Bridgerton, Season 2: Where Did It Go Wrong?
SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t finished watching season 2 of Bridgerton, this is your chance to turn back now. You’ve been warned!
I woke up on Friday as excited as a kid on Christmas morning, ready to enjoy the freedoms of funemployment and binge all eight episodes of Bridgerton season 2 on Netflix. For the proud citizens of #Romancelandia, this premiere was as anticipated as the Olympics, the Grammys, and the Oscars combined (and as widely discussed as yesterday’s dramatic awards ceremony!).
After all, we’ve waited more than a year for the latest installment based on Julia Quinn’s beloved books. This TV adaptation is proof that the romance genre is alive and well, as 82 million households tuned in to season 1, making it Netflix’s most popular original series until Squid Game surpassed it last October.
There was so much to love about Bridgerton this weekend: the vibrant costumes, the instrumental pop covers, and all the witty banter. The whole cast did an amazing job, which I do not want to understate because I was rooting for the story to live up to everyone’s potential.
But excitement slowly unraveled into frustration as I realized that the show was going in a much different direction, and one that wasn’t at all what I expected. Many people indeed welcomed the changes, but if you’re like me and kept clicking “Next Episode” out of resignation to put this season to bed, then here are my thoughts on where it all went wrong.
Not adhering enough to the source material. Now there are many improvements that Shondaland has made to Bridgerton, especially regarding its ‘color-conscious’ approach to race, but one of the reasons why I enjoyed The Viscount Who Loved Me was because it avoided the icky drama of two sisters fighting over the same man. Edwina in the book never really liked Anthony all that much and spent most of her time in search of a more scholarly suitor, so you never felt guilty rooting for Kate. There’s plenty of conflict keeping them apart, from Anthony’s deep-seated fear of dying young to Kate’s disgust over his rakish ways—but neither of those motivations came through in the show, and what we were left with was a ridiculous attempt at a one-sided cat-fight that went on way, way too long.
Removing the most pivotal moments. Expanding on the differences between the page and screen, alarm bells immediately started going off in my head as soon as the plot took a sharp turn when Kate is stung by the bee. Readers know that’s the moment when the couple gets caught in a compromising position as Anthony attempts to suck out the venom from her bosom and they’re forced into marriage to save their reputations. At the very least it’s an opportunity for a steamier moment, but it’s botched because the showrunner thought it comical. This refusal to build emotional and physical intimacy happens again and again, as also seen in the lackluster library scene. Sure, Pall Mall is fun and Newton is adorable, but these creative decisions felt like a rejection of what drew fans to this love story in the first place.
Too many side plots. In a world where romances are usually relegated to afterthoughts in other genres, this is where everything other than the relationship should take a back seat. I love the entire Bridgerton universe, but I don’t need precious minutes of screen-time wasted on Benedict’s art school insecurities, Colin’s return from Greece, Eloise’s self-absorbed fling, Lord Featherington’s mining scam, Will Mondrich’s bar, and certainly not the queen’s marital strife and drug problem. It boggles me that legitimate character drivers, like Kate’s virginity and paralyzing fear of thunderstorms, were sacrificed to make room for so much nonsense that doesn’t matter in the end. Every Bridgerton gets their own love story! Is it too much to ask that they wait their turn at being the main character?
And yes, not enough sex! This is likely the most divisive contributor to the backlash toward season 2, and for really good reason. A romance without love scenes is like a horror without jump scares or an action-adventure without car chases. You’re allowed to make that choice, but you didn’t understand the assignment. I recognize that slow burns and even asexual romances exist, but I’ll be honest: I’m not here for the hand-holding. Over six hours of finger grazes, almost kisses, longing looks and yearning is tragically glacial, and the stark contrast in tone feels like an utter bait and switch from season 1. Dismissing the outrage as just a bunch of horny women complaining fuels the stigma of the romance genre and disrespects its conventions. We deserve to see more women, and especially women of color, experience pleasure on screen, and what feels like a few milliseconds compared to the rest of the poorly-paced season isn’t enough.
The Viscount Who Disappointed Me
Ultimately, the payoff of Kate and Anthony finally falling in love and consummating their relationship doesn’t make up for the bloated mess you have to wade through to get there. But with so few romances hitting the cultural zeitgeist like Bridgerton has, I guess I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed for season 3. Nobody knows where the television series is headed, but if Benedict’s art classes are any indicator, let’s hope it includes lots and lots of nudity.
I’d love to hear your Bridgerton hot takes and romance recommendations, so follow me @alyjarrett on Instagram and Goodreads and let me know what you think!