Bridgerton Season 2 Review

 The wait is over and I have been counting down the days. My review will be very spoiler heavy so if you have not watched the season yet, do not read below this paragraph. I read the book that followed this season, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and I adore that book. I read it right after season one came out and have read it about seven times since. Now I will be comparing the book to the show a bit, but I do know some things were changed. I read spoilers of the season last Sunday and it really put my mood down. I know that the show is different but when you love the OG material it does hurt a bit.  (This was written on Monday, everything after will be current) 

I will say Kate and Anthony were perfect. The looks, the chemistry, the whole mood was great. The only good thing about the season.

Overall view of the season, as I just finished the whole 8 episode run at 11pm on Friday. (Started at 3am), I am very disappointed and I feel betrayed. Now maybe once I have rewatched the season, I will get a new view on the season. Right now, I am so sad and honesty disappointed at the end of the day. Like I stated before, I knew of these spoilers and how they changed the plot. I was trying to keep an open mind, however, they ruined some very good points of the book. Kate and Anthony at the core was beautiful and Johnathan and Simone have amazing chemistry and I love them. The way they changed certain points did not fit their story and others of the books. They added pointless plots to fill the episodes when they didn't even flesh out the main leads' stories. They ruined, in my opinion one of the best part of the book, and that is sisterhood and the bond. That is what I am most upset about. They gave us maybe 4 kiss scenes and 2 spicy scenes. I don't understand why, but that's what they did. In a week, if my feelings have changed I will write another review. For now, I feel like it's been a huge letdown to something I have been looking forward to for over a year. Kanthony, I love you, and your scenes were great, but I wish there was more. 

Also, the costuming was awful, coming from a fashion designer. The day wear was okay, but the evening gowns are terrible. 

Below is a more in-depth version of spoilers so you can watch the show and form your opinion before you read. 

EP 1

Starting out with Eloise which makes sense. I do love seeing Franny and all of the Bridgertons together besides Colin. Anthony trying to get a wife right away was a nice added plot because we don't see that in the books. I love all my babies in this episode because no one is making me mad yet. The wigs are so disrespectful to the beautiful cast. I cannot with the costuming, as it looks like cheap fabric from Joann's. 

Them adding Mary's maiden name as Sheffield was a nice touch, however her parents suck. Kate's whole backstory on why she wants Edwina to be married to an English gentleman makes a lot of sense and I see it for her character. They drag it out to the last episode which does not make sense. Lastly of the first episode, Colin is making me mad by wanting Marina already again. 

EP2 

Benedict is my favorite. One thing the show did right was changing how he is in the books. The meeting of Kate and Anthony was quite odd to me. I liked it better in TVWLM. I get it by the end but still I was like meh. Anthony trying to get Edwina is very funny, I just hate how Edwina is liking Anthony. The monologue at the end of the episode was fantastic and the banter between Kate and Anthony makes me happy.

EP3

Overall, I liked this episode, and one thing I feel like the season did a great job of was Anthony and Violet's trauma from Edmund's death. We don't see why Anthony doesn't want to marry for love, we do get some resolution but alas meh. I don't like how they changed it to Anthony seeing Edmund die and not Eloise. But overall the flashback scenes were great. 

Pall Mall was one of the best parts of the show. I don't like how the Sharmas were asked to come before the rest of the ton. Since it was changed from the book, it felt a bit out of place for me. The scene was overall great, but missed a good amount of dialogue.

Finally some good Kate and Anthony scenes. I like how they added the mud, I thought it was cute. Also Anthony by the grave is funny. I just really miss the hiding of the mallets and such. 

Eloise and Kate being friends is a plus. Also Benny doing drugs is hilarious. 

The bee sting is one of maybe five things I like that they changed. I felt the intensity, and the way Kate calmed Anthony down was breathtaking. I also like them not being forced into a marriage, but they mess up so much plot later, so I would have rather had the book plot. They just used Prudence with that plot and boo, no one cares about the Featheringtons. 

Ep4

This is where stuff starts to make me mad. Edwina being in love with Anthony is a hard no. How can she not see that her sister is in love with him? Everyone else is starting to catch on. Like she makes them go hunting together, she made it worse for herself. 

Kate shooting was great tbh, I liked it and it was a great Kate and Anthony scene. We don't get her fear of thunderstorms which is such an important part to Kate's character and her bond with her mother. We also didn't get the spying scene, which is so hot in the books. Yes, we still get a study scene that was good, but not what I wanted. 

Colin visiting Marina was a mood. I liked how she is a good mom and is content. Idk how they will move forward with Eloise and Phillip's story. 

The dance scene was beautiful and wonderful. Then the end of the episode was ruined by Anthony proposing to Edwina. 

EP5

We got the hand flex which was beautiful but sad with the plot. Kate is stuck watching her sister be happy and her being sad. This is when you start to see how they ruined the sisterhood aspect. The ring part was just sad, like honey, that be Kate's ring. 

Benedict in the art college is great and our boy is in for it once Sophie blesses our screens. 

Mary has little plot at this point. She is such a background character which infuriated me. Her leaving her home for love was a great plot but I wish we saw more of her. Her parents really are terrible and I feel like this is a great scene for Anthony and where Edwina falls for him. Which is like in the book where he takes care of Pen and that's when Kate falls in love with him. Overall the Sheffields suck.

