Only true Bridgerton fans will have spotted these 21 hidden details in season two

Yes, Anthony’s wet shirtless scene was a direct nod to Mr Darcy

2 years ago

By now everyone has watched Bridgerton season two at least once and depending on how many times you’ve rewatched the series, you may have noticed a bunch of hidden details you didn’t see the first time around. And let’s be honest we were all too focused on the tension between Kate and Anthony to notice anything else.

The eight episodes of season two focusing on the love story between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma contain a multitude of hidden meanings and symbolism. These details are nods to other moments in popular culture, links to the first season and reveal more information about the characters.

These are 21 hidden details from Bridgerton season two you probably missed :

1. Bees are literally everywhere

Bees are the symbol of the Bridgerton family but their hidden meaning is only revealed during episode three of the season.

The series opens with an image of a bee on a flower – a hint of what’s to come.

In episode three we learn the father of the Bridgertons, Edmund, died by a bee sting to the upper chest. Anthony witnesses his death and ever since then is terrified of bees.

Bees continue to be seen throughout the series. When Kate is stung by one in the exact same place as Anthony’s father it causes him to panic.

The bee not only stings Kate in the same place on her body but both stinging incidents happen in the gardens of Aubrey Hall.

The director of episode three told Insider this setting was intentional: “It’s not the same setting, but it’s a similar setting because we’re playing on Anthony’s complete fear. The parallels are absolutely intentional.”

In the same episode Benedict wears a vest covered in a bee pattern.

2. Lilacs are another important Bridgerton family symbol

In episode three just before he dies Edmund Bridgerton is seen picking lilacs for his wife.

Later on in the episode Violet is seen placing lilacs on Edmund’s grave and after Kate has her fall Violet sends a bunch of lilacs to her.

The importance of lilacs is not to be underestimated. Daphne points out lilacs are the symbol of first love which makes complete sense when watching the relationship between Edmund and Violet. Kate also wears the colour to her sister’s wedding to Anthony – the day she kisses him for the first time.

3. Daphne’s coach has the Hastings family crest on it

Yes I’m still not over the Duke returning to season two, however his family crest does make an appearance on the coach Daphne turns up in the first episode of season two.

4. There are other hints to the Duke too

Throughout season two Lady Danbury’s wardrobe and behaviour hints at her relationship with the Duke. In the first season we learn the Duke and Lady Danbury are incredibly close as she was best friends with his mother before she died.

In season two Lady Danbury usually wears dark red, which is the same colour Simon wore throughout season one.

In the episode when the Sheffields come to a very awkward dinner at Lady Danbury’s house she serves a sauce that contains gooseberries.

In season one Simon said his favourite pudding was a gooseberry pie and this is therefore a hint at their close bond.

5. The number of fingers Anthony holds up at the dance is how many children he and Kate will have

If you haven’t seen this hidden detail on TikTok already, then let me explain it to you.

In the final episode of the season, Anthony holds up four fingers to Kate to check if she has recovered from her accident. He initially puts up three fingers but then flips his hand to reveal four fingers.

In the book series Bridgerton is based on, Kate and Anthony end up having four children. So if that isn’t the sweetest thing then I don’t know what is.

6. Anthony only calls Kate by her full name once in the season

In the finale episode Anthony finally calls Kate by her full name after they profess their love to each other in the garden of the Featherington’s ball.

In the book Kate’s name is Kate Sheffield, however it was changed to Kathani Sharma for the TV series to reflect her south-Asian heritage.

Anthony says her full name during the scene when Kate says: “there will never be a day where you do not vex me,” and Anthony replies: “Is that a promise, Kathani Sharma?”

7. Kate wears different colour dresses to her mother and sister

Edwina and her mother, Mary, are often seen wearing similar colour hue dresses throughout the series. Kate, however often wears a completely different colour dress. When they attend their first ball, Mary and Edwina wear light pink dresses whilst Kate wears a blue one.

This symbolism could be for a number of reasons. Firstly it could highlight their different personalities. Kate is outspoken, stubborn and competitive whereas Mary and Edwina are not. Or it could highlight how different Kate feels to her family, she is not her mother’s biological daughter and is also keeping the secret of the Sheffields’ inheritance to herself.

8. Anthony and Kate both make lists about potential suitors

Though they would not admit it, Kate and Anthony are incredibly similar. In episode one Anthony writes a list of all the eligible women in the ton and invites them out to get to know them only to discount them.

Kate has her own list in episode two, except her list contains names of suitors for Edwina, not herself.

9. Anthony’s list contains a nod to the original author of the series

In Anthony’s list one of the women’s names he has written down is Lady Julia and a note next to it saying “a romantic” below that is the name Miss Quinn and the note next to it says “an exceptional writer”.

Julia Quinn is the author of the Bridgerton books and therefore these two names have to be a sneaky little Easter egg for all the fans of the books.

10. Kate and Anthony both use the word ‘vex’

During season one of Bridgerton Anthony uses the word “vex” when taking to his then lover Siena, after she goes out with the Duke.

