When the highly-anticipated second season of Bridgerton aired, we were all missing Simon Basset, played by Regé-Jean Page . He stole our hearts, as much as he stole Daphne’s, with his chiseled features, brooding nature, and That. Body.
But his absence allowed us to realize that there are plenty of other gorgeous men to feast our eyes on.
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This season, Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, was no exception.
Let’s all remember the white shirt moment in the lake, shall we? The way his shirt clung to every morsel of those abs… deep breath
Clearly, the thirst for him is real, which is why you will more than relate to these 19 posts for him.
*Warning Spoilers Ahead! *
It’s nice to be hated
We never thought we’d say that, but it’s true. There’s a different kind of passion that comes from wanting someone at the same time as despising them. Secretly, the love always outweighs the hate.
That tension, tho
You could literally slice their sexual tension with a knife, it was that thick.
There were so many needing looks at one another, almost as though they were speaking a language only they knew.
Shook to the core
He really is unnerving, isn’t he? At the beginning of the season, Kate didn’t need no man. She was confident and controlled. But eventually, you could see how easily shaken she was by Anthony whenever his face got close to hers.
The shipper
Although we were sad not to see Daphne with her husband, Simon, we still loved the role she played during the season. She was the voice of reason who gave Anthony the push he needed to go after his true love.
The blindness
Yes, Edwina, we’re sorry to say that you are. Basically, everyone noticed except for you. These two look at each other the way we look at a bread roll bowl at a restaurant: madly in love.
The serotonin overdose
Who knew insults could be so thrilling? It was a lot like Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice who seemed to be at odds from the start. But in the end, they became lovers.
The smirk
That smirk gets us every time! In case you were wondering what the numbers meant in this scene, it was Anthony’s excuse for them to be together. He was asking how many fingers he was holding up after her head injury.
We love you, too, Anthony
The “softly” added here really gets us. Seeing how stubborn, cold, and aloof, Anthony can be, you know how hard it was for him to say these words. And how much he truly meant them.
Not the salad
While he continually said that he was a “gentlemen,” we’re not so sure about that. But does that matter? No. This is clearly a metaphor for, erm, what was to come between them (if you catch our drift).
The hands
Chills! Anthony couldn’t stop his body from wanting hers. It was a lot like when Darcy from Pride & Prejudice stretched out his hands as though they burned after touching Elizabeth’s.
The Viscount
If you’re wondering what Anthony looks like in real life, look no further than his Instagram page @jbayleaf (adorable name, BTW). That’s where we found this picture of him looking oh, so incredibly dashing.
The dinner
Oh, if eyes could talk! It truly amazes us how we didn’t care much for Anthony during the first season. He was just a pair of walking sideburns. And now, we long for him to look at us like this.
The sizzling romance
We’d argue that the longing stares and deep breathing were more romantic than seeing Daphne and Simon get it on last season. Those small brushes of the hand and lips being so close but never touching took people over the edge.
The thirst is real
This is not the kind of show you want to watch with your partner. They will be wondering why you’re breathing funny and why drool is dripping down your chin every time Anthony comes on screen.
This character development
Seriously! Anthony’s character had a lot on his shoulders to lead the second season, especially after we barely noticed him in Season One. But boy, did he deliver. And that glow-up? We’re in love.
The wet shirt scene
Clearly, we had to take a look at this again. This was a huge nod to the Colin Firth wet shirt moment from Pride & Prejudice , the show confirmed . Want to watch it again? Of course, you do. You’ll want to fast-forward and pause at 23.43.
The happy ending
If there’s one woman we had to see with our Anthony, we’re fine with it being Kate. You can just feel the love when they look at each other. It’s just perfect.
The long wait
Ugh, this really is so unfair. We need to see more of Anthony, like yesterday.
While Bridgerton Season Three might take a while, there’s some hope with the upcoming prequel!
