Season 2 of Bridgerton is here! The beautiful dresses, the sizzling romance, the high society drama! But where, oh where, is Regé-Jean Page’s Simon?
Season 1 focused on the tumultuous love affair between Simon, Duke of Hastings, and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the most talked-about debutante of the London social season. In Season 1, Daphne and Simon hatch a brilliant plan: they’ll pretend to fall in love with each other, so that Daphne can bag herself a husband and Simon can be left alone. Of course, it’s hard for the two hottest people in London to pretend to love each other without sparking actual feelings, so naturally Daphne and Simon end up getting together for real. After some drama involving Simon’s reluctance to have kids and Daphne’s complete ignorance about how babies are made, they settle into marital bliss at Simon’s estate in the English countryside. There, Simon can learn to be a better dad than his own father was, while Daphne tries not to offend the locals by being too nice to their pigs. (It’s a long story, just watch Season 1 already.)
Bridgerton is based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn. Each book focuses on one of the eight Bridgerton siblings, and the show will follow the same format. Season 1, based on The Duke and I, followed Daphne’s story. Season 2, based on The Viscount Who Loved Me, focuses on her brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he recovers from being dumped by his lover Siena (Sabrina Bartlett). Anthony tries to find true love, meeting the beautiful Edwina (Charithra Chandran) and her overprotective big sister Kate (Simone Ashley). Season 2 also features Eloise making her reluctant debut while trying to sniff out Lady Whistledown’s identity.
The Status of Simon
Season 2 starts off with a bang. The London social season has started again! The ton is back in full swing! The air is full of young love and delicious gossip, and the city is full of beautiful ball gowns, powdered wigs, wisteria-laden trellises, and horseback rides at dawn!
One of the first shots we get is of Daphne, looking a little wiser and savvier after spending some time as a duchess, pulling up to her old home. Today is the day that Eloise will present herself to Queen Charlotte as a debutante, and she’s too terrified to leave her bedroom. Daphne, looking a little annoyed, points out that she left her husband and child at home to come to London to support Eloise.
That line is more significant than it might seem. Simon and his son are back at their country estate, yes, but it’s not just that Simon isn’t present for this one scene. Regé-Jean Page has left the show for good. His departure was announced last year, after the season 1 finale.
Why is Simon gone? Well, in terms of the narrative, there’s just not much more story to tell on Simon’s front. Season 1 gave Simon not one, but two complete story arcs, as he first fell in love with Daphne and then agreed to give parenting a try. Now that he’s just doing his thing as Duke of Hastings, managing the estate’s affairs and rearing his son, his life is happily boring. It makes sense that we’ll still see a bit of Daphne in Season 2, since she’s still a Bridgerton and she can pass on some wisdom to Anthony and Eloise as they deal with their issues, but Simon would feel like a third wheel at this point. I mean, a dashingly handsome third wheel! But still, not much part to play in the story. Besides, having Simon around would take the focus off of Anthony, who’s taking the spotlight in Season 2.
But what if we’re pining for more Regé-Jean Page!? Why didn’t Shondaland and Netflix consider that, huh?? Don’t worry! Page is starring in two projects that are currently in post-production. One is a CIA thriller called The Gray Man, which stars Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Ryan Gosling. The other is Dungeons and Dragons, an adaptation of the classic roleplaying game starring Chris Pine, slated for release sometime in 2023.
All eight episodes of Bridgerton Season 2, sans Regé-Jean Page but still packed with a cast of quirky aristocrats, are now streaming on Netflix.
(image: Netflix)
