review based on episodes 1-3
Dearest reader, Bridgerton is back! As someone who was completely enamored with the first season, this writer was greatly looking forward to the arrival of season two on Netflix. That being said, does this season live up to the hype? So far, yes.
This review takes a look at the first three episodes of season two, which follows the story of Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey, Broadchurch) and his path to finding a suitable wife. The first episode opens with Eloise (Claudia Jessie, Line of Duty) preparing to officially join this courting season. Something that her family is clearly much more excited about than she is. We also find out that Anthony will be hard-pressed to find a woman that matches the standards he rattles of for his future wife. It is clear he is looking for the “right” person as dictated by society and is not interested in any sort of love match. Insert our new faces of this season, Kate (Simone Ashley, Sex Education) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran, Alex Rider) Sharma. They are beautiful sisters who have traveled from India to the ‘Ton, which was formerly their mother’s hometown, in order to find a wealthy suitor for Edwina to marry so that she can claim her dowry and inheritance from her wealthy grandparents – a scheme planned by her mother and sister Kate, which Edwina is not privy to.
This first episode offers insight into the yearning and forbidden love that we will come to experience throughout this season between Edwina’s sister Kate and Anthony. As we know from the first season, Anthony is competitive and wants to win at all costs. This time, however, the cost includes playing a dangerous game of winning the girl to spite the woman he is really infatuated with (Kate). When the two have a chance encounter in the woods, it is clear that they are a great match. The on-screen chemistry between Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley is palpable. Though, after having watched a few episodes from this season, yours truly is unsure about Anthony because of the choices he makes – but he’ll likely turn it around before the end of the season.
Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls), aka “Pen,” has been busy building her business for the increasingly popular pamphlets by Lady Whistledown. Though she continues to hide this venture from her best friend, we see how Eloise’s feminist beliefs occasionally influence Lady Whistledown’s voice. The Featheringtons are still dressing as gaudy as ever, despite being nearly destitute awaiting the arrival of the new Lord Featherington – the curmudgeonly old cousin of the late husband’s. However, his son, cousin Jack (Rupert Young, Merlin), shows up in his place. Throughout the first few episodes, we see his storyline appear to lead him to court Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen, Leatherface), despite Lady Featherington’s (Polly Walker, Cursed) disapproval, convinced that this match will kick her and her daughters out of the ‘Ton. Quite honestly, Featherington’s storyline isn’t all that interesting. This writer finds their family not to be super likable, but you do have to respect a woman who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family.
As for the rest of the Bridgerton brood, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor, Younger) makes limited appearances because she’s off living her best life with the Duke, Benedict (Luke Thompson, Dunkirk) is the best wingman ever when it comes to helping Eloise avoid unwanted suitors, Francesca (Ruby Stokes, Una) has about as much screentime as she did in the first season, and the younger Bridgertons grew a few inches. Eloise grapples with trying to live up to Daphne’s diamond performance during the last courting season and Lady Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell, Primeval) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh, Invictus) begin hatching their newest matchmaking plan. This brings us into the second episode, focused primarily around this season’s courtships and a day at the racetrack where Edwina, the newly named “Diamond of the Season,” is courted by numerous men, though none are quite as motivated as Viscount Bridgerton.
Colin (Luke Newton, The Lodge) has returned from his travels and shares with Pen all that he learned while Eat, Pray, and Self-loving his way across the world. Penelope of course is still completely enamored by him, even though yours truly personally thinks she deserves better. At least we get to see a partnership form later on between Pen and Madam Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale, The Windsors), which really gives those women supporting women vibes.
The third episode reveals the day Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans, Charmed) died, as well as how the family handled his untimely death in the weeks after. Anthony was clearly traumatized from watching his father suffer an allergic reaction to a bee sting in front of his eyes. And instead of being able to process and heal, he is immediately thrown into the role of Viscount and expected to take care of his entire family. These flashbacks provide great insight into Anthony’s character and why he is so eager to avoid a love match. If he never gets close to anyone, he doesn’t have to leave them feeling broken when he dies or feel the trauma of losing someone he loves.
This episode is this writer’s favorite out of the first three because we get to see the dynamics of the Bridgerton siblings and how well Kate clearly fits in with all of them during their rowdy game of Pall-mall. We also see Benedict start making his own way in the world by applying and getting accepted to the Royal School of Art and Eloise beginning to expand her mind to the ideas that exist outside of the ‘Ton. We as viewers also get our first true dose of the intense unrequited attraction between Kate and Anthony in the garden where Kate is stung by a bee, triggering a full-on panic attack in Anthony. She calms him down and claims “it was just a bee,” but clearly it is so much more.
The second season so far has been full of beautiful costuming, elaborate sets, and excellent performances by our favorite members of the ‘Ton. They’ve continued to incorporate modern music in the classic regency era style, which yours truly is a massive fan of, and we’re starting to see how some current storylines may tie into future seasons. Currently holding out hope that we see some queer representation in Benedict’s eventual season and the possibility of Eloise pursuing both her passion for knowledge and her potential budding romance outside of her class level.
Another serious concern is if Francesca will ever be shown for more than a total of two minutes. While we will probably have to wait for future seasons for any of these wishful storylines to play out, this reviewer is all in on this season’s will they/won’t they saga between Kate and Anthony. Because, let’s be honest, we all live for the classic Shondaland lingering looks and “pick me, choose me, love me” moments. And it’ll definitely be a fun ride seeing what else this season of Bridgerton has in store!
Bridgerton Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNCws-a6CQ
