S02.E02: Off To The Races

[Door County Cherry]

Airs March 25, 2022

[SonofaBiscuit]

Probably should have stayed home instead of trying to watch these first episodes at work, gah!

Oh my goodness, Lady Danbury had some hilarious reaction shots at the soirée (see the guy dancing and Anthony's poetry reading). Also cracked up at Eloise's confused "What??" to the guy twirling the object on the strings. 

From the season two previews I had seen, I was worried that Anthony might come off too harsh, but I'm glad that's not the case. Yes, he's a bit gruff, but he also has a sense of humor (which was apparent in that poetry conversation with Benedict). And he's trying to fight it, but we caught him looking at Kate what...like two times this episode? He He He.

Oh god, Colin really stuck the dagger in Penelope during their conversation. "You are Pen. You do not count. You are my friend." Ouch man, ouch.

Edited March 25, 2022 by SonofaBiscuit
For Clarity

[bijoux]

Plus, Colin is acting like such a ponce. If nothing else Penelope still making calf eyes at him truly proves the old addage. Love IS blind. And deaf in this case as well.

Edited March 27, 2022 by bijoux

[LadyChaos]

I honestly don't like Kate so far. I think she needs to be knocked off her pedestal.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, SonofaBiscuit said:

Oh god, Colin really stuck the dagger in Penelope during their conversation. "You are Pen. You do not count. You are my friend." Ouch man, ouch.

They should've at least subtitled this episode "Friendzoned."

Although I haven't rewatched Season 1, this characterization of Anthony rings true with what I recall, and I really appreciate continuity in my shows. 

[bijoux]

The scenes at the tracks just crackled. Kate's little nod at the end of her put down. 

The weather wasn't the only thing that was hot after that. Poor daft Lunley though. It surprises me Anthony didn't peg him for Daphne last year given how sweet and sexless he is.

Sincere warm wishes to Philippa and Finch. I wish them many happy years filled with cheese.

Look at Varley getting flushed over the new lord's smile. 

Violet may be overbearing in trying to match her kids, but she really does have their best interests at heart. Her trying to find someone interested in dog grooming for Eloise was as sweet as it was ridiculous.

[Door County Cherry]

This episode was better than the premier.  It was funnier and I like the competition Anthony and Kate have going.  

I loved Anthony's speech at the soiree but I'm somewhat disappointed they didn't have Anthony sing.  They haven't suggested he's a singer but why not take advantage of Jonathan Bailey's voice?  

 

[Conotocarious]

I am THOROUGHLY enjoying this season so far. It’s so funny and the banter is top notch.  I have laughed out loud in delight more than once.

Colin must be really a dunderhead if he doesn’t know how Pen feels about him. She wears it all over her face. 

[bijoux]

5 hours ago, Conotocarious said:

 

Colin must be really a dunderhead if he doesn’t know how Pen feels about him. She wears it all over her face. 

You want to tell me that you weren't convinced by that, Oh, Colin, I didn't see you there? Surely you jest.

[andromeda331]

I loved the conversation between Kate and Lady Danbury. Sorry Kate but your no Danbury. 

The men entertaining the ladies at the soiree was interesting. I'm glad Anthony came clean about not knowing poetry instead of reading Benedict's poem. I get why Kate doesn't like him (while being clearly attracted to him) he doesn't have a very good track record. 

I liked that him giving Edwina a horse didn't completely work out. He knew she liked animals but didn't bother to go further on that. I liked that Edwina was honest. She likes all the attention she's getting and likes Anthony but is still speaking up for herself. Well, when she can. I really like her with Dorset. I hope the poor other guy ends with someone. 

I'm glad Philippa got married. At least one of the Featheringtons is happy. I can't wait to see more of what happens with the new heir. 

I'm not into horses racing but they all looked like they were having fun.

Eloise is annoying me. I get she's doesn't want to be a debutante but she's really being rude to the guys who are trying to meet her. Plus she doesn't seem to realize how lucky she is. She has her brothers and sister who will always support her. I wonder if this season she's going to finally do something instead of just talk about how women are more then just married and kids. Well, then do something Eloise. Write something yourself instead of being annoyed at Lady W. for not saying what you want to say.  

