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Bridgerton: Season Two

If you’re anything like me, you fell for the first season of Bridgerton. Hard. Regency England with a diverse gentry, string quartet covers of pop hits, and literal sequins? I mean, what’s not to love?

Well, in season one there was a certain sex scene with... I’m going to be generous and say... fuzzy consent issues. Yeah. That one. I finished the first season heavy hearted. I looked hopefully to the future, and lo and behold, ta dah! A glitzy, campy, romantic season that did not leave me asking any uncomfortable questions. It was just... perfect. I mean not perfect perfect, this isn’t 2005’s Pride and Prejudice, but it was a huge step up, for me at least.

Let’s start with what didn’t work. That’s pretty much everything besides the main romance, unfortunately. The Featheringtons were up to no good which was half interesting for about a minute. Penelope is still pining over Colin when it’s like... girl... move on. (If you’ve read the books please don’t spoil me!). There was the Eloise/Penelope/Lady Whistledown stuff which... I’m sorry, it didn’t work. Part of the reason I persisted with the first season even after I realized I could never love it was that I wanted to know who Lady Whistledown was and I am genuinely glad they revealed her identity last season. This season we see more of the inner workings of Whistledown’s arrangements but it honestly failed to hold my interest. And then Eloise came into conflict with Lady Whistledown, and I won’t spoil it here, but it just... didn’t work for me. I think part of the reason for these struggles in an otherwise sublime season is that the Kate/Anthony romance was just so. damn. good. Whenever we stopped to check in with Penelope or Eloise I was just anxious to get back to the main romance. It reminds me a bit of reading A Song of Ice and Fire and just being like OH MY GOD BRAN WE GET IT SHUT UP AND TAKE ME BACK TO SANSA!

Benedict also has a little side adventure but it was far less distracting than the Featherington hoo-ha. He joined an art school, had a brief love affair, and did some drugs. Colin visited Lady Crane (née Marina Thompson), his love interest last season. Those scenes really dragged and left us with some confusing messaging and just a little too much realism. Marina isn’t happy with her husband, but she is content and she encourages Colin to stop chasing some impossible dream and settle (ideally for Penelope). I mean... I think that’s what happened; if I’m being honest I skipped those scenes on rewatch. It just seemed like such a mixed message when combined with Violet Bridgerton’s ‘true love is out there and waiting for you if only you get over yourself and give it a chance you can have everything your heart has ever desired and you will be happy.’

Okay, onto the meat of the piece: Kathani “Kate” Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton. Swoon. They fall in love as he courts her little sister Edwina (awkward) and I mean... I don’t want to spoil too much about the season but it’s so romantic. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles in general but this one didn’t do too bad. Resolved too easily? Mayhaps, but at least sugary sweet Edwina finds her spine at just the right time. One complaint I’ve seen plastered all over Twitter is that the show is less sexy than season one which... I mean... no. There are fewer sex scenes (I think only two, if I’m remembering right) but the smolder between Anthony and Kate is real and I’ll take that over an objectionable sex scene any day of the week.

Best episode hands down goes to “A Bee in Your Bonnet.” We unlock Anthony’s tragic backstory and AND get one of the steamiest scenes between Kate and Anthony in the entire series. I’ve rewatched the last scene of the episode at least five times. Six.

Blink and you’ll miss it but Anthony Head appears in one episode as Edwina’s GRANDFATHER and if that’s not enough to make you feel old I don’t know what to say to you.

I have one further complaint that’s less about structure and more, I suppose, about personal preference. Give us some gay rep. Please. Benedict had a gay friend last year and it was the perfect set up to maybe him being bi. And I still ship Eloise with Penelope I don’t care how many men they toss at the both of them. No, it’s not historically accurate, but neither are Black dukes or plastic flowers sewn onto the bodices of the Featheringtons’ dresses. I’m not asking for a big gay wedding (although that would be amazing), it would just be nice to see some attraction that isn’t heterosexual.

sunbunny

5 comments:

  1. No, Anthony Head cannot be someone's grandfather. That must be a mistake. That is simply not correct.

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  2. The romance this season was top notch. That entire scene where Anthony is telling Kate he's going to break off the engagement is swoon-worthy. I also understand why they seemed not to get so much screentime, even by the end it was getting a little ridiculous how much they could speak *into* each other's mouths without managing to kiss.

    I honestly think the Cousin Jack storyline would have been redeemed if they had committed to an actual paradigm shift at the end and (SPOILERS) had Lady Featherington actually leave with him for America. Then we would've had Penelope, all alone, being forced next season to continue being Lady Whistledown to support herself and her sister. Oh well.

    Thanks for the review!

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  3. I finally got back to it and finished the season last night. I didn't think I liked Anthony in season one, but he was really, really terrific and I liked Kate a lot. I also really liked the bee episode because they did an excellent job showing how it felt to lose a beloved parent and being forced to become an adult at the same time.

    I also found the Lady Whistledown scenes a bit dull, and I also wanted Lady F to leave with Cousin What's His Name, but I liked how it ended. I just desperately want Penelope to wear something other than the ugliest of yellow.

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  4. I wish they hadn't done that bit with Lady Whistledown. It really dragged down the series. Suppose they had to do it. But Kate/Anthony were golden. Also yes to some gay romance next season.

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  5. More Anthony and Kate, please! Jonathan Bailey was top notch.

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