Bridgerton Season 2

Claudia Jessie, who portrays Eloise on Netflix's 'Bridgerton,' talked to Vulture about playing the character and what to expect with season three.

A lot of the women in the show are quite bare and like to show a lot of arms and chest. I would love Eloise to find a clear objective and focus on one thing. Penelope knows how much Eloise loves Lady Whistledown and how much she probably wanted to be her. She talked a lot about how amazing she is and how they should aspire to be just like her. I liked that I got to unsubscribe a little bit and be a bit clumsy. There’s a firmness to the cut and the style of her clothes. I think they should be able to exist and be free and do what they want to do. A lot of us have cried when we watch them perform to the music. She, and also Penelope in a way, are signs of what’s to come. What do you mean I have to do this? Eloise is that beautiful, fresh, young mind who quite rightly is thinking about her right to autonomy and freedom and not to be a property of a man and to want to earn her own money. She’s a sign of what was to come.

Kate and Anthony finally allow themselves the love and self-acceptance they deserve. A recap of 'The Viscount Who Loved Me,' episode 8 of season 2 of ...

Kate asks if Anthony wants to stop, and he tells her to just keep looking at him: “No one else matters.” Some guests beside the queen speculate that Kate and Anthony were why the wedding was canceled, but the queen claims it was her decision. Anthony asks if they should ditch the game, and Kate responds, “And admit defeat? Kate and Anthony are rolling around naked in bed, and he calls her “viscountess.” This isn’t my fanfic — it’s canon! As someone who also has an Anglicized nickname for a very non-Anglo, easily butchered name, I am telling you this is the hottest, most endearing thing I have seen and heard in a long time (maybe ever??). His proper pronunciation paired with the implication that he knows who she really is — so swoony. She asks if he’s going to ask her to dance one last time, and he asks if she’s going to say yes. Edwina tells Kate she can’t keep avoiding the viscount and that she shouldn’t. That’s his cue: Kate turns around and there’s the viscount. Poor Kate tears up, saying everything that happened is her fault (these kids and their self-blaming tendencies!). Kate brings up how Lady Mary took her in, never treating her differently, and Lady Mary is horrified to realize Kate feels indebted to her. I did not want it to happen like that.” His guilt is so sweet to see, not because it’s warranted (it takes two, yadda yadda), but because it shows his reverence for her. (I teared up too, but over Anthony’s palpable relief.) Lady Bridgerton says it’s unthinkable to find someone you love like that and begins to cry: “I am so sorry it was you who was with your father that day. This is a rare occasion where a “You up?” inquiry is the most wholesome thing to do. Kate asks about Anthony and they tell her how he gallantly rescued her. I’d be sad it’s over, but I already know this is something I’ll revisit as a comfort watch (and isn’t it rare to feel that way when there’s so much good TV to fly through?). Perfect casting, perfect chemistry, perfect corgi — what’s not to like?

Bridgerton's first season was undeniably, unapologetically sexy. The raunchy regency drama based on the novels by Julia Quinn burst onto Netflix in December ...

And unfortunately, this makes for a rather boring Bridgerton—which, as Lady Whistledown will tell you, is the biggest sin of them all. Eventually, Anthony and Kate do consummate their love—outside under a pergola, in a scene straight out of a Fabio-covered romance novel. It doesn’t help that Kate has a seemingly perfect younger sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran), who is the object of everyone’s eye and has multiple suitors—just like Kat’s sister in Shakespeare’s play. Quinn has acknowledged the similarities between her Kate and Shakespeare’s Kate, telling Glamour that “a lesser actress might have allowed Kate to devolve into a Taming of the Shrew caricature.” Their relationship is not dissimilar to that of Kate and Petruchio’s in Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew—an arrogant and overly-proud man constantly at odds with an intelligent and headstrong young woman, also named Kate, who’s sworn off men. The raunchy regency drama based on the novels by Julia Quinn burst onto Netflix in December of 2020 and instantly became a sensation for the streaming platform.

From leads Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma down to those sweet randos who asked Eloise to dance at the ball, a decisive ranking of "Bridgerton" Season 2 ...

Bridgerton Season 2 just hit Netflix, which means it's time to revisit our very serious ranking of crushes from the Netflix series. Oh my god? Just….oh my god? Pros: Still one of the sweetest characters in the series, a hopeless romantic who wants all her children to be happy Con: There's nothing wrong with Penelope. It's society that is wrong for her. Con: She's only just graduated from the Bridgerton sibling section to the MILF section. Pro: Her mom is cool? What is the Regency term for THOT? Pro: A romantic paragon who is kind, loves hard, and is full of forgiveness. Con: Paint. His whole plot is paint. Con: Except when she uses all the above traits to stomp all over people and get her friends in trouble. The Duke of Hastings may be out of the picture, but the ton is still pesky with crush material, from the generally unimpressive Bridgertons right up to our own picks for the diamond of the season.

How 'Bridgerton' season 2 differs from the Julia Quinn novel 'The Viscount Who Loved Me.'