[Kirsty]

I suppose if Simon was still on the show, his main role this season would be Anthony's friend and confidante. Like, it would be Simon getting a shave next to Anthony and talking about "the sister", instead of Benedict.

Anyway, my main takeaway from this episode is that Kate is a shocking bad loser. Twice this episode she doesn't accept defeat in a gracious or sporting way. Instead she'll take her ball/sister and flounce in a fury, almost knocking over the footman on her way out the door. I have to be honest,  it makes her seem like an asshole. I'm even slightly impressed that the show is prepared to feature a heroine who behaves so badly. Given that she's described by Julie Andrews/Lady Whistledown at the start of the episode as a "rather prickly spinster of a beast", I take it the show knows what it's doing.

I wonder what else was going on with Kate at the end of that soiree evening when Anthony won Edwina to his side. Is Kate jealous? Or is it about Edwina going against her? At the races, Kate could take Edwina home with her when she departed in a rage. At the soiree, Edwina stayed with Anthony. Good for Edwina, though. It would be hard to respect her if she let Kate push her around all the time.

I like that Mrs Bridgerton tries to advise Anthony, while Lady Danbury is a wonderful mentor for Kate.

As for the subplots, Eloise's obsession with Lady Whistledown is getting repetitive. But the new Lord Featherington is intriguing because I've no idea where that plot is going, and because he can actually have a romantic happy ending this season. I know that's not true of Eloise, Colin, or Benedict, because the Bridgerton family is allowed only one new happy couple a season! It's the Bridgerton quota.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Kirsty

[CountryGirl]

Love can be friendship that has caught fire. It was that way for MH and me, who were friends for a good 3 years before the spark appeared. 

It’s clear the spark, rather torch, is lit for Pen. Let’s see if Colin catches up. 

Keeping with the fire theme, my, my, the flames of passion burned bright in Kate at the horse race and I loved how the entire world seemed to melt away and it was as if only she and Anthony were in the stands. 

I like that Edwina has a personality all her own and isn’t some water downed version of her more mercurial sister. I do hope she finds true love as while Anthony’s outside persona seems perfect for her more understated temperament, we all know that is not who he really is inside but the hand he was dealt having to assume leadership and responsibility of the family at too tender an age. 

I am glad that we are seeing a bit of kindred spirits friendship between Eloise and Kate and broadening beyond her sometimes tiresome pursuit of Lady W and proving how anti-establishment Eloise is. And did I see a little bit of something between her and the boy at the print shop? Which probably won’t go anywhere given the differences in their stations. 

Another excellent episode and dare I say I am enjoying S2 even more than S1. It will be tremendous difficult to pace myself and keep from devouring this absolute delicious show. 

[GaT]

Another good episodes, I'm glad that even though I'm only 2 episodes in, I'm enjoying this season.

The men look soooo much better this season, their hair was a real sticking point for me last season.

Is Eloise going to end up with the guy from the printers?

It's looking like Penelope is going to be found out, I hope this doesn't mean the end of Lady Whistledown, & I don't understand where she's getting the money. 

[smallfry]

On 3/25/2022 at 2:47 PM, LadyChaos said:

I honestly don't like Kate so far. I think she needs to be knocked off her pedestal.

I agree with you. Her attitude and rudeness is getting tiresome. I don't like how rude she is to Lady Danbury. I am also sick of her always speaking for her sister and telling Edwina what to do instead of letting Edwina decide for herself. I watched the episodes of season 1 back to back to back. So far I can only take one at a time because I find Kate so irritating. 

Love seeing The Queen and Lady Danbury together and happy Philippa got married.

 

[dubbel zout]

On 3/25/2022 at 11:57 AM, SonofaBiscuit said:

Oh god, Colin really stuck the dagger in Penelope during their conversation. "You are Pen. You do not count. You are my friend." Ouch man, ouch.

Oof, I know. Way to totally destroy her, Colin. You suck.

5 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

It’s clear the spark, rather torch, is lit for Pen. Let’s see if Colin catches up. 

