Ah, Bridgerton’s beloved enemies-to-lovers couple. When the eldest Bridgerton, Anthony, and self-declared spinster Kate Sharma race each other on horseback one early morning in the park, their fates are sealed. From the moment they start showing up at the same social events, anyone with eyes (okay, well, not Edwina) can see that these two have it bad for each other, even if neither of them wants to admit it. That intense level of denial actually works in the audience’s favor: It means we get to spend multiple episodes watching these two passionately spar and secretly yearn and almost kiss. Gah! Why don’t they just kiss already? It is glorious. While there are honestly double the amount of Bridgerton season two scenes that made us fall for Kate and Anthony — and make us fall for them over and over again — here are five of the best.
When they show us that some healthy competition can make us sweat
Episode 2: “Off to the Races”
There are a lot of great antagonistic moments between Anthony and Kate, but the first time you can tell this whole enemies-to-lovers pairing has some real juice is when they go head-to-head at the horse races. Yes, they are competing against each other, yes it looks like they both have only disdain for the other, but as they stand there shouting at their respective horses to win, you can see it on their faces: They are having fun. If anyone on this show was even slightly self-aware, this season would’ve been two episodes long because if the excursion to the horse races tells us anything, it’s that Anthony and Kate are wildly into each other already.
When they show each other who they are without any pretense
Episode 4: “Victory”
Up until this point, there has been a whole bunch of fighting and yearning and tension between Kate and Anthony — there’s pall-mall and the bee sting and the hunting scene … oh, my god, the hunting scene — but this short moment the two share during the rainstorm in the library is quite affecting. They are alone, neither has their guard up, and with no one else around and no score to settle, it’s as if they are finally relaxed enough to be vulnerable. (Also, let us note the clever costuming choice to have them both dressed down at this moment.) Kate talks about missing her father — a grief Anthony knows too well — and he talks about how his father died. It offers an explanation about his insane reaction to Kate getting stung, but he also makes a telling statement: that seeing his father felled by such a small creature was humbling. When does Anthony Bridgerton ever admit to being humble or act humble? I’ll tell you when: At the end of the season, when he tells Kate he loves her, so you know how big of a deal this moment is for him.
When Anthony says the line
Episode 5: “An Unthinkable Fate”
Daphne and Simon burn for each other; Kate and Anthony yearn for each other. There is no better example of the tension, the desire, and the yearning between these two than that moment following the World’s Worst Dinner when Anthony tells Kate that she is the bane of his existence and the object of all his desires. I’m sweating just thinking about it. They are so in each other’s faces and also each other’s minds, souls, and every single bone in their bodies, and you can feel every bit of it in this scene.
When no one else matters
Episode 8: “The Viscount Who Loved Me”
The original blurb about Kate and Anthony’s “last dance” to “Wrecking Ball” was just going to be a bunch of indiscriminate squealing because that is the only correct reaction here. But Kate and Anthony deserve more. After the botched wedding and rumors that something was going on between Anthony and his bride-to-be’s sister and hooking up and the head injury, Kate and Anthony could not care any less about being seen by the ton at the Featherington Ball, when at this specific moment they both believe this will be the last time they’ll see each other. Kate wants to dance with him. And when other couples leave the dance floor, not wanting to be seen next to this scandal-ridden couple, they continue dancing. “Just keep looking at me. No one else matters,” Anthony tells her. These two always look gorgeous dancing together, but here there is more than (admittedly great) sexual tension between them — this time, whatever is between them feels real.
When they finally stop holding back
Episode 8: “The Viscount Who Loved Me”
Anthony can’t let that dance be the end. He’s been so scared of heartbreak, he was willing to forgo love not to experience loss. But when he almost does lose Kate, he realizes what an absolute fool he’s been. He won’t lose her again without a fight. Kate has refused to believe that Anthony might love her for real and not out of obligation. With one declaration, that all goes away. He loves her. He has always loved her. He doesn’t care if she doesn’t want to accept it; he simply needs her to know it. She loves him too. Of course, she does. These two have spent so much time and energy trying to run or hide from their feelings out of fear — now that they are finally honest with each other, think of all the extra time they’ll have to simply love each other the way they both deserve. And make out. They’re going to have so much time to make out. I couldn’t be more thrilled for them.
