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Dearest readers,
We are pleased to announce that season 2 of the much awaited series, Bridgerton, has premiered on Netflix, and might we say this is the season the Viscount finds love?
Julia Quinn’s beloved ‘Bridgerton’ series has taken Netflix by storm, after the first season of its TV adaptation captured the hearts of 82 million viewers. Now, the story focuses on the first-born Bridgerton son, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), who is looking for a Viscountess that is fit for the role.
In enters the Sharma sisters, Edwina and Kate, who have recently moved back to London from Mumbai with their mother, Lady Mary. Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley, is looking for the perfect suitor for her younger sister, Edwina, who is played by Charithra Chandran.
From their first meeting, Anthony and Kate seem to dislike each other vehemently, yet are continuously drawn to each other at every point. The viewers get to see an inside look into Anthony’s character development after season one, and his relationship with his late father. As the heir to the Bridgertons’ estate, it is Anthony’s duty to find a wife who can play the role of an esteemed Viscountess.
The slow-burn enemies to lovers storyline immediately draws viewers into Anthony and Kate’s love story, and keeps them hooked for the eight episode duration of the season. Differing from the first season, the main characters, who (spoiler alert) get married, don’t actually end up confessing their love until the end of the season.
Simone Ashley does an impeccable job playing the role of Kate Sharma, the elder Sharma sister who believes that it is her job to provide everything for Kate that she herself never had. Kate demonstrates the burden most first-born children in immigrant families bear: the feeling of taking responsibility for your younger siblings to ensure that they have everything life can offer them.
Since the Sharma’s are from Mumbai, there are pieces of South Asian culture represented throughout the season. Whether it be when Kate massages coconut oil into Edwina’s hair, or Kate bringing elaichi with her to put in her tea, the audience gets insight into how ingrained Kate and Edwina are to their culture.
However, what has taken South Asian social media by storm is the ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ orchestral cover played during a Haldi ceremony scene in the show. For first-generation young Indian women, this is a gamechanger in South Asian representation in mainstream American television. The writers of the show did an outstanding job seamlessly integrating Kate and Edwina’s cultural background into English high-society, included in the fashion choices selected for the Sharma family. Ethnic prints and jewelry were seen in the Regency style dresses worn by both sisters, including several scenes when Edwina can be seen wearing small jhumkas.
Needless to say, we are excited to witness the next chapter in Kate and Anthony’s story, and see the rest of the Bridgerton family find love!
Yours Truly,
Urban Asian
