In the second season of Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) decides it’s time he finds a wife. When he learns about Miss Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran), Queen-declared diamond of the season, he immediately settles on her, but his attraction to her independent, headstrong older sister Kate (Simone Ashley) throws him into a tailspin. Anthony and Kate try to deny what they feel for each other, but it only makes their desire stronger. Luckily for us, their crackling chemistry keeps us on the edge of our seats as we watch each episode, waiting for every stolen glance or near touch. Here’s a list of combustible moments between Anthony and Kate as their love builds from a slow burn to a raging inferno.
Fireworks explode between Kate and Anthony the very first time they see each other. Anthony, out for a morning ride, sees a woman riding by herself, a true sign of a rebel. Kate ignores Anthony’s attempts to stop her and makes a daring jump over some hedges. She looks back defiantly at Anthony, who’s immediately smitten by her audacity... and beauty. Anthony was a goner before he even knew it.
Anthony isn’t originally invited to Lady Danbury’s (Adjoa Andoh) salon for Miss Edwina’s suitors, but he comes anyway and attempts to read a poem he’s copied from his brother Benedict (Luke Thompson). Halfway through reading the piece, Anthony begins to improvise, admitting he’s not a man of poetry, but a man of action. This makes Kate see him in a new light. Anthony looks up to see Kate admiring him with shining eyes and is himself caught in a spell he won’t be able to shake. Where there’s smoke...
In this episode, the much-anticipated Pall Mall game comes to life when the elder Bridgerton siblings, including Duchess Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), share the rules of the cutthroat sport with Kate and Edwina. While Edwina is hesitant, Kate is all in and ready to battle the very competitive Anthony to the end. The following morning, in the middle of a sharp exchange, a bee stings Kate, making Anthony remember the sudden, crushing circumstances of his father’s death. Anthony begins to have a panic attack, but Kate places his hand on her heart to calm him. The mood shifts from smothering anxiety to smoldering heat. A bee sting was never so sweet.
This episode is full of slow-burn moments! During a hunting party, Kate accidentally flashes her stockings as she steps over a log, and Anthony almost loses his mind from the sight. He gets in close behind her to show her how to use an English rifle, and the heat between them is enough to set the woods ablaze. Later that night, when Kate is unable to sleep because it’s storming outside, she ends up in the library. Anthony finds her there and hands her a book, letting their fingers brush. Lightning crashes outside, a premonition of wonders to come. But it’s at Lady Bridgerton’s annual Hearts and Flowers ball that things really heat up. In a private sitting room, with a roaring fireplace between them, Anthony and Kate address their messy feelings for each other. They almost kiss, but Daphne interrupts one of the hottest moments of the season.
Wow, Anthony. Please list all the ways you could seduce a lady. We’ll take careful notes.
If you’re looking for a Regency-era finger graze, this is the episode for you. The hand-on-hand titillation might get our hearts racing, but there’s a later encounter between the two that really makes our fitness monitors spike. After a disastrous dinner with Edwina’s grandparents, Kate tries to smooth things over with Anthony, but their simmering feelings hit a roiling boil.
It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for and dreading: Anthony and Edwina’s wedding. Even as Kate walks down the aisle to join the wedding party, she and Anthony share a heated glance. When Kate drops her bangles and Anthony picks them up, Edwina finally sees the fire burning between them and abandons the ceremony. Kate hides in a (very lush) closet, but Anthony eventually finds her and the two finally share a scorching kiss.
Get your marshmallows and chocolate bars ready because these two are on fire! After Edwina decides to end her engagement to Anthony, Lady Danbury and Lady Bridgerton host a ball to save face with the ton. It doesn’t go as planned, and Kate leaves the ball to get some fresh air. Of course, Anthony follows her and the two try once more to sort out their feelings for each other. But there can be no more denial. This time, as soon as they touch, all the previous slow-burn moments explode into a fiery night under the stars. There are too many sizzling hot moments from this scene, so you’ll have to go watch it for yourself.
Sometimes a fire can take a long time to cool down. Even after the highest flames are gone, it can still be too hot to touch. And that’s what we see in the season finale. As Kate recovers from a terrible accident, Anthony realizes how cold his life would be without her. He needs the heat and passion she brings into his life. The couple get their happily ever after, and we get to see a slow burn that’s more than worth the wait.
As much as the Bridgerton siblings are fiercely devoted to one another, they’re also quite different. In the first season, Daphne is new to the game of love, so the passion she shares with Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), moves quite quickly. Anthony, as the eldest, is more experienced and more jaded, so he needs a more careful introduction to true love. Kate, while not as cynical as Anthony about romance, had been willing to sacrifice any plans of marriage to ensure Edwina secured the best match, so Kate also needed a slow walk into discovering that she could love and be loved as well. So it makes perfect sense that Anthony and Kate connected through a series of intense moments. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if love began as a flash or with careful tending, as long as hearts continue to warm for each other.
