This is not a drill: Our first look at season 2 of Bridgerton is here.
The minute-long clip introduces the show's new female lead, Kate Sharma, who is played by British actress Simone Ashley. You'll probably recognise her as Olivia from Sex Education.
In the clip, Kate gives Viscount Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) a very eloquent dressing down after apparently hearing him talking disparagingly about women.
"I take issue with any man who views women merely as chattels and breeding stock," Kate says coolly. "Viscount Bridgerton, yes, when you manage to find this paragon of virtue, what makes you think she will accept your suit?"
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Well said, quite frankly.
The first look premiered during a Tudum online panel event attended by Ashley, Bailey, Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington) and another new cast member, Charithra Chandran, who plays Kate's younger sister, Edwina.
Discussing the budding romance between Viscount Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, Coughlan sold fans: "He's met someone who's really his match." Judging from the first look clip, she isn't exaggerating.
According to Variety, both Coughlan and Chandran spoke proudly of Bridgerton's commitment to infusing the costume drama genre with greater diversity than in the past. "It's not your grandmother's period drama. It's quietly revolutionary in a lot of things that it does," Coughlan said. "It doesn't follow the rulebook at all."
Chandran added: "I couldn't believe that someone who looked like me could be in those outfits and be in show like that."
The second season of Bridgerton won't premiere on Netflix until 2022, so sadly we still have a bit of a wait. The good news, however, is that the streamer has already renewed the show for a third and fourth season, as well as commissioning a spin-off series focusing on the early days of Queen Charlotte. Bring all of it on.