Must You Always?

[penguinempress8]

This scene.

Anthony going in for the kiss but Kate stops him to brush her thumb against his mouth. He stops. He closes his eyes. Not only is he relishing in her touch, but it’s also a simple yet powerful show of consent. Her telling him to wait. AND THEN. They make eye contact. She looks at him a split second earlier than he does. She’s ready. He opens his eyes and looks at her, making sure he can proceed. He goes in and she opens her mouth to welcome him. But not only that, they continue to make eye contact until they pretty much can’t anymore. These two have been the death of me. Are the death of me. And will forever continue to be the death of me.

[penguinempress8]

I just love how this is the actual footage of them coming down the stairs in the epilogue

…but we also have 3 additional different poses of them during this shot as well.

And my personal favorite

Were they just told to pose and hold hands in as many different ways as possible? Hoping for more of this in s3 🤞

📸 credit:

1) @ newtonsharmas on Twitter

2) & 3) @ iris_bee_ on Twitter

4) Bridgerton account

[penguinempress8]

I made my first fan video! It’s not extravagant but I’m proud of it 🤗

Kate & Anthony - Breathe Again

[penguinempress8]

The pull she has on him both figuratively and literally.

[penguinempress8]

The parallel 🤌🏽

[penguinempress8]

Jonny’s character saying these words again when?

Sam 🤝 Anthony Bridgerton

[penguinempress8]

Ok but the way Kate doesn’t even notice Dorset offering his hand because she’s too distracted by Anthony and his clownery. And when she does notice, it’s because she sees Anthony shooing him away to offer his own hand.

Honorable mention to Newton living his best life in the background. Look at that tail wag. He’s getting ready to assume position.

[penguinempress8]

So Daphne mistakes Kate for Edwina because she clearly sees how smitten Anthony is. He described Edwina as “the picture of grace, beauty, and charm.” Daphne took one look at Kate and Anthony’s enjoyment and was like yup, that’s her, that checks out. Look how excited she was to meet and talk to her. But when Kate does actually introduce Edwina to Daphne, she just nods and smiles and then proceeds to stand next to her. She literally doesn’t even try to have a conversation with her? Like, she couldn’t care less?

And of course, Anthony proceeding to stare at Kate while she introduces Edwina. Aka looking at Kate when he doesn’t need to. Because when does Anthony not look at Kate. Forever love the Kanthony moments.

[penguinempress8]

I always love the little smirk Anthony makes during this scene

He’s telling Daphne about Edwina and Kate coming to Aubrey hall and she says that he must be smitten with Edwina. And Benedict right away is like “Or the sister is a formidable obstacle indeed” aka “lol no he’s smitten with beating Kate.” And what does Anthony do? He SMIRKS. Like yes, yes she is a formidable obstacle and I like it.

It’s even funnier when you compare it to the look he gives right before when Violet says Edwina is quite lovely.

He’s fidgeting and has the same dead in the eyes smile he had when proposing to Edwina and watching her walk down the aisle. Forever love Jonathan Bailey’s nuanced portrayal!

[penguinempress8]

The shaving scene

When Anthony says that he aims to choose a bride with his head and not his heart, I realized he’s actually pretty obviously talking to Benedict about BOTH Kate and Edwina. At first I thought it was just Edwina, but upon rewatching 50,000 times, I think it’s both - his head (Edwina) and his heart (Kate).

Benedict probably already knows that Anthony is attracted to Kate at this point. He knows she irks him for sure, but I think he also knows there’s something more there. Which is interesting, because this is the first scene we as viewers see after Anthony realizes Kate is Edwina’s sister.

Let’s look at the continuous dialogue without the Sharma scenes spliced in:

Benedict: Miss Sharma? (Benedict totally says this on purpose to imply Kate)

Anthony: Miss Edwina Sharma. Not the sister. Miss Edwina will suffice. It is only out of the greatest love for my family that I aim to choose a bride with my head and not my… heart. (not only implying that Edwina is his head, but that Kate, the alternative, is his heart. Benedict gives him a knowing smile. The more I watch, the more I think he’s smiling because it’s not just Anthony choosing with his you know what, but that it implies Anthony is choosing Kate specifically if he’s thinking with his you know what)

Benedict: Does Miss Edwina return your affection?

Anthony: *sigh* not yet. She would have done if it were not for the —

Benedict: The sisterrrr. (Again, Benedict pushing Anthony’s buttons) She’s rather thorny I take it.

Anthony: Indeed. She need not trouble me. Every rose does have its thorn after all.

I also think Anthony might have told Benedict about his convo with Kate on the terrace, perhaps also saying how he’s attracted to her. Or at least Benedict inferring it. Benedict asks Anthony in episode 1 if he is planning to offend every young girl until there are none left and if mother is aware. At first I thought he only meant the girls he’s been interviewing and at the ball, but the only girl he is shown explicitly offending is Kate. I know they don’t show Benedict being fully aware of Anthony’s love until later, but throughout the season, he enjoys Anthony’s agitation with Kate, and he gives knowing looks that could imply he knows he’s attracted to her, even from the start.

We also know that Benedict and Colin give knowing looks to each other during fencing. And again at Aubrey Hall. Love thinking about the siblings shipping them together. Just some more of my ramblings.

[penguinempress8]

It’s the way they went from

and

to

for me.

Honorable mention to:

[penguinempress8]

Can we talk about how we went from this

to this

They really went from arguing about looking at each other to consciously deciding to keep looking at each other and I love that for us.

[penguinempress8]

Anthony’s Requirements Pt 2

Their mother must be of impeccable quality.

[penguinempress8]

We don’t talk enough about how Anthony’s obsession with Kate’s thigh began the moment he meets her in episode 1 and not just during the hunt in episode 4. Literally the first thing he sees is her thigh, not just her face, during their race. Boy has been dreaming of those thighs long before he fully malfunctions upon seeing it again during the hunt. Which makes the moment he kisses it as he’s removing her stocking all the more sweeter.

[penguinempress8]

Ok but the clip in reverse? 🥰🥹

[penguinempress8]

Anthony’s Requirements Pt 1

What I need is what I have, and that is a list.

[penguinempress8]

So you find my smile pleasing…

Anthony’s subtle pleasing smiles when it comes to Kate.

Like after realizing she’s not married

Or after catching her staring at him like he was staring at her

Or when he saw that his joke made her laugh