Netflix’s Bridgerton is known for its simmering romance, and Anthony and Kate’s “Wrecking Ball” scene is one of the most important.

The “Wrecking Ball” scene in Bridgerton season 2 was the climax to Anthony and Kate’s story that many were hoping for and will have a profound impact on the future of the popular Netflix series. Debuting in 2020, the anachronistic historical romance series centers on the love lives of the Bridgerton siblings as they hobnob with other aristocrats during Britain’s Regency Era. The series immediately gained praise for its tight plotting and beautiful design that brought the fashions of the Bridgerton time period to life with a vibrant modern flare. Julia Quinn’s novels set the groundwork for the series, and the steamy romance practically crackled with life and energy.

As with any romantic series, many of the will-they, won’t-they relationships built tension from the start, and they can oftentimes offer fulfilling payoffs when characters finally declare their love for one another. Bridgerton‘s unique tone has allowed the show to punctuate its most important moments with brilliant anachronistic details, and the use of modern pop culture makes the classical stories more accessible to all. Bridgerton uses a lot of modern music in its score, which is the perfect highlight to its steamier scenes, and heart-fluttering reveals. The “Wrecking Ball” moment in Bridgerton season 2 was one such instance, but it carried much more weight.

Anthony & Kate Prove Their Love For Each Other In The “Wrecking Ball” Bridgerton Scene

Throughout all of Bridgerton season 2, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) had played a romantic game of cat and mouse with each eventually realizing their love for the other. Bridgerton season 2, episode 8, “The Viscount Who Loves Me” was the beautiful pay-off to the season-long tease of the enemies to lovers, as Kate’s decision to return to India seemed to put the final nail in the coffin that was their potential relationship. However, civility won out at the Featherington Ball, and they decided to partake in one last dance.

Swaying along to a rendition of Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball”, the walls that the couple had built up finally came crashing dow. Already in tune with one another’s emotions, the couple exchanged knowing looks that carried the weight of one thousand conversations, and Kate was able to speak using only her eyes. They kissed in front of their families at the ball, and late Anthony even used Kates’s real name as a sign that they had truly become one. Kate accepted Anthony’s proposal, and it was clear they were willing to love each other no matter what, and this wouldn’t have happened without the “Wrecking Ball” scene in Bridgerton.

Kate’s Orange Dress Foreshadows Her Accepting Anthony Bridgerton’s Proposal

The “Wrecking Ball” Bridgerton moment was not only a brilliant piece of storytelling from a writing perspective, but it also subtly showed off the series’ brilliant use of design through costuming. Each character on the show has a very clear color pallet in their wardrobe choices, and Kate’s closed-off nature was accentuated by her darker clothes. However, in “The Viscount Who Loved Me”, she arrived at the ball wearing an orange dress, a color wholly unlike what she usually wore. In basic color theory, orange symbolizes openness, and it was a subtle foreshadowing that the usually reserved Kate was willing to take the leap and accept Anthony’s proposal.