For viewers of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver’s declaration that Bridgerton is the show with “[l]ots of jizzing in blankets” will never leave their minds. That group of TV watchers, however, is not separate from those who are looking forward to Shondaland bringing back the sultry, smart, and scandalous series for a second round. And so, we have a new teaser with the cementing of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews). What’s she reporting upon this time around?
Sadly for enthusiasts of The Duke, it does not appear that we’ll be seeing a surprise return of Regé-Jean Page (as Simon Basset), which certainly isn’t news, but curiously enough, we see a few shots of Phoebe Dynevor returning as Daphne Bridgerton. Apparently, she’s paying a visit (and Simon’s off smoldering somewhere by his lonesome?) while this season focuses upon Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) looking for his own match. This was all part of the plan, since the series is following the template laid out by Julia Quinn’s books. From the synopsis:
[T]he second season of Bridgerton follows Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount, as he sets out to find a suitable wife. Driven by his duty to uphold the family name, Anthony’s search for a debutante who meets his impossible standards seems ill-fated until Kate (Simone Ashley) and her younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) Sharma arrive from India. When Anthony begins to court Edwina, Kate discovers the true nature of his intentions — a true love match is not high on his priority list — and decides to do everything in her power to stop the union. But in doing so, Kate and Anthony’s verbal sparring matches only bring them closer together, complicating matters on both sides. Across Grosvenor Square, the Featheringtons must welcome the newest heir to their estate while Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) continues to navigate the [town] whilst keeping her deepest secret from the people closest to her.
Following the first-season success of this series, Netflix swiftly renewed the production for four more seasons, but will people keep clicking in The Duke’s absence? We should find out soon enough.
Bridgerton (along with Lady Whistledown) returns on March 25.