The Royal Families of London in the infamous Netflix original show Bridgerton face the difficulties and responsibilities of carrying their family name in this newly released season. Season 2 of Bridgerton, released on March 25, 2022, centers around the eldest son of the Bridgerton family, Anthony Bridgerton, his sister Eloise Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington AKA Lady Whistledown, and the Sharma Family. 

“My favorite character from season 2 is probably Eloise because she challenged the ideas and rules her family set up for her,” said sophomore Lindsay Shen.

In the first season, the plot centered around Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings; however, they are rarely seen and mentioned in this new season. Simon, the aforementioned Duke who was the love interest of Daphne last season, is not seen at all, whereas the Duchess Daphne joins the family again and gets entangled in her brother Anthony’s love affairs with the Sharma family. 

“I think that it worked without Daphne and Simon since everyone was focused on Anthony and Kate [Sharma]. Their actors did an amazing job captivating the audience with their chemistry, but I wouldn’t have minded more of Daphne, Simon, and their [newborn] son,” said sophomore Clarisse Nikaido. 

The Sharmas are a new family from India who came to London in search of a love match for the youngest daughter, Miss Edwina Sharma. Edwina is named the “diamond” by the queen, designating her as the most desirable and eligible debutante. She seems to check off every box on Anthony’s marriage requirement list. Before meeting Miss Edwina though, he has a small encounter with her elder sister, Kate. They meet while riding horses early in the morning. 

“I think Kate and Anthony meeting before they were actually supposed to meet was essentially foreshadowing what would happen in the future. Most characters are introduced for a reason so I think it was important for them to meet before their families officially met,” said freshman Jordan Gibson. 

This season has a plethora of clichés and plot conventions that can be seen coming from a mile away. It includes the obvious “forbidden love” between the two lovers, the mystery of Lady Whistledown’s identity, the town gossip writer, the money affairs of the Featheringtons, and last but certainly not least, the Bridgerton scandals. But these clichés do not seem to dissuade viewers; in fact, they might even intrigue them. 

“There were certain plot points that were predictable, such as [the outcome of certain relationships], but even though it was a bit cliché. I still really liked to watch it,” said Nikaido.

For instance, Miss Eloise Bridgerton is still in search of the identity of Lady Whistledown. During all this, she meets a boy who goes by Theo Sharpe. Theo is a printer’s apprentice and works at the shop where Lady Whistledown prints her gossip articles. The two friends form a close relationship with each other, which leads to Eloise questioning her feelings for him and vice versa.

“Eloise was very headstrong about not wanting to get married and being on her own. After she met Theo and was willing to do all that she did for him, she must have had to have really loved him considering her views on love previously,” said Sophomore Valeria Cabadas. 

Once word about their relationship got word to Lady Whistledown, the entirety of the town knew and was weary of their class difference. Eloise begins to face preposterous accusations from everyone, even the Queen herself and her best friend Penelope Featherington. 

“Eloise’s relationship with Theo was a good representation of how social classes can prevent two people from even being friends. It was refreshing to see a character who wasn’t part of the ballroom scene and was able to support Eloise in her point of view,” said Shen. 

[Spoilers for season 2 start here.]

Moving on to the so-called best friend, Penelope Featherington, she seems to be quite the swindler herself. Whilst Eloise confides in her current activities and thoughts, she unceasingly dismisses her and her search of Lady Whistledown’s identity, of which we all know to be Penelope Featherington herself. 

“I was a fan of Penelope but after she ruined Eloise I realized that she wasn’t the person she claimed to be. She wasn’t a true, real friend,” said Gibson. 

In the midst of this scandalous and terrifying time, Anthony, after spending quite some time courting the young Edwina Sharma, decidedly proposes and intends on marrying her, merely out of duty and responsibility. 

“It was a noticeable fact that Edwina and Anthony had no real chemistry,” Cabadas said. “From the start Kate and Anthony had tension and it was proven right at the end of the season when they got together.”

What the people of the town don’t know is that Anthony Bridgerton and Miss Edwina’s sister, Kate, have a strong connection with one another. They try to justify their connection by explaining it as hate, but it does not work, as they are only drawn closer to each other. 

“Personally I think Anthony and Kate belong together because of their chemistry and how they’re both so witty with each other, said Nikaido. “When Anthony was courting Edwina, I felt like it was mostly one sided on Edwina’s part.”

After the Queen insists on throwing the wedding for Anthony and Edwina at her palace, there is an unexpected turn of events that causes Edwina to call off the wedding and break away from Anthony. 

“Anthony and Kate belong together, as they have a bond that cannot be described. Neither Anthony or Edwina truly had that type of love for one another, so for them to be together would have made them suffer in the end,” Shen said.

Hinting toward the wondrous ending of this magnificent season, Eloise uncovers the tragic mystery of Lady Whistledown and Anthony is left to question and doubt his responsibilities to his family. Hopefully, Season 3 will give the audience more details on other side characters (like Benedict Bridgerton) and reveal hidden secrets amongst the town.