Bridgerton Season 2 Introduction
Bridgerton Season 3 is finally returning in May 2024 with a focus on our next favourite couple, Penelope and Colin! But before, that if you need a quick refresher on what went down in the previous seasons, our full story recap has your back!
Bridgerton Season 1 is where it all began. Following a certain global pandemic, Shondaland decided to help us escape reality with a Gossip Girl-esque romance set in the Regency era. Based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels, Season 1 begins with the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne who makes her debut as an eligible maiden in London’s high society.
If you have gone through our brief but detailed Season 1 recap, well, here’s the Season 2 recap which focuses on Anthony Bridgerton and his quest to find a bride while we are introduced to the mysterious but charming Sharmas.
The Love Triangle
Bridgerton Season 2 begins with Anthony Bridgerton being introduced as the newest bachelor in the ton as he is ready to find a wife. At the same time, Lady Danbury presents her guests, Mary Sharma and her two daughters, Kate and Edwina who is a hopeless romantic. As the older protective sister, Kate instantly dislikes Anthony as he makes it clear that he is not interested in love.
Of course, when Queen Charlotte declares Edwina to be the diamond of the season, Anthony decides to marry her. But easier said than done since Kate does her best to keep Anthony away. It is no use as Edwina is smitten with him. To get Kate’s approval, he invites the Sharmas to their country estate where their bickering leads to a short truce as they bond over their role as their family’s protector.
But it is Daphne who notices that despite Edwina’s charms, it is Kate and Anthony who are falling for each other. An oblivious Edwina keeps pushing Kate to hang out with Anthony so she can let go of her dislike. But duty calls and Anthony proposes to Edwina.
It is soon revealed that Mary’s parents do not care for the three women and only promise to fund them should Edwina marry well. At the same time, Anthony wants to do the right thing and break off the engagement with Edwina but Kate stops him.
It is D-Day and Queen Charlotte personally organises Anthony and Edwina’s wedding. However, at the altar, when Kate drops her bracelet, Anthony leaves Edwina’s side to pick up the fallen jewellery. Edwina realises that Kate and Anthony have feelings for each other and she runs off.
It is chaos as the two try to convince Edwina to go through the marriage but she refuses. Now, free Kate and Anthony kiss. Later, they sleep together but a guilty Kate runs off in the rain. Anthony chases after her but she falls from her horse and is rendered unconscious. Anthony professes his love to her when she wakes up but she refuses to marry as she is leaving for India.
Edwina patches up with her and convinces her to attend the last ball of the season held by the Featheringtons which also has Anthony in attendance. Everyone brushes them off but Queen Charlotte comes to their rescue by claiming that she had the wedding cancelled. Edwina too gives her blessing and Kate and Anthony confess their love for each other. At the end of Bridgerton Season 2, we see that Kate and Anthony are married.
Eloise’s Search Continues
It is Eloise’s turn as a debutante but she is less than happy about it. Her appearance is marred by the return of Lady Whistledown aka Penelope. Eloise and Queen Charlotte resume their hunt but separately. While Charlotte has no luck, Eloise finds Whistledown’s printer. She hopes to convince the columnist to let go of petty gossip and use her influence to talk about important topics like women’s rights. She also befriends Theo, one of the boys at the printer shop who directs her to secret rallies.
As usual, Eloise updates Penelope who tries to misdirect her. Matters get worse as Charlotte thinks Eloise is Whistledown and threatens her. To save her, Penelope publishes about Eloise’s unchaperoned attendance at the rallies. This ruins the Bridgertons’ reputation as it follows Anthony’s failed wedding. But it does not deter Eloise till Penelope claims that everyone thinks she may be having an affair with Theo.
Eloise parts ways with Theo but sulks during the Featherington ball. To cheer her up, Penelope gossips about the guests and her wording is very similar to Whistledown’s. Eloise realises that Penelope is Lady Whistledown and feeling betrayed, ends their friendship.
The Featheringtons’ Scam
The Featheringtons are still broke and now it seems that they are about to turn homeless. The family’s assets and home go to the next male heir, Cousin Jack who seems to have made his fortune thanks to the mines in America. He is actually broke and he gets the eldest Featherington married off with a fake necklace as the dowry.
He then sets his eyes on Cressida Cowper for her money but Portia Featherington feels threatened. She lures Jack to meet her second daughter, Prudence alone and then has the rest of the ton catch them. Jack is engaged to Prudence to save her reputation but he finally lets Portia know that they have no money.
Later, he runs into Will who has started a gentleman’s club but it isn’t doing so well. Portia and Jack get the ton’s men to invest in the mines but Will starts finding loopholes in the Featheringtons’ story. Interested in doing something with his life, Colin too gets entrapped when he sees Prudence wearing one of the counterfeit necklaces. Will tries to warn Colin but he doesn’t listen.
Colin soon learns that the necklace Jack gave Cressida is a fake and he tells Penelope and Portia. Alone, Portia and Jack decide to take the money and run off to America before the investors catch on. When he suggests leaving her daughters behind for a while, she realises that he doesn’t care for them.
She forges a document that claims the Featherington estate will go to the eldest son of any of her daughters. Meanwhile, she will be keeping the money Jack swindled from the ton’s men. She will allow him to a small sum to leave for America. She also points out that she is a woman so no one would believe him if he tried to expose her. Jack is in disbelief but leaves.
The Bridgerton Brothers
We have another small subplot involving the Bridgerton brothers – Benedict and Colin. Colin returns home after his travels but he declares that he has sworn off women much to Penelope’s chagrin. Meanwhile, Benedict enrolls in the Royal Academy of Arts and while he is nervous, he gets in.
His peers are surprised that he can paint well and he learns that Anthony bought him a spot at the school. He confronts Anthony and declares that he will be dropping out. Anthony apologises and shares that he was just looking out for him but now knows that Benedict has the talent to get in on his own.
As for Colin, he learns that Marina has given birth and is now with Phillip Crane. He pays her a visit to apologise for being harsh with her. She shares that she is happy and he too should move on with people who make him happy like Penelope.
After he exposes Jack to Penelope, she thanks him for looking out for her and they agree that they have something special. Later, he tells some friends that he will never court Penelope which she overhears. He later patches up with Will and even brings more people to his club.
Read More: Bridgerton Season 1 Story Recap
What did you think of Bridgerton’s Season 2 story recap? Will you be tuning in for Season 3? Do let us know in the comments below!