Simone Margett
*Bridgerton Season 2 Spoilers*
Bridgerton returned for its second highly anticipated season after thrilling audiences in late 2020 with society, scandal, and swoon-worthy romance. The show continues where Season 1 left off, with Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton sibling (Jonathan Bailey) declaring his intention to marry, attempting to do exactly that this season.
Whilst Bridgerton lost its Duke of Hastings, it certainly didn’t change the show – in fact, it made it better. Season 2 of Bridgerton told the story of Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, this time they took inspiration from the novel ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’ which seemed to have worked in its favour.
Like most people who have fallen into the world of Bridgerton, I have yet to read the books. That said I am aware of the differences and the stories. It’s no surprise that Bridgerton has paved the way for romance adaptations on Netflix being its most-watched series on the streaming platform. Romance has always been popular in many formats either books, tv-series and movies. There’s something comforting about romance – even if you are (not) painfully single, it brings joy.
It’s time for Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma’s (played by the wonderful Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley) love story for Season 2. Not many shows have an openly gay man and a South Asian woman as their leads which in itself is groundbreaking.
Anthony Bridgerton is one of Bridgerton’s many complex characters bearing lots of responsibility as the Viscount whether it’s societal or self-imposed. Anthony and Kate’s first meeting is the classic meet-cute where they can be equals without the societal pressures weighing them down.
Enemies to Lovers Trope
They have chemistry from the moment they meet, without knowing it they become better people due to meeting each other. When they meet for the second time, Kate immediately challenges Anthony’s treatment of women: his marriage checklist. We get a sense of Kate as a person, a headstrong and independent young woman who isn’t afraid to confront Anthony every step of the way, resulting in fiery emotions for them both.
This series plays into the enemies-to-lovers trope with slow burn and yearning thrown in for good measure. It’s a gradual love story, there’s plenty of fighting their feelings and looking deeper within themselves. Their journey to happily ever after is challenging and lengthy, but equally rewarding and romantic. The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of my favourites. There’s something so compelling about the idea of two people who, against their better judgement, can’t help falling in love with each other. In my opinion, love and hate have such a thin line between them and can very easily veer in either direction. It’s about passion. And I think they executed that perfectly, mainly because of the stellar performances by Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley.
“you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires”
The emotional closeness between Anthony and Kate in “Bee in Your Bonnet” heats up unexpectedly. They match each other in frustration and wit. They bicker as if they are already a married couple. Furthermore, they are drawn to one another incessantly. All the while, the words of Anthony’s father echo through Aubrey Hall’s land: “You cannot show someone your best without allowing them to see your worst.” A competitive game of Pall Mall brings out the best and worst in both of them, (and how Kate fits into the family) which is entertaining, to say the least as they find themselves stuck in the mud.
Emotional Intimacy
They are your typical enemies to lovers trope and overall soulmates as they make each other slightly better people. What makes their story unique from the first is that they have to find themselves before choosing to love each other. They needed to look within themselves, fight their fears, hurt and heal to come out stronger and better individuals. Kate had to learn that love was given to her freely and she did not have to earn it or repay anyone for their kindness. Her dreams and hopes mattered equally and she could live for herself. Then there’s Anthony, he had to allow himself to fall in love. Finally, he was able to express his grief at losing Edmund and the burden of responsibilities that prevented him from doing so.
Kate and Anthony deny and suppress all forms of intimacy, let alone an emotional connection. Therefore, a vulnerable moment like this brings them closer than they ever imagined. In an attempt to calm Anthony down during his panic attack, Kate places one hand over her heart and one on his own. Sure, it’s romantic, but it’s also deeply intimate. And who’s to say that emotional intimacy can’t be quite as seductive as physical intimacy? Until this moment, they move quickly to be one step ahead of the other. It is in this scene, where Anthony and Kate slow down long enough to see one another and hear one another’s heartbeat. Anthony’s panic attack at the sight of a bee even near Kate is a sign that his feelings are developing.
Change For The Better
Bridgerton leans into excruciatingly wonderful angst as Anthony and Kate yearn for each other through longing stares and pinkie fingers almost touching. Their emotional intimacy is reinforced by their desperation for each other, which conflicts with their duty. Anthony reveals the origins of Violet’s ring to Kate when the ring gets stuck on her finger in perfect romantic-comedy fashion. Anthony wouldn’t divulge that level of personal information to anyone, much less Edwina.
“I’ve loved you from the moment we raced each other in that park. I have loved you at every dance, on every walk, every time we’ve been together and every time we’ve been apart.”
They have so many swoon-worthy moments that it is enough to give Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett some competition. This season didn’t need the heavy sex scenes, the emotional chemistry and yearning were sexy enough which is why when they do act on their feelings, it is so rewarding. We can’t forget that beautiful scene where Kate and Anthony dance together amongst all the gossip, they focus on each other because no one else matters – they are finally doing something for themselves. Despite it being a small scene, it opens the doors to them being able to be together without causing a scandal for their families and hurting anyone. They make everyone publicly watch their chemistry and it’s very satisfying that Kate Sharma could be the one to tame the former ‘Capital R Rake’ Anthony Bridgerton.
It’s only right that they got the happy ending they deserve after putting their families first and going by duty. In the last episode, Anthony calls Kate by her full name Kathani Sharma, Their passionate confession is made even more meaningful by Anthony using Kate’s real name. Though simple, this act signifies how intimate the couple has become, as it sheds away the formalities that accompany pretensions and emotional barriers.
Their love story was built on an emotional connection which is why it is just so good! Season 2 is worth the rewatch for this wonderful love story. Jonathan Bailey makes the perfect leading man. I look forward to seeing Anthony and Kate embrace their roles as Viscount and Viscountess in future seasons.
Featured image courtesy of Shayna Douglas on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
