Apparently We Can Expect ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 to Be "Sexier" and More "Charged" 😳

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If you're also finding yourself counting down the days hours until Bridgerton season 2's release on Netflix tomorrow, you're gonna love what series creator Chris Van Dusen just told People about what fans can expect—beginning with how season 2 will apparently be “bigger and sexier” and more “charged” than its predecessor 😳.

Chris divulged that the hit show will further delve into the inherent duality of Penelope's character, both as the daughter of Lord and Lady Featherington and as Lady Whistledown herself. “What I find so fascinating about Penelope is that she really is invisible as herself when she goes to these balls, when she's out in the marriage market, when she's around other gentlemen and even around her peers. She's not really seen.” But, he continues, “Then she donned her Lady Whistledown cape and her mask and this whole other persona. She suddenly gets to be louder and more brash and more visible than ever. And I think that was a really interesting thing for us for this season.”

According to Chris, some plot points will center around Penelope's secret persona and how it might cause tension in her relationship with Eloise Bridgerton. However, there are a host of new characters who are sure to keep things interesting in a number of other ways. After all, an entirely new family is guaranteed to stir the pot: “We have this entirely new family that's come to town. And part of the joy of writing the show has been being able to focus on new characters every season. And that's partly what drew me to create a show like this in the first place, the ability to tell these close-ended love stories, season after season.”

Anyway, if you’re also anxiously waiting for the second season to drop like now, here are more details about Bridgerton season 2 to tide you over in the meantime. I guess Lady Whistledown isn’t the only one with the inside scoop here!

When will Bridgerton season 2 premiere?

Back in December and in honor of the anniversary of the premiere of season 1, Netflix gave Bridgerton fans everywhere a Christmas gift: the premiere date for season 2. The second season will drop on (*drumroll*) Friday, March 25, 2022!

The news came courtesy of a v cute cast video, which you should absolutely put eyes on (if for no other reason than the surreal-ness of seeing the Bridgerton cast hanging out together in modern clothes):

Oh, also! We have photos:

The Bridgerton gods continue to bless us, this time with brand-new photos from season 2 for your drooling purposes. There’s a lot here. Fencing! Ball gowns! Important meetings in studies! We will be pondering these for a very, very long time.

And a trailer!!

Enjoy. :)

Will the Bridgerton cast be the same?

Luke Newton (who plays Colin Bridgerton) actually confirmed his return himself back in March 2021…without revealing any of the sophomore season’s sets or the costumes, of course. Although he did leave us a wonderful collection of photos with his TV brothers.

And we know the Bridgerton family is expected to make an appearance, as this season is about all things Anthony. Unfortunately, though, our favorite Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) will not be appearing this season. In fact, Lady Whistledown revealed it herself via the show’s official Twitter account, effectively breaking the internet:

Regé-Jean gave an interview to Variety explaining his decision to leave, saying he was only ever supposed to be on the show for one season. “It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year,” he said, remembering the conversations he had with the Shondaland producers before he took the part. “[I thought], That’s interesting, because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit, and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”

In another Variety interview, Shonda Rhimes talked about Regé-Jean and didn’t give any deets on the duke’s absence (or if he’ll return in a future season), but she did say he isn’t going to be the only character fans will miss. “I imagine it’s possible that after each season, you’ll be asking about a different actor returning,” she teased. So, uh, brace yourself!

Despite all our hopes and dreams crashing at the thought of Simon not interacting with his infant son, there’s still much to be excited about. As the new season is expected to follow the sophomore novel in the Bridgerton series, new characters will be added to the mix. The most important ones? Sisters Kate and Edwina Sharma, who both will play a part in the MAJOR storyline and Anthony’s journey to love.

So allow me to introduce our newest siblings: Simone Ashley (Kate) and Charithra Chandran (Edwina).

But don’t think they’re the only ones set to make their debut during London’s social season this time around. The show is also adding Rupert Young as Jack, a high-society member with major family connections, and Calam Lynch as Theo Sharpe, a printer’s assistant who’s ready to fight for what is right. Can I say the word “intrigued” fast enough?

And as of late May 2021, Lady Whistledown’s publicist—okay, it’s actually the official Shondaland IG account—gave us the opportunity to introduce you to the original Bridgerton viscount himself. Please say hello to Rupert Evans, who will play Edmund!

According to Shondaland, Edmund Bridgerton is a “devoted” and “loving” partner to wife Violet, and he believes all eight of his children are absolutely perfect in every way. He takes special pride in oldest son Anthony, whom he seeks to guide as his heir.

Is it getting a little hot in here? Because I’m feeling my face flush just from the man’s smolder alone….

What exactly will Bridgerton season 2 be about?

As you probably remember, season 1 was all about Daphne and Simon’s steamy, hot, extremely complicated, friends-to-lovers story. And as you also probably remember, Anthony, the oldest of the Bridgerton kids, spent most of last season being quite the ladies’ man. Well, he is now 29 years old and has finally decided he needs to find a wife and have an heir. So if the story follows the books, the second season is going to be all about his love story. “With whom?” you may ask. Read on below for spoilers.

Are there any spoilers yet?

Kind of! All you’ve really got to do is read the book The Viscount Who Loved Me and you’ll have a pretty good idea on how things are going to end for dear ol’ Anthony. But for anyone who’s not down to spend a few days reading through the entire book, here’s the gist of what happens. WARNING: spoilers ahead.

Like I said, the second book is all about Anthony Bridgerton’s love story, and let me tell you right now, it’s a juicy one. Basically, Anthony knows he needs to find his wife, but fearing that he will die young like his dad did, he has zero intention of falling in love. So he wants someone who’ll check all the boxes of being a good wife but not someone he’s gonna go head over heels for, ya know? Enter: Edwina Sheffield. She’s perfect—except for one small issue: Her sister, Kate, really hates Anthony’s womanizing and vows to prevent her only sister from marrying him.

So Anthony does what any 19th-century viscount would do and sets out to win Kate’s approval. He puts in the work and manages to turn Kate from an enemy into a friend. But Kate soon finds herself feeling all kinds of hot and bothered after their interactions (in a good way). And it turns out, Anthony feels the same way about her, and after they share a very scandalous kiss, they’re forced to marry (sound familiar?) and end up in an unplanned marriage. There’s still plenty of tension and ups and downs, but Anthony ends up living much longer than he thought he would and they have four kids together.

Oh, and if you already want to take a look at how it all goes down, Netflix released a special first look at the season during its Tudum presentation. Trust us when we say, you’re probably gonna be more obsessed with them than you were with the Duke and Daphne. Check it out below:

Love it. But how much of the book will be featured in season 2?

Well, funny you should ask. While true fans all know the show is famous for taking its storylines from the book series that inspired Shondaland writers, don’t be alarmed if the new season deviates slightly from The Viscount Who Loved Me. After all, it is TV, and without the Duke of Hastings keeping us hot and bothered, we’re going to need a lot of Jonathan Bailey shirtless scenes to hold us over with each episode.

In fact, when the cast spoke to People right before the SAG Awards, Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) gave his thoughts on how the new season will fare for the Netflix ton.

“I think with all the books and their relationship to the series, I think [author] Julia Quinn has always been saying the books are the starting point and then the writers can have some sort of fun around it,” he told the publication. “So yes, it is the book in the sense that it is Anthony Bridgerton’s love story…like with the first season, the main structure is the book, yes, but the writers are also having fun with it. There are always adjustments and changes, so I’m sure that will carry on.”

Well then, viewers—we have our vague yet perfectly acceptable answer from a Bridgerton himself.

Cosmopolitan will update this post as more news about season 2 becomes available.

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