Ruth Gemmell Responds to ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 Sex Scene Complaints: “There’s Agency in the Slow Burn”

It has only been a week since Bridgerton season 2 hit Netflix, and just like the first season, it’s become the only show people can talk about. Netflix announced that users around the world have already watched 193 million hours worth of season 2, and the show is number one in the U.S. And the reason people keep hitting “next episode” while refilling their wineglass or rewinding to watch that gazebo scene (you know the one) for the 25th time is because of the Bridgerton family itself. Lady Bridgerton is the glue that holds the many Bridgerton children together, and Ruth Gemmell is the woman behind the character, giving her a protectiveness and wisdom that elevates her from mom to matriarch.

Cosmopolitan hopped on Zoom with Ruth to ask about giving Lady Violet more depth in season 2, a potential future love story for her character, and whether Penelope and Eloise will make amends.

We got a lot more of your character’s backstory this season, with the depiction of Edmund’s death and the aftermath. How did it feel to be able to give your character that depth? It’s there in the books, but we didn’t get much of it in season 1.

It’s really lovely. I relish the times as an actor that you can show the human frailties of life. It also gives you a chance to show why the Bridgertons are the way they are, and certainly Anthony, why he is the way he is, because you have a much more rounded family. And also I love working with Johnny (Jonathan Bailey). He’s such a generous actor, and we kind of spar off one another.

And then there’s that great emotional payoff at the end, that scene where he confesses why he feels he can never fall in love. How did you prep for that scene?

For me, it’s about grief. I think that’s universal for everyone, as much as love or relationships or friendships. I don’t necessarily draw on my own stuff, but I certainly draw on things that I recognize. I was pretty quiet during the day, but I don’t think I’m a big one for method acting. I’m very aware of the set, and it’s a happy set. And I think that makes me able to mess up and try again and not feel embarrassed. You have to feel confident within your working environment.

In the books, Violet never finds someone else after Edmund’s death. The show does take creative licenses from the books, but do you have any hopes that maybe you’ll get a love story of your own?

I think it’s in Benedict’s story where there’s a ball, Violet’s hosting it. She’s slightly exasperated by her children, and somebody asks her to dance and she dances. What I liked about that is all the children didn’t like it. Then you catch her eavesdropping on their conversation about: Who on earth is this bloke? I hope they do bring in a bit of that, because there is something lovely about that.

You get to see it a little bit with Lady Featherington’s almost-romance, but the show focuses so much on these young couples, and it’s nice to see someone who’s wiser enter into a relationship. Do you hope that more of the “matriarchs” of the show get love stories?

Well, it would be nice to show that we’re not dead past a certain age, wouldn’t it really? I think that would be quite good. I’m up for that. Definitely.

Speaking of relationships, Eloise and Penelope ended the season in a huge fight. Do you think their friendship is salvageable? Can they work it out?

There’s always hope for those two. I think their friendship is too strong. It gives us somewhere nice to start the next season where there’s going to be a bit of antagonism between those two. And also it allows for friendships in other areas that will kind of further their storylines. I think eventually, they’ll have to come back together because that friendship is too strong.

It would be fun to watch them team up as Lady Whistledown.

Yeah, exactly. It’ll be quite interesting to see how snide-y they get with each other.

The line that everyone is obsessed with this season is Anthony’s: “You’re the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires.” Does it ever surprise you what about the show really jumps out to people?

I don’t do any social media, so I’m always last at the party on that kind of stuff. I suppose it is surprising in terms of things like people suddenly getting very excited about corsets, which I can tell you now, they’re really not much fun to work with if you’re in them all day every day. That’s quite hard work.

Something that’s also become a topic of conversation from season 2 is the lack of sex scenes compared to season 1. How do you feel about that shift, and what would you say to fans who are upset about that?

It’s a different story. And although in all of the books, they are quite full of sex, in our world and Shondaland and Netflix’s worlds, they are very different storylines. So Simon and Daphne, their whole story came to an end and this is a different one. I think they wanted to focus on the idea that there could be a slow burn, and that was equally as sexy as anything else. So you could show an ankle, as opposed to everything. There’s a lot of agency in that. Also, by the time you do get to that point, you’re waiting for it. If we’re going to hold people’s attention, we have to do things differently every time, because there’s eight children. Don’t be disappointed.

How do you think this season gives that payoff to people?

It gives the payoff in that they are forever nearly, nearly getting there and nearly admitting what they feel for each other but still fighting each other. And also, it’s complicated for them because they’re living a lie not only to themselves but to poor old Edwina. I have enjoyed watching those two spar and be unable to understand what it is they’re sparring about. That’s the payoff for me, that eventually it’s all too much. And there’s a really lovely friendship that grows in there.

I think it’s fun to have a moment when you want to yell through your TV at the main characters.

Yeah, my husband was!

I also want to talk about the spin-off series, which just began table reads. What can you tell me about that? I know details are hush-hush.

To be honest, we’re right at the beginning of it, and I know very, very little. It is mainly about Queen Charlotte and the younger Queen Charlotte. And it involves Lady Danbury and my character Violet, and their younger selves. I’ve been in the costume fittings, and that’s all I can tell you.

Have they cast the younger version of you? I know they’ve cast Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte’s younger versions.

I don’t think they’ve cast my younger self. I think she’ll be about 12 in the series.

Wow! Okay, last question for you: How do you think you would be at the legendary pall-mall the Bridgertons play?

Rubbish. I am absolutely rubbish at any sport whatsoever, and pall-mall, even though it looks quite sedate, I wouldn’t be able to get the ball through the hoop in a million years. I can tell you now.

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