Bridgerton

Deprived the company of the Duke (with Regé-Jean Page having opted to move on), the series remains frothy and watchable, if perhaps a bit less Lady Whistledown-worthy in this latest iteration.

Bridgerton is in fine health and ready for what will doubtless be many more seasons. Next time, though, it might need to work harder to feel new.

As soaps go, one can certainly do worse than “Bridgerton,” but season two, streaming Friday, feels like a bland mimeograph of season one. ... Happily, the new season gives scene-stealers Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) more to do.

Despite its positives, Bridgerton is ultimately not as fully, effectively transportive this go-round. Even though both seasons rely heavily on the tropes of romantic storytelling, this one makes it easier to spot those tropes and become distracted by their presence. ... But the real scandal — Lady Whistledown herself would certainly confirm this — is that there’s less excitement.

The performances of Bailey and Ashley are good, and make the series more substantial. Let's not get carried away, though: it's still candy-floss flimsy much of the time and packed with frocks, froth and cliche, but it is moreish, a splash of jolliness, glam and colour in a grim world (its timing is excellent).

But over the course of the season’s eight episodes running a solid hour-long each, this “Bridgerton” return too often feels like a luxurious carriage stuck in the mud, spinning its wheels before eventually heaving itself back on the road. ... The good news about Season 2, though, is that for as deliberately frustrating as the main love story becomes, the actors playing it are very, very good.

The new season lacks the romantic vigour of Simon’s tortured pursuit of Daphne – the dynamic between Kate and Anthony (all rather transparently Lizzie Bennett and Mr Darcy) feels much more forced.

The Netflix period drama struggles to enrich its storylines and generate the same heat as its debut.

“Bridgerton” Season 2 tries hard to please everyone, but ends up feeling watered down. Gone is the sexiness in favor of a more chaste series that almost everyone can watch together. Simone Ashley is a gem this season, but there’s never enough chemistry between her and Bailey to get a fire started.

There’s heat between Ashley and Bailey, but the delicious, simmering tension of Season 1 never comes. Rather than a slow boil, Anthony and Kate’s relationship sputters through all the familiar beats without much rhythm. The crackling arguments, gasping emotional beats, and some admittedly hot glove play are all there, but the spark is not.