Bridgerton seasons 1 & 2 consistently portrayed Anthony as generally uptight, but his season 3 new role can finally forge a new path for him.

With Anthony being the family patriarch, Bridgerton season 1 included him, even if his story was only told in season 2 – however, the changes introduced by season 2 hint at an exciting journey for him in Bridgerton season 3. Anthony was saddled with a somewhat disheartening story in Bridgerton season 1, as he had fallen for Siena but couldn’t court her as she was a performer and he was the head of one of the ton’s most influential families. Their breakup at Bridgerton season 1’s end upset him but also inspired Anthony to look for a wife in season 2.

Bridgerton season 2 let Anthony’s story shed layer after layer, showing how much his father’s death at eighteen informed his character and his insistence on taking everything seriously and emotionlessly. Meeting Kate surprised him because it introduced Anthony to love, something he went out of his way to avoid, knowing the pain it had caused Violet when his father Edmund unexpectedly died. Bridgerton season 2’s ending finally letting Anthony capitulate to love by welcoming it into his life through Kate thus opens up new possibilities story-wise, as season 2 already showed Kate able to bring out the best in Anthony.

Penelope’s Lady Whistledown Reveal Shows How Much Anthony Changed In Book 4

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton Has Anthony Play A Big Part In Helping Colin & Penelope

Bridgerton season 1 established Anthony as a no-nonsense character, willing to scare Daphne’s suitors by sputtering truths in ways that could be considered impolite. Bridgerton season 2 continued season 1’s trend by having Anthony approach the search for a wife as if it were a business proposition, ignoring love as a factor despite Violet emphasizing her children should marry for love. Had a secret like Lady Whistledown’s identity threatened the Bridgertons’ good standing in society, Anthony would have tried his best to stop it from being revealed, and his rant in Bridgerton season 2, episode 8 showed that approach.

However, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, which Bridgerton season 3 adapts, shows entirely different methods for Anthony when Lady Whistledown’s secret identity is revealed to protect Colin and Penelope from Cressida’s schemes. In the fourth Bridgerton book, Anthony learns before others about Penelope being Lady Whistledown and is described by Colin as “prepared to give his full support.” Despite being surprised, Anthony is also prone to admire someone “who could keep a secret like that for so many years.” His reaction thus shows a more relaxed Anthony, willing to back such a ruse even if it risked potentially soiling the Bridgerton name.

Anthony’s Role Change After Marrying Kate Can Show His Lightheartedness More

Anthony’s Chief Trait In Seasons 1 & 2 Was His Adamant Seriousness

Bridgerton season 2 already showed how Kate often drew out Anthony’s merriest side, whether they competed in Pall Mall or riding. When the two weren’t at each other’s throats or begrudgingly and inadvertently declaring their love for one another, Kate and Anthony teased each other, and Kate in particular let Anthony briefly forget his obligations, bringing a livelier side of him unseen since his father had died when he was barely eighteen. Bridgerton season 2 only offered glimpses of what cheerfulness they could bring out of one another, but Anthony and Kate’s Bridgerton season 3 story can do much more.

Not being at the center of Bridgerton season 3’s story makes a happy married life for Anthony and Kate possible, one overflowing with love and unconditional support, letting their story unfurl with ease, unlike Colin and Penelope’s drama-filled one, with them being Bridgerton season 3’s protagonists. The focus not being on Anthony and Kate can make them a beacon of hope and love for the other Bridgerton siblings, making it easier for them to approach the couple when troubled, thus letting Bridgerton season 3 show an effortless relationship between Anthony and Kate that includes more lightheartedness than in the past.