Bridgerton Season 2 Proves Anthony Was The Real Mr Darcy (Not Simon)
Here's how Bridgerton season 2 proves that Anthony Bridgerton is more like Mr. Darcy than Simon Basset was. The Regency-era romance-drama, based on Julia Quinn's best-selling Bridgerton book series, is no stranger to crafting handsome, emotionally unavailable male protagonists. With a wealth of Austen-inspired Easter eggs, it's not a surprise that Anthony Bridgerton's character and narrative arc in Bridgerton season 2 most closely align with Mr. Darcy's.
In Bridgerton season 1, Simon Basset (Rege-Jean Page) and Daphne (Phoebe Dyvenor) decide to fake-court each other and develop more-than-friendly feelings for each other in the process. Their attraction is more readily apparent through their banter at the beginning of the season, especially with Simon's charisma and geniality. Bridgerton season 2 leans into a slower burn, building upon the enemies-to-lovers trope in true Pride and Prejudice fashion with Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) meeting his match in Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).
Anthony is the real Mr. Darcy because of the way his character presents himself. While Bridgerton season 1 has its own share of Pride and Prejudice references, season 2 makes it even more apparent. When Anthony and Kate officially meet at a ball, Kate's first impressions are dashed when she overhears Anthony's true requirements for a wife. Afterwards, Kate calls Anthony out on his sexist views, his too-high opinion of himself, and his deficient character. This mirrors how Elizabeth views Mr. Darcy's seemingly smug attitude. Anthony and Mr. Darcy both form attractions to Kate and Elizabeth because they are much more forthright and thoughtful than other women of that era. Anthony, like Mr. Darcy with Elizabeth, is also quicker to share his true feelings for Kate and his intent to marry her, though Kate takes a little longer to reciprocate and accept, since she is adamant about returning to India after marrying off her sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
In Bridgerton season 2, Anthony has other obvious parallels to Mr. Darcy that season 1's Simon didn't – Anthony has a hand flex moment with Kate that is reminiscent of 2005's Pride and Prejudice film, in which Darcy helps Elizabeth into a carriage and flexes his hand afterwards, signaling his feelings towards her. Anthony does something similar with Kate after helping her out of a boat and pulling away, resulting in Anthony and his friend falling into a lake. Anthony emerges out of the water in a white shirt in a clear nod to Colin Firth's famous portrayal of how Darcy greets Elizabeth at one point in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Throughout the course of Bridgerton season 2, both Anthony and Kate are too stubborn and proud to give in and confess their attraction to each other. Anthony is too stubborn to search for a love match with someone, having been traumatized by his father's death years ago and seeing the toll that took on his mother, and Kate is too protective of her little sister to allow her to marry Anthony. As with Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, the couple takes time to evaluate any preconceived notions of each other and finally admit their true feelings, almost in spite of themselves.