Bridgerton Season 2: A New Perspective?

A review on season 2 of the Netflix show

It’s funny how 8 episodes can seem many or very few depending on their quality. I’m happy to report that the second season of Bridgerton is definitively superior to the first one.

When Bridgerton was first released, I had no idea what it was. I had never heard about the books, and barely bothered to watch a trailer. It seems like any other historical series, only more colorful. I sat down with my parents and decided to watch this show together. If you’ve watched the first season, you know it was a mistake on my part.

Fortunately, the second season is different.

What is Bridgerton?

The Bridgertons are an English family in London during the Regency era (the 1810s). However, the show is not meant to be true to history. If this is what you’re after, keep looking.

The audience follows the family as they evolve into good society. The elder son is the Viscount (the father is dead). The first season focuses on Daphne’s introduction to the world and her season to find a husband. The second season of the show is centered around Anthony, the Viscount, looking to marry.

We also follow the Featherington, neighbors to the Bridgertons, on a parallel yet more complicated path.

The first season

The first season was dividing, but mostly, it was watched. And talked about. A lot. I got spoiled before I even started watching, though it is hearing so much about it that made me want to watch in the first place.

I didn’t love the first season. Yes, the costumes are beautiful, I actually like the classical take on new music, I enjoyed the flowers and the nice houses… but the story? Meh.

The first half of the season was a “will they won’t they” kind of thing that got old very fast, while the second half was endless sex and fights, making me regret their decision to do.

The side characters were more interesting. I loved the boxer, and I felt for Miss Thompson, though I disagree with her way. I thought the Duke's backstory was promising, but felt flat translated in the present time.

All in all, it was okay. Not great, but I’ve seen worst. It’s the first season: it tries, set the tone, and introduces a bunch of people. It’s a hard landing to pull off.

Plus, you know, they did show a few problematic scenes and storylines, notably a borderline rape scene. There’s that.

They learn their lesson

Almost no one is naked this season. We see maybe butts twice, and breasts twice too, I believe. I wasn’t counting, so I don’t remember it well. But the point is, they actually used up their time on stories and not on sex — which is nice.

Did they do a good job? Meh.

Again, it’s better than season 1. There’s a bit more at stake and we follow more characters, giving a different rhythm to the show. However, it’s not exactly groundbreaking.

Have you read, or even watched one of the many adaptations of Pride and Prejudice? Then you’ve seen about half the season. Now, have you watched the first couple of seasons of Downton Abbey? Congrats, you can perfectly imagine what the second half of the season of Bridgerton is.

A man full of pride and of family duty. A woman looking for freedom and the chance to make her own fortune. A woman who aspires to more than being pretty and marrying rich. An estate transmitted to a distant cousin instead of the daughters. Do you know what I mean?

I’m tired of watching the same stories unfold.

Yet, I can’t help but wonder what else they could talk about. While being reasonably true to history, once a woman character is introduced, it’s hard not to fall directly into the marriage, money, and freedom stories. It is surely what it actually was, with a few exceptions.

I enjoyed the new characters. The Sharmas are a nice addition to the crowded London, though I grew rather frustrated with Edwina in the last episodes of the season.

She turned into a cliché, full of resentment, throwing shade at her sister. It seemed out of character to me. She was played to be this nice, understanding, loving, and caring young woman. Even in her pain and disappointment, I’m sure she would have found room to celebrate her sister’s love instead of turning bitter and aggressive.

What now?

A third season has been announced, and I will surely watch it. The power of Bridgerton is to make us want to know how it will end. I rolled my eyes a few times at the characters and kept telling them to get married already instead of making it complicated, but I kept watching.

No matter how annoyed, I kept watching. I was sure to be right while secretly hoping Netflix to do the unthinkable and not give them a happy ending. That would have been an interesting surprise!

I suppose the next season will focus on Eloise and Collin, or maybe even Benedict, all of them looking to get married, because what else could they do, right?

I’m annoyed in advance at Eloise that is, I believe, written as a cliché too. She is a one-track mind character and lacks nuances. No one is that intense, stubborn, and self-centered. The character could be so much more, which is quite ironic considering it is what she says about Lady Whistledown.

I’m looking forward to Colin and Benedict, truly interesting characters. I cannot predict if Colin will look to get married or surprise us, and I want to know where Benedict's artistic spirit will take him next.

What do you think about the show? Love it, hate it, or one of the few who didn’t watch it?

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