In the novel, Kate and Anthony are already married after their garden interlude when she gets into a carriage accident (along with Edwina and her scholarly suitor). In the series, Kate instead gets into a horseback riding accident, falling from her horse after attempting a jump and being knocked unconscious for at least a week. But it allows the series to be a bit more full-circle, bringing us back to Anthony and Kate's first meeting while out riding in episode 1. However, he did add a similar moment of Lady Featherington's own devising, where she arranges for a group of women to discover her own daughter in a compromising position in the gardens with the new Lord Featherington. On the show, Anthony is present for the moment his father is stung by a bee, and he holds Edmund in his arms as he succumbs to anaphylactic shock. But when a chance moment occurs and Anthony and Kate lock eyes, Edwina finally realizes that Anthony has feelings for her sister, not for her. She recognizes why Anthony is the fulfillment of her duty, but she also genuinely cares for him and believes him to be the man of her dreams for a time. Naturally, this is the exact moment when Lady Featherington and a group of society mamas walk up the path and discover them, forcing them to marry to avoid a scandal. Both creator Chris Van Dusen and actress Charithra Chandran have expressed their desire for Edwina to be more than a prop in someone else's love story, which to be honest, she kind of is on the page. On the page, the conflict is merely her shift from hating Anthony to loving him, while here she must contend with those confusing emotions and the added complications of not wanting to hurt her beloved sister. It's a key parallel between her and Anthony and the ways they've chosen to lock their hearts away. Additionally, Lady Mary has a much more thorny relationship with her parents in the series, having been virtually disowned by them for running away with Kate's father to India.

Bridgerton. (L to R) Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma, Jonathan Bailey as Photo: Liam Daniel | Netflix. This Bridgerton review contains spoilers.

Bridgerton is a period drama and romance franchise that’s here to stay for the foreseeable future. Sharpe is a means to an end for developing the rift between Eloise and Penelope and should have had more screentime to show the audience a wider view of Regency London than seen in past productions. While these episodes spend a lot of time trying to establish that Anthony and Edwina really were only getting together out of familial duty and not true love, Bridgerton does not forget the supporting characters that are original to the series. Supporting and main characters’ plot lines tied to Benedict and Marina’s storylines may also appear racist if actors of color replace the white characters from the novels. The key reason for this change is that Kate is older and it is inferred possibly more experienced in life. The best change Season 2 makes is to delay the reveal of why Anthony’s father passed away a decade earlier. This thread of continuity dispels the notion that the show is going to stop featuring Black characters as other characters of color are added to the series. Queen Charlotte (Golda Roushevel) names Edwina the Diamond of the Season as a favor to Lady Danbury. The Featheringtons are recovering from the death of Lord Featherington and are awaiting the arrival of his distant cousin who inherited the title. The episode also establishes the Bridgerton family mythology which is key to later plot events. Benedict (Luke Thompson) is accepted to the royal academy to study visual arts, but he finds out he may not have been accepted purely on application merit. Bridgerton season 2 returns to Netflix today with a new Bridgerton sibling’s quest to make a suitable marriage match.

With the second round of balls and soirees, "Bridgerton" returns to tell another love story with the Viscount at the center this time. Anthony Bridgerton ...

She was considered an older maid in the marriage market, as Lady Danbury had mentioned, and she did not wish to settle for whatever little options she had. Nonetheless, the only wish is for this story to not become a drag with a very repetitive approach and storyline. He knew he felt for Kate and this could save him from making the mistake of marrying her sister. She did not wish to be the center of attention and wanted her sister to thrive. She either had to pretend to be the gossipmonger or have her family face the consequences. She reached the doorstep of the Bridgerton in her carriage, and Eloise had to directly face the Queen. She was taken by shock when the Queen accused her of being Lady Whistledown. The Queen wanted her to be her ally. With constant remarks about the Queen and her decisions, the gossipmonger became the thorn that the Queen wanted to remove at once. She felt betrayed and hurt by the people she loved and trusted the most. She knew he was not searching for love, and marriage without love is not what she wanted for her sister. At first, as Lady Whistledown, she felt a kind of power she had never felt before, but at the same time, she had too many enemies to deal with. Miss Edwina Sharma was a sweet young girl who trusted her sister Kate to help her make the right decision. She stopped publishing for months, but as the season approached, Lady Whistledown was back with the gossip and scandals, infuriating many, particularly the Queen.

And while the mistress of Aubrey Hall and her daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), have their hands full making preparations and keeping the guests entertained, ...

He stares at his mother’s engagement ring and, for a moment, it looks like he has decided to listen to Daphne. But as Edwina is about to get into her carriage, Anthony strides out of the manor, gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him. Instead of a wealthy bachelor, Jack is a penniless man, and all of his ruby mines in the Americas have failed. Anthony tries to explain himself to his sister, who compares the situation in which she found him with her compromising moment with the duke (Regé-Jean Page) in Season 1. The day of the ball finally arrives, and Eloise allows Penelope and her mother to convince her to accept her first foray into the dance floor. Edwina convinces her sister to take to the floor with Anthony in order to make the final arrangements for the proposal, but the dance doesn’t go exactly as planned. Inspired by a conversation with Prudence (Bessie Carter) about entrapping men into marriage, she arranges for her daughter and Jack to be found alone at the manor’s orangery by a number of Lady Bridgerton’s guests. Colin says that he wanted to apologize for his previous actions and to tell her he has forgiven her for trying to deceive him about her pregnancy. Miss Sharma tries to talk to the viscount about what happened the day before, but can’t seem to find her voice. Edwina blames her sister for the viscount’s failure to propose and asks her to smooth things out with him. Miss Sharma is initially reluctant, but after Anthony doubts her hunting skills, she decides to tag along, chaperoned by a poor maid that can’t seem to balance herself on her horse. The fact that Eloise seems to be legitimately interested in the pamphlets, and not just hunting for Lady Whistledown, offers some consolation, but poor Penelope never seems to catch a break: when Colin (Luke Newton) announces that he’s paying a visit to Marina (Ruby Barker), we can almost see her heart breaking into a million pieces. Upon arriving at Aubrey Hall, she’s horrified to learn that not only is Eloise (Claudia Jessie) still going back to the printer for more women's rights pamphlets, but that she even knows the shop’s apprentice by name.

