Netflix’s Bridgerton returned for a second season on March 25th. The show’s first season was a bit of an overnight success. The series follows the eight close-knit siblings from the high society Bridgerton family as they try to find love. Now in its second season, the series explores themes of unresolved trauma and how it can stand in the way of finding that love.  

This article contains spoilers for seasons one and two. 

Second Season of Bridgerton

Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling series of novels, Bridgerton is set in the sexy, lavish, and competitive world of Regency London high society. The series takes audiences into the seductive world of the London high society elite who must play by intricate rules if they want to succeed and thrive in this society. The show is set against a backdrop of the gorgeous ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond. The series revolves around the powerful Bridgerton family and their eight close-knit siblings as they navigate the upper ten thousand’s marriage mart in search of a worthy marriage match. All of this occurs while the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown threatens their chances at happiness.

In the second season, the story revolves around Anthony Bridgerton (played by Jonathan Bailey) and his interest in finding a wife in order to secure the family’s legacy and future well-being. Anthony cares deeply for his family, and although his actions are sometimes misguided, he does have good intentions. The same could be said for Kate Sharma (played by Simone Ashley) who is an antagonist to Anthony’s plans to wed her sister, Edwina Sharma (played by Charithra Chandran). 

Unresolved Trauma

Silva Neves, a psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist in London,  describes toxic masculinity as the result of a set of strict rules that prescribe what being a man should be. These rules include the prevalent idea that a man should suffer physical and emotional pain in silence. He also shouldn’t seek warmth, comfort, or tenderness. The only emotions he can show are bravery and anger because any other emotions are weaknesses. Any show of weakness is unacceptable. This is precisely why a man shouldn’t depend on anyone. Asking for help is also weak. And finally, men should always want to win, whether in sports, work, relationships, or sex. 

If you are a person who subscribes to the ideas listed as toxic masculinity, then you may not have the coping mechanism needed to deal with stressful events in your life. Many of these people carry around some level of unresolved hidden trauma. They are usually a result of a specific incident or experience.

Head of the Household

There is a sort of trauma that comes with being the head of the household if you don’t have the support or coping mechanism to get through them. If a man believes that he should suffer physical and emotional pain in silence, or that he doesn’t need to seek warmth, comfort, or tenderness, then it is understandable why he would make decisions that will not necessarily be good for him in the long term.

I think it’s important to note that in the second season of Bridgerton, these masculinity ideals also present themselves as duties of the head of the household. Kate Sharma also has many of these traits as she sees herself as the head of the household, after her father’s death. With no son in her family, she takes all the head of household responsibility upon herself. 

Anthony Bridgerton

In this second season of Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton is much different than we found him in the first season. Anthony has set his sights on finding a bride and he has taken his role as head of the household very seriously. And while he is set on finding a bride worthy of his title and position in society, he is not looking for someone to fall in love with. Anthony states that he merely wants a woman who is tolerable, dutiful, has suitable enough hips for childbearing, and has at least half a brain.

During season two, episode three “A Bee in Your Bonnet,” we get a deep dive into why he feels that way. It is not that Anthony is not capable of falling in love. It is more a matter that he believes love is a terrible burden.  Anthony is traumatized not only by his father’s death, but also by his mother’s grief and suffering. On top of that, he is clearly overwhelmed by the duties and responsibilities he must now take over.

Kate Sharma

Similarly, Kate Sharma is also dealing with unresolved trauma. The death of her father has left her orphaned and in the care of her stepmother, Mary Sharma. Kate feels she no longer has a place in the world. In the final episode of season two, “The Viscount Who Loved Me,” Kate finally reveals her own trauma.

In a heartbreaking moment with her stepmother, Kate reveals that she felt she owed it to her stepmother to do everything she could to ensure they would be taken care of.  She felt in debt to her and admits that she took on this duty and responsibility as head of household because her stepmother was deep in her grief over the death of Kate’s father. And so, she dedicated herself to devising a way to make sure that her mother, her half-sister Edwina, and herself are cared for. She forsakes the notion of romance and happily ever after for herself and transfers all those hopes and dreams to her little sister.

Resolving Trauma

Leaning on the advice and support of their families is what ultimately leads Anthony and Kate to their happy ending. We see over and over throughout the second season that they are far from in control of their emotions for one another. They did not possess the self-awareness needed to properly asses their own emotions, let alone their situation. They spent most of the second season trying to will themselves into action. Kate believes that she is not deserving of love and bottles up her emotions, but they manifest as irritation, resentment, and much more. Anthony is fearful of love because of how his mother reacted to the death of his father. He is scared of a love that grand.

Anthony and Kate will do anything for their families. That sense of duty and loyalty comes from a place of love and good intentions. But it is not until they lay down their burdens, and begin to live authentically as the people they truly are and not the persons they think they should be, that they are able to find happiness and fulfillment.

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