Bridgerton Season 2 (2022)

Here is the thing, I was I must admit apprehensive when I started this season. I wanted to watch it very much yet still I didn’t want to be disappointed.  Now, this season had to be changed from the book as it didn’t make sense as a follow-up to the had to the first season. Which I was entirely alright with because a series can be changed but still hold dear to the original story. I loved the viscount who loved me book. So I was apprehensive, today I will be telling you if this was at all warranted.

We meet the Bridgertons once again. This year our very own Viscount is looking for his viscountess and who better than the diamond of the season? The problem though? The sister of the diamond has managed to catch Anthony’s heart. But will he make the right choice? This year it is Eloise’s first season and even though she might not want it, would she find love? The featheringstons are waiting for the new Lord Featherinton to arrive. And then we have Penelope, will this be the season her secrets come out?

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Let’s start with the name change our dear Miss Sheffield became Miss Sharma. She did however remain Kate and what a gorgeous Kate she is. I was apprehensive at first because Daphne was changed quite a bit from the book. Also in the books, I have said this before but Brunnete are portrayed as the less desirable girl until of course, a duke or a Bridgerton like them.

So, I liked that the two sisters look a lot alike as one is not prettier or better than the other. Kate fits in the show, not exactly like the book but lovely in her way. Miss Sharma and her family came all across the sea from India to have their season in London and it is their very first. If the elder Miss Sharma has anything to say about it, it will also be their last. And I am not mad about this change, I thought it was very clever. It raised the stakes for Kate to find her sister a match. It also made sense why no one knew them, which in the books was a bit weirder as they lived in the country. Yet, families like the Bridgertons also visit the country. So, this made much more sense why no one ever knew about them. A change I did not enjoy very much? Making Kate 26 instead of the 21 she was in the book. Not because there is something wrong with that age but because it shows much more about how women were looked at, at 21 they were over their ‘prime’, and at 26 you were practically a spinster. There was no need to change it except two things, the first being Miss Edwena being ‘too young to be Anthony’s wife and the second *spoilers for this one* because they want to do the Penelope storyline much earlier, and she surprise surprise will be roughly 21 in the story of the series when that plays out. This is a choice that is valid and fine to do. (Except that at 21 she hardly will be a spinster). Where it is not for the fact that no one mentioned anything about it. They say Kate is a handful, she is a bit bossy ordering everyone around. Yet, she is never passed on to her sister, she is never told directly and cruelly that she is very old. They could have done all those things. It wouldn’t have been nice but it would have been honest to the sort of story this is supposed to be. But alas it does not matter. I think unnecessary changes are just that unnecessary.

They changed a lot more, they added a money component from the Sheffield who are the parents of Lady Mary’s (so Kate’s and Edwina’s mother). This was I am sorry to say a stupid component. It was never mentioned again and it was just a waste of air time truly there was no possible reason to add this in. Also, is Lady Mary stupid? They sail from India and have no money whatsoever. What did she think would happen? With Kate being 26 why wasn’t she ‘out’ in India, I cannot comprehend why they would not have a higher society in India. With Lady Mary being a Lady and all she surely would be welcome. Were they too common? That made little sense as Kate had learned to shoot in the palace. Honestly, it was a bit maddening that the story just didn’t truly fit. If you change such a massive component of a story. Surely, you thought about all of this?

We later learn in the very last episode that Kate has been taking care of Edwina and Mary for the longest time. I would have liked for them to make Lady Mary sad or heartbroken still it would make sense why Kate would feel so responsible, and why we hardly see Mary. Honestly, she is portrayed as a bad mum, and I liked their family dynamic in the book. They made up for it a bit in the last episode. Back to Mary so we are back in England but there is no money. What did she think would happen? Both Kate and Edwina could have fallen in love with men without much money and many prospects. Second sons for example. What would she have done? Kate and Edwina didn’t grow up in a world where things like that have to be taken into account (This is I admit much better explained in the book). Thus, why would they not just look for their true love’s match? Did she hope they would fall for a man with a lot of money to take care of her? Honestly, it is a bit foolish and I must say childish. They could have made her very blase, but they didn’t. So it did not make sense.

