Netflix’s Bridgerton season 2 dropped on the streaming service today, March 25th. The first season of Bridgerton was released in December 2020 and was based on the first book The Duke and I. Now season 2 has arrived and this season tells the story of Kate and Anthony, based on the book The Viscount Who Loved Me. While Bridgerton season 1 did not have many book differences and stayed pretty true to the story, this will not be the case for season 2 because that ending needs to be explained. Let us go through some of the Bridgerton season 2 book differences and ending explained.
If you enjoyed this Bridgerton season 2 book differences and ending explained, check out these other articles: Bridgerton season 2 parents guide review, Bridgerton season 2 quotes, Bridgerton books in order.
Bridgerton Season 2 Book Differences: Ending Explained
As we have seen from the first season of Bridgerton, things will not always follow the book as we may like, and there are many differences between the book and the series. At the end of season 1, we see that Anthony swears off true love and takes a more sensible approach to finding a mate that he does not have feelings for. The premiere of Bridgerton season 2 sees the new social season begin, and Anthony has this same feeling, to find a sensible wife and not mix it up with all that love nonsense. Or so he thinks.
So, what exactly are the big book differences in Bridgerton season 2? The short answer is: a lot.Let’s start off with some of the smaller differences and work our way up, all the way to the Bridgerton season 2 ending explained. As you can imagine, this post will contain ALL the Bridgerton season 2 spoilers, so if you do not want to know what is going to happen this season, do not proceed.
Characters Revealed & New Characters In The Series
Bridgerton season 1 ended with the identity of Lady Whistledown being revealed to Penelope Featherington. This was a major shift from the book, considering her identity was not revealed for many books to come, so the whole storyline revolving around Penelope struggling with her conscience over what she wrote as Lady Whistledown is not in the book. The big differences are that there are characters in the series that are not in the book. They include: the Queen, Genevieve Delacroix, and the boxer, Will Mondrich.
Eloise Starts Her Season
Bridgerton season 2 starts with Eloise preparing her presentation to the Queen as she starts her season of looking to be married, and has Anthony declaring this year he will find a bride to wed. This is half true, as the book The Viscount Who Loved Me is based on Anthony’s pursuit to find a bride. However, Eloise does not have a season until book 5, To Sir Phillip, With Love, and unlike the series, Eloise is delighted to find a husband when the season begins.
Kate and Edwina Sharma
Bridgerton season 2 has both Kate and Edwina’s backgrounds totally different from the books. The series has been praised for incorporating a diverse group into this period piece, and this is true for Kate and Edwina, who were previously known as Kate and Edwina Sheffield and are now Kate and Edwina Sharma. In the series, Kate and Edwina come from India to London in search of finding Edwina a husband, which is a change from the books that had both sisters coming from the English countryside with no ties to India.
Kate Is Stung By A Bee
Bridgerton season 2 reveals the trauma endured by Anthony after his father was stung in the neck by a bee and died in front of him. This is true to the book, and the series does a great job of diving into the trauma, as well as the motivations for Anthony’s decision to wed without love. The book also reveals deeper reasons for Anthony’s desire to find a wife and not to fall in love, being that he believes he will die early, at the age of 38, like his dad, and therefore he is looking to set his family up before his death and continue his legacy.
Episode 3 of Bridgerton season 2 ends with Kate being stung by a bee in front of Anthony, and the fear and trauma of seeing his dad die in front of him is revealed as he starts to freak out when Kate is stung. After being stung, Kate reassures Anthony that she is indeed okay by taking his hand and placing it on her chest, and as he realizes she is not affected by the bee sting, he runs off. This is very different from the way the book plays out the bee sting scene, which has Anthony freaking out and attempting to suck the bee venom from Kate’s chest. At this moment, they are caught by Lady Featherington as well as Kate and Anthony’s mothers, and since Kate was compromised by Anthony, they now have to get engaged themselves.
Anthony And Edwina Is Engaged
Since the bee sting is played out much differently in Bridgerton season 2 than it was in the books, the whole Anthony and Edwina engagement never happens in the book like it does in the series. Therefore, when the engagement is broken in the series, the backlash that follows never occurs in the books. There was never a scandal with the Bridgertons because of the broken engagement. Also, there was never any tension or fights between Edwina and Kate in the books, due to the broken engagement and revelations of Kate’s and Anthony’s feelings for each other. In fact, Edwina was happy that the two became engaged because she could tell they liked each other, and she also had feelings for and wanted to marry another man, a scholar, whom she could not wed beforehand because her family is poor and she needed to wed for money. With Kate marrying Anthony, this takes away this obstacle for Edwina.
Kate’s Accident
Bridgerton season 2 has Kate involved in a very bad horse accident that puts her in a coma. There is an accident in the book involving Kate. However, the accident takes place in a carriage and Kate breaks her leg but is never in a coma. This accident in the book is when Anthony realizes he loves Kate, even though they were already married, but the accident has him realizing his true feelings for her.
The Thunder, Rain, Office Scene
One of the most notable scenes in The Viscount Who Loved Me was the scene involving Kate and Anthony which many call the “thunder, rain, office” scene. This scene never occurs in the series, which happens before the bee sting. There is a steamy scene in the series involving Anthony, Kate and rain, but it is much further into the story.
Bridgerton Season 2 Ending Explained
The last four episodes of Bridgerton season 2 veer way off from the book which this season is based on. Therefore, the ending this season is very different than the way the second book ends. After Kate wakes up after her accident on the horse, Edwina has a change of heart and has no ill feelings towards her sister. She also confesses that she approves of her romance with Anthony. Kate and Anthony share a dance at the ball in the finale, which has everyone talking , of course. People begin to suspect Kate could be the reason Anthony and Edwina called off their wedding, but the Queen puts an end to that chatter and declares that she was the one to call off the engagement. When Kate and Anthony find one another outside, they finally let down their walls and admit they love each other. They then share a passionate kiss and agree to get married. The series then fast-forwards to Kate and Anthony, happily married, sharing a steamy bedroom scene before going outside to play a game of Pall Mall with the rest of the Bridgerton family.
As far as Lady Whistledown is concerned, Eloise Bridgerton, who is best friends with Penelope, finally figures out the identity of Whistledown after Penelope gives herself away by knowing all the gossip at the ball. Eloise then sneaks into Penelope’s room to find more evidence, and Penelope catches her. The two best friends have a fight, but that doesn’t stop Penelope. In the final moments of Bridgerton season 2 we see Penelope writing a new letter, she’s not giving up on Lady Whistledown!
