With season 1 of Bridgerton receiving worldwide fame and success, season 2 had many expectations to live up to. From the representation of strong South Asian protagonists to the edge-of-your-seat slow burn romance, Bridgerton season 2 exceeded expectations and has had millions of viewers in a chokehold—myself included. Admittedly, I had never taken the time to watch Bridgerton when it first came out, but all the raving about season 2 on social media convinced me to jump on the bandwagon.
True to the novels written by Julia Quinn, season 2 of Bridgerton centered around the eldest Bridgerton son, Anthony. The second season seemed to move at a faster pace than the first, while also juggling more complex storylines. While it did take me an astonishing 4 days to finish both seasons, I found season 2 held my attention more. While watching season 1 I constantly found myself waiting for it to be over so I could move on to the next season already. I felt that the chemistry between the leads was lackluster, and altogether disliked the forced marriage trope. The Duke and Daphne’s “fake relationship” storyline has been done a thousand times over by better TV shows and movies. I also found it odd how the show never really addressed the Duke being assaulted by Daphne. It was brushed over and treated as no big deal, which I find quite disturbing honestly. The show could have taken this opportunity to speak on marriage dynamics from the regency era including the abuse faced by many wives and husbands. My opinions about season 1 aside, I went into season 2 with much more hope.
Season 2 started off much stronger with the removal of Anthony’s awful mutton chops. I understand that the style was very popular in the regency era, but all I had to say was good riddance! This season revolved around Anthony trying to find a suitable wife to become his Viscountess—enter: Edwina Sharma. Edwina and her step-sister Kate are visiting London from India for the purpose of finding Edwina a husband, a process that becomes much easier when she is named ‘the diamond of the season’, a title given by the Queen to the young girl she sees most fit for marriage. After rejecting multitudes of women that did not seem to fit his demanding criteria, Anthony declares that he will marry the diamond. However, if it were as simple as that, the season would be much less interesting. Instead, Anthony finds himself developing feelings for Kate, and from there a complicated love triangle forms and unravels itself as the season progresses. I found it very interesting that Anthony criticizes Kate for being an overprotective sister when he played the role of an overprotective brother in season 1. However, Anthony’s backstory did explain his actions in season 1 and viewers better understood the pressure he felt as the head of the Bridgerton household. This character development is what the show was lacking in season 1.
Further, one of the many things that made me fall in love with Bridgerton was the fact that it was historically inaccurate. While many criticize Bridgerton for the very same reason, I find it refreshing for a period piece to be more lighthearted and whimsical, and act as a form of escapism for the viewers. The historical inaccuracy also allowed for a much more playful soundtrack, featuring classical renditions of songs you would never expect. From “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus to “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles, Bridgerton was able to transform modern pop songs into classical pieces with the use of string quartets. The show also included main characters of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds that held positions of power despite prejudices of the era. This makes Bridgerton one of the only regency-era TV shows to have on screen representation for a multitude of groups.
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