How Bridgerton Season 2 Successfully Portrays Anthony’s Trauma

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Bridgerton Season 2. Once again, Bridgerton takes the world by storm with the enemies to lovers couple in Season 2. Although fans of the series were initially upset that Regé-Jean Page wouldn’t show up for this next chapter, they are now sold by the hit show’s new leading man. Last season, Anthony Bridgerton (brilliantly portrayed by Jonathan Bailey) didn’t have much chance to display his redeeming qualities, since he was too busy fulfilling his duty as the eldest son trying to find the perfect match for his sister, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor). However, in Season 2, the character blossoms as viewers get to know why he is so controlling over all the family matters and come to understand his urge to marry without love.

From a cold-hearted viscount to a passionate one, here is how Bridgerton’s latest installment offers a character dive into Anthony’s trauma and how he overcame it.

RELATED: ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2: 9 Biggest Changes From ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’

The Sense of Duty

Kick-starting Episode 1, Anthony is finally ready to tie the knot. Yet, not in the usual way. Instead of searching for his soulmate, the protagonist is just looking for a lady that fits his extensive criteria of a fitted wife. Through multiple interviews, he sees that finding someone that checks all the boxes won’t be that easy, but he is determined to succeed due to his sense of duty. A key to understanding Anthony’s backstory and why he is so adamant about having things done his way is because of the responsibilities he had to carry out after his father, Edmund’s (Rupert Evans), passing.

From casually hunting with his father to then becoming a lord over his household, Anthony underwent an instantaneous shift of roles and had to adapt quickly. Right after Edmund’s death, he had to decide on funeral arrangements, console his family members, and even ponder if he should prioritize his mom’s life or the baby she was carrying who could kill her during labor. All that weight that Anthony had on his shoulders contributed to him wanting to marry someone that would perform the duties of a viscountess in the best way possible. He needed his wife to be just as willing to put his family first as he did.

A Loveless Marriage

Although Anthony’s wish list for a future partner was packed with details, there was one thing that he was very straightforward about. He didn’t want to marry a woman that he could fall in love with. This somewhat fear of falling in love was also tied to Anthony’s trauma. Not only did he witness his father die from a bee sting and subsequently became the authority in the Bridgerton house, but the protagonist also saw the damage that love can do when “death do us part”. Seeing his mother break down with his father in her arms, pleading that he wouldn’t leave her behind, was just too painful.

After Edmund’s passing, Violet (Ruth Gemmell) had completely lost her will to live and wanted more than anything to die during Hyacinth’s (Florence Hunt) birth so that she could once again be alongside her soulmate. Despite her grief dissipating with time, Anthony knew his mother still mourned for his father and would do anything to be with him again. This fear of love leads Anthony to almost say “yes” to Edwina (Charithra Chandran) at the altar, even though he knew that the “bane of his existence, and object of all his desires” was standing a few feet away. His sense of duty and traumatic experience of seeing the damage that true love can make when it has a tragic fate was enough to hold him back from a life of happiness and levity.

His Irresistible Connection to Kate

Certain that he would conquer his wish by marrying Edwina, the diamond of the season, Anthony couldn’t anticipate that he would be challenged by her sister, Kate (Simone Ashley). From the very start, Kate isn’t afraid to be blunt and do whatever it takes to protect her sister. So much so that she is determined to stop Anthony from approaching Edwina in the horse race, at the house visits, and at the balls. But all the efforts weren’t enough to keep him from proposing. It took Edwina to notice at the altar that he would never look at her the way he did at her sister which made Anthony realize that no matter how hard he tried, he was meant to be with Kate.

After being comforted by his mother’s advice on love and his steamy moment with Miss Sharma, Anthony wasn’t afraid anymore of following his heart and letting his guard down. When he sees Kate fall from the horse during the storm, he notices that the last thing he would ever want would be to lose her like he lost his father in that accident. At the ball in Episode 8, Anthony isn’t cranky about manners or finding another ideal match that would fit his criteria. Instead, Anthony extends a hand to Kate and dances with her as if no one were watching. He knew right then and there that their bond was too special to be diminished.

A Happy Ending

Throughout Season 2, Anthony progressed from a stern-looking viscount suppressed by duty to a man willing to take a step back and end up with his true love. Although the protagonist tried to stick to his own set of rules to protect himself from the traumatic experience he dealt with in the past, Anthony has a change of heart when he follows his own desires over the viscount title. When viewers get to the final minute of the series, they see that Anthony is smiling next to Kate but still holds onto his competitive nature. Something that the two characters share. As they reach out to get their pall mall mallets, he still tries to get the mallet of death like the first time the game was played in this latest season. Yet, Anthony isn’t mad about having to surrender, just the way he surrendered the burden of his family obligations for the sake of his own happiness. Now that he is free from his self-inflicted sense of duty, Anthony is finally able to understand his father and mother’s passion for one another through his relationship with Kate.

While we wait for more of Anthony and Kate’s love story post marriage in Season 3, Bridgerton Season 2 is streaming on Netflix.

Everything You Need To Know Before Watching ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2

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