And Edwina just keeps seeing the best in Anthony and interpreting his every move as proof of his love, and not like, the behaviors dictated by this incredibly ...

There were so many chances to stop this train before it ran away entirely, and he and Kate blew past every one of them, and now Edwina is even more badly hurt than she would have been if either of them had just been honest with her at any point before. The Bridgertons could be more sensitive to how being responsible for them all is slowly strangling Anthony, but he could also realize that not marrying Edwina Sharma isn’t the end of the world. The circumstances for Kate are a little different than Anthony, though, because Kate can actually un-shoulder this burden and it wouldn’t devastate her family the same way it would if Anthony just gave up on Bridgerton business. The crux of the problem, for Anthony, is that in considering his family’s needs, he has set aside his own needs a little too much, but Edwina makes this point to Kate much more eloquently than any Bridgerton makes it to Anthony. After the death of their father, Kate shouldered the burden of managing their family’s affairs, which has translated into trying to manage Edwina’s life in a way that has backed her, Edwina, and Anthony into an impossible corner. It would mean scandal for her whole family and as Kate previously said to Eloise, this world is not built with single women in mind, and spinsterhood is really not desirable. Sure, the Bridgerton money would insulate Eloise to a degree—she wouldn’t have to take a governess position like Kate plans to, for instance—but nothing will save her or her family from scandal if she is discovered.

'Bridgerton' Season 2's biggest diva was Austin, the dog who played Newton the corgi. Simone Ashley, Charithra Chandran, Nicola Coughlan, and Adjoa Adoh ...

“I think what I felt about Newton was he’s a treat hound,” she said. “Although he does look fabulous.” The one that I remember is when we were filming, I think it’s outside Aubrey Hall, and we’re on this pebbly terrain, and he just kept eating all the pebbles and pooping pebbles out all day.” “He always was awful on his cues, and bless him,” Ashley said. “We have to remember that Austin, who plays Newton, is an animal. “There’s a bit of me that was like — because I’m quite strict with my dog about what she can have because she’s a Labrador, she’ll eat until she falls over — so I was a bit like, ‘No! No more treats! “I only got one scene with Newton, which was a tragedy, and I realized he was huge. “He was huge. “If something happened that kind of spooked him, then yeah, he just wasn’t going do it which is totally fair enough. Because I thought people are gonna know what I’m talking about here,” Coughlan added. “Yeah, so I had no idea what size corgis were,” Coughlan said. She just wants to ride her horses, see her sister married, and hang out with her dog.

This article contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 2 but does not contain spoilers for future Bridgerton novel plots.

Fans of the novels may often dispute Bridgerton adaptation choices but it’s clear the epilogues will be shown in some form to end each season. Kate and Anthony almost missing the start of the game because they were still in bed replaces the nighttime scene. Parts of the actual competition were moved to episode 3. Bridgerton Season 2’s final scene shifts the timeline of the annual Pall Mall game to shortly after Kate and Anthony are officially married. The second epilogue takes place beginning two days before Anthony’s birthday and it’s all about the lead-up to the annual Bridgerton family Pall Mall match plus the game itself. The epilogues often include details to cement the Happy Ever After for the couple in question, such as the name of their firstborn child, a Bridgerton family reunion, or a flash forward scene that addresses a loose plot thread.

The penultimate episode of this season finds both the Bridgerton and Sharmas doing damage control in the wake of the failed wedding.

He sees her in the distance, amid the rain and mist. He mentions how his family’s on the brink of ruin and that they all hate him despite him living his life only for them, but all he thinks about is her. And then he pulls his head back, shakes it, and says to her, “You have to stop.” (ANTHONY FICTIONAL CHARACTER BRIDGERTON, I SWEAR TO GOD.) She responds, saying he’s the one who’s been spinning her world off-axis. Of course they argue, and as she’s about to walk away, he asks: “Can you ever just agree?” He says she’s been stubborn from the moment they met, and she comments how that must really bother a man who’s used to getting his way and ordering people around. Kate asks her sister if they should head home, and Edwina scoffs at the idea that Kate cares about what she’d like. She wishes she had shouldered the burden when her husband died, not Kate. Hearing how Kate sacrificed so much for her family stills Anthony, and he watches her from afar. He calls out to the youngest Bridgertons, Hyacinth and Gregory, to come downstairs and join the party. The next day, the two families venture to the museum together to help improve their public image and spin their story before the ball. The viscount scolds his brother about his familial duty, and Benedict immediately knows this is about Kate — he’s noticed how Anthony looks at her. Eloise explains her predicament with the queen, and Penelope’s horrified. Back at the Bridgerton home, Penelope finds Eloise in her room, surrounded by a pile of Lady Whistledown pamphlets she’s about to toss. Then Newton — sweet, precious Newton — scampers into the room and tries to jump up on Anthony (with nary a growl!). Kate ushers Newton away from Anthony, and they both get up, standing too close, essentially checking each other out.

Bridgerton's soundtrack has become its signature. From Bollywood hit "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" to Madonna's "Material Girl," here is a guide to the ten pop ...

