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Will 'Bridgerton' Season 2 be a tamer romance? Fans debate Netflix's curb on sex scenes

'The romance revolves around Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, but their lust never progresses beyond flirtation and a nearly kiss,' a source revealed

Blockbuster period drama 'Bridgerton' is all set for the release of its second season on March 25 on popular streaming platform Netflix. But fans of the Regency series are in for a surprise as reports suggest that Netflix has decided to curb the number of sex scenes in the upcoming season of the show.

Based on Julia Quinn's novels, the period drama is well-known for its steamy scenes because the first season of the show, starring Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton and Regé-Jean Page as The Duke Of Hastings, was packed with such scenes. The second season of 'Bridgerton' stars Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma.

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An insider told The Sun, "Devotees who loved the racy show's first helping were probably hoping the follow-up would contain more sex, not less. Most of the bedroom scenes were previously supplied by Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton and Rege-Jean Page as her husband, the Duke of Hastings."

"But he doesn't appear in series two and she is more of a background character. Now all the romance revolves around Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan, and new character Kate Sharma, played by Simone. But their lust never progresses beyond flirtation and a nearly kiss," the source added.

One user tweeted, "I feel that it’s normal that season 2 is going to be less about sex scenes, because that’s not in the center of Kathony's relationship. Of course season 1 had many of these scenes, because a big part of the plot of Simon and Daphne's story revolved around 'sex' #Bridgerton," while another said, "If s2 of bridgerton lacks sex scenes I'm honestly glad about it because s1 had way too many and some of them were unnecessary."

A third said, "if there are sex scenes, because there are too many, and if there aren't, because there aren't any. The point is to complain about something. People who love this series (book) know that the story is much more than sexual attraction. #BridgertonSpoilers #Bridgerton." Another user wrote, "As I see it, the main complaint is the lack of sex scenes. That upsets me the most. People who fail to appreciate chemistry, acting, temptation, emotional tension, development of passion, devalue the work of such fine actors as Simone and Jonathan, and all of #bridgerton cast. For me, the abundance of sex scenes in #Bridgerton S1 was more of a minus than a plus, because in many ways it was just sex for sex as a selling point of the show, and it didn't have much of an emotional impact. And Safney were more interesting to watch before marriage than after."

One tweet read, "reviewers complaining about the lack of sex scenes in bridgerton s2?? tension will always be sexier than sex scenes!" Another said, "I feel like all the talk about season 1 just being about sex has really twisted what bridgerton is in the general populations head. This show has always been more than just attractive people getting it on. It's about family, duty, finding a place in the world, and yes true love!" A third felt, "i waited to watch #Bridgerton season 2 with bated breath and i am happy to share that what I got was the slow burn regency-era romance of my dreams. can we please NOT reduce the romance genre to “sex”? Anyway, you’ll see, s2 is anything but that!! romance fans won with this one [sparkles emoji]."

The Netflix series follows the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family as they find love in Regency-era England. 'Bridgerton' debuted on Netflix on December 25, 2020, and had a viewership of 82 million households, becoming the most-watched series on Netflix at the time of its premiere. It remains the second most-watched series on the streaming platform.

The renewal of the show for a second season was announced on January 21, 2021. On April 13, 2021, it was announced that 'Bridgerton' was renewed by Netflix not just for season two, but also for seasons three and four.