Anthony Bridgerton set the bar too high with his romantic declaration and I’m afraid no other season is going to live up to Kanthony’s legacy.
Season 2 of Bridgerton gave the audience one of the genre’s most electric love stories in the series so far. The slow-burn romance between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma has comfortably established its position as one of the best love stories in the Bridgerton franchise.
The season rose to popularity primarily because of the iconic “bane of my existence” scene between Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley. Delivered with an electrifying sense of desperation and urgency by Bailey, the impassioned confession became an instant cult-favorite and a classic Bridgerton reference.
That one Kanthony scene holds so much emotional weight that Season 3, despite strong performances, just failed to live up to the mark. While Colin and Penelope’s romance was no less fulfilling, I’m afraid Kanthony’s chemistry might have set the standards too high.
The Bridgerton scene that set the bar too high
It’s safe to say Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) impatient declaration in Bridgerton Season 2 swept every girl, including Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), off their feet. The scene holds one of the series’ most remembered and iconic lines, delivered with a heated sense of desperation:
You are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.
The line became a cultural moment the minute it landed on Netflix. The single sentence was backed by months of buildup and excellent performances from Bailey and Simone. It encapsulated the forbidden, raw yearning that fueled their slow-burn romance. The whole scene was downright fiery, swoon-worthy, and just so emotionally charged that it gave viewers literal goosebumps.
Many fans on Reddit still prefer the second season to the first, which featured a rather fast-paced romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page).
Season 2’s love arc leaned heavily into the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is why when Anthony finally declared his true feelings to Kate, it felt like the highest form of reward we could get as viewers. While the following season with Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington’s romance did manage to earn ample fan investment, it always felt like the emotional core was lacking.
Bridgerton might not be able to live up to its own legacy
Season 3 saw Colin (Luke Newton) and Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) in the classic friends-turned-lovers arc. Viewers got the complete package: a long-standing friendship, lingering feelings, and a well-earned payoff. But fans were quick to point out a critical issue: the pacing and chemistry felt rushed. It did seem odd how Colin’s realization of love suddenly appeared just because it was their season now.
The very little dramatic pay-off is probably what led the season to be notch below S2. Even the show’s patent orchestral covers of hit pop songs and high-society scandals couldn’t distract the audiences from what was really missing- the uncontainable, visceral energy. The couple did have their fair share of sweet moments: Case in point- Colin’s rushed yet ever-so-romantic proposal to Penelope.
However, nothing came close to the fever-pitch passion of the iconic “bane of my existence” scene. And that’s the curse: the very scene that went on to define the show’s emotional beats became the measurement that no other season has been able to match.
So while we continue to love and revisit this masterpiece of romantic storytelling, we can only hope Season 4 brings something far more electrifying. Only a whirlwind romance that leaves us all breathless could help Bridgerton break the self-imposed curse now.
