Anthony and Kate’s romance in Bridgerton, season 2 will be even better than Daphne and Simon’s in season 1. So far, the hit Netflix series centered on Daphne Bridgerton’s relationship with The Duke of Hastings, which after many ups and downs, ended in a happy marriage. Since their story has wrapped up, the second season will shift focus to another Bridgerton.
The regency-era drama Bridgerton is based on the book series by Julia Quinn. The second season will follow the plot of the second installment, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and will be about Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma (Kate Sheffield in the book). Their story begins with the classic love/hate trope reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. Kate is a newcomer to London society, and her sister Edwina is declared the Incomparable of the season. Meanwhile, Kate considers herself too undesirable to attract any suitors, due to her headstrong personality. As audiences saw at the end of the last season, the timing coincides with Anthony’s decision to honor his family name by beginning his search for a wife.
Season 1 explored the heat between Daphne and the rakish duke, and the courtship between Anthony and Kate promises to be even more enticing. Anthony spent season 1 antagonizing Daphne’s suitors, so it will be interesting to see how the viscount does when it is his turn on the marriage scene. Season 1 deviated from the books, changing some of the characters and introducing new subplots, so it’ll likely continue to do the same in season 2. As shown in a Bridgerton clip released for Netflix’s TUDUM event, the initial tension Anthony and Kate have in the book is definitely going to be prominent on the show. In the clip, Kate confronts Anthony over his impossibly high expectations in a wife, and though she completely dismantles him, the attraction between them is undeniable.
In Bridgerton season 2, Kate is expected to be very different from Daphne. As reported by Deadline, she is a “smart, headstrong young woman who suffers no fools”. Kate will not be the diamond of the season but instead more of an outsider. Her family is struggling financially, and her stepmother can only afford for both daughters to debut in the same season, making Kate slightly older than the average debutante. Since the show’s casting is more diverse than the books, the Sharmas being a family of Indian descent should also play into how her story unfolds. In the first season, Daphne was shown to be naïve when it came to men but learned to take charge of her future despite the limits placed upon her. Kate has every reason to be even more cynical about London society than Daphne was, so she will be an even match for the domineering viscount, capable of challenging him and the world around him.
Anthony and Kate are not going to be an easy romance, which is a good thing. In season 1, Simon was resistant to marriage but got past his unwillingness when he fell for Daphne. While their relationship was emotionally complex, it was also toxic, due to the selfishness and miscommunication from both sides. The romance in season 2 is likely to start off rocky, since in the book Anthony is initially interested in Edwina, not Kate. Just like Anthony, Kate is fiercely protective of her younger sibling, which puts her in the same position as he was in season 1. But if things play out as in the book, Kate and Anthony’s relationship will go from verbal sparring and undeniable attraction to mutual respect and understanding, making their relationship much healthier than Daphne and Simon’s.
Bridgerton, season 2 has other ways to complicate Anthony’s story. The romance with opera singer Siena was a subplot only in the Netflix series, so the second season may show how he moves on from that heartbreak. Something from The Viscount Who Loved Me that the show might explore is how Anthony grapples with a rising fear that he is destined to die young, as his father did, which makes him believe that he must marry for duty and not love. Though Bridgerton is moving on from Daphne and Simon, the enemies-to-lovers romance between Anthony and Kate in season 2 is sure to capture the audience every bit as much.