Scene Breakdown: Kate and Anthony Discuss Going to India in Bridgerton Season 3

I haven’t made it a secret that I detest the Bridgerton Season 3 decision to ship Kate and Anthony off to India at a time when it’s incredibly dangerous for a woman to travel for months while she’s pregnant. (I wouldn’t even do that in 2024 with every godforsaken virus circulating!) It felt—and still feels—like a careless conclusion to give the characters a means to be off-screen so we wouldn’t question their whereabouts in upcoming seasons. Plus, there’s only so much disbelief I can suspend.

Yet, as deeply frustrating as this decision is, Anthony’s motives remain as wholesome as ever, so for the sake of this scene breakdown, I’m going to try putting aside my frustrations to once again discuss the work Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey put in to showcase how deeply they care about their characters. 

More than anything, the detail that stands out in this moment is that it’s an unmistakable display of equality. Like everything they do, Kate and Anthony are steadfast partners. Even though his intentions are logically misguided, his heart is always in the right place. He knows that Kate adores India in the same way he loves Aubrey Hall in Kent. When we see small, fleeting moments of him playing with Gregory or Hyacinth, we also understand that he loves being their eldest sibling. So, it’s reasonable for him to see that Kate would miss some of that, too. Like Anthony, she’s spent far too many days taking care of her family, and now, as viscountess, she’s taking care of his, too. (We see this in the conversation they both have with Colin about Penelope and the conversation we get between her and Eloise in Season 3, Episode 5.) 

Therefore, in many ways, Anthony can see how much she also misses Edwina and how she would want her family to be an equal part of their child’s life. This isn’t something Kate would utter aloud, but the fact that Anthony sees it is a gorgeous reminder of how attentive he is as a husband. As two people used to taking care of others, they have a real knack for noticing things in the other that no one else would. 

What also stands out in this scene during Bridgerton Season 3 is what’s said in the silence. His affirmative stance as he takes every opportunity he can to keep his hand on her pregnant belly. The acknowledgment of how profoundly she adores him by quite literally admitting that she can’t take much more. They’re both consistently so proud of each other, so purely elated for their new journey, and the fact that their ever-growing love is an overwhelming feeling makes my heart expand three sizes every time I think about it. She sees parts of him no one else does, and he understands every longing she doesn’t vocalize. 

Related Content: Relationship Deep Dive: Kate Sharma and Anthony Bridgerton

There’s also something so beautiful about his desire to be the kind of father who understands his kid in every way possible. (Again, if the logistics didn’t piss me off so much, this scene would be perfect! Like, we could’ve gotten it in a few years, but I digress.) Anthony knows how crucial it is to have stories to tell your children because it’s how he and his family have kept Edmund Bridgerton alive for Gregory and Hyacinth. So, the fact that he wants to experience what India is like with Kate and, through her perspective to closely understand customs and places better is a beautiful thing that’s rare from a man of his time. (The show ignores the elephant in the room, so I suppose the audience shall too?) Still, Anthony isn’t like most men in parliament, and this decision boldly proves that fact.

It’s all for Kate and their unborn child because their relationship is a captivating exploration of give and take in equal measure. We’ve seen the actions they take to ensure they’re both comfortable, happy, and, most importantly, taken care of. In this decision to ensure their kid knows both sides of their lineage, Anthony makes it clear what kind of a father and husband he’ll continue to be. Kate and Anthony further make it clear that their dedication to one another is unlike anything else either of them has known.

When he said he wanted a life that suited them both in Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 8, he meant every word of that. There’s also something to be said about the close-up shots in this particular scene and the intentional focus on their expressions and their body language. The ease they have with one another is so vastly different than when we see them apart that it’s astonishing. It’s once again a testament to Bailey and Ashley for pouring overflowing emotions into every single expression to ensure that viewers understand the intimacy and selflessness behind every single one of Kate and Anthony’s choices. 

First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix