This review contains spoilers for “Bridgerton” Season Two
On March 22, Netflix released the second season of hit show “Bridgerton,” bringing back the steamy series for a new wave of romance even stronger, better and spicier than the first. Based on Julia Quinn’s best selling historical romances set in an alternate version of Regency era England, the second season of “Bridgerton” not only brought a stirring romance to the screen but also set the stage for even more still to come.
The first season delivered a sheet-gripping story, and after living through Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke’s fake relationship, I couldn’t wait for what showrunner Chris Van Dusen had in store for eldest sibling Anthony Bridgerton in Season Two.
As far as plot goes, the second season follows Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he finally decides to step up and find a suitable wife after spending the first season denying his marital duties as head of the family. Enter the Sharma sisters, Kate and Edwina. Edwina (Charithra Chandran) is sweet, kind, smart and fits exactly what Anthony describes as a decent match — but Edwina does not come without a challenge in sister Kate (Simone Ashley), who Anthony soon finds himself falling for.
Audiences might relate the Sharma sisters to the sisters of “10 Things I Hate About You:” a sweet, naive youngest sibling who wants only the most romantic of matches, and their angry, protective older sibling who will emotionally destroy anyone who tries to get close to them. It’s a romance trope for the ages.
Despite obsessing on having the “diamond of the season” Edwina as wife, Anthony cannot keep away from the aggravating older Sharma sister. In every scene they have together, the tension is so thick the audience could cut it with a knife, in part aided by Bailey and Ashley’s astounding chemistry with one another.
While this season does not contain as many sexually intimate scenes as the first, Van Dusen did not need them to have audiences fanning our faces every time Kate and Anthony were together on screen. If enemies-to-lovers is your favorite trope, Kate and Anthony’s story is the one for you. The tension, the denial, the passion: it’s all just too good.
On the other side of the story, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) is still trying to unmask the enigmatic gossip peddler Lady Whistledown, not knowing she’s actually her best friend, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
Lady Whistledown continues exposing the elites and provoking the Queen after disappearing for ten months. Now she’s back with more gossip than ever but also more vulnerable than ever before. Battling between her two different personalities, Penelope has to make the difficult choice of protecting her identity or those she loves.
Despite her actions as Lady Whistledown, I cannot hate or even dislike Penelope. While she has had an active presence as Lady Whistledown, it definitely felt like her differing personalities started to merge this season: in Season One, you could have never guessed it was the same person, but I believe Lady Whistledown has given Penelope the confidence to act out that fierce personality on her original self.
I support women’s rights, but mostly, I support women’s wrongs. Lady Whisteldown is the original Gossip Girl and she will not be silenced, let alone by the Bridgerton siblings.
Overall, “Bridgerton” Season Two has surpassed the quality of its first season and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Season Three. Next, the Bridgerton family story will continue, following Colin Bridgerton and Penelope’s relationship as their friendship hopefully turns into something more.
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Annya Loya is the news editor at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @annyaloya
