Dear readers, I wish I had the keen insight of Lady Whistledown to offer you, but Bridgerton's first season left me with just as many questions about the fate of the ton's brightest stars as you have. As we wait together for Netflix to give this deliciously romantic series the second season it deserves, all I can offer you are theories about what may lie ahead for the Bridgertons, Featheringtons, and everyone's favorite reformed rake, Simon.
Warning: Spoilers for Season 1 of Bridgerton follow.
Luckily, Bridgerton is based on an eight-book series by romance maestro Julia Quinn, so there are some clues to be found within the pages of the books about where the show may go next. It should be noted that each installment follows a different Bridgerton sibling as they find love, so if the show follows suit, Daphne and Simon will likely cede the spotlight to Anthony as he attempts to settle down and begin his search for a suitable viscountess.
But Anthony's story will no doubt only be part of the drama, because Bridgerton Season 1 wrapped up with a collection of gasp-worthy cliffhangers that need to be resolved as soon as possible. Sadly, until Lady Whistledown puts her quill to paper once more, we'll just have to settle for theorizing about what's in store for the Bridgerton family and the rest of London's society as they gear up for the next season of scandals, debuts, and love matches.
Who Will Inherit The Featherington Estate?
Look, there's no denying that Lady Featherington is a lot, and I'm not just talking about her dresses. She's downright ruthless about securing advantageous matches for her daughters, and she wasn't exactly kind to Marina. However, her willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure her daughters' futures makes a lot more sense now that it's been revealed just how inept her husband was.
One of the biggest questions lingering at the end of Season 1 is who will inherit the Featherington Estate now that Lord Featherington has been murdered. Whoever the person in question is, the lady of the house seemed absolutely shocked by their identity, which leads me to believe it must be someone she knows. My number one guess is Marina. Since it was established that Lord Featherington owed Marina's father a sizable favor, it's entirely possible that he carelessly ceded the estate to her in the event that he died.
Since he has no direct male heirs, the line of succession is going to be tricky indeed. If a loophole doesn't lead to Marina inheriting and becoming the lady of the house just in time to torture Lady Featherington, there's always a possibility that Lord Featherington had a secret son (maybe one who is still a child) who will become the little lord of the estate. Or, and I know this is a bit out there, but what if the Featheringtons and Bridgertons are distant cousins, leading to Anthony inheriting the estate?
Just imagine how much fun it would be to watch Lady Featherington attempt to convince him to marry one of her daughters in hopes of creating a Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley style union of convenience.
Will The Ton Discover Lady Whistledown's Identity?
You'll find no spoilers here, but yes, Lady Whistledown's identity is revealed to the audience by the end of Season 1, and I'm now desperate for the ton to find out who is behind society's most popular gossip sheet. However, since readers of Quinn's series had to wait through three books to discover the author's identity, it could be some time before the secret is out.
Although, if anyone does crack this mystery, my money is on Eloise — there's no way she's letting her quest go that easily, especially if she ends up debuting in society next season. The most intrepid Bridgerton is going to need something to distract her from potential suitors, and trying to stay one step ahead of the Queen in hopes of protecting Lady Whistledown might just make all of those balls bearable.
How Will The Duke & Duchess Adjust To Parenthood?
While I expect Simon and Daphne to be supporting players in Season 2, there has to be at least a little drama surrounding their adjustment to parenthood. Given the Duke's childhood traumas, he'll certainly have a lot to process as he embraces his role as a father, and selfishly, I want to see him grapple with his adjustment to family life so that it leads to more emotional heart-to-hearts with Daphne.
Also, the show absolutely must send Hyacinth to stay with her big sister in the countryside for at least part of the season, because Uncle Simon may end up being even hotter than Dad Simon, at least if that origami pony scene is any indication of what's to come.
Will Anthony Marry For Love Or Convenience?
Brace yourselves Simon fans, because if Bridgerton follows the books' lead, next season's rakish hero will be Anthony Bridgerton, who didn't exactly establish himself as the most swoonworthy viscount in Season 1. Still, one of the season's final scenes sets up his hunt for a proper wife, which should go off the rails rather quickly.
In the second book in the series, The Viscount Who Loved Me, Simon is set to marry a perfectly respectable young woman named Edwina, but her older sister, Kate, is determined to keep them from walking down the aisle because she knows the viscount's reputation as a womanizer. If Season 2 does introduce Kate and Edwina, viewers could be in for a rousing enemies-to-lovers plot that might just redeem Anthony after a season of romantic indecisiveness and truly appalling life choices (never forget he tried to marry Daphne off to the first lecherous suitor who asked for her hand).
Will We See More Of Queen Charlotte & King George III?
King George III and Queen Charlotte are the show's only real life historical figures to date, and the glimpses of their marriage in Season 1 were heartbreaking. Since George doesn't die until 1820, it's likely that he'll appear again in Season 2, but it may be more interesting for the show to introduce some of their children — in reality, they had 15 children (two died before they reached adulthood).
It's unclear if any of the children, aside from their late daughter, will be mentioned on the show, but how fun would it be to see Queen Charlotte introducing some of her kids into the marriage mart?
Is Will In Danger After Throwing The Match?
Will didn't get his own storyline until the end of Season 1, but I am desperate to see more of Simon's best friend. After throwing his match against The Beast, it would be shocking if he didn't find himself in some kind of danger in Season 2. After all, Lord Featherington was murdered for the role he played in the deception, and even though he's besties with a duke, the boxer cost a lot of people in high places quite a large sum of money.
Having Will and his family face the same dangerous people who ended Featherinton's life could add some drama to Daphne and Simon's storyline next season as well. Because come on, the stupidly noble Simon is definitely going to involve himself in his pal's troubles, and potentially leave his wife distraught in the process.
Will Marina Return To Society?
If I have one complaint about Season 1 it has to be the abrupt ending to Marina's story. After discovering that the attempt to end her pregnancy failed, she seemingly accepts the proposal of her lover's brother and simply leaves society behind. And come on, that can't be the end of her story can it?
I'm still holding out hope that she somehow inherited the Featherington estate, but barring that twist, a reveal about her parentage would be most welcome. Mostly, I just really need Penelope and Marina to remain in each other's lives, and to see her end up with some sort of happiness after spending such a depressing few months in the Featherington household.
May these Bridgerton Season 2 theories sustain you until Netflix gives the show an official renewal — which needs to happen immediately, because all of these questions demand real answers, and I am not above calling in a favor to Queen Charlotte to make that happen.
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Images: Netflix