Kate Sharma: the Not-So-Manipulative MVP of Bridgerton Season 2
Bridgerton has been applauded for including unique characters and bringing diversity to television, but the world wasn't ready for the enigma that is Kate Sharma.
When she made her entrance, she captivated the audience with her strong-willed character, unbridled honesty, and, of course, beauty. But while Kate may have stolen the hearts of millions of fans, some viewers found her manipulative and villainous. This, however, simply isn't supported by the storyline.
Kate Sharma, who's portrayed by actress Simone Ashley, is introduced to the period drama as the leading lady of season 2. Kate arrives in London after setting sail from India with her stepmother to find a suitable match for her younger sister, Edwina, and all suitors have to go through Kate first. So, when Anthony Bridgerton, who happens to be a first-class rake, suddenly takes an interest in Edwina, Kate does whatever she can to stop him from pursuing her sister. But that was until she started to catch feelings herself. And, as it turned out, Anthony did, too.
This game of 'will-they, won't-they' lasted for quite a few episodes until Edwina finally realized during her and Anthony's wedding that the pair was in love.
After watching the events unravel throughout the season, fans had polarizing reactions to how Kate handled the situation with her sister. Some said she should've had better boundaries with her sister's fiance and even called her manipulative.
Others, on the other hand, feel like adding the word "manipulative" to the list of her characteristics doesn't really add up with what we've seen on-screen, and we couldn't agree more.
Now, don't get us wrong – Kate is not, by any means, perfect. She is definitely stubborn and can be quite cynical. However, being manipulative simply can't make sense with the storyline because otherwise, she would've probably gotten her way at least once in the season. What's more, Kate tried to tell Edwina that Anthony wouldn't make a good husband on more than one occasion.
Besides, manipulating this situation wouldn't have benefited her or her family in any way. In fact, it was in everyone's best interest for Edwina to get married to him to secure her family's financial future. Clearly, both Anthony and Kate tried to resist their true feelings but failed. Should Kate have been honest about her feelings from the get-go? For sure. But does that make her evil and manipulative? Definitely not.