When it plays: The sex scene between Anthony & Kate outdoors that begins at 49:41 in episode 7 of Bridgerton season two. He takes her hand, and they walk onto the dance floor, as the instrumental cover of "Wrecking Ball" begins. They have some very intense eye contact on the dance floor, which then leads to their declaration of love in the garden as fireworks explode around them. The song, the title track of the Bollywood blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, was released in 2001, is a poignant soundtrack to the most visible Indian representation in the season. As all the members of the ton leave Queen Charlotte's home, Lady Whistledown narrates, "Indeed, some may call a wedding the ultimate act of faith. Kate and Anthony dance for the first time, to the instrumental cover of Robyn's electropop hit from 2010. But the effort paid off: the Harry Styles song makes perfect sense as Edwina and Anthony walk down the aisle on what is supposed to be their magical wedding day. And the object of all my desires. The Vitamin String Quartet's cover of Nirvana's "Stay Away" plays during a montage of Anthony going on dates with various women, managing Bridgerton household work, and sleeping with a woman who appears to be a sex worker. The song plays in the background as Lady Danbury narrates eligible bachelors for the Sharmas. If you listened to the Vitamin String Quartet's instrumental cover of "thank u, next" by Ariana Grande from season one of Bridgerton on repeat, you're not alone. The instrumental cover becomes almost haunting as Lady Danbury schemes to get Edwina named.

Spoilers ahead. Perhaps the relationship between Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) doesn't get the marquee ...

But there's no desire—and I want to be sincere about this—there's no desire to do it so I can lead this show. But I do think it would be—not to ignore romance with Eloise, of course—but I do think there'd be something really cool about her finding her path. I think Eloise needs to be able to listen, and then forgive. I think Eloise will continue to be a good mate and not tell anyone, because what does Eloise gain, really? Yes. Eloise is going to have to listen, I think. So I think it's better than I could have imagined, and I just love it. And I think Eloise thinks her answer to that is finding out who Lady Whistledown is. And I think we also needed to be conscious of their age. I think she likes that it's someone outside of the society she knows, outside of the ton, because she finds that her environment is so stale. I was so pleased when I got the [script for] the episode where Eloise was going to find out. I couldn't believe I got to work and do something I love so much. I think Eloise is really close to the audience.

Although the steamy romance between her older sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) was the focus of Season 1, Jessie's ...

In the Season 2 finale of "Bridgerton," all it takes is a snarky slip of the tongue for Penelope to reveal herself as Lady Whistledown to Eloise. Eloise confronts her best friend, and despite being proper ladies, things get pretty nasty between the two of them. Arguably, nobody's life is turned upside down more by Penelope's Mrs. Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) during Season 2 than Eloise, who finds herself at odds with Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), with her reputation hanging in the balance and her burgeoning romance doomed to failure. Eloise continues her investigation of Lady Whistledown and encounters a world outside the Ton inhabited by like-minded people who believe women are capable of more than the duties bestowed on them as wives and mothers.

Benedict Bridgerton continues his own journey of self discovery in 'Bridgerton' Season 2, but he may not be the focal point for season three.

While the daughter of an earl, she is demoted as a servant thanks to her stepmother. She explains exploring each Bridgerton sibling with each season was always the plan and adores Benedict’s story. In Bridgerton Season 2, the tide changes when he decides to apply to the Royal School for proper training. He gets entangled with a famous artist and his rather scandalous painting parties in the first season. From the first season, he established himself as the more open and joyous male of the family who likes his jokes and teasing jabs. With every season of Netflix’s Bridgerton focusing on another member of the family, who is next?

Where Season 1 followed the fourth Bridgerton child, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Season 2 stars the eldest, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who has decided to fulfill ...

In the book, her accident is a carriage accident while out with Edwina and Edwina’s suitor—but at that point she and Anthony are already married, and she only hurts her leg. That subplot was created for the adaptation, and its continuation—involving the new heir and his schemes with Mrs. Featherington—is also new. Fans of the first season may be disappointed that Regé-Jean Page’s Simon does not make an appearance at all in the second. Despite his reluctant attraction to Kate, who disapproves of him, Anthony settles on Edwina as his future bride, but in the series, he gets much further along in courting her than he does on the page—all the way to the altar, in fact. And Eloise dabbles in political radicalism by attending a rally and flirting with a lower-class assistant at a printer’s shop—and is ultimately suspected of being gossip columnist Lady Whistledown as a result. From there, there are significant differences in the adaptation: Whereas in the book Kate is already considered a spinster at 21, in the series she is a whopping 26 and has set herself on never marrying and instead being a governess. As in the book, there is Kate, the heroine of The Viscount Who Loved Me, and her younger, beautiful half-sister Edwina (though in the book Edwina is described repeatedly as blonde and blue-eyed). They are joined by their mother Mary (Shelley Conn), who married Kate’s father when Kate was very young. On the show, Kate has an accident while riding horseback that knocks her unconscious and causes Anthony to realize just how important she is to him. While his father’s death is at the heart of Anthony’s motivations on both page and screen, the Netflix show does not capture just how obsessed Anthony is with his own mortality in the books, irrationally convinced that he will die young, because he can’t imagine ever growing older than his father, who died at 38. On the show, Anthony actually watches his father get stung and die. He tells his mother that he does not want to be the cause of that kind of heartbreak for anyone else. Season 2 sees Anthony dismiss the idea of love altogether, instead determined to marry a woman who will be a suitable viscountess and a good mother to his children.

'Bridgerton' season 2 (mostly) swaps sexy montages for scorching glances — and we're here for it.

