Among all the romances seen in Bridgerton, a story has yet to be written in which Violet Bridgerton finds love again. The Bridgerton season 2 finale sees Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) find his match in the headstrong Kate (Simone Ashley). Several years after the tragic death of his father, Edmund, Anthony has yet to fully process his grief. Witnessing his mother’s devastation as a child scars Anthony. He is so terrified that he vows to stave off love—that is until Kate. As each book and season covers one of the Bridgerton siblings, there will likely be six more seasons of balls and brawls, as the remaining children find true love.
However, Violet Bridgerton’s romantic future seems less clear. While Violet’s story is secondary to Anthony’s in Bridgerton season 2, hers is equally (if not more) compelling than Anthony’s struggle with intimacy. Brought to screen in a compelling performance by Ruth Gemmell, Violet’s mourning reveals that her motive in aiding her children to find true love stems from the love she shared with Edmund, a loss that she still feels keenly so many years later. While Julia Quinn has explored Edmund and Violet’s backstory in the short story Violet in Bloom, she has yet to write another love story for Violet Bridgerton, something she claims she will not do.
Why Violet Can’t Find Love In Bridgerton’s Future
Violet Bridgerton is kind, beautiful, well-spoken, intelligent, and the picture of what a Regency-era lady should be in Bridgerton. However, it seems author Julia Quinn may think too highly of Violet to give her a happy ending. On the author’s website, she discusses how her adoration for Violet makes it difficult to write anyone worthy of her hand. Quinn offered more insight in an article for Oprah Magazine claiming that Violet would inevitably be forced to sacrifice her freedom if she remarried, claiming that in that era, the man would “get to be in charge of everything. I don’t think she’s ready to give that up.” Anthony and Kate’s romance in Bridgerton season 2, however, makes Quinn’s reasoning for Violet Bridgerton’s lack of a second romance ring hollow, as Kate is an incredibly independent woman who finds love with a man that values her for that.
Quinn’s excuse is further negated by the fact that Violet Bridgerton will (if all goes according to plan) eventually see all her children happily wed, and while Violet may fear external interference in her children’s marriages currently, this issue will no longer be present after the marriage of her youngest, Hyacinth. Beyond any other reasoning, Quinn’s decision to forgo a second romance out of fear of control is disappointing because it essentially makes one of her strongest characters a hypocrite, as Violet has just spent the entirety of Bridgerton season 2 encouraging Anthony to let go of his fear and embrace love. The author’s decision seems to fail Violet’s character by thinking that the capable woman that she is would marry someone seeking to control her.
Shonda Rhimes Teases Violet Bridgerton Prequel Spin-Off
After the success of the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story prequel spinoff, Shonda Rhimes revealed in a red carpet interview that while she had no immediate plans for another spinoff she did have a thought, “…in writing it I got very interested in Violet’s story. So, we’ll see,” (via Hello!). A young Violet does appear in Queen Charlotte, played by Connie Jenkins-Greig, but she doesn’t feature prominently, and her story primarily consists of her difficult relationship with her mother and close one with her father. However, Queen Charlotte proved Violet Bridgerton would be the perfect star for another Bridgerton spinoff series.
Edmund Bridgerton’s name is constantly brought up throughout the series, and yet he is never seen, save for a handful of flashbacks. His and Violet’s time courting and their early marriage would be perfect for another Bridgerton prequel spin-off. Having a prequel about Violet and her beloved late husband would help the audience connect more closely with the grief Violet Bridgerton feels and give a deeper insight into her character.
