The end of Bridgerton may still be a very long way off, but a specific scene has already set the stage for Bridgerton season 8. By following the structure of Julia Quinn’s book series, the Netflix-Shondaland period drama focuses each season on a different Bridgerton sibling on their quest to secure marriage and find love. Although Netflix has only renewed Bridgerton for seasons 3 and 4 thus far, one particular moment in Bridgerton season 2’s finale hinted at a somewhat overlooked character who will be central to the show much further down the line.
Bridgerton season 2 focuses on the eldest Bridgerton sibling, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), and his search for a suitable wife. Unlike his sister Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), who in Bridgerton season 1 was looking for a love match rather than just someone to marry, Anthony committed to the idea of marrying for duty, being a viscount, and having to guarantee descendants onto whom to pass his title. Despite its structure, the TV show often managed to balance quite aptly the necessity to follow the season’s predominant story—and predominant Bridgerton sibling—while also focusing on other characters and their story arcs. This was evident as early as Bridgerton season 1, with Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and her search for the truth regarding Lady Whistledown or Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) art pursuits.
This continued in Bridgerton season 2, which not only set up Eloise’s exploration of the discourse over women’s rights but also carried on with Benedict’s interest in art. This is a big part of his story in his book, An Offer from a Gentleman, as he always longed to find a purpose. While both Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 didn’t offer that much screentime to either Francesca or Hyacinth, Bridgerton season 2 indeed gave more attention to another overlooked Bridgerton sibling in Gregory (Will Tilston). By showing Anthony’s heart-to-heart with Gregory—which began as an apology and evolved into a moving conversation about their father—Bridgerton season 2 quietly introduced the final Bridgerton sibling whose story will be told by Bridgerton season 8.
Bridgerton season 2 episode 8’s heartfelt scene between Anthony and Gregory didn’t just serve as a way to show Anthony’s re-evaluation of his behavior or the introduction of Gregory as a more fully-fledged character, though. Gregory’s book On the Way to the Wedding portrayed a main character that had always seen his older brothers as an example, who never doubted love thanks to his brothers’ choices and lives, and that looked up to them as his father figures—especially Anthony. Having such a poignant scene of Anthony and Gregory talking about their father, Edmund, not only introduced Gregory to the viewers but did so in a way that related to Gregory’s book story in quite a fundamental way.
The reference doesn’t guarantee Bridgerton won’t change some details about Gregory’s story in the future. Still, Gregory and Anthony’s talk was a thoughtful reference for book readers of the Bridgerton series, and it provided an interesting insight into Gregory’s similarities with Edmund and the courage that he will probably have to display in Bridgerton season 8. In whichever way Bridgerton season 8 will change Gregory’s story, though, it will probably do so for the better, just as Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 did.