She's keeping a substantial chunk of their stolen money and has forged a document giving his title to the firstborn son of her daughters. On the eve of the Featherington ball, Kate's packing for India when Mary comes in to reaffirms that she loves Kate like a daughter. The show made us wait and wait (and wait and wait) for that kiss, but the slow burn paid off. Mary's nervous to see the parents who disowned her for marrying the man she loved, and Kate wonders aloud if that kind of sacrifice is too high a price. When the time comes to disembark, Anthony muscles his way into helping her out of the boat. Kate's face brightens as he approaches, but he (and the camera) brutally swerves right past her so he can drop to his knee in front of Edwina. The awkwardness ramps up when Anthony's jeweler uses Kate to size the wedding ring in Edwina's absence, allowing Anthony to run his thumb over the band and down her finger. And in episode 4, this means arranging for party-goers to find Jack alone in the orangery with poor dim Prudence, who's the last to catch on that she's now headed to the altar. The only person having a worse time than Kate, watching from the sidelines as Anthony and Edwina dance, is Eloise. Her interaction with a potential suitor ends as disastrously as you'd imagine, and she leaves the ballroom in tears, knowing she's disappointed her mother and frustrated that everyone expects her to shed her progressive ideals like a party dress. That night, Kate's not able to sleep, so she prowls through the library in her nightgown, her hair long and loose. In the present, we see a content and peaceful Violet joining Anthony to assure him that love isn't the weakness he thinks it is. Meanwhile, everybody's still after Whistledown. The queen makes it clear to Lady Danbury that she chose Edwina as her diamond in part because she's new to town and able to be manipulated to help her.

Anyway, the Bridgertons are hosting their annual country ball, but before that, Anthony has invited the Sharmas to join them at Aubrey Hall. This is a BIG DEAL ...

Kate and Anthony get a classic rom-com moment in the mud, and it is such fun to see them engaging in a less directly combative way, but the real meat of their interactions this episode comes when Kate is stung by a bee. They all seem better adjusted than Anthony, but then, none of them had the staggering responsibility of the family and the estate dumped on them at eighteen. Indeed, the episode ends with Kate and Anthony undiscovered in the garden, another significant departure from the book. Though Kate doesn’t get why, she does understand Anthony is on the brink of hyperventilating—he’s having a panic attack in modern parlance—and she helps calm him by synchronizing his breathing with hers. This is a famous scene from the book, and this episode NAILS IT. The Bridgertons are intensely competitive, the equally competitive Kate fits right in, but Edwina is obviously not having fun. Here is young Anthony, a terrible shot—a nice touch connecting with the present-day Anthony, still a terrible shot as we saw in last season’s duel episode—putting a lot of pressure on himself to keep up with his younger brothers and live up to his father’s example and expectations.

Chris Van Dusen breaks down Season 2 of the Netflix juggernaut, from a new, more chaste approach to the central romance to writing out Regé-Jean Page.

And I say that because that’s the way it had to be in order to realize that singular, cohesive creative vision.” “I’ve had a really specific creative vision for the series and I don’t think that vision would have been able to be translated if I didn’t put everything I had into this show. “I hope the world responds to it and embraces it as much as they did in the first season. The first scripted series Van Dusen’s created, “Bridgerton” quickly earned the title of Netflix’s most-watched show ever — 82 million households in its first 28 days, according to the streamer’s own (unconfirmed) data — and scored 12 Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series. Van Dusen is currently co-writing and executive producing a TV adaptation of Adam Silvera’s bestselling YA novel “They Both Die at the End.” I say, ‘Bring on the pressure!’ I think the pressure worked in Season 1.

Here's everything you need to know about Simone Ashley, who plays Kate Sharma on Bridgerton season 2, including her previous roles and musical background.

I love the color of my skin, using moisturizer and highlighter so that it looks glowy, healthy, and chocolatey. Whenever we would do a line run and Newton was there, he would just get in the middle of the circle and roll on his back and be like, 'Hey, what's up?' That was quite cute." "There was a massive learning curve for me," she told the publication. Of her personal style, she said: "I'm a big summer girl, still figuring out how to dress for winters. "I was really inspired to maybe try screen more," she said of watching the director's work. While her character Kate has an adorable corgi named Newton, Ashley has a few dogs whom she regularly posts about on social media.

But will Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Lord Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) succeed in their season goals — respectively, to keep away from all potential suitors and to ...

Back at the Featherington residence, Lady Portia and her girls arrive from the Queen’s ball to find a pile of stuff in the middle of their entrance hall. With the weight of poverty off her back, Penelope decides to use her powers to make some change, motivated by her earlier conversation with Eloise. "Capital R Rake" ends with the women of London reading a very peculiar issue of Lady Whistledown's Society Papers that questions the diamond tradition and posits that women should be valued for more than just their looks and frivolous skills. Meanwhile, in the ballroom, Anthony takes out Edwina to dance, and Lady Danbury uses her wiles to convince the Queen to give the Sharmas a chance. By the end of the ball, Her Majesty proclaims Edwina the new diamond, and Anthony is intent on marrying her. Upon receiving a letter from the Sheffields, Lady Mary’s parents, Lady Danbury confronts Kate about the Sharmas' real reason for coming to London. Since Mr. Sharma’s death, the family has been going through a tough time, but Lady Mary and Kate have always done everything in their power to keep Edwina ignorant of their difficulties. The true protagonists of the season aren’t Eloise and the Featheringtons, however, but Anthony and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Following the end of his affair with Siena (Sabrina Bartlett) in Season 1, the Viscount Bridgerton has decided to take a wife — except his list of demands can be very… After the death of Lord Featherington (Ben Miller) at the end of Season 1, Lady Portia (Polly Walker) and her daughters face financial difficulties as they await the arrival of the new lord, who is said to be a cruel and cheap old man who exiled his own son to the Americas. With nothing but uncertainty ahead of them, Lady Portia goes through the silverware looking for things to sell, and Philipa (Harriet Cains) fears for the status of her upcoming marriage to Mr. Finch (Lorn Macdonald) without any kind of dowry for her own family to offer. As a matter of fact, Lady Sharma's scandalous elopement is still the talk of the party, with ladies gathering to share their impressions on the new family's arrival while Lady Whistledown has yet to present them with something juicier. A capital-R Rake, as Lady Whistledown so deftly puts it, Anthony isn’t interested in any of the young ladies of London. In a montage that shows him going from dates with aspiring brides to brothels to his office, we see him turn down woman after woman for a myriad of silly reasons. Besides engaging in her usual matchmaking, Lady Danbury is also hosting the first ball of the season, as she does every year. And, for Lady Whistledown, there’s only one thing that matters: finding out who Her Majesty will single out as the diamond of the season. As Eloise gleefully runs out of the Queen’s reception, there’s still one thing she doesn’t know: that her good friend Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) is the one hiding behind the Whistledown alias.

