Bridgerton season 2 is set to premiere in a matter of days, and it's no secret that fans of the steamy Netflix drama are already wondering, well, just how racy the new chapter is.
Turns out, not very, as several reviews have pointed out – which has since prompted showrunner Chris Van Dusen to explain why they toned down the sex scenes this time around.
"It was never about quantity for us," he explained to RadioTimes.com recently. "Our approach to intimacy on the show really is the same as season one. We use these intimate scenes to tell a story and to push the story forward. We've never done a sex scene for the sake of doing a sex scene, and I don't think we ever will."
Van Dusen went on to highlight that season 2 is centered on a different story than Bridgerton's first season, and that it would have been unrealistic for the romance between new main characters Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate (Simone Ashley) to play out in the same way as former protagonists Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon's (Regé-Jean Page).
"That's really part of the draw to me of a project like this, the ability to tell these close-ended love stories of different characters season after season," he concluded.
"It makes sense for these characters because they're so protective over their families and they're so truthful to their duties and responsibilities – so for them to break that wouldn't have made sense for the characters," Ashley chimed in.
"As Chris has said, they aren't performative sex scenes or intimate scenes. They have a meaning behind them and I think it's very earned when the fireworks happen."
Bridgerton season 2 arrives on Netflix on Friday, March 25. While we wait for some more Regency Era romance, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to watch right now.
