The One Edwina Line in Bridgerton Fans Wish Was Never Written
Bridgerton Season 2 centers around not one, but two love stories.
The first is between the guarded Anthony Bridgerton and the prickly Kate Sharma. The two of them exchange barbs in a classic enemies-to-lovers plot that almost sees Anthony get hitched to Kate's sister Edwina before a heated glance at the altar gives him and Kate away.
The second love story of season 2 is the love between the two sisters. Kate and Edwina share a father, but he passed away long before the events of Bridgerton's second season, leaving the older Kate to handle her bereaved stepmother and beloved younger sister.
Kate's determination to look after her family results in her shutting away all thoughts of her own happiness, giving the world only glimpses behind her terse facade while she works ceaselessly to secure her sister's happiness. Like Anthony, traumatised by his father's death and mother's grief (and therefore determined not to marry for love), Kate goes to extremes to shut her own feelings away.
When Anthony and Kate's stubborn refusal to think of their own desires results in Anthony standing at the altar with Kate's younger sister Edwina, a dropped bangle and a heated glance gives the game away. Humiliated, Edwina flees from the altar and confronts her sister. Kate confesses the truth – that yes, she does have feelings for Edwina's fiance, but she will do anything to secure her younger sister's happiness.
Pleading for understanding, Kate tells Edwina, "You are my sister," only to have Edwina clap back: "Half-sister".
In this scene, Edwina is speaking out of anger, hurt, and betrayal. But after a lifetime of Kate feeling like she has to work to "deserve" her family (Mary is only her stepmother, after all), being rejected as "only" a half-sister would, some fans feel, carve an unforgivable wound.
Edwina is supposedly the sweet and kind one, but those words are deliberately cruel, and it clearly cuts Kate right to the heart. What makes it worse was that at this point, Kate has already explained quite clearly that everything she has done her entire life has been for Edwina. To have all of those sacrifices thrown back in her face is difficult to forgive.
By the end of the season, Kate and Edwina have made up, and if anything are closer than ever. Kate has finally made a decision for her own happiness, and Edwina has become more grown up and independent. But as hard as Bridgerton tries to sell the happily-ever-after of the two sisters, fans have ranted long and loud about the fact that the "half-sister" line can never really be forgiven – especially since Edwina never does apologize for it.
"The half sister line was horrible and i wish they never wrote it. There's nothing beautiful about reminding your orphaned sister who raised you and dedicated her life to you and to your family that you don't have the same mother." – u/nafiastx
It adds a little bit of bitterness to the otherwise sweet storyline; here's hoping we see more of the Sharmas and their sisterly bond in the seasons to come, with connection and forgiveness all around.