Before I start this blog post, I’ll put a little disclaimer – there will be spoilers. So if you plan to watch this season, and you haven’t yet, maybe don’t read this post until after you do!
Also, I’m going to be frank, right off the bat: I did not enjoy this season nearly as much as I enjoyed the first season.
The Love Story
Season 2 had big shoes to fill. The love story between the Duke and Daphne was so enthralling – I don’t know if it was simply the writing or storyline, or the chemistry between the actors, or maybe a combination, but I fell in love with their love story. I was so emotionally invested in their relationship working out, like I needed it to work out in the end, as if I was in any way going to be impacted by their fate.
But with Anthony and Kate, I literally did not care. In fact, I was kind of annoyed by their love story. They irritated me with how much they continuously complicated the situation for themselves. It’s clear they were interested in one another immediately, yet they did everything they could do to make it impossible for them to be together. I understand they had their own objectives in life that didn’t involve marriage, but still. I think it was meant to come across as them making selfless sacrifices by refusing to be together. Then the more the storyline progressed, the more impossible it was for them to be together even when they wanted to be – I mean, he was engaged to her sister for crying out loud – and I think it was meant to be heart-wrenching that it was so impossible for them to be together. But it didn’t feel to me like they were making sacrifices. It just felt like they were being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn, and that’s it. So, as a result, it didn’t feel heart-wrenching that things weren’t working out for them. It felt more like…you’ve made your bed, now lie in it.
And then when they did let their guard down around one another, it felt like there was no chemistry or love between them. And when they did finally end up making it work, it felt so rushed and unsatisfying. I don’t know, maybe I just had too high of expectations because of how blown away I was by the Duke and Daphne, which would be hard to live up to. But with Anthony and Kate, I truly did not care if they ended up together or not. At some points they annoyed me so much, I almost didn’t want it to work out between them. It didn’t feel like they deserved to be together, or were destined to be together, or that they would be miserable without one another. Maybe they would pout a bit if it didn’t work out in their favour, but it didn’t feel like they’d have lost the love of their life or anything.
The Friendship
To be honest, I was more invested in Eloise and Penelope’s friendship. It was so interesting to see the tension rising as Eloise kept investigating the identity of Lady Whistledown, and getting more and more in-depth with her investigation. I also loved seeing Eloise explore her feminist interests more, even if she had to do so in secret. It was empowering to see her being true to herself even though everything in her life seemed so against it.
I felt so bad for Penelope when she had to badmouth and expose Eloise in order to protect her when the Queen suspected Eloise of being Whistledown. I feel like that is a struggle, and a sacrifice. Having to hurt your friend in order to protect your friend – I can’t imagine the pain that would have caused Penelope.
And then, at the end, when they had their falling out after Eloise found out the truth about Penelope…I definitely shed a few tears. I know that obviously Penelope couldn’t tell anyone that she was Whistledown – not just to avoid the risk of word getting out, but that could put Eloise in a dangerous position as well, and I think that Penelope was truly trying to protect her. But when Eloise found out that her friend had been keeping this huge secret from her, and lying to her face about it by being equally enthusiastically interested in Whistledown and not letting on about her identity, and also found out that Penelope had betrayed her by revealing her secrets of sneaking into town…I can’t imagine the pain that would have caused Eloise. I’m sure it would have felt like their entire friendship was based on lies – how could you trust your friend after finding out the way they were always presenting themself to you was fraudulent, or that they were hiding this whole identity from you. I don’t know if there was anything Penelope could have done to convince Eloise that she was just trying her best to do the right thing, especially in that moment.
I don’t know, I felt more invested in their friendship than the love story, and I felt more brokenhearted in that moment than I did at any point in Anthony and Kate’s plot-line. I think Eloise and Penelope’s friendship is the only true, pure friendship dynamic that we see in the show, and to see it fall apart is heartbreaking.
Edwina
I thought Edwina seemed so much younger than Daphne did, which made it more apparent how young the girls are when they’re getting married, especially compared to the men they’re marrying.
In season 1, Daphne seemed like a young woman. I imagined her being in her early 20s maybe, and the Duke also appeared to be in his 20s, so it seemed like a pretty average relationship dynamic in that sense. I think it’s partially the way Daphne carried herself with such confident poise, and was so outspoken and elegant in everything she did. She never shied away from speaking her mind in a respectful, competent way, and at no point did she seem overtly immature in any way. Perhaps it’s also because she’s the oldest sister in her family, so she comes across as naturally having some maternal characteristics, whereas Edwina was the younger sister in her family, so she naturally didn’t have those same characteristics as she didn’t have any younger siblings to look after. Plus, by comparison, Edwina looked younger and more childlike, and appeared more soft-spoken and reserved compared to Daphne. Potentially because Kate would always step in and speak for Edwina.
But Edwina definitely seemed more like a young teen than a young woman, and it made me incredibly uncomfortable to see her interacting with Anthony and preparing to marry him. It truly looked like a young teen (aka a child) and a grown man. Which, I know that’s how it was at the time in reality, but I’d like to not have that in my love stories, if I’m honest.
Also – the comment about Kate being an ‘old maid’ at the age of 26 LOL I was so taken aback. Like okay, if she’s an old maid then what the hell does that make me!
Anyways, I don’t think the second season was terrible, don’t get me wrong. But it had a lot to live up to after season 1, and I don’t think it quite met the expectations. But I still enjoyed watching it even if I wasn’t as invested, and you can bet that I’ll continue watching the series as more seasons come out!
Until next time,
Nadine
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