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Second Season “Bridgerton”
The old battle between heart and mind for fans of cotton candy romance
The second season of the Netflix hit is all about Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey)
© Liam Daniel / Netflix
Finally it’s here, the second season of “Bridgerton” on Netflix! Streaming is worthwhile for anyone who likes candy floss romance and a robust main character.
A look that goes through marrow and bone. A body that makes you gasp. With Jonathan Bailey, “Bridgerton” has found its next big star after Phoebe Dynevor and has taken center stage.
While season one was all about the eldest Bridgerton sister Daphne (Dynevor) finding love, now it’s her eldest brother Viscount Anthony’s turn. Since the early death of his father, he has been the head of the family, even if he occasionally breaks out of character and seeks – and finds – pleasure. After a liaison with an opera singer in season 1, Anthony Bridgerton is in the second looking for a woman who meets his requirements for marriage. Because his most important job: begetting heirs. What sounds simple at first and was actually the main task of every aristocratic heir in earlier centuries turns out to be more difficult than expected. The heart just can’t be turned off.
Netflix: “Bridgerton’s” Anthony does it like a boy band member
Jonathan Bailey shows the torn between head and heart in a wonderfully charming way. His grim gaze takes your breath away. His passionate look makes butterflies fly in your stomach. And yes, then there’s that scene when the main character lands in the lake fully clothed. While still in the water he takes off his coat and lo and behold, thanks to the wet white shirt we can see his steeled muscles. Simple trick, but it always works, as we know from numerous boy band music videos from the 90s.
Bailey manages less well to give his character the lightness that can be felt again and again in the novel. The Netflix Anthony is very driven, traumatized and demanding. He doesn’t smile when he’s fencing with his brothers or when he’s talking to his eldest sister. He is very tense almost to the end and hardly gets a breath.
Almost like his female counterpart.
The sexy nobility show continues: first photos from the second season “Bridgerton”
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If Kate is almost too hard, the queen finds the right balance
Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) are like cats and dogs
© Liam Daniel / Netflix
Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley, also has a plan: marry off her younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) and then lead an independent life in India. If only she hadn’t met Anthony Bridgerton.
The ditch between strong and hard is sometimes fluid and so Ashley’s Kate comes across as very cold from time to time. The goodness of heart so beautifully portrayed in the book falls somewhat short in the series. Kate only gets soft in rare moments. Nonetheless, the arguments between her and Anthony are a reason to stay tuned. What sets Julia Quinn apart in the novels and series creator Chris van Dusen is the creation of strong female characters. Thus neither Daphne fainted with ecstasy at the sight of her future husband, nor Kate at the sight of Anthony. Part of the reason Viscount is attracted to the older Sharma sister is that she is the complete opposite of her calm, sweet, and even-tempered sister. Two meet at eye level.
The Queen (Golda Rosheuvel) with her ladies-in-waiting and her private secretary Brimsley (Hugh Sachs)
© Liam Daniel / Netflix
An example of the right balance between humor, seriousness and sadness is the queen. Golda Rosheuvel is even more present in the second season than in the first and is becoming more and more popular with the public. You can laugh with her, scheme and mourn the loss of your great love. Her Majesty is a firework of emotions!
That’s exactly what “Bridgerton” is all about in seasons 1 and 2 – thanks to producer Shonda Rhimes. If you’re a fan of romance in cotton candy colors, you’ll be extremely happy when streaming.