The second season of Netflix’s Regency-era drama follows the romance between Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), which begins with this meet-cute in the first episode. “It establishes the main enemies-to-lovers storyline,” says showrunner Chris Van Dusen, who highlights the immediate chemistry and tension between Anthony and Kate upon their first meeting. “I wanted this scene to tease the dynamic that was in store for these two characters. The attraction is just palpable, and the banter is witty and fast.”
“I wanted the first words you hear out of Kate’s mouth to be in Hindi,” says Van Dusen, who notes that the phrase “baap re” is similar to what English speakers might identify in Kate’s delivery as an exasperated “oh dear.” “We were always looking for ways to honor the Sharmas’ South Asian heritage, to infuse this world with certain details that were specifically linked to the family’s heritage.” This, Van Dusen says, is the most fun aspect to writing Bridgerton. “We want to show and hear things that aren’t traditionally seen or heard in this genre. That’s what makes it Bridgerton — we do the unexpected.”
Van Dusen says Ashley’s delivery is what makes the scene work so well. “Ashley nails that first line, and you immediately feel her annoyance by this other presence known as Anthony Bridgerton,” the showrunner says, pointing out how Kate bristles at Anthony’s paternalistic assumptions about her. “He thinks he’s being very charming and light-hearted. She doesn’t exactly feel the same way, especially when his next presumption is that she has to be married.”
Kate’s strong-willed nature surprises Anthony from the start. “Anthony realizes that Kate is quite different from every other young lady he’s ever met,” says Van Dusen. “There’s something about her that jolts Anthony out of his malaise.”
Like a Hollywood rom-com, the fast-paced banter between Anthony and Kate is meant to heighten the sexual tension between them — and it’s a form of intimacy in its own right. “The season is very much about a game being played, and their fast-paced banter is a metaphor for what’s happening between Anthony and Kate all season,” Van Dusen says. “The goal was to always feel just as much passion, angst, longing and sexiness as we would from a scene where two people are ripping their clothes off.”
“At the end of the scene, you see that Anthony and Kate are both left breathless, but they’re also thoroughly elated,” says Van Dusen, who says that during the writing process he could only hope that his season two stars would have the captivating chemistry he envisioned. “Jonathan and Simone play this so beautifully — the banter and the relationship is so organic, it doesn’t feel forced at all. You never know how a scene will translate onscreen, and you have to hope and pray the chemistry is there.”
This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.