‘Questions abound as to this author’s identity and means. Seeking those answers shall prove fruitless, indeed.’ - Lady Whistledown, Season 2, Episode 1.
The Viscount is in want of a wife. That’s the premise for this season of Bridgerton. In Season 1 Anthony was a ladies man who was involved in a steamy romance with an opera singer. Fast forward to Season 2 and he has decided it is time to settle down.
Edwina Sharma is perfect - sweet, easily malleable, sponsored by the well-connected Lady Danbury - and when she is named as the Queen’s ‘diamond’ (a la Daphne in Season 1), he sets about wooing her. However, there is one fly in the ointment; Edwina’s feisty older sister Kate.
Kate overhears Anthony saying that he has no interest in a love match and only wishes to marry to fulfil his duty and that, Kate declares, is not good enough for her sister. But in true Bridgerton style her longing glances at the Viscount over the next few episodes indicate that he may well be good enough for her. Can you see where this going?
Penelope Featherington who was unmasked to the audience as Lady Whistledown at the end of the last season is seemingly going about her life as before, invisible to everyone. She has mastered the art of being there but not being seen, which enables her to pull off the ultimate deception of Whistledown’s scandal sheet. Plus her alter ego lets Penelope get her views about the Ton off her chest and shows a different side to her character, one which is opinionated, intelligent and just a little bit catty - we love to see it!
Meanwhile Eloise Bridgerton is undergoing her first season as a debutante. As we know from Season 1, Eloise is no Daphne and is massively reluctant to play the society game (almost having a panic attack en route to her presentation at court). Something she is interested in is discovering the identity of Lady Whistledown. Eloise is like a dog with a bone on this and tracks down the print shop where Whistledown has her scandal sheet printed, meeting Theo who works there and is a potential love interest for our heroine (I can’t be the only one who wants Eloise to fall in love with someone not in the Ton can I?).
However, all of Eloise’s snooping around has aroused Queen Charlotte’s suspicions that she is Lady Whistledown. She gives Eloise three days to confess or she will ruin the Bridgerton’s reputation. BFF Penelope can’t let that happen, so to throw the Queen off the scent, publishes a takedown of Eloise that accuses her of consorting with political radicals (aka Theo), which gets Eloise in a whole world of trouble.
At the same time, there is a love triangle going on with Anthony, Edwina and Kate. Anthony and Kate have incredible sexual tension (and many many arguments), which they continue to deny because this is Bridgerton and we have to witness the ‘burning’ of desire for at least three episodes before they get down to it. But the main gist of why the pair don’t get together is that Anthony thinks Edwina is a much safer bet for a wife and Kate doesn’t want to steal her sister’s fiancee (fair). And yet?
At Anthony and Edwina’s wedding, one final charged look between Kate and Anthony at the altar tells Edwina everything she needs to know and she calls off the wedding. Queen Charlotte is furious and the Bridgerton’s are exiled from society. It’s going to take a lot for the family to come back from this.
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On the Whistledown trail, Eloise is finally starting to suspect good old Pen as the author. Who else is as observant and in the know? She confronts her and the two friends have a huge fall out, with Eloise unable to forgive Penelope for lying to her. Penelope suggests that Eloise’s anger might be driven by jealousy that she has struck out on her own and accomplished something rather than anything else, an accusation that seems to make Eloise even more livid.
Afterwards, there is more bad news for Penelope as she overhears her friend and love interest Colin Bridgerton saying that he would never entertain courting Penelope. Ouch! (More on this in Season 3)
With nothing to lose Kate and Anthony finally give in to their desires and spend the night together. The next morning, Kate gallops off on her horse in the rain and promptly falls off, endangering her life. As Kate lies unconscious, Anthony has a heart to heart with his mother about marrying for love and when Kate finally recovers, he declares his love for her and they kiss beneath a sky full of fireworks.
‘Gentle reader, you thought I was silenced, but you thought wrong. And if there is one thing you should know by now, it is that this author cannot keep quiet for long. Yours truly, Lady Whistledown' - Season 2, Episode 8.
Next time…
We take a look at the stunning locations around the UK that are used in Bridgerton.
What were your favourite bits in Season 2?
Are you a fan of Anthony and Kate? Did you shed a tear when BFFs Eloise and Penelope fell out? And we haven’t even talked about Colin and Benedict…
I am a big fan of Kanthony as I love their chemistry!