(Bridgerton spoilers, book and TV show, will be found below.)
Book-to-screen adaptations are rarely perfect, which means that eventually, fans are going to be left wondering why some of their favorite written subplots didn’t get the time on-air that they deserved. And, when you’re dealing with a show like Bridgerton — Netflix’s massively popular Regency romance series — the gems left on the cutting room floor build up as fast as gossip seems to spread around the London ton.
In season two, the show diverted from the books in major ways, most of which benefitted the overall storytelling, even if the pacing of the season felt a bit off. If you just tuned in to see Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley sensually smolder at one another during choreographed dance sequences, the differences between season two and its book counterpart probably don’t bother you too much. But, if you’re a fan of the books and you’re wondering which plot lines didn’t make the leap on-screen, we’ve rounded up some of the most obvious changes, so (if you don’t mind spoilers) you can prepare yourself. (Or, just revisit to make sure you’re not losing your mind and that breast-suckling moment actually did happen on the page.)
Here are the storylines that changed the most so that Bridgerton season two could be the delicious angst-filled romp it is now.
That Love Triangle
Love triangles are notoriously messy and the perfect excuse for writers to string fans along in the hopes of seeing their favored OTP (one true pairing) get their happy ending. Knowing this, it makes sense that Bridgerton chose to create one in order to drive some of season two’s most climactic moments. In the books, Edwina is in fact chosen as the season’s “diamond,” and Anthony Bridgerton singles her out as the woman he wishes to marry — because she’s beautiful, well-mannered, and holds absolutely no attraction for him. Edwina, for her part, plays along, going on a couple of chaperoned dates with the viscount but clearly lacking any real interest in him — she prefers men who like to read, duh. When the bee incident, which we’ll get to in a minute, occurs, she’s none too heartbroken over Anthony’s interest in her sister Kate and she moves on quite quickly. But, in the show, Anthony takes things a bit too far, proposing marriage to a clearly besotted Edwina. They even get to the altar before the youngest Sharma wises up and realizes her betrothed has the hots for her sister — a new development that causes a temporary rift in their relationship.
The choice to mine a love triangle from the thread-bare connection between Edwina and Anthony in the books was a controversial one, considering it paints Kate in a fairly bad light — what kind of sister has secret rendezvous with her sibling’s betrothed in one scene, then orders him to marry the girl, knowing he doesn’t love her, in the next? But, the sexual tension and the rewarding moment when Edwina finally feels empowered enough to stand up for herself against her overbearing sister felt like a worthy trade-off.
Anthony’s Issues
If Bridgerton season two taught us anything it’s that a man will literally do anything — even marry the sister of the woman he’s in love with — instead of just, oh, going to therapy? Anthony Bridgerton had some major daddy issues to deal with in both the book and the TV show, but those manifested in different ways depending on the medium. In the book, Anthony didn’t witness his father’s death, but he did feel the pressure of inheriting his title and his reputation. It’s that last notion — the idea that he could never live to be better than the man who raised him — that convinced Anthony he wouldn’t make it past his 38th birthday, the age at which his father passed and impending mortality, not necessarily the heartbreak of losing someone, is why he’s so against marrying for love. In comparison, the show places a greater emphasis on Anthony’s past relationship with an opera singer and his terrible responsibility of keeping the family afloat when his father’s death sent his mother into a depression. Both versions are very, very sad, but we think witnessing your dad die — and seeing how devastating that was for the woman who loved him — is probably a better excuse for not wanting to get hitched.
Thee Bee Scene
Speaking of which, in the books, Anthony only learns of his father’s death after the fact. But, in season two of Bridgerton, Anthony watches as his dad dies from anaphylactic shock after a bee sting. The whole event is disturbing and clearly traumatic for the young man who chooses to wall-in his emotions rather than facing them head on. That initial bee sting makes more of an impact on the show, but the one that comes later, as Anthony and Kate are alone in the garden, is the one that got a bit of a makeover on-screen. Before bickering and hunting and gazing-longingly at each other all day, Anthony and Kate have a little heart-to-heart in the Bridgerton family garden. It’s here that Kate gets stung be an errant bee, throwing Anthony into a panic as he assumes, like his father, Kate will now die. She manages to calm him enough to convince him she’s fine — though some breast action is involved here too — but this scene was a bit sillier and, well, sexier, in the book. The garden bit is the same as is the bee sting, but in the book, Anthony’s panic-stricken brain decides the only course of action to save the life of the woman he loves is to literally suck the venom from the sting site … which is just above her cleavage. Naturally, as Kate demands he stop, both of their mothers (along with Lady Featherington) stumble upon the scene which, in a twist that parallel’s Daphne’s predicament from season one, means Anthony is forced to propose marriage to Kate or have both their reputations ruined. We can’t say whether this particular change made the show’s storyline better simply because everything that happens after this is completely altered from the book, but it’s an interesting switch all the same.
The Sharmas
One major overhaul from book to screen that definitely plays well this season is the choice to change the backstory, and ethnicity of the show’s newest additions. In the book, the Sharmas were actually the Sheffields, and they hailed from the English countryside. Though the dynamics were similar — Kate and Edwina were half sisters and Mary was Kate’s adoptive mother — that bond feels more fleshed out on the show, in large part because we get to see the love they have for each other manifest in culturally-specific ways. From nicknames to pre-wedding ceremonies and so many great jokes about the lacking quality of English tea, the series highlights the heritage of the Sharmas that feels in line with its continued commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The Lady Whistledown Reveal
Penelope Featherington has yet to have a sex scene on this show and yet, she’s probably Bridgerton‘s naughtiest character. In season one, we discovered she was operating under the penname, Lady Whistledown, which means every bit of salacious gossip and rumor printed within the pages of that menacing pamphlet was written by her hand. So cheeky. In season two though, Penelope is forced to reckon with the consequences of her column, both practically and personally. She must find new business partners, sneakier ways of delivering the mansucripts to print, and, in order to protect her friend Eloise, she eventually does the unthinkable by printing a bit of gossip about the rebellious Bridgerton that scandalizes her family. It’s all a mess, and none of it is pulled from the book. Why? Because readers don’t even glean Lady Whistledown’s true nature until halfway through the series, in book four. Whether the show is setting up Penelope to be a villain or building a truly epic redemption arc, we’re still not sure, but it’s all very watchable.
Kate’s Accident
Our accident-prone heroine does get hurt in both the book and the show, albeit in different ways that push Anthony to the brink. In the book, Kate’s riding in a carriage that overturns, pinning her underneath it. She’s fine, except for a broken leg, and the whole incident forces the already-married couple (remember the bee sting scandal?) to realize their true feelings for one another. On the show, Kate is left reeling from her night with Lord Bridgerton and decides the best way to clear her head is with a quick jaunt in the rain, on horseback. Anthony comes calling and, realizing she’s not in, chases her down in time to watch as she fails to clear a hedge, falls off her horse, and lands with a fatal-sounding thud to the head. He carries her home, argues with the attending physicians, and spends a week on edge as everyone waits for Kate to wake up. The difference between the two scenes lies, other than Jonathan Bailey’s terrific performance, is that the guilt Anthony feels over Kate’s accident leads to a conversation with his mother than mends a rift between them and heals something within Anthony regarding his father’s passing that he’d held onto for far too long.
And Her Weird Thing With Thunderstorms
Did Kate have a phobia of thunderstorms in the books? Yes. Did it lead to a particular steamy scene in the Bridgerton family library that ended with Kate and Anthony huddled together under a desk? Also yes, but even though Kate’s traumatic backstory — her mother’s death was gruesome and Kate witnessed it all during a terrible thunderstorm when she was young — is something that helped her bond with Anthony in the books, it didn’t feel like we lost anything when we lost this one.
Edwina’s Happily Ever After
Even though Edwina felt decidedly more assertive in Bridgerton season two once she wised up to the romance between her sister and her intended, we were sad that her own happily ever after got nixed from the show. In the book, after being none-too-heartbroken over Kate and Anthony’s marriage, Edwina stuns the town by being courted by a bookworm, finding love with a man who likes to read almost as much as she does. Honestly, good for her.
‘Bridgerton’ season two is currently streaming on Netflix