"Bridgerton" Season 2 is based on Julia Quinn's novel "The Viscount Who Loved Me", but the show has made some significant changes to the original plot.

"I mean, we work really hard to bring everything that fans fell in love with about season one, into season two and I think we did it. Bridgerton Season 2 opts to change this by making Edwina a key player in the story in more ways than one: She is at the forefront of the romance because she too has feelings for Anthony, and she is also the voice of reason when so many are not. This is clearly intended to add to the drama and show that Kate can't put aside her sense of duty and loyalty to Edwina to allow herself to be happy. In The Viscount Who Loved Me, Kate struggles with her grief over her mother's death, and in the book she has panic attacks whenever there's a thunderstorm because of the trauma of seeing her matriarch pass away during one. In the show, the writers do away with their forced marriage and instead Anthony and Kate pine for each other constantly, until the eldest Bridgerton does the one thing he never did in the book: He proposes to Edwina regardless. The pair are actually caught in a rather precarious position when Kate gets stung by a bee and Anthony uses some unexpected methods to save her from the venom, which he does in a panic because it was a bee that killed his father.

Hope you were sitting down for that dancing scene. Phew! A recap of 'Victory,' episode 4 of season 2 of 'Bridgerton.' Streaming on Netflix and starring ...

He walks deliberately toward the pair but detours around Kate to Edwina, dropping to a knee. She asks if his silence means he’s reconsidering, and HE ASKS HER IF SHE WANTS HIM TO RECONSIDER. Kate looks like she’s about to come clean to her sister, but the voice of Anthony interrupts them. She encourages Kate to tell her sister about the inheritance arrangement, but Kate’s not even sure the viscount will propose to Edwina anymore. “One way or another, these kind of feelings always have a way of coming to the surface.” Like a robot, he asks what kind of feelings, and she says love, duh. “And what is it, do you think, you do to me?” he shoots back. The song ends and he leaves the dance floor. In her eyes, the only reason Anthony hasn’t proposed is because of the tension between him and Kate (I mean, she isn’t wrong!). So Edwina asks Kate to spend more time with him, hoping that they warm to each other. The scene slows, the music swells, his hands rest on top of hers as he breathes on the back of her neck … but then Benedict and the boys show up and it starts to rain — nature’s cold shower. Chills! Kate finally speaks as they move in tandem, him holding her from behind (for the second time today!). Before giving her blessing, she needs to know if he can make Edwina happy. He tells her to mind her own beeswax (I’m sorry) and leaves. She hasn’t told anyone Anthony was there for it (or that they kind of got to second base). The secrecy’s understandable, especially when Edwina still insists the viscount is who she wants.

Does Anthony get married? Is Lady Whistledown exposed? Here's what happens at the end of season 2. Get ready for spoilers.

He spends much of the season with Lady Portia Featherington, plotting a scam to gain investments in a ruby mine in America from the locals and then take off with the money, knowing that the mine is a failure. Penelope says that she's ceased writing the gossip sheet and that at least she's actually done something with her time. The Queen, however, finds out that Eloise has been frequenting a print shop and thinks that Eloise is Lady Whistledown. Penelope, partly in effort to get the spotlight off her friend, writes a pamphlet exposing Eloise's un-chaperoned visits with print shop boy Theo. Eloise ends up breaking things off with Theo and gives up her search for the gossip writer. Her hunt for Lady Whistledown puts her in the path of a boy who works in Lady Whistledown's print shop. At the ball, she has a short exchange with the Queen, who mentions that her nephew (Prince Friedrich, who courted Daphne Bridgerton in season 1) happens to still be available. She learns that her sister and finance are in love, as well as a few other family secrets, and somehow makes peace with all the deception after her sister's accident.

Bridgerton. Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma in episode 202 of. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX.

Many will claim this a win for representation, but it’s not the idea that Indianness can be desirable that I find worth celebrating — being desired by white people isn’t the win we’re socialized to believe it is — but rather the ways Kate, Edwina, and their mother embody forms of intimacy beyond the romantic through acts of cultural tradition. Elder Kate (played by Simone Ashley) returns this intimacy in her own ways, massaging oil into her younger sister’s hair to bring the comforts of home during a moment of broken-heartedness – an act of intimacy that South Asian mothers and grandmothers have been sharing with young ones for centuries. In Bridgerton season 2, newcomer and diamond of the season Edwina Sharma refers to her sister Kate as “didi,” the Hindi word for “older sister,” and the only thing I’ve ever called my own sister since I learned how to talk.

Netflix's sudsy romantic drama is back. But does it live up to the high bar set by Season 1? Staff writers Meredith Blake and Ashley Lee debate.