He says to her: “If you are using Hastings in some scheme to vex me Siena.”

And in this season Kate uses the word a few times as well. In episode four she uses it when the couple are fighting. Kate says: “Because you vex me!”

11. As the season goes on Kate wears her hair down more

Kate wears her hair down more as the season progresses, whilst it could just be a new style she’s trying out, it’s got some deeper symbolism than that.

When we first meet Kate she is composed and in control and always has her hair in a tight updo.

As her feelings for Anthony overpower her throughout the season her hair becomes looser to match her loss of control over her feelings.

12. There are a number of hints to Indian traditions in the series

During episode three Kate rubs oil into Edwina’s hair whilst they are getting ready for bed.

This technique is a nod to their Indian background and according to Vogue it is an ancient ritual used to moisturise the hair.

On Edwina’s wedding day Kate gifts her a set of bangles from her mother. Edwina insists that Kate wears them, despite the bangles traditionally being worn by the person actually getting married.

The bangles symbolise good fortune and prosperity according to the Times of India, so I guess them coming unclasped and Edwina discovering Kate and Anthony’s relationship was some sort of good fortune?

13. Lady Featherington sort of predicts her own future

In the first episode of the season Lady Featherington tells Penelope to not waste time with Colin Bridgerton by jokingly calling herself Catherine the Great.

She says: “Colin Bridgerton is no more your friend than I am Catherine the Great.”

However Catherine the Great and Lady Featherington are actually very similar. Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia, staged a coup to overthrow her husband from power. Which is very similar to what Lady Featherington does to cousin Jack in order to hold onto her own family’s power.

14. Jack hints at his plan to marry Cressida early on

At the very awkward dinner between the Cowpers and the Featheringtons, Jack asks Cressida if she has any brothers.

Yes he could have been making polite conversation, but it turns out he had an ulterior motive which was part of his plan to marry into wealth.

By asking if Cressida has any brothers he is subtly trying to find out if there would be anything or anyone to stand in the way of him inheriting the Cowper fortune. With no brothers or sisters, Jack would be set up to inherit all of Cressida’s fortune if he were to marry her.

15. The Featheringtons have an insect motif too

God the Bridgerton crew really love their insect symbolism. The Featherington family is represented by the butterfly.

In the first episode of this season Penelope wears a butterfly necklace and in the first season butterflies were included in the Featheringtons costumes and home decor.

It could possibly symbolise their growth and desire to transform in society just as caterpillars do to butterflies.

16. At the Featherington ball the guests wear colours to match the hosts

In season one the Featherington family were always dressed in bright citrus colours to symbolise Lady Featherington wanting her daughters to be noticed by society.

By the last episode of season two when the family hosts their own ball, the guests are all wearing citrus tones, which hints at their final success at popularity within the ton.

17. Prudence basically predicts her mother’s marriage plan

Lady Featherington is set on her plan to have Jack marry Prudence and it sort of feels like Prudence predicts her mother’s plan in a throwaway comment.

Whilst playing lawn games at the Bridgertons house, the mother and daughter are discussing Marina Thompson who planned to marry Colin Bridgerton as a way to conceal her pregnancy.

Prudence asks her mother: “Is entrapping a man in marriage really so uncommon?” Though Lady Featherington doesn’t answer directly we soon find out her answer soon enough.

18. Penelope starts and ends the season in the same shot

When we first see Penelope in season two she is looking out of a window, down onto society.

The last time she is seen this season is looking out of her bedroom after her fight with Eloise as the rest of the ton celebrates the fireworks.

19. Yes, Anthony’s wet shirtless scene was a direct nod to Mr Darcy

Easily one of the best scenes this season was Anthony emerging from the lake in his wet shirt just like Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in the 1995 film Pride and Prejudice.

The show’s creator Chris Van Dusen told Entertainment Weekly the scene was an Easter egg for fans of the genre.

He said: “There are some images that have been burned into my brain for a very long time. And those naturally came out onto the page when I was writing the show. I’ve definitely talked about my love for that 1995 BBC adaptation with Colin Firth emerging from the lake in his white shirt. That scene of Anthony going in relates to that. It’s an Easter egg for fans of the genre.”

20. There’s actually a meaning behind why the Bridgerton brothers do drugs in their playroom

I don’t know about you, but I was very confused as to why Colin and Benedict were hanging out in their old nursery and doing drugs.

Alex Pillai, the director of episode three, explained the juxtaposition of them as adults doing drugs amongst their childhood things was to show the constrains they feel in society by their titles and duty.

21. The Queen wears a dress with military ties

In the first season the Queen was all about waging war on Lady Whistledown and this plot line is still very important in season two.

During her first episode of the season she is seen theorising about where Lady Whistledown could be and her dress has gold-rope bows on the shoulders.

These ties look incredibly similar to aiguillettes which are cords on military officers’ uniforms. Clearly someone is ready for battle.

Season two of Bridgerton is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

All images via Netflix.