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Bridgerton made its Netflix premiere on Christmas Day 2020 and no one could've predicted the widespread impact that the Regency-era period drama would end up having on everything from pop culture to fashion trends. The award-winning show, which is based on Julia Quinn's eight-book series, follows the Bridgerton clan as they navigate London's high society and try to find romance along the way.
Now that the Shonda Rhimes-produced show is coming back for its highly anticipated second season, the ton are abuzz with excitement. Here’s everything we know about Bridgerton season 2 so far.
1. Bridgerton season 2 will premiere on March 25, 2022.
Fans got a sneak preview of the new season during Netflix’s TUDUM event last September, but the streaming platform didn't specify the release date until December 2021, on the one-year anniversary of the show's premiere. In a special video announcement, cast members Jonathan Bailey, Golda Rosheuvel, and Adjoa Andoh along with newcomers Charithra Chandran and Simone Ashley revealed that season 2 would hit Netflix on March 25, 2022.
2. Season 2 will be based on The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn.
Since this is the second season, it's only natural that it would follow the same order as the original Julia Quinn books. The first season was based on The Duke and I, the first in Quinn's Bridgerton series, which followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she found love with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). Season 2 will take its cues from and be set in 1814.
3. Season 2 will focus on Anthony Bridgerton's search for a bride.
Like the book it's based on, the second season of Bridgerton will follow the story of the eldest Bridgerton child, Viscount Anthony (Bailey), and his quest to find a wife. At the end of the first season, Anthony revealed his intentions to Daphne and Simon. However, he also claimed that he would leave love out of the equation, which might prove to be quite a challenge once he meets the Sharma sisters (Chandran and Ashley).
4. Simone Ashley will play Kate Sharma, who is based on Kate Sheffield from the books.
One of the most exciting things we know about season two is that Ashley (Sex Education) will star as Kate Sharma. In The Viscount Who Loved Me, her last name is Sheffield, which the writers changed to Sharma to reflect Ashley's Indian heritage. In addition to Kate, expect her younger half-sister Edwina (Chandran) to have a big impact, too. She's declared the "diamond of the first water" (same as Daphne was in season 1, when she made her debut in high society) and gains the attention of many suitors, including Anthony Bridgerton.
5. Phoebe Dynevor will return, but Regé-Jean Page will not.
Though Daphne and Simon Basset dominated the first season of Bridgerton, fans expected that they would only appear as guest stars throughout the rest of the show's run. It's been confirmed that Daphne will be returning, however, Regé-Jean Page told Variety that he wouldn't. "... t felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit, and then the Bridgerton family rolls on," he said. Rhimes told that it didn't make sense to have Page standing in the background. "I was just excited about the idea of being able to tell a complete romantic tale that has an end," Rhimes said.
6. But we will get to see the late Viscount Edmund Bridgerton.
One character who was physically absent in the first season was the late Viscount Edmund Bridgerton, the husband of Lady Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and father to all eight Bridgerton children. Entertainment Weekly reported that Rupert Evans (Charmed) will appear as the family patriarch in season 2, presumably in flashback sequences. Fans of the books might recall that Anthony was deeply affected by the death of his father.
7. Lady Whistledown will return, and the audience knows who she is.
One of the biggest reveals in season 1 was the audience learning the identity of gossip columnist Lady Whistledown. In the last few minutes of the season finale, fans found out that it was none other than Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), best friend of Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie). In the books, her identity isn't revealed until the fourth entry, Romancing Mister Bridgerton. We can only imagine how this new discovery will play into the drama between the two friends in season two. "It tests relationships with everyone in her life," Coughlan told Entertainment Weekly.
8. Penelope develops a new Alter Ego.
Fans will remember that in season 1, Eloise was determined to unmask Lady Whistledown. In season 2, we suspect she will continue her mission, even if Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) no longer needs her help. In an interview with , Coughlan revealed that Penelope will develop a new alter ego as an Irish maid (dubbed Bridget by the actress) who does Lady Whistledown's business on her behalf. Coughlan, who is Irish, joked: "I first read the script and was like, 'How am I going to do that one?'"
9. Filming for Season 2 took most of 2021 to complete.
Production for the second season began in spring 2021, but was halted in July 2021 due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the set. Filming resumed in mid-August and officially wrapped over the weekend of November 20, 2021, when showrunner Chris Van Dusen posted a photo with Bailey and Ashley.
10. Seasons 3 and 4 are already confirmed (and there's a Queen Charlotte spinoff coming).
Fans of the book series will be happy to know that the Bridgerton family story won't end after Anthony's season. On April 13, 2021, Netflix confirmed that the show was renewed for seasons 3 and 4. It'll follow the same timeline as the books, which means the love life of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) will be front and center for season 3, in keeping with An Offer From a Gentleman, Quinn's third Bridgerton tome. We expect to see Penelope and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) as the focal point of the fourth season, as it'll be based on Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
In addition, a spin-off series about young Queen Charlotte has also been green-lit by Netflix, which will be written and produced by Rhimes. Digital Spy reported that this new show will also feature younger versions of Lady Violet and Lady Danbury. "As we continue to expand the world of Bridgerton, we now have the opportunity to devote even more of the Shondaland fold to the Bridgerton-verse," Rhimes said.