I have to wonder if Penelope is hanging on to Colin because he's so familiar to her, rather than finding him genuinely interesting. They've known each other for ages, and he's safe in that way. Colin also seems the type to be really mad about Pen being Lady Whistledown should he find out. She doesn't need that nonsense from some doofus guy. I want her to be with someone who isn't dense and sees her for who she is.

I love all of the Bridgerton family scenes. The actors work so well together, and the writing for their scenes are really good.

[Scarlett45]

On 3/25/2022 at 10:57 AM, SonofaBiscuit said:

Oh god, Colin really stuck the dagger in Penelope during their conversation. "You are Pen. You do not count. You are my friend." Ouch man, ouch.

That was “I’m not into you” in BRIGHT red letters!

Pen is lovely, there could be someone else who is actually into her. 
 

So, I’m the rare woman that HATES blush, but the cheeks on the Swarma sisters were so POPPIN I’m tempted to buy the Pat McGrath palette!

 

5 hours ago, smallfry said:

I agree with you. Her attitude and rudeness is getting tiresome. I don't like how rude she is to Lady Danbury. I am also sick of her always speaking for her sister and telling Edwina what to do instead of letting Edwina decide for herself. I watched the episodes of season 1 back to back to back. So far I can only take one at a time because I find Kate so irritating. 

Love seeing The Queen and Lady Danbury together and happy Philippa got married.

 

Yeah- I like that Kate has real flaws. She does deeply love her Mom and little sister, but she’s got some bitterness and I bet you she’s getting in her own way of happiness. Nothing wrong with being a governess, but I don’t think she truly wants that- I think she’s resigned herself. I believe she wants to go home though. 
 

I bet although she loves her stepmother/sister a lot, she resents her father dying and her little sister getting an easier life because she has the “right breeding”. I’m sure it’s complex. 

[peridot]

Both Anthony and Kate seem like assholes.  Anthony only seems to be concerned with winning, no matter what, and Kate wants Edwina to hold out for love (which seems to be a rare thing for people of their class).  I felt bad for Kate when she realized that the guy at the races was only there as a favor to Anthony.  That would hurt a lot.

Kate shouldn't have stepped to Lady Danbury like that.  She shows such smug behavior to her, when she's bearing all the cost to help out her sister.

Eloise is annoying too, she doesn't try to see anything from other's point of view (with dragging Penelope all over the place and her snotty attitude towards the printer).  I'm glad the printer snapped back at her.

Edited March 28, 2022 by peridot

[roseslg]

Eloise is so annoying. Someone needs to come fix her wig. She goes on about women's rights, but thinks nothing of how priviliged she is. It's been ratcheted up to 11 this season.  Also, Kate is hella annoying. She wants her sister to marry for love, but also for money. Hmmmmmm.

 

Also, don't step to Lady D like that.  

[CountryGirl]

On 3/26/2022 at 5:23 PM, dubbel zout said:

Oof, I know. Way to totally destroy her, Colin. You suck.

I have to wonder if Penelope is hanging on to Colin because he's so familiar to her, rather than finding him genuinely interesting. They've known each other for ages, and he's safe in that way. Colin also seems the type to be really mad about Pen being Lady Whistledown should he find out. She doesn't need that nonsense from some doofus guy. I want her to be with someone who isn't dense and sees her for who she is.

I love all of the Bridgerton family scenes. The actors work so well together, and the writing for their scenes are really good.

The heart wants what the heart wants and Pen obviously wants Colin so I suppose I am keeping my hopes up for her, although I agree does seem to be even more of a doofus than I remembered from S1. If Pen gets swept off her feet by someone not-Colin, I'd be perfectly fine with this.

[tennisgurl]

My episode MVP was that young guy working at the printer who responded to Eloise's big speech about women being more than wives by handing her a pamphlet about women's right and telling her to read that instead of a gossip rag. If I knew that the class difference wouldn't make Anthony drop dead via aneurism, I would say that he was her new love interest. I like Eloise, but she does need people to push back at her more beyond "be more lady like!" especially when it comes to her obsession with catching Lady Whistledown. That would certainly be interesting...

