Netflix’s Bridgerton, a period drama that takes place during the Regency period in England, is all the rage right now. The show, based on the novel The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, follows the lives of families within London’s upper-class society, the ton, during the Season, in which socialite Londoners attend numerous exclusive events for the purpose of courting potential spouses. I’ll warn you now: there are huge spoilers ahead.
The show primarily follows the courtship of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), and showcases the lives of the remaining Bridgertons: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.
The first season of Bridgerton closely follows the first book in Quinn’s eight-book series, and, if we look closely enough, we may be able to uncover some nods at the second Bridgerton novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me. Here are 6 times Bridgerton alluded to a second season with Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as its lead.
- Lady Whistledown’s Recent Announcement
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On January 21, Shondaland TV announced that Bridgerton will be returning for a second season with a letter penned by Lady Whistledown, the show’s gossip columnist. In the announcement, Whistledown states that the second season will be dominated by Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), who headlines Quinn’s second book in the series, The Viscount Who Loved Me.
- Busy Bees
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Bees are a recurring symbol throughout the first season of Bridgerton. We see a bee on its hive in the show’s theme, as well as bee accessories in Eloise Bridgerton’s (Claudia Jessie) hair and a black bee embroidered on Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) collar. During the final scene, when Daphne gives birth to her first child, the frame pans to a bee on the windowsill. Similarly, in the first episode, there is a bee on the door knocker of Bridgerton House when the narrator, Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews) mentions the widowed viscountess, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmel). This may be a nod at her late husband, Edmund Bridgerton, who died a decade earlier from a bee sting.
The death of Edmund, according to the second book in the series, particularly devastated Anthony Bridgerton and resulted in his significant fear of bee stings. In The Viscount Who Loved Me, Anthony’s love interest, Kate Sheffield, is stung by a bee, leading Anthony to panic and attempt to suck the venom from her wound. The pair are caught in this questionable situation by Anthony’s mother, leading him to commit to marrying Kate to avoid damaging her reputation. The death of Edmund comes full circle, as it is what caused Anthony’s fear that brought him to his wife and will likely play a significant role in the second season.
- Hidden Messages
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During a scandalous escapade in the first episode, Anthony Bridgerton is pushed up against a door by his love interest, Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett) at the theatre where she performs. Hanging on the door is a sign for Mozart’s opera, “Don Giovanni,” which is based on the legend of Don Juan, a young nobleman who prioritizes pleasure. The framed poster falls as Anthony bumps into it, possibly alluding that he will soon break his short-lived romantic habits and commit to something long-term, much like he does in the second Bridgerton novel.
- Tulips Galore
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Throughout the first season of Bridgerton, we see hidden tulips on multiple occasions. During a scene in which Anthony is meeting clandestinely with Siena, he reaches for his late father’s pocket watch resting on a table engrained with tulips. In another scene, Lady Bridgerton shows Anthony that she is embroidering tulips into fabric. She goes on to say that tulips symbolize passion and suggests that Anthony’s bride would like tulips, despite his being single. In The Viscount Who Loved Me, Anthony and other members of the ton take part in a week-long social event at Aubrey Hall, the Bridgertons’ country home. The garden, which is filled with tulips, is where Anthony comes across his love interest, Kate, and plucks one for her as an offering. The pocket watch on the tulip table may imply that it is only a matter of time before Kate turns Anthony’s life upside down.
- Pall Mall
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In a scene at Bridgerton House, Anthony tells his youngest sister, Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), that she can join in on the family fun at their country home as long as she steers clear of his lucky mallet. In the second Bridgerton novel, the Bridgertons engage in a family tradition of Pall Mall – their overly-competitive version of croquet. While playing, Anthony’s love interest, Kate, obtains his lucky mallet and eventually sinks his ball in the lake, royally upsetting Anthony. Anthony later states in the novel that their game of Pall Mall was the moment that he fell in love with Kate, despite his poor spirit at the time.
- Final Words
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During Anthony’s final appearance in Bridgerton, he informs Simon and Daphne that he has plans to find a viscountess. When Daphne asks whom he is speaking of, Anthony poses, “Does it matter?” and explains that his real difficulty is love itself. This is a major conflict in the second Bridgerton novel, as Anthony is determined not to fall in love with the woman he marries. This stems from his father’s early death, as Anthony refuses to outlive the late viscount and believes that loving someone would make his life harder to leave behind. Have no fear, dear reader – the viscount is yet to meet Kate Sheffield.