The Bridgerton Love Triangle That Wasn’t

Netflix

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The trailer for Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 2 is finally here, and we are nearly speechless with it. Watching three minutes of kinetic, colorful regency tension, voiceover-ed to perfection was arguably better than reading a really good romance novel in its entirety. How did they do that?

It’s all in the narrative, my friends.

The Love Triangle That Wasn’t

Anthony’s story is detailed for us in Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me, the second novel in the Bridgerton series, and the book on which this season is based.

Based, being the operative word. Because there is so much more going on in this short trailer than what we see in the source material. And I don’t necessarily mean the scenes or the dialogue. Most of that, in fact, is recognizable to Bridgerton readers.

Sure, those aren’t the exact circumstances in which Anthony falls into the Serpentine, but aren’t we very glad he did so? Would Lady Violet really have bullhorned that marriageable info into a ballroom in the book? Unlikely. But most of what she does happens off-page, anyway. Let a Lady Live.

But, no. The devil is less in the details here and more in the story they’re selling. You heard Lady Whistledown? “Competition is an opportunity.” Bridgerton is going meta with that sentiment.

This version of Kate and Anthony’s story is way more Taming of the Shrew and far less Turning Over the Ugly Duckling. In the book, Kate’s forever worried that at the ancient age of 21, with a lack of dowry, and a beyond-gorgeous younger sister, she will be resigned to her unmarried and unwanted ugly sister fate. It’s pounded into the reader’s head that Edwina is gorgeous, and Kate, less so. I see no hint of this in the trailer. It’s not that Edwina is not beautiful; it’s simply that Kate’s place in her life is protector and bulwark, while remaining beautiful and intriguing herself. Kate was always going to be (and is on the page) Anthony’s equal in every way. But this is going to be an actual showdown.

Tensions have been high in the fandom over the marketing of this season’s heavy hand on the love triangle throttle. Uncouth and incorrect fans even bullied Charithra Chandran (Edwina Sharma) off of Twitter by their incessant complaining that the character poster for Kate and Anthony included her. If they had just WAITED.

Kanthony era 📖 #Bridgerton #S2 #March25 💫 pic.twitter.com/hRn3Xg3Mlr
— Chris Van Dusen (@chrisvandusen) March 8, 2022

But horrible fans aside, the trailer is proving their silly fears correct: Shondaland has dived deep into the love triangle waters, and if Anthony’s wet shirt is anything to gauge by, the results will be VERY good for us.

Because love triangles, while often contrived, frustrating and trite, work best when the rivals … also love each other. It doesn’t happen often in this trope that the rivals would be pushing each other into the love interest’s arms because of their love for one another, but it has the potential to be gorgeously compelling and heart-wrenching. In the book, Edwina and Anthony barely interact, and almost never on page without Kate hovering. But underlying the original story is the fact that Anthony was seriously courting Edwina to be his wife; it only makes sense for our tension and our pleasure that they give us more of that on screen.

Watching Kate navigate her hate-on for Anthony while dealing with her own confusing feelings for him while maintaining Edwina’s happiness, which just might include Anthony after all? That is drama.

Add in the very evident desire and desperation pouring off both Anthony and Kate, and you have a very decadent season of television. When happily ever afters are guaranteed, and outcomes are assured, viewers and readers alike should be treated to the most interesting, dramatic and emotional paths to get us there.

If we can feel it in this short trailer, we are going to be LIVING it when March 25th rolls around.

We Noticed That Too

And now for the rapid fire run down of all the things in the trailer that made us GASP.

VoilET! I know Julia Quinn has always telegraphed that Lady Bridgerton wanted nothing more than for her children to marry well and early, but that is quite the effort.
Kate and Eloise’s burgeoning friendship is going to come in very handy when someone retreats to his mommy’s house because he loves his wife.
Daphne’s BABIES!
Shaving and fencing and horse riding and SO MANY MAN ACTIVITIES!
It looks like Francesca will be at Aubrey Hall, so fear not. She lives.
Newton is of course, underfoot, but is it possible he is less biddable than Alpha!Anthony would like?
Pall Mall will include Benedict, and look, I’m ok with that if it means his season will be significantly more fun than his book.
DYING that Anthony has to button up his initial reactions during Pall Mall because Edwina is there. THIS IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE FUN THAN WE THOUGHT.
THE HANDS THE HANDS THE PINKIES AND THE HANDS
Anthony had his father’s memorial plinth and the ride in the rain are a good reminders that this season will not be all sexual tension and puppers. There’s trauma bond in this season too.
THE WEDDING AISLE
Who is THAT GUY, Eloise?
The library scene is going to be super hot.
I thought the hands were hot, and then Anthony jumped off that horse in the rain.
Wet. This season is going to be very wet.
There were no bees.