I also thought his initial exposure to painting in Season 1 was building to an exploration of his sexuality, but this last batch of episodes proved otherwise. Mostly I’m eager to skip ahead and see how things turn out for Eloise, the Bridgerton I’m most invested in. Lee: At some point, I had guessed that Lady Whistledown would be Penelope, the big family’s relatively forgotten sibling who turns to writing as a way to claim influence and garner praise. I know they were going for an Austen-esque slow burn — and they even paid homage to Colin Firth’s famous wet shirt scene — rather than the steaminess of Season 1, but I found it all quite tedious since it was clear from the first episode when they ran into each other on horseback where this was going to end up. I agree with you — it’s very clear from the get-go that Anthony and Kate will be the two who end up together. (Remember the Hot Duke and his daddy issues?) We didn’t even get a big wedding scene at the end, as if the writers of “Bridgerton” weren’t invested in this romance. I loved the idea that someone who was treated like a wallflower wielded such power behind the scenes. Lee: Ha! I didn’t mind the extra-long episodic length, since I also loved the arcs of the Sharma sisters, individually and together. He’s become the equivalent of Samantha Jones in “And Just Like That” — the character made conspicuous by his absence. Blake: When “Bridgerton” arrived way back in late 2020, it became a massive breakout success for Netflix thanks largely to the charisma of its lead, Regé-Jean Page, its many, many sex scenes, and its not-entirely-unrealistic depiction of a young woman gradually figuring out how babies are made. But none is likely to be debated as fiercely as the relative merits of Season 1 and Season 2, which take contrasting approaches to sex, marriage, ambition and duty, among other major themes of the series. It was always going to be hard for “Bridgerton” to top the bonkers lightning-in-a-bottle of Season 1, especially given Page’s departure from the series.

Just in time for the "Bridgerton" Season 2 premiere on March 25, we're showing you the modern way to dress like a Regency-era babe.

Stoney Clover Lane High Tea Small Pouch ($98) Aqua Smocked Midi Dress ($98) Selkie Tea Rose Dress ($325)

Season 2 of "Bridgerton" premieres on March 25, and delivers even more classical covers of popular pop songs. Here, find every song featured in "Bridgerton" ...

OMG. Here are all of the contemporary songs featured in season two of Bridgerton. You can also find the complete soundtrack — including covers and scores from season one — on Spotify’s official Bridgerton playlist. Thankfully, season two delivers equally epic covers that you’ll want to add to your playlist ASAP, including tracks from Harry Styles, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, and more. The drama and romance that encapsulates the Ton in Regency-era London is enough to draw viewers in, but the soundtrack delivers a delightful modern twist on a series set among the British high society of the 1800s.

The following article contains spoilers for the "Bridgerton" books and Season 2 of the Netflix show. Where is Francesca? Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton ...

Benedict is to meet the Lady in Silver at the Bridgerton Masquerade, which also acts as a celebration for Kate and Anthony officially moving into the house — could this mean we'll see them then? It could still suggest that an even more significant storm could scare Kate, or it could be that the trauma isn't as intense as it is in the books, given the age difference. In a joyous moment with the entire family, we see him dancing with his youngest sister, Hyacinth. He even finally admits to Benedict that it took him far too long to see the perspective his art brought to life. We might not know of any of this now, but since Sophie Beckett inspires him to pursue his dreams in " An Offer from a Gentleman," perhaps she'll be the one to do so in Season 3. In a sense, it feels like an anti-heroine era for her — a chance to really dig deep and dismantle all the toxicity within this society. The second eldest Bridgerton's journey with art is much more pronounced in the TV show than in the books, allowing him to quickly explore the prospects that take him years in the text. Penelope could hold him off for a while if she chooses to use her pen to vouch for her family, but everything could blow up in their faces once the entire ton learns her identity. More than halfway into the book, we learn that she is falling for a man named Mr. Bagwell, and it is easy to assume that they'll be the ones to wed. The Featherington heir, Jack (Rupert Young), takes months to arrive, and proves to be an even bigger liar and cheat than the now late Baron Featherington. When Portia realizes that he fabricated the existence of their funds and the booming status of the mines, she teams up with him in a ruse to sell counterfeit ruby necklaces. "Bridgerton" Season 2 takes a massive leap with Edwina's character by having her fall in love with the viscount, only to leave her alone in the end. Eloise is significantly less angry in the books when she learns the truth, but the series sees a tremendous fight break out between the women, ending with Eloise saying she never wants to see Penelope again. That's the case with "Bridgerton" Season 2, as it diverts rather heavily from Quinn's second novel, " The Viscount Who Loved Me." The season not only follows Anthony Bridgerton in his quest to find a wife, but it also leads us towards storylines of self-discovery with the newly arrived Sharma sisters.

Netflix's Bridgerton returns for a scandal-packed season 2 as Lady Whistledown steps up her gossip column, but where is Colin Bridgerton in episode 1?

While Colin's initial absence may be concerning for Bridgerton fans not wanting to lose another of their favorite characters (especially given Newton's social media slip-up), his omission from the start of season 2 is a purely narrative-based choice. People will expect him to have come back from his travels and to have gone on this journey of self-discovery, and he's come back a changed man when — and that pretense is definitely there — he's coming back telling stories, and you know, much to Eloise's irritation.” In short, Colin is absent from Bridgerton season 2 episode 1, "Capital R Rake," due to his continued global travels, with the third Bridgerton son announcing he would be "traveling the world" at the end of season 1.

No debutante in the Ton seems to meet Anthony's impossible standards, until Kate (Simone Ashley) and her younger sister Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) ...

