The second season of the American historical romance series Bridgerton began on March 25, 2022, and had eight episodes. It is based on the second book in the Bridgerton novel series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and follows the story of the oldest Bridgerton child, Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey. Critics gave the season good reviews, with special praise for Bailey's acting and how the main characters worked together.

Premise

As London's upcoming social season approaches, Anthony Bridgerton believes it is his duty as Viscount to find a wife. He is not interested in a romantic relationship because of the pain he felt when he saw his mother lose his father at a young age. Instead, he focuses on Edwina Sharma, a new resident of the city and a highly admired guest at royal events who meets his criteria. However, his efforts to connect with Edwina are hindered by her older sister, Kate, who is intelligent and self-reliant.

Cast and characters

• Jonathan Bailey as Lord Anthony Bridgerton, 9th Viscount Bridgerton, the oldest Bridgerton child and leader of the family.
• Simone Ashley as Kathani "Kate" Sharma
• Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma, Kate's younger half-sister

Production

Before the first season aired, the show was already in preparation for a second season, which was officially announced in January 2021. The second season focuses on Anthony and is based on the book The Viscount Who Loved Me. On April 13, 2021, the show's creator, Van Dusen, shared on Twitter that the series had also been renewed for a third and fourth season.

On January 21, 2021, it was announced that Jonathan Bailey would play Anthony again and be the main character of the second season. The following month, Simone Ashley was cast as Kate. On April 5, 2021, Charithra Chandran joined the cast as Edwina; Rupert Young was added to play a new character; Shelley Conn was cast as Mary, Kate’s stepmother and Edwina’s mother; and Calam Lynch was cast as Theo Sharpe. On May 28, 2021, Rupert Evans joined the cast as Edmund Bridgerton, the late leader of the Bridgerton family.

Production for the second season began in March 2021. In May 2021, it was reported that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead did not allow the construction of a film set for the second season in Sunninghill Park near Windsor, even though royal approval had been given. On July 15, 2021, production on the second season was paused for 24 hours after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19, but it continued the next day. However, production was stopped indefinitely on July 17 after a second positive test. Production resumed in August 2021 and finished on November 20, 2021.

New filming locations for season 2 included Wrotham Park (used as the Bridgertons’ country home, Aubrey Hall); West Wycombe Park (for Aubrey Hall’s interior and the Crane estate); Wrest Park, Ivinghoe Beacon, and Ashridge (for the Orangery and Aubrey Hall grounds); the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club (for Royal Ascot scenes); Old Royal Naval College; Windsor Great Park (for woodland scenes); Goldsmiths’ Hall (for Buckingham Palace’s throne room); and Wilton’s Music Hall (for a feminist meeting scene). The real St. James’s Church appears in the series. The art display at Petworth House was used for the museum scene, with Royal Artillery Barracks used as the exterior. The finale ball was filmed at Basildon Park.

Music

For the season, the show featured covers of Nirvana's "Stay Away" and Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" by Vitamin String Quartet, Madonna's "Material Girl," "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" from the film's soundtrack, and Calvin Harris's "How Deep Is Your Love" by Bowers. Additional songs included Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" and Pink's "What About Us" by Duomo, Harry Styles's "Sign of the Times" by Steve Horner, Rihanna's "Diamonds" by Hannah V and Joe Rodwell, and Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" by Midnight String Quartet. To promote the show, Morissette appeared in a video performing "You Oughta Know" with Duomo. When discussing the music of season two, music supervisor Justin Kramps explained that "even for these songs that are very well-known, an instrumental version still gives them new life and introduces them to a new audience in a different way. Pop music is where we start, because it fits the style of the show, and it often uses these very well-known songs that add a lot of joy, which is what pop music generally does."

Reception

The website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 78% based on 95 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. The site’s critics agreed, saying, "The exciting thrill may have lessened, but Bridgerton is still a show that keeps viewers hooked with this enjoyable second season." Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 32 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly gave the series an A−, writing, "The second season is smarter, more emotional, and more complex than the first, proving this historical drama is more than just a fun but shallow story." Angie Hahn of The Hollywood Reporter described the season as "older and wiser" than the first, noting an effective central romance that focused on "intelligent conversations outside ballrooms and friendly competition during a game of pall-mall." Peter Travers of ABC praised the season for "exploring characters’ emotions more deeply" and continuing the show’s "colorblind casting," which made diversity feel natural.

Alison Herman of The Ringer said Season 1 was "sexy without being erotic," while Season 2 had "less sex but more eroticism" through the chemistry and self-control between characters Anthony and Kate. Emma Clarke of The Independent argued that the lack of physical intimacy made the season "sexy" because of the focus on emotional connections. Scott Bryan of the BBC wrote that the season was a fresh take on historical dramas, feeling "modern" despite being set in the past and "refreshingly easy to enjoy."

Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast praised actor Luke Bryan’s performance, saying he "handled his character’s emotions without making the story too serious." Anita Singh of The Telegraph wrote that Bryan "brought more depth to Lord Bridgerton than previous actors did." Randy Myers of Mercury News added that Bryan had a strong sense of humor. Proma Khosla of Mashable concluded that the chemistry between Bryan and other lead actor Ashley made Season 2 "a success" with "strong sexual tension."

The series premiered on March 25, 2022, and became the most-watched show in 92 countries on its platform. It was also the most viewed show on U.S. television for three weeks, according to Nielsen Media Research. Season 2 had 193 million viewing hours in its first weekend, the highest opening for any English-language Netflix series at the time. It also broke the record for most viewed English-language series in a single week, with 251.74 million viewing hours from March 28 to April 3. The first season returned to Netflix’s top ten in second place. By April 19, Season 2 had become the most watched English-language series on Netflix, with 627.11 million hours viewed since its March 25, 2022, launch. This number reached 656.16 million by the 28-day mark.

Nielsen Media Research found that Bridgerton’s audience was "diverse and broad," with one-third of viewers being Hispanic or African American. The show was equally popular among people aged 18–34, 35–49, and 50–64, with each group making up 25% of viewers. The only exception was gender, with 76% of viewers being female. The show added 3.2 billion minutes viewed in its second week and topped the chart for a third week with 1.6 billion minutes viewed.

Official "Queen's Ball" events were held in Washington D.C., Chicago, Montréal, and Los Angeles, with similar events in London and Johannesburg. Bloomingdale’s created a Bridgerton-themed pop-up collection and tea bar, displaying real costumes from the series in the U.S. for the first time.

After the season showed characters playing pall-mall, a lawn game similar to croquet, retailer John Lewis reported a 90% increase in croquet set sales. There was also a rise in internet searches and purchases of tiaras and corsets after Season 2’s premiere.

Stately homes in England saw more visitors. Chris Small of English Heritage said, "Since the launch of Bridgerton in 2020, many people who didn’t know about Ranger’s House have visited it." Walking tours of the show’s filming locations were created, including one by Netflix. Castle Howard opened an exhibition titled Castle Howard on Screen: From Brideshead to Bridgerton in May 2022.

The 33rd season finale episode of The Simpsons on May 22, 2022, included a scene where Marge and her friends watched a period drama called "Tunnelton" with a narrator similar to Lady Whistledown. A character emerged from a lake, like Anthony in the fifth episode of Season 2. The sixth episode of the 2024 season of Doctor Who, titled Rogue, was inspired by Bridgerton, featuring intrigue and romance at an English country party in 1813. The episode directly referenced the show through its main character, Ruby Sunday.