8 Differences Between ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 & ‘The Viscount Who Loved Me’
There is nothing more appealing to gentle readers than Bridgerton‘s Season 2, it seems. But there’s something massive that has caught the interest of fans of the books and TV show alike: the evident differences between Julia Quinn’s second book, The Viscount Who Loved Me, with the Season 2 adaptation. There is no doubt that viewers loved how the screenwriters went about the script, but some beg to wonder how scenes from the book that didn’t make it on the show would have looked onscreen.
One thing we know for sure is that Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews and revealed to be Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope) is the mystery in both the books and the show, but revealing her identity at the end of the first season was a drastic change.
Read on for more on that and other differences between the Netflix series and the novels.
The Sharmas' Heritage
Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran) are of Indian heritage in the series, but in the book, they are described as pale and blonde. (The series is diverse, something that isn’t true of the book.)
The Sharmas are half-sisters in both worlds but in the book series, Kate is 21 instead of 26 years old and described as “undateable” and “unwanted” by society, whereas Edwina is named the “diamond” of the ton.
All the Way to the Altar
In the books, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) does court Edwina but does not go all the way to the altar. Instead, Anthony and Kate are caught in a seemingly inappropriate position (more to come on that!) and then forced to marry. The show creates a love triangle of forsaken love and betrayal, while in the book Edwina encourages Kate to be with Anthony. The novel also features Kate and Anthony’s wedding, but in the series a time jump means we skip the wedding, instead seeing them already married.
Bee Venom
The seemingly dishonorable act the two are caught in in the books is when Kate is stung by the bee and Anthony attempts to suck out the venom. This doesn’t escalate as much in the show, as in Episode 3 Anthony has a panic attack and Kate reassures him she’s fine. But in the book, Anthony’s judgement is clouded by his fear when Kate is stung, and he deems it smart to suck on her skin to take out the venom. This is a huge moment in the books as the two are caught and forced to marry for both their honors.
Kate's Fear of Thunderstorms
In the book, Kate’s fear of lightning and storms is introduced as soon as ‘Kanthony’ marries. It is revealed that her mother died during a dangerous storm and Kate suffers from astraphobia (fear of lighting and thunder). In the show, however, we only see Kate unable to sleep during a storm but she does not exhibit any signs of a phobia. Perhaps that will be explored in the seasons to come.
Edmund's Death
Edmund (Rupert Evans), the Bridgertons’ late father, dies in both mediums by a bee sting, but in the book, Anthony never actually watches his father die. Instead, he hears about it from his sister, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor). The beginning of Episode 3 shows the death of Mr. Bridgerton while Anthony, as a young boy, watches him take his last breaths. This becomes one of the most dramatic scenes of the show.
Eloise and Theo
A big part of Eloise’s (Claudia Jessie) story in Season 2 is meeting Theo Sharpe (Calam Lynch), a working-class young man who is an assistant at a printing shop. The two cross paths when Eloise tries to find Lady Whistledown, and they hit it off, both young activists. In the books, Theo doesn’t exist. Eloise actually ends up with Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) —the story in Quinn’s 5th book — but he’s currently married to Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) on the show.
The Horse Accident
A pivotal moment for the season, one that makes Anthony’s feelings for Kate all the more evident, is her accident. In hopes of running away after a steamy night with Anthony, Kate gets on a horse during a storm and ends up falling off. She is knocked unconscious. Thankfully, Anthony is there to rescue her and takes her back to safety.
In the book, Kate does get into an accident, but it is a more minor one. While riding with Edwina and one of her suitors in a carriage, there is an accident and Kate only hurts her leg. There is no Anthony for the rescue, nor a dramatic, rainy scene that ends up being the climax of Anthony’s feelings.
Lady Whistledown's Identity
At the end of Season 1, Penelope Featherington is revealed to be Lady Whistledown, the author behind all the gossip and secrets. In the books, her identity isn’t revealed until the fourth book, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, which tells the story of Penelope and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). In Season 2 of the adaptation, however, Episode 8 shows Eloise finding out Penelope’s secret identity. The longtime friends have a falling out as a result, and Eloise tells Penelope that she never wants to see her again. In the books, Eloise never confronts Penelope because she’s already away with Sir Philip Crane.
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