I continue to enjoy the season so far, the banter is top notch and I continue to like the slow burn between Kate and Anthony. Kate seems like she is really standing in the way of her own happiness, she seems to have a massive chip on her shoulder (possibly because of her parentage) and while she clearly loves her sister, she is also rather controlling towards her, I hope that she can learn to loosen up and let her sister make her own choices. Which are also lessons that Anthony needs to learn, hopefully they can really learn from each other. Edwina is coming more into her own as a character, she's a very sweet and demur young woman but she does very much have an idea of what she wants in a match and has a strong sense of values, she doesn't just blindly do what her sister wants. 

I hope that Phillipa and Finch have many happy, cheesed filled years together. 

Colin really is blind when it comes to women, ouch. Oh Penelope, its just not going to work out with him, its time to move on.

Edited March 28, 2022 by tennisgurl

[kittykat]

Definitely enjoyed this.  Loved everyone getting excited at the races.  There may have been no "move your bloomin' ass " but the spirit was there.

I get why people have problems with Kate but I think she's fallen into the Simon camp of denying themselves their own happiness.  Think about it, her father was "common" as likely her birth mother and her step mother was nobility and clearly loves her like a daughter, but in societies eyes she is the Other girl.  I'm assuming the Sheffields only made their arrangement for Edwina's marriage and not Kate because Edwina is half noble.  It's a tough situation and I don't blame her for doubling down for Edwina's sake but it's also going to be a liability and Edwina will soon resent her for it.  That said I'm loving Simone Ashley and all her scenes with Lady Danbury.

Also liking how salty Violet is getting with Anthony.  I think it was good growth that he didn't read all of Benedict's poem.

I don't blame Lady F for trying to meddle.  Having your cousin remodel with hunting trophies is one thing but potentially having Cressida fucking Cowper as a possible future Lady Featherington means war.

[Haleth]

4 hours ago, kittykat said:

There may have been no "move your bloomin' ass " but the spirit was there.

Ha!  That's exactly what I was thinking.

I'm getting bored with Kate.  She's pretty much one note with few glimpses of a more amiable side.  Last week we did see her being playful in her first scene and in this episode while talking to the other guy at the race, but so often we see her angry and resentful.  The writers need to do a better job making us like her.  It's a good thing Edwina has a fortune or her beaux might be driven away by her sister, my Lady Tongue.  

I get that the costumers are trying to make Eloise look younger by leaving her hair down, but that stringy mess drives me crazy.

Poor Pen.  She is so sweet she deserves to find someone to love her. 

[Scarlett45]

6 hours ago, kittykat said:

I'm assuming the Sheffields only made their arrangement for Edwina's marriage and not Kate because Edwina is half noble.

Yes- Kate isn’t their grandchild, they don’t care anything about her future. There may have been someone Kate wanted to marry but they were flat broke after her father died- no dowry for her, living on the charity of the Sheffields and using the last bit of their funds to make the journey.
 

Now of course I’m sure Edwina would never let Kate be on the street, the love between the sisters is genuine, but Kate has a chip on her shoulder being the “lesser born” sister, while dependent on the rules of a society she can’t really benefit from. 
 

Again it’s complex. 

[Eeksquire]

The secondhand embarrassment I had while watching the Dudes on Parade! And then Anthony, up there reading Benedict's poem - I literally watched between my fingers. 

The whole episode was geared to knocking Anthony down a peg, which is good, but I hope that the next ep does the same to Kate! 

[kittykat]

4 hours ago, Eeksquire said:

The secondhand embarrassment I had while watching the Dudes on Parade! And then Anthony, up there reading Benedict's poem - I literally watched between my fingers

I'm not going to lie, considering the debutante season for the Ton usually focuses on the ladies having to show off their looks and accomplishments, it was  nice having to see the men do the same thing for once.  

Also enjoyed the brief bonding moment with Kate and Eloise.  Those two could bring a Statler and Waldorf dynamic to the season.

Edited March 29, 2022 by kittykat

[PRgal]

I know Kate's type.  She's that girl who wants to feel needed, but pretends that she doesn't need anything just to get the guy's (or guys') attention.  I was that girl at one point.  Probably around her age.  It's a strength thing.  I didn't want to play damsel in distress.  

