Jonathan Bailey Explained Why Season 2 Of “Bridgerton” Is Less Explicit Than Its Predecessor
All I was hoping for from Season 2 of Netflix’s hit regency era romance series Bridgerton was more butt cheeks. And it delivered! And although this season they were Jonathan Bailey’s cakes instead of Regé-Jean Page’s Duke of Hastings pudding, they made me horny all the same. However, according to USA Today, viewers of S2 have been disappointed in the relative lack of carnality that stimulated S1. To which Johnathan says, you horn-dogs ever heard of edging?
As in the books by Julia Quinn that the series is based on, S1 focused on Regé’s Duke Simon and Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton. And they fucked a lot. As did several side characters including Jonathan’s Viscount Anthony Bridgerton. But the current season is focused on Anthony’s romance with Simone Ashley’s Kate Sharma, and it’s a slow burn that plays out over the course of the season. According to USA Today:
All anyone could talk about after binging the first season of “Bridgerton” were the steamy sex scenes between Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Regé Jean-Page).
But after Season 2 dropped on Netflix last Friday, expectant viewers quickly learned Season 2 contained barely any.
Star Jonathan Bailey, who plays romantic lead Anthony Bridgerton, stood by the more chaste season. “What you lose in sex scenes you gain in a deeper human understanding, which hopefully enriches the world so that the future intimacy scenes won’t be the heavy feature, and (you) won’t have to lean on them as much,” Bailey, 33, says in an interview. “It’s right to surprise an audience and keep them on their toes a bit.”
Bailey adds that it made sense for the Shonda Rhimes-produced series’ longevity – there are six more love stories to tell, after all, as the series follows the rest of Julia Quinn’s novels – to add variety to the kinds of romances. This season follows Anthony’s courtship of Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), while he’s simultaneously wooing her sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
“It would have been wrong for Kate and Anthony to have got physical any sooner than they did,” Bailey says. (The pair did not consummate their relationship until late in the season.) “And I think the payoff is really earned.”
It certainly worked for me. Previously I couldn’t stand his character Anthony, and was dubious he’d be able to bring the heat like Regé did. But boy. Oops! Lost my train of thought there. I mean to write, but boy was I wrong! I thought Jonathan and Simone, who is an absolute smoke show, had incredible chemistry, more so than The Duke and that drip Daphne. And Johnathan is gay!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, given my frequent, bordering on creepy, obsession with the Butts of Bridgerton, but I’ll take a sopping wet, Kleenex brand pirate shirt over repetitious, ham-fisted buttock thrusts any day. Sure butts are great, but quivering nips can be just as hot.
Pic: Doug Peters/EMPICS/PA Images/IN