What We Know About "Bridgerton" Season 2 - So Far

With the latest announcement that Bridgerton has already been confirmed for a third and fourth season, the whirlwind romantic antics of the Bridgeton family are set to have a second season in the near future. Therefore, I am brushing off my quill to give you my dear readers what scandals we are set to prepare for.

For anyone who may not know, to which I ask - dear reader where have you been? The first season of the period drama series, produced by Grey's Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes, follows the scandal-filled story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) as they create a romantic scheme to please their marriage-minded family members, London high society, and the mysterious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). One may read my thoughts of the first season here.

What is Happening?

Since the series is based on best-selling romance author Julia Quinn's eight-novel Bridgerton collection, fans of the books already know this season will be based around the second book - The Viscount Who Loved Me.

This season will be centre on Lord Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he looks for a wife, planning to marry for convenience rather than love - Edwina Sharma (Newcomer Charithra Chandran) is a practical choice, but this is unacceptable for her older sister Kate (Simone Ashley). Kate wants her sister to marry for love and finds the Lord an unsuitable match - things start to get more complicated when Anthony and Kate find their first impressions of each other were false and begin to fall for each other.

New Leading Lady & New Family

Simone Ashley (known for starring in Netflix's Sex Education and ITV's Broadchurch) was confirmed to play the new lead Kate Sharman, Anthony's new love interest, and our new feisty heroine earlier this year. Kate's character is known for her quick-wit and sharp tongue, which will prove to be a match against Anthony's brooding and stubborn nature.

Previously known as Sheffield and now renamed Sharman, Bridgerton continues to promote diverse casting with the family being cast and rewritten as a British-Indian family. With Edwina's casting recently confirmed, Shelley Conn has joined the cast as matriarch Mary Sharman.

This writer is interested in seeing how Bailey and Ashley capture their characters' romantic chemistry on screen. And one is also pleased that this production is continuing to portray the real-life diversity of England.

Regé-Jean Page will not be reprising his role, but Phoebe Dynevor will be!

Fans were devastated to learn through the social circles of Lady Instagram that the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page) will not be returning for season 2. This announcement was met with a mixture of sadness and elation - as it also confirmed Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) is expected to return to the series, we and the show was bidding farewell to Simon for the time being.

So why is Regé-Jean Page exiting the series, you ask? According to the actor himself, it was all part of the plan for his character when he first signed on.

From his interview with Variety, Page said:

“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” Page says, recounting early conversations with Shondaland producers, who approached him about the role of Simon after “For the People” wrapped up. “[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.”

“One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes,” he explains. “They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we’re going to come out and we’re going to have the marriage and the baby.”

Personally. I agree with Rage's statement - aside from the fact each book serves as an anthology, Simon's arc had reached a pretty solid conclusion. He had found happiness with the woman he loves and they have a child together. This writer wishes Lord Hastings the best as he sets out to play new characters in the near future!

Characters set to return

Until my ink says otherwise, here is a list of the principal cast set to reprise their roles:

• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
• Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton
• Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
• Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
• Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton
• Polly Walker as Lady Portia Featherington
• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Ruby Barker as Marina Thompson
• Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper

Season Two production set to begin soon with a third and fourth season underway

Bridgerton is expected to begin filming In England this year, with an estimated 2022 release on Netflix. With Anthony and Kate's romance set to sweep audiences off their feet - two more Bridgerton children are expected to be pulled into love, scandal, and drama.

Season Three will focus on playboy brother Benedict's romantic antics (based on Julia Quinn's An Offer From A Gentleman) and Season Four will give fans the long-awaited romance between childhood friends Colin and Penelope (based on Julia Quinn's Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) - but a scandalous secret could tear them apart.

Although 2022 may seem like a long wait - Fear not, Reader - I will be documenting and reporting on any further developments underway. In the meantime, one could always re-watch season one or read the novels ahead of time to prepare for the new season...