[Scarlett45]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I know Kate's type.  She's that girl who wants to feel needed, but pretends that she doesn't need anything just to get the guy's (or guys') attention.  I was that girl at one point.  Probably around her age.  It's a strength thing.  I didn't want to play damsel in distress.  

Yeah- Kate is super afraid to be vulnerable, but she does get a sense of accomplishment from serving others. You can be dutiful while prioritizing your own needs- Kate hasn’t learned that yet. 

[Lady Whistleup]

I really felt for Pen when Colin friendzoned her. 

I enjoy the sister dynamic between Kate and Edwina. Kate can be bossy and overbearing though. It's not as if Edwina is dumb. I wish Eloise spent more time with her sisters. She's always win Pen. I like seeing the sister dynamic.

I liked the reference to My Fair Lady with the horse race scene.

 

[Cetacean]

On 3/26/2022 at 3:14 PM, GaT said:

It's looking like Penelope is going to be found out, I hope this doesn't mean the end of Lady Whistledown, & I don't understand where she's getting the money. 

I posted the same question and @Ohiopirate02 kindly explained it:

The Ton is paying for Lady Whistledown's scandal sheet.  We see scenes of money changing hands with the boys hawking it.  For the scenes where it is brought to a character, a servant would have paid for it out of the household account.  Pen gets all the money leftover after the newsboys get paid and the printer gets his cut.  When she drops off the new edition,  he gives her the profit.

[J-Man]

On 4/1/2022 at 6:04 PM, Lady Whistleup said:

liked the reference to My Fair Lady with the horse race scene.

I was really hoping Kate would yell, "Come on, High Flyer -- move your bloomin' arse!"

[bijoux]

38 minutes ago, J-Man said:

I was really hoping Kate would yell, "Come on, High Flyer -- move your bloomin' arse!"

She was probably too young to Pick that up before leaving England.* 😁

*I'm assuming she did spend at least some time in her childhood there. Mary must have met her father in England since it was a big to do with her being the Queen's diamond. And considering how much all three Sharma women obviously love the late Mr Sharma, I refuse to believe he'd have left his small motherless daughter on another continent for literal years.

[Ohiopirate02]

17 minutes ago, bijoux said:

She was probably too young to Pick that up before leaving England.* 😁

*I'm assuming she did spend at least some time in her childhood there. Mary must have met her father in England since it was a big to do with her being the Queen's diamond. And considering how much all three Sharma women obviously love the late Mr Sharma, I refuse to believe he'd have left his small motherless daughter on another continent for literal years.

Mary eloped with the late Mr. Sharma so he was in England most likely working for the East India Company.  I can't say either way if he left Kate in India or took her with him.  I do wonder where Kate's mother died.  Was it in India or did she travel with him to England? 

[Enero]

On 4/11/2022 at 10:36 AM, J-Man said:

I was really hoping Kate would yell, "Come on, High Flyer -- move your bloomin' arse!"

I thoroughly enjoyed the racing scene. Loved the banter between Kate and Anthony about High-Flyer vs Nectar. Anthony was so annoyed by Kate’s assessment of Nectar and the conditions which would determine whether he'd win the race, that he was at a loss for words except for the very weak “you think too much about it.” Lol.

Anyway, everyone seemed to be having a blast at the race. Edwina and Mr. Dorset were bemused by Kate and Anthony’s enthusiasm. Lol. Also, Lord Lumley was a bit naïve and daft. He runs off to get lemonade thinking that will make him seem more gentlemanly to Edwina, per Anthony’s suggestion. Only to discover when he returns that Anthony’s suggestion was a play to get him out of the way so that he could get closer to Edwina. Mr. Lumley look annoyed when he finally realized what was up. Lol

[katha]

On 3/29/2022 at 4:48 PM, Eeksquire said:

The secondhand embarrassment I had while watching the Dudes on Parade! And then Anthony, up there reading Benedict's poem - I literally watched between my fingers. 

The whole episode was geared to knocking Anthony down a peg, which is good, but I hope that the next ep does the same to Kate! 

Coming back late to this, but I thought the end of the episode was pretty much a hard knockdown for Kate. It was a neat commentary on the usual gender dynamics of the season by reversing them with the soiree. And then Anthony came and blew it up with sincerity. That's why Kate had the public meltdown, since she both could see that Edwina is now hooked and she reluctantly admired Anthony in that moment as well. Also, she totally and publicly lost control of the situation. Nothing she hates more. She also instantly acknowledges to Lady Danbury that she made a cake of herself by storming out.