We got basically the serpentine scene where Newton pushes Anthony in the lake. Anthony being jealous is funny but also why are you with Edwina???

I was so happy with the end of the engagement and then it was back on and I was just sad. The love triangle was out of date and really showed them off in a bad light. 

The bane of my existence will forever be a fav moment between Anthony and Kate. Like the almost kissing twice is killing me. 

EP6

The worst episode. At this point, Kate and Anthony are more like forbidden lovers then enemies/rivals to lovers. I sat through this whole episode in disgust. One thing I do love is showing other culture's traditions for weddings. They then mess it up by her wearing white (Queen Victoria not born yet) and why couldn't she wear a traditional Desi wedding outfit. 

I hate that we did not get Kate and Anthony's wedding. We got a glimpse of what Kate would have looked like in the dress. The Queen's whole thing with Edwina was idiotic. The whole wedding was so stupid and it ruined a good portion of the show because of the scandal aspect. It took Edwina until she is up at the alter to see that those idiots are in love. 

Now I will say this before going further. I see where Edwina is coming from cause she was lied to about money, family, and now she sees the man she is about to marry in love with her sister. That whole event is terrible, but what they did with Edwina is the worst part of season 2. The way she doesn't even see where Kate is coming from and why she pushed for Edwina and Anthony to be married. They ruined there bond really, and I absolutely hate that. Kate should have told Anthony to not marry her like before. 

The scene with the King and Edwina was her saving grace for a bit. I'm still really in shock from this episode. Also where is Franny? Why isn't she at her brothers wedding? I will talk about Eloise at the end of the post. 

We finally get Kate and Anthony to kiss. It was great, but they really just finally let it out after they just ruined their lives and Edwina's. Also using "Sign of the Times" during the wedding was a low blow.

EP7

On the last two episodes we finally get real Kate and Anthony. We got the flower scene where Anthony brings flowers for all the Sharmas, love that. Also YES to her smelling like lilies. The whole scandal part of the wedding is making any plan from here not work at all. We finally got some courting of Kate and Anthony which was great until the other plot points and Edwina still hating Kate and not seeing why she did everything for her. 

I put in my notes poor Pen because of Colin being an idiot, and Eloise and her stuff. Now after everything, they are really making Penelope be the villain in this story. 

Nothing was resolved of the scandal or the tension between sisters and there is one episode left. The dance scene was cute but why. We finally get Kate and Anthony sex scene, and I hate how they were not married before. A big plot point in the books is how the female characters feel about possibly getting pregnant or being ruined. It is a main theme and they just through that away. Kate and Anthony are one of the only ones to not have sex before they are married so... The scene was great but still only got two and that's stupid compared to last season. But the scene is chef's kiss!! If you know, you know. 

We did get Kate getting hurt, but in a very different way. The fall was very hard, I was like oop. I like how it did stay true to the book and how Anthony was feeling seeing Kate hurt. 

EP8

Finally seeing good stuff that we waited so long for. Kate rejecting Anthony's proposal was stupid, I get why because she doesn't think he loves her but still there was only 30 min left of the dang show, we're running out of time. 

Violet and Anthony having a heart to heart about love was great and seeing Anthony cry was what we needed. Also the scene between Anthony and Gregory was superior and I needed it after that shit they have been pulling. 

For Edwina and Mary to finally apologize to Kate after she got hurt felt rushed. Mary and Kate's conversation was what we needed from the books, but I do feel that Edwina and Kate have a lot of work to do. Edwina, Mary, and the Queen giving the couple their blessing is bull. Like these two don't need it at this point. 

Colin content was great but also I want to punch him. I am also very surprised that Eloise found out about Lady Whistledown. This will change the rest of the series very drastically.

Finally in the last 10 minutes, we get Kate and Anthony together. We finally see them happy in the last three with one more spicy scene and then Pall Mall yet again. Those were the best minutes and so much of the show could have showcased all of these in more detail. ALSO Viscountess! Died. Love all the gifs already. 

Now overall episode spoilers. 

I do not care about the Featheringtons and Jack and his whole treasure scam. I skipped a good portion of it because they took up to much time. 

Idk how I felt about Eloise and her little love interest. In the books she is so against marriage until Phillip so..... some character growth idk. Her and Penelope's falling out was bad and it was really sad to see. It was just sped up in the show.

Penelope in general is a villain in the show and I need to rewatch to get her story line better. All of the Lady Whistledown stuff could have been saved for Colin and her season. 

Greg, Hy, and Franny are beans that we didn't get enough. 

The new gentleman's bar is okay, they just brought that character back. 

I'm upset we didn't see Benny explore his sexuality. His minor love interest was meh, and he was basically high or drunk the whole show. 

Daphne honesty surprised me. The way she talked to Anthony helped a lot. I did miss the Duke and her son, but I get it. 

Lady Danbury is the lead of the season really. The queen plot is boring to me and just gets more drama.

 

Overall my babies Kate and Anthony live happy ever after, but we were robbed of them being the true stars of the season to me. I will just read TVWLM again and again. In all honesty, I don't even care with what they do in later seasons because I know I'll be disappointed. Also I am most likely missing points and will add later if need be.