Warning: spoilers ahead for season 2.
Bridgerton was a rollercoaster ride to say the least when it dropped on Netflix, with Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) put through his paces by Simone Ashley, who joined the cast as newcomer Kate Sharma.
Based on the by , the first season followed the passionate love affair of Daphne Bridgerton () and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (), as they went from fooling the ton with a cunning plan to .
Fans were salivating for more yearning looks across the dancefloor, hand grazes and steamy passion upon the show’s return, with the trailer promising a captivating connection between Anthony and Kate during the Viscount’s search for a wife.
At the start of the new episodes, Anthony’s quest for his Viscountess saw him set his sights on Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), Kate’s younger sister.
However, after Kate overheard Anthony saying that he wasn’t interested in finding a love match, she went out of her way to prevent an engagement from occurring, as she felt her sibling deserved a better suitor.
So who did Anthony end up marrying in the end?
Who does Anthony Bridgerton marry in Bridgerton season 2?
At first, it appeared as though the wedding bells would indeed ring for Anthony and Edwina, despite Kate’s protestations.
Following a lengthy courtship, when Edwina questioned if Anthony was indeed committing to marrying her considering his apparent hesitations, he proposed.
However, unbeknownst to Edwina, the eldest Bridgerton sibling had begun harbouring feelings for her older sister, which began when the two caught sight of one another while out riding their horses in the first episode, unaware of each other’s identities.
Anthony tried to win Kate over, aware that her approval would play a significant role in whether he would be allowed to marry Edwina, who had been dubbed the season’s ‘Diamond’ by Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel).
Nonetheless, both Anthony and Kate were denying their true feelings, which emerged in various instances, such as when she was stung by a bee, and the Viscount appeared terrified that she might die, as he witnessed his father, Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans) die from a bee sting several years previously.
Later on, when Kate joined the men on a hunt, they found themselves alone in the woods, their hands touching as Anthony tried to demonstrate to her how best to use her gun.
Following the announcement that Anthony and Edwina were to be wed, the Queen organised their entire wedding, creating a lavish affair.
It wasn’t until they were at the altar, when Edwina witnessed the longing looks being exchanged between Kate and Anthony, that she realised that there was something going on between them.
Despite Edwina’s huge upset at her realisation, which resulted in her running away from the altar and putting a stop to the wedding, Kate and Anthony shared a passionate kiss in the chapel, when no one else was watching.
Edwina was extremely angry with her sister, but her fury was put to one side when Kate suffered a fall while out riding her horse, leaving her unconscious and her head bleeding.
The night before Kate’s fall, she and Anthony shared a lustful encounter in the garden outside his home, away from prying eyes.
The next day, both of them still reeling from what occurred between them, Anthony tracked her down while she was riding her horse, watching as she fell and then taking her speedily back home for medical attention.
When Kate awoke, Edwina demanded answers, and after hearing her sister’s side of the story, and how she hadn’t even been aware of her feelings at first, she grew to approve of Kate’s match with Anthony.
However, that wasn’t the final obstacle the couple faced, as Kate initially rejected Anthony’s proposal of marriage, before accepting in the final moments of the finale, with the season ending with them the married – and very happy – Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton.
It’s currently unknown which Bridgerton will be the focus of season three, given each of the books follows the tale of one of the siblings.
Perhaps it could be Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), who made her entrance into society as a new debutante before finding a spark with print shop worker Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch)?
Or maybe Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) desire for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) will be explored further, as she continues to conceal her identity as the gossiping wordsmith Lady Whistledown?
Bridgerton is available to watch on Netflix.
