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scene from Bridgerton on Netflix
scene from Bridgerton on Netflix
Shondaland / Netflix
Culture > Entertainment

Duke of Hastings Not Returning for Season Two of Bridgerton: Here’s Why

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Manhattan chapter.

Bridgerton, a Netflix original, is a well-loved show. Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn’s novels. In season one of the show, there is a fan favorite couple: Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Bassett. The relationship between them is unreal, and it only gets stronger as the show goes on. At the very end of season one, Daphne and Simon’s love story was tied into a perfect bow. Daphne is shown giving birth to the future Duke of Hastings. After the rollercoaster of emotions that these two characters went through, Regé-Jean Page, who played Simon Bassett, will not be returning.

This news was given to the public by a Tweet posted by Bridgerton on April 2, 2021. Lady Bridgerton wrote, “While all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Rege-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family. Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer — more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear.” Page responded to this Tweet by saying that working with the Bridgerton crew was an amazing privilege. It is obvious that Page loves the people he worked with, but he still had to leave.  Even though Page knew he was only going to be in season one since the start of the show, this is still a shock to the public because Simon’s character is still present for the rest of Julia Quinn’s novels. Most people did not see this coming, especially because he was one of the popular and favorite characters from season one.  

Regé-Jean Page’s contract for Bridgerton was only for one season. Page claims that this was the plan all along: he was never planning on coming back for season two.  Sources even claim that their decision to cut Page out of the show was based on the first Bridgerton book, The Duke And I. Readers of Quinn’s work know better than to assume that future seasons of Bridgerton will be able to focus on Daphne and Simon.  Each of Quinn’s subsequent novels focuses on a different Bridgerton sibling. Simon will be referenced in future episodes, but he will not appear. This brings up some questions about what will happen in season two. How will Simon disappear from the show?  What will Daphne’s role be without Simon? What will happen to their baby?

Season two will be focused on Daphne’s older brother, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton in comparison to the love life of Daphne in season one. Viscount Bridgerton is the head of the household, but he is not married. Daphne’s brother will participate in the courting season and he will hopefully find a woman to fall in love with.  Although the character Simon will be missed, it is still expected that season two of Bridgerton will be intriguing and captivating.

 

Emily Gianni

Manhattan '24

Hi I'm Emily! I am in my Senior Year at Manhattan College, graduating in Spring 2024. I am studying Childhood Special Education with an upward extension to middle school with a double major in English. My goal in life is to teach elementary school and later on, teach middle school. Although I don't have a position in my Her Campus chapter, I am still an active writer for Her Campus! I write about all different topics for Her Campus, anything that interests me or that I believe other girls will find useful and informational. I am a team captain on the Manhattan College cheerleading team, so I may write about that sometimes. I also love sorority rush season so I have written about my sorority a few times. I believe that Her Campus is an amazing source for women to put their work out there and influence other girls. I love being a part of this organization and being able to write about whatever I love. This is the best outlet for me to learn more about my writing style, experiment with different topics that I would not be allowed to write about in a class, and grow as a writer.
As an avid lover of all things writing related, Christine is a born story-teller. She is a junior at Manhattan College majoring Public Relations and minoring in Marketing. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring NYC, binge watching The Office, or enjoying a good cup of tea. She joined Her Campus after transferring to MC and absolutely fell in love with it! She is currently the Campus Correspondent of her chapter, and hopes her articles can entertain and inspire women everywhere. After college, she plans to continue writing and hopes to publish a book one day. Be sure to check out her college lifestyle blog Christineeve.com!