Bridgerton’s first season became one of the most-watched shows on Netflix in nearly 83 countries, including India when it released in December 2020. The Netflix original became an overnight sensation, and the second season that dropped on 25 March this year seems to be a nod to India’s love for the show.
Shonda Rhimes’s watchword for this season appears to be diversity, a feat she is already quite known for, be it through her iconic Grey’s Anatomy or How To Get Away With Murder. Despite it being anachronistic considering the time and setting of 19th-century London, Rhimes ensures that there is a gamut of characters who make you sit up and think.
And if you were upset that Bridgerton would be nothing without Regé-Jean Page, the overnight star from season one, there are much thicker plots now.
The Sharmas
It is interesting to see how Rhimes brings in the element of colonisation and prejudice of a ‘marriage beneath status’ through the connection with India. This season is very much Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (played to a T by actor Jonathan Bailey) taking on the role of Darcy and Kate Sharma being Katherine Bennett.
Simone Ashley who played the role of Olivia Hanan in the acclaimed series Sex Education plays Kate Sharma in this season. Joined by Charithra Chandra, who plays her younger sister Edwina Sharma and Shelly Conn as Mary Sharma, their mother, the brown women enter the white snooty Bridgerton world. Mary had a scandalous elopement with an Indian clerk (not even a maharajah, as a character says), only to return to get a suitable man for Edwina.
Kate is not looking for a match, she is Indian and would rather ensure her sister finds a good husband and financial security. There is however no apology for being single–she is smart, opinionated and alluring, much to Viscount Anthony’s frustration and admiration. And of most men in that era.
Also read: ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 trailer unveils what happens when duty and desire conflict
Less sex, more teasing
While the first season had a sex scene thrown in every few episodes, this season is surprisingly tame. In fact, it teases you just about enough that when the much-anticipated sex scene does come up, it fits the narrative seamlessly.
The sexual tension is palpable between Kate and Anthony. The element of forbidden love only makes it more interesting — falling in love with the fiery older ‘Didi’ while choosing to marry the younger ‘more proper’ one.
The season is more heart and less hormones. Be it Anthony struggling to cope with his father’s untimely death or Kate doing everything possible to get a good match for her sister, it is the story of two people so used to doing everything for their families that giving in to their own desires feels unnatural. There’s also a haldi scene, a masala chai interlude, wistful talk of Bombay and of course an instrumental take on a Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham song.
Also read: Seeing ourselves on screen can affect cultural change. Media needs diversity
The women of Bridgerton
What the world of Bridgerton shows again and again is female solidarity and the gumption of women to get what they deserve, despite limited choices. Be it Penelope Featherington who is secretly Lady Whistledown, or Eloise Bridgerton who does not want to be married but wants to read books about women’s rights instead, women constantly battle and refuse to accept the status quo. Even Lady Featherington, who might have seemed unlikeable in the first season, emerges as a determined mother out to ensure her daughter’s fortunes, after being left destitute by her late husband.
The society in their world does not give them many choices, so the women grab every chance they get to demand their due, be it love or fortune or both. It may be almost Austen’s Charlotte-like attitude, but the fact remains that it is survival of the fittest.
However, the women also look out for each other. One of the brightest spots in the two seasons has been the Penelope-Eloise friendship, especially since they feel ill-at-ease about the things expected of them. Eloise also tells Kate Sharma that it is society’s flaw that it cannot accept single women.
Bridgerton matured well in this season, keeping hopes alive that it will only get even better in the next instalment. The season might not have Simon Bassett played by Regé-Jean Page, but the quest for the perfect viscountess will keep you on the edge of your seat.