Bridgerton recently made its triumphant return for a second season and with it plenty of new characters to keep things interesting. Even among faces both new and old, Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) stands out starkly. Kate is introduced along with her sister, Edwina (Charithra Chandran), and mother, Mary (Shelley Conn), at the start of the season, with Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) poised to go after Edwina. Of course, things do not go as planned. Kate Sharma erupts onto the screen with a particular kind of fire that captures the heart of not only Anthony Bridgerton, but the entire audience. Her presence in the show raises the stakes and provides one of the most well-rounded characters in the entire series.
Kate Sharma is sharp, self-assured, and scared. She has a unique dynamic with nearly every person she interacts with. We meet Kate when she’s at a place in her life where she’s determined to put all of her own wishes aside to attempt and secure a future for her mother and sister. Her love for them is a driving force pushed into conflict with her own desires. From the moment we see her, riding her horse in the early morning with reckless abandon, we understand that Kate is a far cry from the careful Daphne Bridgerton. She makes snide comments toward Anthony during their first meeting and constantly refuses to let him belittle her whether he does so intentionally or not. Kate’s maturity is one of her defining features and plays well against the naïveté many in the Bridgerton family display.
Anthony Bridgerton was not the most likable character in Season 1 of Bridgerton, so as the main love interest of Season 2 he needs a lot of room to grow. Kate is able to draw out the strengths in his character— not through coddling him, but simply through being herself. She inspires him to be better, whether through his competitive spirit in a game of croquet or his distorted view of duty toward his family. The parts of them that are similar force them both to grow, but most importantly Kate is not someone who will back down. She is there to challenge Anthony with every step he takes in a way that feels earned. His arrogance and ego are ripe for her to tear into in a way that’s both necessary for the plot between the two of them to progress but equally cathartic to the viewer. On the other hand, Anthony is also able to draw out the more vulnerable side of Kate that she has forced herself to conceal. While Kate certainly does an impressive job of bringing out the best in Anthony, he’s able to help her open up as well in a way that makes their relationship feel cathartic and earned even despite some of Anthony’s more uncouth previous behavior.
Kate draws out the best not only in Anthony but in other characters as well. Through her, we are able to see more dimensions in Lady Danbury as she tries to express to Kate that shutting herself off from the world is not the same as being safe. We get to understand more of Lady Danbury’s loneliness as we see it reflected in Kate. Not only that, Edwina’s character shines through her interactions with Kate. Their dedication to each other is heartwarming but tainted by falsehoods. Kate’s sheltering of Edwina and her later betrayal through not explaining the dowry and falling for Anthony draw out the forceful side of Edwina that she had always hidden. Through this shift we learn more not only about Edwina but Kate, as well; we see her repression and need for perfection reflected back in her brokenhearted sister. Kate’s betrayal, though heartbreaking, elevates the narrative by broadening the scope of what we get to see from both her and Edwina.
Kate Sharma provides a much-needed assertive voice to Bridgerton's existing cast of female characters. From the moment of her introduction, she is fully confident in herself and her own decisions. Kate is a leading lady from the moment she takes the screen, and we see that with every instance she asserts herself — from explaining how diligently she trained Edwina to lambasting Anthony for scheming to distract her to simply picking out a crochet mallet. In a show set in the Regency, it can be hard to find female characters who position themselves with that level of authority. As opposed to the relative childishness of Eloise Bridgerton’s assertiveness, Kate’s comes from a place of wisdom. She is confident in her own decisions (sometimes to a fault), but able to conduct herself well in society because of it.
Bridgerton needed someone like Kate Sharma, a woman who feels modern despite existing in a historical romance. In no way is Kate complacent or passive; she holds the reins on her own life, for better or worse. She’s not only a fantastic love interest due to her complex relationship with Anthony, but also simply a fantastic character overall. Her relationship with her sister draws out so many of her dimensions and allows her to truly stand on the same level as Anthony despite the audience having spent less time with her. Kate Sharma is the heart and soul of Bridgerton Season 2. Her outspokenness, sense of self, and drive ripple out in waves across the entire show, improving not only her own romantic storyline but adding depth to any others that come into contact with her. Kate Sharma is the magic touch that takes the show a step beyond what it was in Season 1.