‘Bridgerton’ Delivers a Deliciously Hot Enemies to Lovers Storyline in Season Two
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that “enemies to lovers” is the sexiest romance trope. Bridgerton season two was highly anticipated for me because I enjoyed the book and I found the relationship between Kate and Anthony fantastic. Not to mention, I was excited to see a dark-skinned Indian woman (Simone Ashley) and an openly gay man (Jonathan Bailey) being the lead romantic roles.
***Some mild spoilers for Bridgerton season two ahead***
In season two, Anthony Bridgerton is on the hunt for a perfect wife. He isn’t looking for love, just for someone who is smart and of good breeding—a new female addition to the very large Bridgerton family. He decides to go after the season’s diamond, Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), but he ends up butting heads with Edwina’s elder sister, Kathani “Kate” Sharma. And they loathe each other—at first.
There has been much lamenting from some that this season of Bridgerton had fewer sex scenes, but you know what is better than a bunch of mid-sex scenes? The simmering sexual tension of two people who claim to hate each other but are really just trying to keep from ripping each other’s clothes off.
Ashley and Bailey have fantastic chemistry and there are times when you truly feel like Anthony is on the brink of just holding Kate’s hand. And if you know period dramas, you know a hand holding moment is like … third base.
I was engrossed in their back and forth with each other, especially because I think the characters were well-matched. I understood why they were drawn to each other, both are elder siblings who have always felt like they had to smother their needs for the greater good of others. Neither likes to put on airs and had given up on finding a true equal.
Kate has decided to support Edwina and return to India to be a teacher, and Anthony, having traumatically lost his father and then found himself thrust into the role of patriarch, is single-mindedly determined to live up to the shadow of a man. But he’s also terrified of feeling the same pain of loss he saw his mother go through after his father’s death.
It is only in each other’s presence that the central couple can be their truest selves and that is why rather than repelling each other—they are drawn to one another.
In fact, the only downside of the Bridgerton season 2 storyline is that the love triangle did weaken some aspects of the story in terms of the connection between the entire Sharma family and Anthony (but that’s for another, more spoilery post).
Chemistry matters in a romance and it has been so long since I’ve seen really good ones on screen, so not only was this a delight to watch, but I actually felt satisfied with the relationship.
Anyone who thinks a gay man can’t play a straight romantic lead—watch episode 7 and then tell me that again.
(image: Netflix)
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