'Bridgerton' Creator Dishes On The Enemies To Lovers Trope In Season 2

Netflix’s “Bridgerton” has finally released all eight episodes of season 2 and fans are in for a doozy!

Although it has been said that season 2 may not be as passionate as season 1, the sparks are definitely flying as the eldest Bridgerton son Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey, attempts to find his Viscountess.

Although he intends to wed Miss Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), he finds himself butting heads and slowly falling for her older sister, Kate (Simone Ashley).

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Chris Van Dusen opened up about the enemies to lovers trope that was at play this season.

Although the first season was more of a will-they-won’t-they situation, the enemies-to-lovers trope was clearly at play for season 2.

“This season, one of the big tropes that we’re following is enemies to lovers, and that’s one of my favorite tropes of this genre,” the showrunner divulged. “I think that’s because there’s just so much conflict to mine between Anthony and Kate, and they have this banter that is just so much fun to watch, and Jonathan and Simone are so good at it.”

Although Kate and Anthony seem like polar opposites, Van Dusen teases that it's part of why the two are so drawn to one another. “You watch them go toe-to-toe throughout the season,” he said. “The frustration you feel between the two of them, it builds from episode to episode, scene to scene, really, and it’s palpable.”

Van Dusen also praised the chemistry between actors Bailey and Ashley. “The chemistry that you see and feel between Jonathan and Simone as Anthony and Kate is just out of this world,” he said.

“So, it was incredibly dynamic and exciting, having those steamy scenes and all that angst and all that yearning and watching their chemistry build and build really makes the payoff worth it when we get there,” he added.

Ashley credited the on-set intimacy coordinator, Lizzy Talbot, for being able to feel so comfortable on set when they were performing the NSFW material. She told THR that “we couldn’t have done it without her” and added that she “made sure we were safe. She made sure we were comfortable and confident, that we felt heard, that there was an easy window of communication.”

Ashley added that all of the sex scenes were broken down like a stunt beforehand and discussed with the episode directors ahead of time so everyone knew exactly what was involved for each scene.

“There were zero surprises, and then we could just focus on bringing the love story to life,” Ashley says. “I felt very, very comfortable.”

Van Dusen explained that he worked with Talbot and the episode directors to figure out what they wanted to get out of the scene and how it contributed to the emotional development between the two characters, serving a larger part of the story.

“We never do a sex scene for the sake of doing the sex scene, and we never will,” he said. “All the intimate scenes, they have a larger purpose. They’re all telling a story and they’re all pushing the story forward.”

Van Dusen shared that he wanted the series to be more inclusive from the beginning, which is part of the reason that two Indian characters were cast as the romantic leads.

“I don’t consider Bridgerton a color-blind show,” he explained. “It’s not a color-blind world. Race and color are very much a part of the world and a part of the show’s conversation, just like things like status and class and gender and sexuality are, and I think that’s part of what makes Bridgerton, Bridgerton.”

“I hope that this normalizes that kind of casting moreso,” Ashley added. “I think everyone’s going to love that side of it. I’m excited to show the story of a dark-skinned woman falling in love with all the scandal and drama and, you know, the hotness in themes, for a better word. I think it’s time.”

Chandran said that it was “unbelievably exciting” that she and Ashley – who are actually from the same part of India – were both cast as romantic leads in one of the most popular Netflix dramas on the streaming service.

“You seldom see dark-skinned Indian women as the romantic interest and the lead that Simone plays or the diamond that I play,” Chandran said. “I hope that it makes girls who look like us feel more comfortable in their skin — feel like they belong.”

Both seasons of “Bridgerton” are available to stream on Netflix.