"Bridgerton" is a romance based on novels by Julia Quinn, which means the show's ending isn't going to be a surprise. It's not supposed to be: One of the rules of the genre is that the story must end in a "happily-ever-after" moment for the central couple.
And so, after eight episodes of Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) denying their feelings in season two, avoiding each other, and simmering under each other's gazes, the couple finally (finally) gets together. Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) can sleep well: Her matchmaking is done.
When it comes to romance, though, the journey is as important as the destination. Anthony and Kate may end "Bridgerton" by kissing deeply in front of their entire family — but they could only do so after quite a lot of drama transpires, which we'll detail below.
Since "Bridgerton" features such a sprawling cast, the lead-up to Anthony and Kate's resolution was not the only action happening in the show's season two finale.
Here's what you need to know about where "Bridgerton" leaves off in season two, and how it sets up the confirmed third season.
Anthony and Kate get together — but it takes a while
Anthony and Kate go from enemies to lovers during the season — and in the final episode, they almost split up entirely.
Kate falls while horseback riding in the rain, and is into a coma for about a week. While she's unconscious, Anthony comes face-to-face with the very fear that kept him from wanting to fall in love, ever since his father died: He's afraid of losing people. During a heart-to-heart with his mom, Violet (Ruth Gemmell) — who has lost the love of her life — says, “Real true love is worth it.”
After Kate wakes up, miraculously fine, Anthony goes to Kate's bedside holding tulips and a promise to be hers forever. But she rejects his proposal, insisting on going back to India.
Kate then has her own heart-to-heart with her stepmom, Lady Mary (Shelley Conn), in which Lady Mary convinces Kate she is deserving of a happy ending: “It grieves me to think you do not believe you deserve all of the love in the world," Lady Mary says.
Having confronted their deep-seated fears, Anthony and Kate reunite at Featherington Ball. Both are social outcasts after that wedding, so when they begin dancing to an orchestral version of “Wrecking Ball,” all eyes are on them. "Just keep looking at me," Anthony says. "No one else matters."
Anthony gets a chance to deliver another romantic speech after the dance, when Kate says yes, after all that, she's still going to India. Anthony tells Kate he loves her — and to his delight, she responds that she loves him too.
Then he proposes: “I know I am imperfect, but I will humble myself before you because I cannot imagine my life without you, and that is why I wish to marry you."
Their final exchange sums up their relationship, and how they know and accept one another. Kate says, “You do know there will never be a day where you do not vex me.” Anthony responds, “Is that a promise, Kathani Sharma?”
In the epilogue, Anthony and Kate play a game of pall-mall with the Bridgertons at Aubrey Hall. They're as competitive as before, but now make room for smooching.
Edwina gets set up with a prince
Is our Edwina going to become a princess? Potentially. In the "Bridgerton" finale, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) mentions that her nephew, a prince, is still on the market.
Ostensibly, Charlotte is referring to Prince Friedrich of Prussia, who is a frontrunner for Daphne's (Phoebe Dynevor) in season one, before the Duke of Hastings swoops in.
Charlotte and Edwina bond after Edwina's disastrous wedding, after Edwina shows the queen's husband, King George, kindness. Rosheuvel told TODAY she “admires” Edwina and her “amazing relationship” with queen. “It’s a really interesting relationship and a kind of sisterhood, which I think is really, really lovely,” Rosheuvel said.
Edwina may return next season. Speaking to EW, Chandran didn't rule out the possibility of coming back to the show. “What I can hope for Edwina is of course I hope she finds love with someone wonderful one day. But my priority, at least in the short term, is for her to find adventure and excitement,” she said.
Colin breaks Penelope's heart
If the Duke "burns" for Daphne, then Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) burns for Colin (Luke Newton). Unfortunately, her crush still has not been acknowledged. Worse, it's been denied.
In the finale, Penelope overhears Colin tell his friends that he would never court her. Penelope is devastated to see her romantic hopes extinguished in a single overheard sentence. Given all the eavesdropping required for her Lady Whistledown columns, it was inevitable that Penelope would, one day, hear something that she wished she hadn't.
This exchange is pulled directly from Julia Quinn's romance novels. In the books, Colin tells his older brothers that he wouldn't court Penelope. The scene is written from multiple points of view, including Benedict's and Penelope's.
Speaking to TODAY, Newton revealed what was going through Colin's head when he made those callous remarks. “He’s trying to be one of the boys, and I don’t think he really knows how to do that,” he said. Colin and Penelope's story will keep evolving in future seasons.
Eloise learns the identity of Lady Whistledown
You could say that Penelope has a no-good, very bad finale. In addition to overhearing her crush say he doesn't have feelings for her, Penelope's best friend, Eloise (Claudia Jessie), learns she's Lady Whistledown — and isn't happy about her friend's extracurricular hobby.
Eloise, along with Queen Charlotte, are obsessed with unmasking Whistledown. At the Featherington ball, Penelope makes a sharp observation, the kind that Whistledown might make. Eloise realizes that her friend is Whistledown — which means that Penelope wrote about Eloise's jaunts to visit Theo off in London. The revelation comes as a betrayal.
In the aftermath, Penelope and Eloise have a painful fight. By the end of the episode, their friendship is ruptured. Eloise tells Penelope, “I wish never to see or speak to you again.”
"I’d like Eloise and Penelope to make friends again as quickly as possible," Jessie told TODAY.
Jack is run out of town
"Bridgerton" has officially ousted its first con man. Jack Featherington (Rupert Young), a.k.a. the new Lord Featherington, postures as a wealthy man with gem mines in the colonies.
Turns out his gems are about as valuable as his word — which is to say, not valuable at all. Jack's gems are worthless and made of glass. Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) initially agrees to help him swindle the people of the Ton, and run away with the money.
But when Colin Bridgerton shows Jack to be a fraud, Lady Featherington switches sides, and kicks him out of the house. She then forges Jack's signature to say Prudence's son will inherit the estate. And with that, the Featheringtons manage to navigate yet another season — though with her engagement to Jack over, Prudence is back on the market.