Photo: LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

BRIDGERTON

Bridgertonwill provide a deeper look into Lady Whistledown’s world in season 2.

Ahead of its return to Netflix on Friday, series creator Chris Van Dusen tells PEOPLE what fans can expect from the town gossip.

“It’s been so interesting in season 2 to see that there is this whole other side of the Lady Whistledown operation that we didn’t get to see the first time around,” he says while discussingthe contemporary music featuredin the new season.

“What I find so fascinating about Penelope is that she really is invisible as herself when she goes to these balls, when she’s out in the marriage market, when she’s around other gentlemen and even around her peers. She’s not really seen,” he continues.

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“But then she donned her Lady Whistledown cape and her mask and this whole other persona. She suddenly gets to be louder and more brash and more visible than ever. And I think that was a really interesting thing for us for this season,” he says.

“It would be such an incredibly difficult thing for any young lady to deal with,” he adds. “And then with Eloise being out in the marriage market at the same time, I think that makes things just that much more complicated for Penelope and Penelope, as Lady Whistledown as well.”

Bridgertonpremiered on Netflix in December 2020. Since then, it has earned praise from fans and critics alike.

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The period drama also held the title for the most-watched show on Netflix last January, with82 million householdstuning into the series. (Squid Gamewent on to set a new record last fall.)

Season 2 will center around Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) love story. Season 1 focused on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset’s (Regé-Jean Page) romance. According to Van Dusen, fans can expectBridgertonto be “bigger and sexier” upon its return.

“We’re back this season with what I think is an even bigger and sexier and more scandalous escape to in the 19th century Regency London, and it’s a very charged and very romantic season,” he teases.

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“The main difference, what we’re building on this season, is we have a bunch of new characters that we’ve added to the show,” he continues. “We have this entirely new family that’s come to town. And part of the joy of writing the show has been being able to focus on new characters every season. And that’s partly what drew me to create a show like this in the first place, the ability to tell these close-ended love stories, season after season.”

Van Dusen previously told PEOPLE aboutthe featured musicin season 2, which includes songs ranging fromRihanna’s “Diamonds” toAlanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.”

“Very rarely do I know what song’s going to be used in the final cut and there’s a lot of trial and error that needs to happen,” he said. “But there’s one exception in season two and that’s aMiley Cyrussong that I knew I had to use for a particular moment in the show that I won’t spoil, at this time.”

Season 2 ofBridgertonpremieres Friday on Netflix.

source: people.com