Bridgerton’ Moves to New Season of Sizzling Romance
After making waves with its (somewhat overrated) first season, “Bridgerton” returns, faced with the task of polishing a new diamond and building another big romance. Without the Duke’s company (with Regé-Jean Page deciding to stay), the show remains compelling and watchable, though perhaps less worthy of Lady Whistledown in this latest iteration.
With Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) married to the Duke (who, incidentally, is absent from relatively few of her scenes), the matchmaking frenzy has shifted to her brother, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who has committed to marrying in the latest season of this marital farce.
With Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) married to the Duke (who conveniently misses her relatively few scenes), the matchmaking craze shifts to her brother, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who has committed himself to the marriage in the latest season of this marital farce.
Like Anthony (aka the Viscount), Kate has devoted herself to providing for her family, in this case ensuring the most advantageous union for her sister, with little thought for her own marriage or happiness. The problem, foreshadowed from that first meeting, is her simmering chemistry with Anthony, which irritates and frustrates them both, demanding every possible way to unite and separate them.
“I see you think too highly of yourself,” Kate taunts the viscount, although as anyone who has survived sixth grade knows, the exchange of insults is often just a form of clumsy flirting. Indeed, in the well-crafted world of “Bridgerton,” playing croquet becomes a mating ritual.
Everyone’s experience may be different, but the nature of that relationship isn’t as compelling as season one, though Ashley and Chandran are great additions to the cast.
Still, “Bridgerton” has plenty of other issues to deal with, starting with the identity (revealed at the end of season one) of a mysterious gossiper known as Lady Whistledown, who has angered the Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) enough to launch an investigation to expose her. That causes a lot of complications for Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), the show’s most unique and compelling character.
Honestly, most of the other wrinkles, including the machinations of Penelope’s cunning mother, Lady Portia (Polly Walker), pale in comparison to those two main storylines.
“Bridgerton” remains a clever modern twist on the Jane Austen formula, even with its quirks, like playing a musical version of Madonna’s “Material Girl” as the soundtrack to a debutante ball.
But it’s arguably become a media phenomenon not just because of the appeal Netflix can bring to premieres but because of its value. It’s also back in a boom period for such dramas, with HBO’s “The Gilded Age” just completing its first season and PBS salvaging “Sanditon,” an adaptation of an unfinished Austen novel that caused a smaller stir in 2020 and, like “Bridgerton,” lost its handsome leading man.
On the plus side for Netflix, “Bridgerton” returns as an established commodity, with all the media exposure that comes with it. And if the show can generate anything close to the enthusiasm that greeted its first season, there will be plenty of unmarried Bridgerton kids to pair up with.
“Bridgerton” begins its second season on March 25 on Netflix.
