WARNING: spoilers for Bridgerton season 4 part 2 ahead.
I'm honestly surprised that it wasn't kept a secret, but before new episodes even aired, it was revealed that Jonathan Bailey (Anthony Bridgerton) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) would return for Bridgerton season 4 part 2.
It feels like a lifetime has passed since we were invested in their own story, and that's because it has been. They were the breakout stars of Bridgerton season 2, which came to Netflix back in 2022. They were written out as taking leave to India, which made sense given the pair's hectic work schedules.
Fast forward four years, and they're back. With Benedict (Luke Thompson) falling for maid Sophie (Yerin Ha) in season 4, Anthony is enlisted by their mother Violet (Ruth Gemmell) to try and talk his brother out of making bad decisions. While everything worked out in the end, there was a strong chance that Benedict's feelings would have ruined the Bridgerton name, along with the prospects of his younger siblings.
All's well that ends well, thankfully, but why did now feel like the right time to bring the pair back? After I asked Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell, the answer had never felt more obvious.
'Benedict's relationship with Anthony is so primal to his sense of self'
"When we're thinking about bringing back previous leads, it's about what relationship they have, specifically with different siblings," Brownell explains.
"I think for Benedict, that relationship with Anthony is so primal to his sense of self. Benedict defines himself, in many ways, as being a second son and being in Anthony's shadow, so it felt super important to bring Anthony back for that dynamic."
Clearly, I have missed the obvious staring me straight in the face. Of course Anthony's perspective would be needed as Benedict nearly decides to abandon his family in the name of love, but as Brownell continues, it's not just Benedict who benefits.
"I think equally for Eloise (Claudia Jessie), she has a really unique relationship with Kate, and we want to see that continue developing as Eloise gets, you know, closer to maturing and closer to her season," she adds.
So an Eloise season is closer than we think? Can we begin to believe that she's the star of Bridgerton season 5?
Logically, this has made the most sense for ages, especially now Benedict is officially off the market. If anything, Bailey and Ashley's return is the strongest evidence we have.
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