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The much-anticipated show was released on Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 2 based on the popular book from Julia Quinn The Viscount Who Loved Me. As a reader who would say this is my favorite book in the series, they completely butchered this story.

When Netflix first released The Duke & I back in 2020, I was completely enamored by Daphne and Simon the Duke of Hastings love story. The cast, the main and sub plots and the overall diversity in the show completely took me on a whirlwind of enchantment. I had never heard of this story before, so I snatched up the book to read because I did the ultimate crime of watching a show before I read the book. And then I realized that the show was way better than the book. I repeat, the show was WAY better than the book.

If you want to read the books, which I always recommend. You buy the books right off of Amazon. By clicking these links: Duke & I or The Viscount Who Loved Me

So naturally I looked forward to the next season. They did so well with sticking to the plot of the first book and added so much more to the story that I couldn’t wait for Season 2. As I binged the show all day Friday, of the new season, I was left bored and disappointed. I now have an honest to goodness hate-love relationship with the Netflix show Bridgerton Season 2.

As a reminder. This is a rant coming from a reader who really loves the book and felt that the writers of this show took creative liberties with the story that in my opinion completely butchered it to the point of the hate-love relationship the show. Where it left me screaming THAT WASN’T IN THE BOOK!!!

I get it, naturally writers for movies/shows take creative liberties that have scenes that won’t be in the book, or they take out key elements from the book and leave it out. Hello, Harry Potter! So I get it. But what they did in my opinion completely mutilated it. Left out what makes The Viscount Who Loves Me so good. They created a show that in my opinion was full of unnecessary drama that left me rolling my eyes at what was unfolding in 8 episodes.

Cons: 

Everything that I loved about Anthony’s and Kate’s love story in the book was completely left out. To the reason why Kate absolutely despised Anthony from the beginning. How Anthony was introduced as a rake by Lady Whistledown’s society papers. It is what contributed to Kate’s disdain for him.  When she realized that Anthony intended on marrying her sister, Kate did everything she could to prevent that from happening. The slow burn of her slowly falling for him when he started demonstrating his good character. Kate’s fear of lighting storms that was super important in the book was never really mentioned in the show. Also the crazy circumstance of Anthony marrying Kate instead of Edwina were due to Anthony’s fear of bees .. You see in the book that even though they were physically attracted to one another and were eventually married, Anthony still had to understand what love is and be okay to love. All important aspects that were so important in the book that weren’t in the show.

You see in the show Edwina and Anthony get engaged and go as far as walking down the aisle for their wedding. Kate and Anthony locked eyes as he was about to say his vows. Then WHAM, Edwina figures it out, runs away and you spend the rest of the episode with Edwina being upset and it being dragged on and on and on. You get the picture. It made the love story so lackluster and you wanted to scream “get on with it all ready!” And to me, the way the show went down in how Anthony and Kate finally getting together was so dragged out that it was boring to watch. I just couldn’t connect with the characters the same way I did in the book. The sub plots such as Eloise, Penny Featherington and even Lady Featherington hustling to protect her family were more interesting to watch.

The few things that they did get rightt: Anthony pursued after Edwina because she was the diamond of the season. Any suitor who wanted to court Edwina had to go through Kate. Kate despised Anthony and prevented him from properly courting her. Pall Ball rivalry between the siblings. Annnddd that’s where it fell off the cliff of keeping to the plot line.

Maybe being an outside observer looking in. Aka, not caring about the books but liking the show. I can see how entertaining this can be. In fairness, I can see why the writers wanted to change the story because you cannot have the same story over and over again. But seriously, this is stupid to change it up so much.

Now I can say that this wasn’t a total dumpster fire.

Pros

It did explore other areas that Julia Quinn’s book didn’t touch on. Personally, I loved how they went more into the loss of Edmond Bridgerton, the father of the Bridgerton family. How losing him impacted the family that was touched on way more than the book did. You see Violet Bridgerton struggling through that loss of losing her one true love. Struggling to show up for her family after losing someone so important to her. You see Anthony having to grow up quickly and you get to see the choices he makes for his family and why. You see more of the story of Lady Whistledown and her struggles to keep her identity a secret. Even at the cost of her friendship. 

Oh and seeing the Queen and Lady Danbury playing a big part in the story. If you asked me, they are my favorite characters in the Netflix series. They hold it together for me because they have such class and spunk that it practically nailed it for me.

I will be continuing to read the books and criticizing, I mean, watch the series going forward because I authentically love to see a book to movie adaptation. I am invested in the characters that Netflix has created and look forward to seeing how it continues with its renewed seasons of 3 & 4.

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