CAST: Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, Charithra Chandran, Shelley Conn, Calam Lynch, Adjoa Andoh, Golda Rosheuvel, Claudia Jessie and Nicola Coughlan
If you have seen hindi television serials, Shondaland just arrived to the scene. Bridgerton Season 2 has all the masala. Two sisters, both poor arrive in high society London, the older sister (the sacrificing one) has always taken the responsibilities of the entire family after their father’s death, she has worked hard to make sure that her younger sister has a better life, keeps her protected from the burdens of the world and some uncomfortable secrets and is guilty about receiving the love of her stepmother.
All the ingredients of our everyday daily soap ladies. The ammi, the appa, the scenes of the love between two sisters. The unmistakable foundation of education.
Now throw in the handsome, rich brooding suitor who first exchanges fireworks with the lead, then decides to marry the sister, then figures out how he is deeply in love with the leading lady herself. Same formula. Same . Same. Same.
But eight one hour episodes.
Fun. Especially as it seems to be the time for Indian girls !!
This season, the writers of Bridgerton, Netflix’s period drama smash, enjoy some knowing puns as their characters spend episode one of the second run wondering what this “new season” will hold.
What does it hold? A new protagonist for starters. Julia Quinn’s books, based on which the series is based, deal with each of the eight Bridgerton siblings in turn. Eldest daughter Daphne is now married and appears here now and then to knock sense into her brother Anthony on whom the pressure of the series rests. Viscount Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) is getting ready to pick the best woman in town and convert her into a viscountess. Before he throws himself back on to the circuit of balls, parties and recitals he meets Kate (Simone Ashley), an intriguing stranger with whom he shares a provocative verbal spar, and a riding match in the woods that he loses, the sort of encounter that truly excites him.
Obediently putting that out of his mind, because he puts duty before feelings, he rocks up to the first ball of the season and is introduced to Edwina (Charithra Chandran), an impressive typical marriageable type, who is blessed by the Queen of England as her Diamond for the season, ( As a favor to the hostess of the Sharmas ,Lady Danbury), making her the most suitable bride for the most eligible bachelor of the season – the Viscount. We can guess who Edwina’s sister is.
The love triangle between Anthony, Kate and Edwina develops and the story takes off from there.
As if meant for the Indian living room, the scenes of passionate what could have been a kiss but turned out damb squib really stood out in the love expression between Kate and Anthony scenes and the real scenes being filmed on them only post their marriage.
In terms of period dramas, Bridgerton is full of cleverly woven anachronisms, an extremely culturally sensitive approach, (What a delight watching the Hindu haldi marriage rituals on Edwina as the three Sharma women celebrated her wedding to the Viscount, the scene where Kate oil massages Edwina’s hair, the consistent respectful didi that Edwina calls Kate) and a racially balanced cast. The writing is fun, witty, feisty. The women are clever, have fully developed character arcs and fully validate their existence.
What made us chuckle even louder was the background score playing cover versions of You Oughta Know, Material Girl or, when the queen is awarding the most covetable debutante the title of “diamond”, Diamonds by Rihanna
There are some terrific horse-riding sequences. That electric chemistry between Anthony and Kate that everyone seems to notice is real and electric on the screen.
The rolling subplot about a outrageous gossip leaflet written by the fictional Lady Whistledown has new energy this season, after the season one finale confided in the audience who this journalistic Pimpernel is. In this season, we see the struggle of this person as they are trying to avoid detection by not only other people but also the Queen.
Eloise, whose intellectual curiosity leads her into a romance across class boundaries with a common boy gets blamed for being the writer. As Eloise, Claudia Jessie is impressive and brings out every bit of Eloise’s personality.
The strength of the series is a genuine portrayal of strong, real women even when the times were not in their favor.
However much it reminded us of an Indian TV soap, we loved Bridgerton to bits. Once more.
So bingable.
