The widely regarded, highly praised Netflix series Bridgerton returned for its second season on Mar. 25. With the reappearance of some familiar faces, as well as the introduction of new characters, there were certainly waltzes, gowns, and drama to spare within this season.

One of the biggest surprises of Season 2 was that Lord Simon, Duke of Hastings, the town’s heartthrob from Season 1, did not make an appearance at a single ball nor an episode this go-around. Many fans were disappointed by this, including myself. Personally, I think it made no sense to not feature the Duke, yet still include his character in the show’s narrative. The writers should not have made the difficult executive decision to remove the beloved character. Viewers were heartbroken, and the Duke’s inclusion would have made the show generally more cohesive. As this season involved family events, such as the wedding of Lord Simon’s best friend and brother in law, it was confusing to have the Duke’s wife in attendance and not him, especially with no proper explanation. 

Although the sudden introduction of new characters lacked a degree of exposition, they were an exciting addition to London society. Kate Sharma is first introduced on horseback racing the viscount Anthony, whom the show centered around this season. Cunning, curious, bold, and elegant, Kate’s character cuts quite a figure, rejecting the societal conventions of the time during which the series takes place. She hunts, speaks her mind, and basically does all the things which were specifically reserved for men during the 19th century Regency period the show mirrors.

Kate’s sister, Miss Edwina Sharma, is introduced later as the season’s diamond, who will also serve as a foil to Kate as they fight over the same man, the viscount. In addition to the drama they contribute to the series, the Sharma sisters also provide us with the South Asian representation that is often lacking among TV series. The producer of Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes, as I mentioned in my review of Season 1, does an amazing job at being aware of the need for diversity in television, especially in a show such as this one, which would be expected to center around white, straight characters if it were historically accurate. Rhimes is aware of the fact that the fanbase of popular TV shows is diverse, and produced Bridgerton with the belief that the cast of these shows should be as diverse as its viewers. 

Although watching the second season of Bridgerton did not produce the same sense of serotonin that I received from watching the first, I was almost immediately enthralled by the storyline, classical renditions of pop songs and elaborate balls and gowns – which, to me, are reason enough to binge-watch the series in one weekend.