“Bridgerton,” the steamy Regency era drama from Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland, is heading back for Season 2 on Netflix – and soon.
When the show made its debut on the streamer on Christmas Day 2020, it became an instant sensation with fans unable to get enough of the chemistry between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), the loving Bridgerton family (Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesa, Gregory, and their mother – Violet, the dowager Countess), Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) reigning over the ton’s season, the scheming mamas of the marriage mart, and all the scandal captured perfectly by the quill-wielding Lady Whistledown.
Season 2 will follows the love story of the Viscount – Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) – as he decides to go to all the balls and social outings in pursuit of the perfect bride to become his viscountess. But when is the show back? Dear reader, read on.
When Does “Bridgerton” Season 2 Premiere?
Season 2 will premiere March 25, 2022 on Netflix. The streaming service drops their shows at midnight Pacific Time, so if you are on the East Coast, prepare to stay up late (til 3 a.m.) to watch. Season 1 consisted of eight episodes, so we are expecting Season 2 to do the same.
What Is Season 2 About?
The ton (aka the word for society – aristocracy and well-to-do Brits) return to London for a new season of marriage hunting and matchmaking. Like Daphne did in Season 1, young ladies will present themselves to Queen Charlotte as they make their society debut. This season, Viscount Bridgerton (Bailey) decides that as the head of the Bridgerton family, it’s finally time he settle down and find a wife. Duty calls and he’s honor bound to marry and produce an heir. As sneak peeks at the new season have revealed, Anthony, being the Type-A person that he is, is not seeking a love match, but a woman who fits a particular set of criteria to make her the perfect Viscountess to bear his children, organize the household, and be above reproach. (Good luck with that, Anthony.)
What Kind of Problems Are Ahead for Anthony Bridgerton?
Anthony Bridgerton may have decided he doesn’t need a love match (he was left heartbroken after things ended quite messily with opera singer Siena in Season 1), but his mother, Violet (Ruth Gemmell), who was deeply, deeply in love with her late husband Edmund Bridgerton, wants all of her children to find their own great loves. We know Season 2 will introduce the Sharma family, which has two eligible young women entering society – Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
Kate is the older sister who has no intention of marrying. She is, however, (at least in the books) attending the balls and events of the season to help her younger sister (they share the same father, who sadly died, and Mary Sharma, the biological mother of Edwina, considers Kate her own) find a match. But for Kate, only the best will do for her baby sister, and when she comes across Anthony, overhearing him on the terrace outside of a ball discussing his requirements for a bride (none of which include love) with some of his gentleman peers, she immediately takes a dislike to him. Of course, where there are sparks, there is chemistry. How it all plays out is this season’s plot.
What’s Going on with Lady Whistledown?
Ton gossip queen Lady Whistledown was uncloaked at the end of Season 1, revealed to be Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan of “Derry Girls”). We know she’s been “sharpening” her knives as she prepares to document all the scandal society hopes to keep hidden. But, with Queen Charlotte desperate to unmask the gossip sheet writer, Lady Whistledown will need to be very careful. Julie Andrews is the voice of Lady Whistledown when one of the gossip sheet columns is read on the show.
What’s Happening with the Other Bridgerton Family Members?
In Season 2, producers decided to cast Edmund Bridgerton, Violet’s late husband. Rupert Evans, most recently of The CW’s “Charmed,” is playing the character in flashbacks, which means there will be some scenes set in the past. In fact, snippets of the show that have been released show Edmund on a hunt with his son Anthony (Bailey). Like the Sharma sisters, Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), will make her debut on the marriage mart this season. Bright, an avid reader, and sometimes socially awkward, we can’t wait to see how she shakes up the ton.
How Many Seasons of “Bridgerton” Will There Be?
So far, “Bridgerton” has been renewed by Netflix for Seasons 3 and 4. A Queen Charlotte prequel is also in the works, being written by Shonda Rhimes herself. Quinn is quite prolific and has a book for every Bridgerton sibling so if fans keep watching, there are templates for producers for many seasons to come.
Will the Duke of Hastings Make an Appearance This Season?
No, Regé-Jean Page, who played Simon, the Duke of Hastings, eventual husband to Daphne Bridgerton, is not returning to the show. Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne, now the Duchess of Hastings, will appear in Season 2. It is worth noting that each of Quinn’s novels focuses on the love story of a Bridgerton sibling, and therefore the focus of “The Viscount Who Loved Me” is on Anthony’s story. The Duke does make appearances in the book, but he is not a main character in the story.