The second season of ‘The Bridgertons’ is now available on Netflix. As you may remember, the Shondaland series is an adaptation of the popular literary saga written by Julia Quinnallowing a multitude of licenses with respect to the books.
Already on the occasion of the premiere of the first season I reviewed the main changes with respect to ‘The Duke and I‘ -obviously, some remain in this new installment, but I have preferred to leave them out-, the first installment of the franchise created by Quinn. This time the reference is ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’ and now I bring you 14 big differences between the wonderful second season of ‘The Bridgertons’ and the book it adapts.
If you do not want SPOILERS of season 2, I recommend you not to continue reading
Before getting into the matter, I remind you that you can take a look at my selection of the best Netflix series so far in 2022 and also at my list of the best platform movies during that same period. Without further ado, let’s focus on the most striking changes that ‘The Bridgertons’ have made on this occasion.
The absence of the Duke
One known to all, but that is not why we are going to ignore it. The character played by Rege-Jean Page he does appear, albeit briefly, in the novel, while here he has not been able to be counted on. Here we explain how the series has explained his absence.
Daphne’s greatest presence
The one that does appear in this second season is Phoebe Dynevor like Daphne, and she does it with a much more prominent presence than in the books, where she basically appeared when her husband did too… and without having given birth yet, which was at the end of the first season. It is not that she has a great role in these new episodes, but her presence is much greater than she should be and influences, in her own way, the relationship between Anthony and Kate, a small compensation for having left us without the Duke?
Kate is looking for a husband
The character played by Simone-Ashley she is looking for a husband in the original book, and her debut is done alongside Edwina’s to save costs. Not only does the latter not happen in the series, but it is made clear that she is not looking for a husband and that it was a decision made on her own initiative.
Anthony is not with his father when the bee stings him.
One of the most dramatic moments of the second season is when Anthony is with his father when a bee stings the latter, causing his death. It is an event that marks the character forever, but he is not present when that happens in the novel. There it is Eloise who is accompanying her father.
The new Lord Fatherington does not exist
Rupert Young plays Jack, the new Lord Featherington, a character with a lot of weight in this second one and who even manages to orchestrate a scam in collaboration with Lady Featherington. Well, he is a character that has been invented for the series.
Anthony’s obsession with dying young
The Netflix series has chosen to completely dispense with Anthony’s obsession in the books with dying young, more specifically at 38, the same age his father was when the deadly sting occurred. That is something that also affects the way he views love.
Kate’s dog’s relationship with Anthony
A radical change. Kate’s adorable dog loves Anthony in the books, while the opposite is true in the series.
Anthony and Kate are forcefully engaged
A change that some fans of the novel may not like, since Anthony and Kate were forced to forcibly get engaged there, because he tries to suck the bee’s venom out of her after the sting. They were caught in that compromising situation and they had no choice but to promise themselves by force.
The importance of Edwin
british actress charithra chandran gives life to Edwina in the series, a character that has much more presence here than in the book, partly as a direct consequence of the previous difference, which leads to her almost marrying Anthony -this being the only scene in which there really is no point in the absence of the Duke – when that does not happen in the literary original.
Lady Whistledown’s alliance with Madame Delacroix
In Julia Quinn’s books there is indeed a dressmaker, but her importance in the plot does not go beyond the anecdotal and she is not Madame Delacroix. Therefore, there is no curious alliance with Lady Whistledown to revitalize her business. Obviously, that means she’s also not the first person to discover Lady Whistledown’s identity. That honor is reserved for Colin and does not occur until the fourth book.
Eloise’s friend
The O (Calam Lynch), the friend that Eloise makes while trying to track down Lady Whistledown and who ends up causing her to have a major scandal, doesn’t even exist in the book.
Edwina is aware in advance of the attraction between Anthony and Kate
In the series, the card is played at all times that Edwina does not find out anything related to Anthony and Kate until it is too late – there is even a great moment about it in the seventh episode. That doesn’t happen in the book, where she even says at one point that it was obvious and that she was aware of it long before.
kate’s accident
In the series, Kate has a serious accident at the end of the penultimate episode that leads her to be unconscious for several days. In the book she also has an accident, but she is on board a carriage and only one leg is injured.
The end of the friendship between Eloise and Penelope
Eloise ends up discovering that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, thus ending their friendship. That doesn’t happen in the books, where Eloise is probably the slowest person to find out that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, as she doesn’t find out about it until the ninth book.