Also in terms of callers, Kate as lovely as she is is misguided in a way that Anthony was as well. But where on earth is her mother? She is alone with Anthony a lot as well as with others. Especially later in the season, kissing at a party? Honestly, have these writers lost their minds? They made a massive deal out of this just a season ago. On another note, why does everyone think Kate wants to live on her own do her own thing, and never marry? For goodness sake, she lost both her parents she has been taking care of Mary and Edwina since then, and this poor girl hasn’t had a second to think about what she wants. It is so obvious, she loves her family and she wants one. She believes in love and happiness. She wants that. But she is afraid just as Anthony is. Where is Mary as her Mum to tell that she deserves love? That she deserves marriage. She does a bit in the end but good God far too little and far too late.

In the book Edwina and Kate have this beautiful bond, Edwina is young, carefree, and a bit well in the clouds. She wants a sweet well-read guy. She wants a scholar and she wants to be happy. As a reader that is what you want for her, she is smart though, and can see through Kate much quicker than Edwina from the series. In the series, Edwina is sorry to say a massive Brad. It broke my heart when she went on about half-sister and that she didn’t want to forgive Kate. I understand she was heartbroken, I understand that it was stupid for her to find out when she was walking down the aisle. But truly Kate did not deserve that. This is however what you get when you shield your sister from every hurt and every pain. You get a young girl thinking she is a woman until one day she realizes that grown women have grown women’s problems.

I get it though, it was wrong of the writers to go all the way to the altar with the story, it was unnecessary it made Kate and Anthony both look foolish it made them look like villains. But why is everyone mostly mad at Kate? I mean is it her fault she likes Anthony? No. Is it her fault Anthony likes her? No, it is not. Did she make Anthony propose to her sister? No, the dimwit did that himself. Is it her problem that everyone has their eyes in their bum and seems to not see a love match when it is dancing before their eyes? No, it is not. When everyone does find out, do we find out why no one saw it before? No, we don’t. Kate wasn’t invisible or shunned for most of the season so tell me why no one knew that Lord Bridgerton was smitten with her? In the end when they all watch they truly see. They see it straight away but the whole season they did not, except for Daphne, of course.

The Cousin Jack storyline from the Feathingtons was well, interesting. I loved Portia this season she is a mum and that goes beyond and above all else. The women in this series are incredible. She might not do it the right way but she is a mama that wants the best for her girls. And in the end, we are all rooting for her. Honestly, I would love for her to have a bit more depth. Maybe some more of her backstory? She is such an interesting character.

Speaking of other characters, I feel Benedict is a bit of an ass. This fits I think with how he will be in his season. As I didn’t see much of it coming in the books as our Benedict is loved very much by his family. More on that in the next season I am sure of it. If anyone could become a commoner it is our Eloise, I want her to find her passion. For her to find what she is good at. This season it was Eloise of season 1 but in slightly longer dresses. I think there is more for her and I hope we can see it in the next seasons of the show. Also her relationship with Penelope, I think we need time for them both to realise they want to very best for each other. I hope they find their way back to each other because a friendship like that does not just cross your path every day. I loved seeing Anthony mature over the season and his talk with Gregory was heartwarming, I love to see the husband Anthony will become throughout the series.

Alright, last but not least the sexual scene and this dear reader will be a massive spoiler. I cannot believe that they gave Kate and Anthony the Benedict/Collin storylines. This is by far the worst thing they could have done to their personalities it does not fit whatsoever. A second or third brother, mature in their age, immature with responsibilities would do such a thing. They would have relations with a woman before making her their very own. Anthony though is the guy that speaks of loyalty that speaks of honor, and duty. Who would fight Simon for Daphne as he didn’t want to marry her? He would do such a thing? I think not. I think absolutely bloody, not I think he would know his father for one and his mother for another would be ashamed of him. This is not viscount worthy and if Anthony is one thing it is worthy of his title. It is a horrible portrayal of their characters and the show. Where Daphne and Simon could hardly touch hands without being forced to marry, these two can have sex in the garden of a London house? I surely think not, they would have been seen. And something like that cannot be fixed by marriage alone, not even when you are a Viscount. They are not even trying to make this somewhat believable. It is infuriating as it didn’t add anything to the story, it didn’t help anyone. In a sense it made him look like a sexual deviant realizing he loves her after doing the deed and her being in an accident.

To conclude, they could have done the first four episodes and skipped everything till the last episode and we would have the same story with a bit of a better outlook on how we feel about the Sharma family, we would have believed that they are the very same in terms of love for one another as the Bridgerton’s. But alas movie writers want fireworks and honestly, they missed the mark on a few occasions.  This season was a whirlwind and an unnecessary one at that.   I liked it I did, but it wasn’t the best season. But the actors and let’s be honest the hair, make-up, and dressing people make it all the better.

See you next season dear readers.

Lots of love, Melissa