Caution! There are spoilers ahead. Also, I apologize, but I'll be rambling quite a bit, there was just so much going on.
Well, Edwina (Charithra Chandran) must be blind, anyone with eyes can see that her betrothed, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) is in love with her sister, Kate (Simone Ashley), even though they get along like oil and water (though the smolder is seriously off the charts) and even though Anthony is viewing his quest for a wife as though he's buying a prized horse, even reviewing her bloodline. And that's ironic considering his meet-cute with Kate happens to be when they are both on horses. Also, Anthony seems to be continuing his whoring ways, after all, he truly is a Capitol R Rake.
But this season does focus on his past and they shape his backstory brilliantly, having him witness his father's (Rupert Evans's) tragic death from a sudden and unexpected bee sting and then nearly losing his mother to a difficult childbirth (thank goodness Anthony let her make her own decision with that delivery though the doctor was begging him to choose, if he'd decided, I would have killed him on the spot) and then watch her be swallowed up with grief, so he cuts off himself, burying himself in responsibility of being the viscount, not wanting to find what his parents had as he refuses to lose himself to grief.
Though he and Kate have plenty of differences, they have plenty of similarities as they both feel they put family responsible before all else, constantly at their own expense, and she challenges him. He needs her.
However, there is plenty more going on. Eloise (Claudia Jessie) is hot on the trail of Lady Whistledown despite her dearest friend, Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) tries, in vain to dissuade her from such attempts. This leads Eloise to the print shop and the sweet, tragically underdeveloped rebel and feminist Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), my favorite male character this season (though Bailey did manage to surprise me), only he's of a lower class and Eloise does end things, though she claims its in his best interest as falling in love with her would ruin him. Shouldn't that be his decision to make?
But, as the queen is hot on Whistledown's trail, Penelope is forced to take desperate measures and in order to secure her future, with all that money she keeps hidden underneath her floorboards, she throws Eloise under the bus, as if the Bridgertons could endure anymore scandal after Anthony and Edwina abruptly calling off their wedding, an elaborate affair if there ever was one. But they must endure more, Eloise caught with feminist pamphlets. This leads Eloise to finally put the pieces together and a heart-breaking confession from Penelope and a wretched friendship break-up.
And there are other Bridgertons, Benedict (Luke Thompson) seems to be thriving at the Royal Academy, though his brother paid them, and Colin (Luke Newton) thinks about investing in Jack Featherington's (Rupert Young's) empty gem mines in America. Even little Gregory (Will Tilston) has a great moment in the final episode. And Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) gets to dance with her brother.
But back to Anthony and Kate. Sure, Anthony was a complete fool proposing to Edwina even though several of his close family members, including the happily married Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and mother (Ruth Gemmell) and probably even Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), still as sharp-tongued as ever. However, Kate supports the match, though she knows it will break her heart but she's content to spend her life as an unmarried governess back in India. And then, after the dissolution of her sister and Anthony, they still can't get together because of the scandal it would cause, despite that hot kiss scene in the church (after Edwina broke up with him, rebound much?), but she denies it. Yet, she lets him go down on her in the garden pavilion. Oh the irony of that scene, she leaves before he wakes up when he normally would leave. Then she is thrown from her horse (if it was an attempt at suicide, the script loses that thread) and remains unconscious for some time, leaving Anthony to face his worst fear. Thank goodness she recovers and Anthony heeds his mother's advice, deciding to enjoy the moment and proposes and fortunately, she accepts, so at least the two leads get a happy ever after.
So, despite my worries as Anthony is a true man-whore and society has that utter ridiculous double-standard, I still was utterly rooting for them to end up together, as he needed someone closer to his age and Kate is six and twenty. And the acting and writing remains completely impeccable, top-notch, so I couldn't look away. Fortunately, I blocked my weekend solely to watch this show and I'm glad I did. The sets and costumes are the best eye-candy Netflix has to offer and the score continues to blend pop songs with traditional classical music, so this series was another must see. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Francesca (Ruby Stokes) disappears halfway through the season without an explanation.
-So, Simon (Rege-Jean Page) doesn't appear at all, though I barely missed him, but yes, it was weird that he wasn't at the wedding, such what it was.
-Daphne and Simon's son is name August and she mustn't be nursing him as she's able to make an appearance for her sister's debut to society.
-In the flashback scene, Edmund Bridgerton was earing a wedding ring, and I cry bullshit, no other man wore one in the series and while I admire that he did (men that don't peeve me), I don't feel that it was historically accurate, unfortunately.
-I also don't know how Anthony came to learn Kate's full name of Kathani, when it was never mentioned before.
-Kate is actually not related to Lady Mary (Shelly Conn). Lady Mary was disinherited from her family after marrying a simple Indian clerk. And while she might consider Kate her daughter, her parents only offer Kate the cold, ice cold shoulder.
-Kate is literally the only woman Anthony doesn't ask how many children she wants. This means that he loves her for her, not as a walking uterus to bare little Bridgerton heirs.
-Anthony might be searching for perfection though his search isn't going so well (in the beginning), and trust me, I know, my journey isn't going great either.
-I would kill for a guy to look at me like Anthony looks at Kate. I can dream, can't I?
-That being said, I would rather not haunt his dreams, I would wish him pleasant dreams, preferably with me in them.
-Notes from my sister: the unsung hero is the footman and Gregory was fully dressed so no wonder he was having issues sleeping. Thanks Sister!
-'Wrecking Ball' was very wisely used.
-There are only two sex scenes this season. Both are effective. But I was expecting more.
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