Warning: Spoilers for season two of Bridgerton below.
Fans of the Bridgerton book series may be vexed by season two.
Why? Well, because some fan favorite scenes were cut or reimagined for the latest installment of the Shonda Rhimes-produced period piece, based on Julia Quinn's second Bridgerton novel The Viscount Who Loved Me.
In the show, for instance, when Kate (Simone Ashley) is stung by a bee, she has a panicked Anthony (Jonathan Bailey)—who lost his father to an allergic reaction caused by a bee sting—place his hand on her chest to show that she's alright.
But in the books, the scene is far more intimate with Anthony trying to suck the venom out of Kate's upper chest. Yes, you read that correctly.
So, you can understand why bookish fans are up in arms over the watered-down version of this Kate and Anthony encounter. One fan noted on Twitter, "What just happened. Why is Anthony engaged to Kate's sister? He was supposed to suck that bee sting and be engaged to Kate. What's going on?"
Another commented, "As a book reader I am frustrated that they took some of the elements of Anthony and Kate's story that made it unique (being compromised over a bee sting misunderstanding and bonding over the death of their parents and the respective terrors they both faced over storms) and were glossed over in the show in order to focus on the tired, standard love triangle trope."
Since this scene and others were so beloved by fans, we found ourselves wondering why change them at all? And so, during an exclusive chat with Lord Bridgerton himself, we asked Jonathan to weigh in on the notable changes and asked if he had message for fans of the book.
"All I can say to the lovely fans is that we know, we read those things, and we love them too," he said. "They are going to be laced in our performances and the TV show for sure."
Per the Bridgerton star, "it was important to really not skirt over the amount that Kate and Anthony had to overcome."
Jonathan then teased that just because something wasn't included in season two, that doesn't mean it won't be featured in future seasons. "We know that, there will be a future Kanthony," Jonathan said of his hopes for season three. "There's a lot of those incredible conversations that happen towards the end of the book, which I really loved, about mortality and the understanding they have for each other. I'm sure there's going to be space for those now that they're together, maybe we'll be able to nod back to those scenes and bring them forward into the future."
Earlier this month, Simone also confirmed to E! News that there would be "a post-marriage Kanthony story for sure," noting that she's excited to explore the couple now that "they're loved up."
Now, if you're not entirely sold on Jonathan's defense of the TV adaptation, just know that the Bridgerton book series author is unbothered by the show's take on her beloved novel. "There's almost nothing in the book in the show that is word for word, or even scene for scene, that's pulled from the books," Julia exclusively told E! News. "But the characters are absolutely true to who they are in the books, the character relationships are true to the way they are in the books."
Julia advised those experiencing both the novels and the show to think of it as a "tangential experience," as "they work together really nicely."
Bridgerton season two is now available to stream on Netflix.