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'Bridgerton' returns with more secrets, scandal, seduction … and 'a transcendent moment'
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Simmering secrets. Guffaw-worthy gossip. Riveting romance.
That’s right: “Bridgerton” is back for Season 2 (albeit without Regé-Jean Page) and ready to whisk you away to 19th century Regency era England once more – with the voice of Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) narrating the way.
Mirroring Julia Quinn’s books, this sophomore outing of the Shonda Rhimes-produced Netflix hit (streaming Friday) focuses on eldest Bridgerton sibling Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and his quest for a wife. On paper, new society entrant Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) makes a perfect choice for the erstwhile lothario. But will her sister Kate (Simone Ashley) interfere, and accidentally capture Anthony’s heart herself?
“The main narrative arc of this season is this question of head versus heart, or duty versus love, and which one wins,” says creator Chris Van Dusen.
Thanks for your patience, dear readers:‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 is coming soon to Netflix: Here’s everything we know
The series’ penchant for happy, closed-ended love stories should hint where the story goes. “You see (Anthony and Kate) go toe to toe throughout the season, and the frustration that you feel between the two of them – it’s palpable. I’ve described them as magnets before, and you see that they truly are drawn to each other,” Van Dusen says.
“She communicates with him on a level that I don’t think he’s ever had before,” Ashley says. “They both mirror each other in that way. They both hold a lot of duty and responsibility. And maybe no one’s really asked what it is that they really want, until they met each other.”
Don’t worry, there will be more seasons:A message from Lady Whistledown: Netflix orders Seasons 3 and 4 of hit series ‘Bridgerton’
Spoiler alert:Can’t wait for ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2? We look to Julia Quinn books for possible spoilers
But that’s just one of many twists and turns this season. Now that viewers know Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) has been harboring the series’ biggest secret – she is anonymous gossip columnist Lady Whistledown – we learn exactly how she juggles her side hustle. And it’s not for the faint of heart.
“I feel like her life is just a minefield,” Coughlan says. “If I were her, I could never handle that level of stress.”
It involves sneaking out of her high-society life and making frequent trips to a print shop, where – to obscure her identity – she dons less opulent garb and sports an Irish lilt. (It’s an easy feat for Coughlan, who’s Irish).
“I always think of it as her drag persona, that she can have some more confidence in that when she’s dressed up in that way and has that voice on,” Coughlan says. “It’s such a complex character. There’s a million different sides to her.”
Those sides unravel throughout the season, as Penelope navigates writing, an unappreciative family, her adoration for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and her friendship with best pal (and Colin’s sister) Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who takes a risk escaping high society to watch political debates in town.
In case you missed:Review: Netflix’s magnificent ‘Bridgerton’ glitters with period drama glory
“She’s like, ‘look at all of these amazing people and these thinkers, (who are) all talking about things other than who was seen in the drawing room with someone else,'” Jessie says.
Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) remains as glued as ever to Lady Whistledown’s writings, and reveals why: A crown holds plenty of weight – but so does a must-read newsletter.
‘We wanted this show to reflect the world:What Netflix’s buzzy ‘Bridgerton’ says about race
“In this era, that was what was starting to happen,” says Rosheuvel. “People were starting to write things down. It was becoming currency.”
Penelope and Eloise have plenty in common with Kate, whose family arrives from India in the season premiere. “What I loved about (Kate) was just how opinionated she was, how she wasn’t afraid to maybe be disliked, to be controversial,” Ashley says. “She’s a rebel. Her intelligence is incredibly sexy.”
Some fans may be disappointed by the less frequent sex scenes this season, at least compared with the sheer number between Daphne (Phoebe Dyvenor) and Simon (Page) last season. “We never do a sex scene for the sake of doing a sex scene, and we never will,” Van Dusen says. “All of the intimate scenes have a larger purpose. That was true for Season 1. It’s definitely true for Season 2.”
What’s also true for Season 2? Modern music choices. Producers once again nestle in needle drops of orchestral pop song covers. Season 1 gifted viewers Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” and Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams”; new episodes bask in a haunting, heartbreaking version of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.”
Interesting:‘Bridgerton’ isn’t as progressive on race as it seems, and there’s a clear reason why
Edwina encourages Kate and Anthony to dance together at a ball, hoping Kate will approve of her and Anthony’s relationship. As “Dancing On My Own” plays, the rendezvous turns into yet another of Kate and Anthony’s secretive will-they-won’t-they scenes, with all of high society watching. Van Dusen calls it “a transcendent moment.”