Anthony was portrayed in Season One as lacking in tact when it came to helping his sister Daphne find the right husband for her, nearly forcing her into a disastrous match, and also as a rather callous character when it came to his treatment of his lover, opera singer Siena Rosso. By the end of Season One, the Viscount became one of the least likeable siblings of the Bridgerton bunch. Kate is a doting sister, wanting nothing but the best for her little sister Edwina. Due to Mary Sharma's grief for her husband, Kate has essentially raised her little sister, as Kate so proudly tells Lady Danbury of the many lessons she's taught her sister. The moments between Anthony and Kate are a delightful, as each deny the attraction they feel for each other by being hostile to one another. It is this kind of romance which Season Two of Bridgerton portrays, even if it is slow in coming to fruition. The Viscount Who Loved Me is one of the fan favorite books out of the Bridgerton series. Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, Season Two of Bridgerton focuses on the elder son of the Bridgerton family.

He fights for the rights of all people. And he behaves in a way similar to that of a revolutionary. A justice fighter, he forms a bond with Eloise when she ...

By the end of Bridgerton season 2, Eloise appears to be no longer in the frame for Lady Whistledown, so could this mean that Eloise could move forward with Theo in the upcoming seasons? The scandal lands both Eloise and Theo in danger, with Eloise blaming herself for the danger that Theo could be in. And so, she attempts to solve the mystery of Theo. But their interactions land Eloise in danger, as when she gets spotted with him, it leads Queen Charlotte to suspect that Eloise is Lady Whistledown.

At the top of the episode, Anthony and the Sharmas (Bridgerton's newest band?) and Lady Danbury meet with the Queen to discuss the impending nuptials.

(By the way Anthony stares at Kate, intensely searching her eyes, you know he’s doing this out of love.) He tips his hat, mounts his horse, and rides away, leaving a weeping Kate — and yes, of course, she looks gorgeous even when she cries — alone in the woods. And the object of all my desires.” (Get you a girl who can do both, Anthony.) He walks toward her, saying he dreams of her night and day: “Do you even know all the ways a lady can be seduced? Kate says he can’t do that, and before he can protest, she insists that he can’t break Edwina’s heart. Edwina points out that she’s not a little girl anymore and that the viscount will likely provide for the Sharmas if the engagement remains. The viscount shit-talks Dorset’s knot-tying skills and insists that Kate take his hand to get out of the boat. Kate asks him what Edwina has done to change his mind, but Anthony says it’s Kate who’s made the match impossible. They gush over Edwina but pay little regard to their daughter, Lady Mary, or Kate. The pettiness carries into dinner and Lady Sheffield won’t let go of the grudge against her daughter. But Anthony says it doesn’t matter what he wants at this point; he can’t dishonor Edwina. His mother agrees that a gentleman cannot withdraw his proposal but offers the juicy tidbit that a young lady can. In true teen girl fashion, Eloise has fed her family a lie about attending a lecture on flower arranging with Penelope. Instead, she drags a chaperone into the dodgy streets of Bloomsbury (and quickly ditches her) to catch an underground assembly on women’s rights. Kate and Mr. Dorset have a very pleasant conversation with no arguments — if that’s the kind of thing you’re into. Kate and Anthony separate abruptly, but it still feels notably awkward, especially as Kate struggles to pry the clingy ring off to give her sister. Anthony suggests a modest country wedding, but Her Highness insists that she’ll host the big day in town (and show Whistledown who’s boss in the process). Meanwhile, Kate’s watching the wedding come together but still keeps fantasizing about her secret, private moments with Anthony.

Season 2 of Bridgerton dropped on Netflix and focuses on the pursuits of Jonathan Bailey's Anthony, who is a far less captivating hero than Rege Jean-Page's ...

In Season 2, he is a sour and reluctant viscount, who has to attend balls and look for a suitable woman to marry. Kate and Anthony spar every chance they get, but you know that if they were left alone, they would probably consume each other in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, Anthony is no Darcy, the Austenian character remains far out of his reach, and he struggles to make his own Bridgerton personality intriguing. A little recap for our protagonist, he was left broken-hearted at the end of Season 1, after the love of his life realised that he couldn’t accept her in public, despite all his efforts. The Gossip Girl of the Regency Era is none other than Penelope Featherington, who puts on a cloak and an Irish accent as and when she gets her work done. This season is without the Duke Simon Bassett, played by Rege-Jean Page, who appeared to have had added quite the steamy touches to the historical genre last season.

"Bridgerton" Season 2 surprised Bollywood fans with a cover of "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" in episode 6.

They're trying to be as London as possible, but what I love about the show is that in moments of deep sadness and in moments of jubilation, you see them reverting back to their culture." "I think what's really fascinating about the Sharmas is that essentially they're immigrants," Chandran said in a press conference ahead of Season 2. The soundtrack by Jatin-Lalit is a staple of any early-00s Bollywood playlist, and one of the last that the duo would make together after a truly iconic '90s run. The Sharma women, dressed in shades of yellow linked with the traditional pre-wedding ceremony, are juxtaposed with scenes of the Bridgerton brothers, drinking and jesting on the night before the big day. It's a star-studded ensemble and softly marked the end of a certain era of Indian filmmaking that explored marriage and family ties. The paradigmatic scene has translated into a celebratory song for any sort of happy occasion, which Bridgerton mimics with the three Sharma women gathered together.

Harry Styles, Rihanna, Alanis Morissette, and others will set the musical stage for the second season.

You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The use of familiar pop songs for a story set in the 19th century, Van Dusen added, can help shrink the psychological distance between the audience and the characters. I always try many different songs for any one scene before landing on the perfect one to use." The soundtrack of the second season of Bridgerton, available Friday, March 25, will be no different. Most anachronistic of all, however, is the ton's seemingly deep appreciation of 21st-century pop songs.