By Abigail Mulonas
“Bridgerton: Season Two” takes away the unnecessary sex scenes that overpowered the first season to deliver on the simpler aspects romances lose sight of – tension.
The second season of “Bridgerton” focuses on eldest son Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) misadventures in the marriage market. Looking to court a wife this season, he meets this year’s diamond, Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), named by the queen. But, he struggles to ask for her hand in marriage when he has to go through her sister, Kate Sharma, (Simone Ashley) who has more than one problem with him.
The cast also features the return of the Bridgerton family: Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne, Claudia Jessie as Eloise, Luke Thompson as Benedict, and Luke Newton as Colin. Along with the reprise of roles,Nicola Coughlan returns as Penelope Featherington and Julie Andrews narrates as Lady Whistledown.
Upon the craze/backlash of this season’s announcement of not featuring the return of The Duke (Regé-Jean Page), it was quite a bittersweet surprise to find that he was not all that missed.
The story of The Duke and Daphne last season was nothing more than raunchy lust – and while it was enjoyable, it offered nothing further. The story of Anthony and Kate is an observant and intense world to live in, with the balance of a slow-burn plot.
While both seasons serve a purpose for the time that they were released and to please fans, it’s arguable that this sophomore season outdoes its predecessor by being able to show its passion and desire in ways other than R-rated material.
With quick meaningful glances, chilling chemistry, and unscriptable mannerisms within monologues, love is shown not only through physical attraction. Featuring the enemies to lovers blueprint with the exasperatingly slow development, the audience’s growing impatience sets in motion the enthralled, committed tone.
However, I am included in the long list of people that crazed over the first season of this series a few years ago. It was an undeniable nail bitter that had to be watched in one sitting.
But, it was no more a well-developed show than it was historically accurate. Rather, it was all for fun and nothing deeper, as everyone chose to set aside the inaccuracies of the time period and enjoy the cheesy storyline as it happened.
That said, one of the reasons this season specifically feels so powerful is the modern day implications that are shown, but never dwelled or commented on.
The second season of Bridgerton features an incredibly diverse cast, and there is not a single word spoken about how anyone looks differently. Rather, they are just people, enjoying their time together, with spontaneous chemistry. The music is pop songs stripped into an orchestra, which are creative and incredibly fitting for the time period. Additionally, screen time is given to supporting characters who show their true colors, with ongoing themes that dive deeper into analysis.
This collectively created a cast that came to truly show their talent, while utilizing a soundtrack that never failed to construct the exact tone of the moment. These ingredients added further meanings that shine in an unforced but effective way.
Call it simplifying an already good formula or revamping the gaze/direction toward what suits specific characters’ personalities, “Bridgerton: Season Two” acts as an escape from our modern world. Confident in itself and its eagerness to provide, this is a perfect example of how less is more, no matter its differences from the first season.
Rating: 7.5/10