“It’s the kind of song that makes you lean into your screen, and it’s full of angst and it’s bittersweet and it’s stirring,” Van Dusen says.
“It was poetry,” Ashley says. “Everything had a meaning to it. We focused on the thoughts of being two planets and kind of orbiting around each other.”
Well, at least one person didn’t find the moment poetic.
“That (song) was something that I wanted for Penelope’s season, and I was livid,” Coughlan fumed jokingly (we think). “I have a playlist, and that was the first thing on it. And I was like, ‘they did not.'”
Awkward! Regé-Jean Page says family was ‘overwhelmed’ by his ‘backside’ during ‘Bridgerton’ sex scenes
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Uber, Lyft made safety improvements, but many of those protect riders more than drivers. But drivers are also in danger.
Naomi Ogutu
Opinion contributor
I’ve been a rideshare driver in New York City for six years, and I take pride in my job and helping my passengers get where they need to go safely. But my safety is not a guarantee. I’m a mom of three. I need to know that I’ll make it home to my kids at the end of each night.
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Business
'A bad déjà vu': Under the crush of Western sanctions, Russians fear a return to dark economic days
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Harsh sanctions from Western nations on Russia have reminded citizens of the country’s 1998 debt crisis.
By Anna Nemtsova
USA TODAY
- McDonalds and other American businesses have closed in Russia amid its invasion into Ukraine.
- One expert estimates more than 200,000 Russians have left the country since the start of the war.
- To counter economic turmoil, Putin has demand “unfriendly” countries pay for natural gas exports in rubles.
The once bustling corner of Moscow’s central Tverskaya Street looked deserted on Wednesday, as Russia’s first-ever McDonald’s franchise – opened in 1990 in a move that symbolized the Soviet Union’s opening to the West – shut its doors.
A large mural depicting a giant, Soviet-era medal – the Order of Victory, the highest military decoration awarded in World War II — loomed over over the empty sidewalk.
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The lone No. 1 seed still alive heading into the Elite Eight, Kansas needs only a win against No. 10 Miami (Fla.) to book a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski can make one last Final Four and chase one final national championship by beating No. 4 Arkansas.
No. 2 Villanova can reach the national semifinals for the third time in six tournaments by winning what should be a defense-dominated brawl against No. 5 Houston.
And after beating No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, No. 8 North Carolina is one win from reaching the Final Four under first-year coach Hubert Davis.
If everything goes according to plan, this year’s Final Four will consist of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
But the last week has taught us that this year’s NCAA Tournament will inevitably deviate from the script.
So look for the Jayhawks to be shocked in the Elite Eight, as the Bill Self collection of tournament collapses adds another painful chapter. Based on how things have gone through three rounds, Arkansas is a lock to send Krzyzewski into retirement one game shy of the Final Four. Villanova may be a two-time champion under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats will be smothered by Houston.
And, of course, the Tar Heels will lose to the team that embodies the wackiness and uncertainty of this entire tournament.
Saint Peter’s stands at the precipice of another outlandish achievement: being the first No. 15 seed — the first seed lower than No. 11, in fact — to reach the Final Four.
The Peacocks will be the underdog once again come Sunday, when they’ll match against a deeper and more talented opponent with decades of history to more than overshadow the Peacocks’ three-game run.
But beating another college basketball giant will simply take what we already know the Peacocks can bring to the table: Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight with energy, aggressiveness and composure, following the model set by unflappable coach Shaheen Holloway, and that same combination will give the Peacocks a chance at etching themselves into an even more permanent place in NCAA Tournament history.
“We’re happy but don’t mistake, we’re not satisfied, we’re not satisfied at all,” said guard Doug Edert. “The job is not finished. We feel like we belong and the more games we win the more confidence we build.”
That sounds like bad news for the Tar Heels, who might’ve righted the ship after a poor start to ACC play but could be the latest blueblood to the Peacocks’ formula.
At some point, the magic has to run out — for Saint Peter’s, which somehow keeps stacking upsets of higher-ranked opponents, and for the tournament at large, which has been wackier than ever but could suddenly snap back to the status quo.
But this March has not gone according to plan. Several big names lost early. Others failed to get out of the second round. The story of this year’s tournament has been upsets, shockers, letdowns, unpredictable officiating and unpredictability, period — why should the next two days be any different?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
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