What I found interesting is that Anthony looks at her afterwards with what seems like empathy. Yeah, unconscious attraction probably mixed in, but also what seems like genuine concern for the fact that she's upset. He knows all about being overprotective towards sisters.

[Enero]

On 4/12/2022 at 2:40 PM, Enero said:

Mr. Lumley look annoyed when he finally realized what was up. Lol

Quoting myself here but I think Lord Lumley would actually make a good match for Edwina.  He seemed more her age and her speed. His poem at the soirée was actually nice. Too bad she didn’t seem interested in him at all. 

[katha]

I think that is also tied to Kate's rather obsessive focus on Anthony and banning him from Edwina. As a strategy it's pretty stupid because it drew all of Edwina's attention towards him. She was already interested because he was one of the most eligible bachelors, wealthy and handsome. And then Kate made him all dangerous and exciting by trying to block him. 

If she'd just pointed out that Anthony is not interested in love and boring, while Lumley is a much more ardent suitor, perhaps she'd have actually steered Edwina in that direction. 

[Enero]

7 hours ago, katha said:

I think that is also tied to Kate's rather obsessive focus on Anthony and banning him from Edwina. As a strategy it's pretty stupid because it drew all of Edwina's attention towards him. She was already interested because he was one of the most eligible bachelors, wealthy and handsome. And then Kate made him all dangerous and exciting by trying to block him. 

If she'd just pointed out that Anthony is not interested in love and boring, while Lumley is a much more ardent suitor, perhaps she'd have actually steered Edwina in that direction. 

Agreed. But I think Kate was making emotional decisions, when it came to Anthony, rather than strategic ones. Whether she realized it or not, at this point, she was already emotionally invested in him, perhaps not in a romantic way. But he did work her every nerve, Lol, which made her absolutely detest him and make kneejerk decisions when he stirred that detestation to it's height. 

[wanderingstar]

Lady Danbury saying "Mmm" is a whole mood.

[mrsbagnet]

My favorite moment was Anthony look of shock at Kate's enthusiastic whistling.

I was little annoyed that he took Lumley's lemonade for himself and didn't pass it on to Kate.

[katha]

LOL, I looove that he drinks the lemonade. I don't know if it was in the script or if it was something that Bailey added, but it's such a random petty detail, but so hilarious. 

[Camera One]

This episode's dialogue was snappy and entertaining. It reminded me of the early "Desperate Housewives".  Overall, it was fun to watch.

Both Anthony and Kate behaved badly and I agree they both had their ego's knocked down a peg.  Lady Danbury really hit the nail in the head in her conversation with Kate at the end.

Edwina looked so young that it felt a little uncomfortable watching Anthony going for her, and Edwina falling for him.  I think Lumley was more appropriate for her, and I hope they end up going that route.  He really did seem like a nice guy.

The scenes between the brothers were fun.  As was the scene between the Queen and Lady Danbury.  

Eloise, the Queen and now the dressmaker all making steps towards uncovering Penelope's secret did provide some tension.

Colin was certainly blunt with his "you don't count" line to Penelope.  

[Tyro49]

Who is the little man who keeps following the Queen around?

[mrsbagnet]

59 minutes ago, Tyro49 said:

Who is the little man who keeps following the Queen around?

That's her right-hand man, Brimsley. I'm not sure what his official title is -- I've seen him called her secretary and her butler. 

[mrsbagnet]

On 12/20/2022 at 2:49 AM, Camera One said:

The scenes between the brothers were fun.  As was the scene between the Queen and Lady Danbury.  

I just rewatched this episode. I've never paid all that much attention to Colin, but he has a funny line that I had always missed: When they are fencing, and Anthony is complaining about Kate being pompous and arrogant, Colin replies, "She sounds like a terrible nuisance." He says it so deadpan that I had missed the sarcasm.

His delivery reminded me of the line in The Princess Bride, "Truly you have a dizzying intellect," which always makes me laugh.