Bridgerton season 2 arrived on Netflix and it meant what many expected, more gossip, scandals and sex. Based on Julia Quinn’s series of romance novels, the show is set in Regency-era London and follows society’s elites (known as high society) as they navigate courtship and marriage, all under the Lady Whistledown’s watchful eye (voiced by Julie Andrews).
Season 1 follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), who is determined to marry for love. Complicating matters for Daphne is her older brother, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), whose unsolicited interference puts Daphne at a disadvantage. Enter Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), who comes to Daphne’s aid and pretends to be Daphne’s hottest suitor to make her more attractive to other eligible bachelors. Unsurprisingly, the pair fall in love, and their sexual exploits have viewers wagging tongues and racing hearts.
Fans were no doubt disappointed when they learned Regé-Jean Page would not be returning for Bridgerton Season 2. The show’s second season focused on Anthony’s search for a girlfriend. Unlike his sister, Anthony isn’t interested in romance, just making a sensible match. With all of this, he was very dependent on Jonathan Bailey taking on the burden of becoming the series’ lead heartthrob.
In an interview, Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey opened up about the show’s steamy sex scenes, which are done with the help of an intimacy coordinator, and revealed what many fans imagine about how these scenes are made behind the set to be very real how they appear on television.
“The thing is, with storytelling and filmmaking, you want to have a safe space where everyone feels like they can raise their hand and offer a suggestion without discrimination or feeling self-conscious, without being coerced into a different way of doing things.” .
“And it makes perfect sense to have someone there who is basically a communicator who can quickly identify any areas where people might feel vulnerable or sensitive.”
The sex scenes in Bridgerton are integral to the relationships that unfold on screen. During Season 1, Daphne experiences a sexual awakening vital to her character development. The sex on the show is not meant to be gratuitous but, according to Jonathan Bailey, it is meant to be an expression of “humanity”.
The actor explained that he feels more “in control” of his performance by creating a safe space for the actors. While Anthony is more experienced than his sister when it comes to sex, he has a lot to learn about matters of the heart. He sounds like another handsome Bridgerton character who stole our hearts. He is now Anthony’s turn.
