the two. You wait anxiously for a prolonged glance, a moment of banter, a hint of a smirk, a twitch of a jaw, a brush of fingertips… It’s almost painful. I sat there watching for hours, not even daring to blink lest Anthony and Kate finally close that ever-shrinking gap between them and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD KISS ALREADY.
It was incredibly well done, to say the least. A single ballroom dance had me squealing, a breakdown over a bee sting had me crying, and an abandoned wedding had me screaming at my laptop. This slow burn was certainly slower than slow, but they earned it. I was along for the ride. I was invested in every little look and touch. It was steamier than sex. It was raunchier than sex. It was better than sex.
Thus, this season took an unexpected turn from the last (and from the plot of the books, too), deviating from the explicit images. While few disliked the lack of physical intimacy, most people found this season a huge improvement from the previous one. Fans enjoyed the dedication and build-up of Kanthony’s relationship, the culmination of which was earned very late in the season. In all honesty, withholding the sex plot points kept me more invested. It was more romantic and tense. You want to keep binging because surely the next episode will be the one…
I thought the change in this season was refreshing and effective. Shonda Rhimes knows her stuff. The primary relationship ruled the overarching plot.
That being said, the subplots were also entertaining this season. One follows Anthony’s past, another the struggles of the Featheringtons, and a final story trails Eloise and Penelope. Each was, for the most part, interesting in its own right. Eloise and Penelope were particularly demanding narratives, but I could have done with slightly less of them and slightly more of Kate and Anthony (but who couldn’t?).
Additionally, the show paved a pathway for South Asian representation in Regency-era television. Kate and Edwina are from India, and their accents, traditions, and clothing accurately portray the practiced assets of their culture. Small moments allowed the show to really appreciate them, and the audience had a positive and loving response to the increased representation in the show.
Overall, this season blew the first out of the water for me, and critiques about the lack of sex should not be deterrents. In fact, they should probably be warnings about those critics, as they are viewing Bridgerton as entertaining solely for pornographic reasons and not written, artistic, or character ones. It certainly left fans swooning and sad at themselves for binging all eight episodes in as many hours. But don’t worry, the beloved show will return with more seasons, including a prequel season following the origin story of the king and queen of England. This author shall return as well to discuss all the news of the ton.
Sincerely,
Lady Whistledown