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Look to the books for hints about ‘ Bridgerton’ Season 2
Spoiler alert! This story has important details about the “Bridgerton” books that may also spoil the Netflix series.
Fans of the hit “Bridgerton” Neflix series can’t wait for Season 2, which is expected to start filming this spring, with no release date yet announced. But they don’t have to wait if they want to get an idea of what’s to come.
The Netflix period romance, whose eight- episode first season was released on Christmas Day and was an instant hit, is based on romance novels by Julia Quinn that focus on the eight Bridgerton children.
Yet producer Shonda Rhimes and creator Chris Van Dusen don’t seem to mind deviating from, building on, or mixing around Quinn’s plot lines. For instance, gossip columnist Lady Whistledown ( voiced by Julie Andrews) is revealed to be Penelope Featherington ( Nicola Coughlan) in Season 1’ s finale, but on the page, that revelation doesn’t come until Quinn’s fourth novel.
Here’s what we know – or think we know – about what’s to come for “Bridgerton” Season 2 based on our reading of the “Bridgerton” books:
More Anthony Bridgerton, less Daphne and Simon in ‘ The Viscount Who Loved Me’
Each “Bridgerton” book focuses on the love life of one of the Bridgerton children. While the first book, “The Duke & I,“which inspired the first TV season, follows the romantic escapades of Daphne ( Phoebe Dynevor), the fourth Bridgerton child, and Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings ( Regé- Jean Page), Quinn’s second book, “The Viscount Who Loved Me,” the main source material for “Bridgerton” Season 2, focuses on the eldest son, Anthony ( Jonathan Bailey).
Anthony, a playboy – or “rake,” as Lady Whistledown calls him – has finally decided to settle down and sets his sights on the sister of Kate Sheffield, who at first shuts down their courtship and then predictably falls for him herself.
So viewers yearning for more of Season 1 stars Dynevor and Page may be sorely disappointed, as the roguishly handsome Bailey and the yet- to- benamed actress cast as Kate are likely to dominate the screen.
‘ There has to be Pall Mall’: A competitive Bridgerton family game
Pall Mall is a Bridgerton tradition, and the lawn game is an important catalyst for Anthony and Kate’s relationship in the book. ( It also gives us a chance to catch up with Daphne and Simon.) The scene centering on the croquet- like game is a reader favorite, according to Quinn, who acted as a
consultant on the show.
“I did make Chris Van Dusen promise that if we get a second season, there has to be Pall Mall. I told people my consulting has been very minimal, but if there’s no Pall Mall, I’m going to consult the hell out of that,” Quinn told OprahMag. com.
So viewers can expect to become acquainted with the game that brings out the competitive spirits of the Bridgerton siblings.
Bridgerton family back story
In Quinn’s second “Bridgerton” book, we learn more about the death of family patriarch Edmund from a bee sting and how deeply it affected Anthony. In fact, his father’s death is particularly significant in the development of Anthony’s romance with Kate.
How this will play out in the series is unclear, but if the major plot point remains – as the mysterious bee from Season 1’ s final scene leads us to believe it will – family history will be interwoven in the eldest Bridgerton son’s love story.
Success for Julia Quinn ‘ Bridgerton’ books
USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler’s assessment of the Netflix series sums up the show succinctly: “Sexy, diverse, full of plot twists and gorgeous, early 19th- century costumes, ‘ Bridgerton’ is deliciously addictive.”
The books are much the same, but as romance novels, they’re even more steamily graphic in parts.
Quinn’s “Bridgerton” books were popular long before the Netflix series debut. All eight novels have appeared on the USA TODAY Best- Selling Books list. And “The Duke & I,” published in 2000, is currently the No. 1 bestselling book on the list.
With eight novels, plus additional collections and novellas, there’s plenty of fodder to keep fans of the show entertained until Season 2 arrives. And for voracious “Bridgerton” readers, there’s always Quinn’s prequels, the four- book “Rokesby” series.