BRIDGERTON viewers were stung by a potential season two spoiler in the show finale – but many may have missed it.
The Regency-era drama has taken Netflix by storm and reportedly achieved record ratings.
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The steamy series, about wealth, lust and betrayal in London in the early 1800s, centres on the posh Bridgerton and Featherington families.
The plotline follows Daphne Bridgerton, who is the eldest daughter in a powerful and wealthy family and her desire to meet a man and get married.
Yet it also touches on her troubled older brother, Lord Anthony Bridgerton, and his quest for love – something many fans are convinced will be explored in a second series.
Although season two has not yet been confirmed by show bosses, fans believe the numerous bee references at the start and end of the series – based on the novels by Julia Quinn – signify spoilers for an upcoming instalment.
In the show opener, a bee icon can be seen on the door-knocker of the Bridgerton house and in the finale, the brightly coloured insect perches on a windowsill after Daphne gives birth.
In the literary novels, the insect has much greater significance as a bee sting is the cause of the death of Anthony and Daphne’s father.
The tragedy is contained within the second book, The Viscount Who Loved Me, suggesting bees have a bigger role in the next instalment and fans should perhaps be prepared for a sad twist in the Bridgerton tale.
The death also sees Anthony’s title change to Viscount – as reflected in the book’s title.
Another potential plot spoiler, should the series follow the books closely, also relates to bees and their impact on Anthony’s future.
After losing his father to the sting, his love interest Kate Sheffield, also gets stung by one later in the book.
Showrunner Chris Van Dusen appeared to confirm any second instalment would focus more on Jonathan Bailey’s character during an interview with Collider.com.
He told the website: “I think we’ve done some work in season 1 to set up other characters. We really dig into Anthony’s love story.
“We’re really exploring Benedict as well, and Collin, and Eloise’s relationship.
“I think it’s a deep well of story for us to explore.”
Julia penned eight books in her Bridgerton series – so fans can expect a lot more racy action to come.
Bridgerton’s entire first series is now available on Netflix after its release on Christmas Day.
