Bridgerton fans will get the chance to see the famous Pall Mall scene – and the Mallet of Death – in the second season of Netflix's smash hit Regency-era romp.
Season two of the steamy series set in the competitive world of London high society arrives exclusively on the streaming site on Friday, March 25, 2022 after more than 82 million subscribers saw season one in its first four weeks.
The new series of Bridgerton follows Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling and viscount, as he sets out to find a suitable wife.
He then meets the Sharma sisters, Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
From Shondaland, a publicity poster for the Netflix series shows the three central characters holding mallets, with Newton the corgi also making an appearance.
As author Julia Quinn posted on Instagram: "Love! Scandal! The Mallet of Death! NEWTON!!!!"
This season also takes viewers to the Bridgerton family’s ancestral home, Aubrey Hall.
Scenes at the country setting were primarily shot on location at Wrotham Park near Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
Wrotham Park can be seen in the distance in the publicity poster and in the Bridgerton trailer.
And it is at Aubrey Hall that the eagerly awaited Bridgerton Pall Mall game is played out.
When Julia Quinn wrote the famous Pall Mall scene in the book The Viscount Who Loved Me it was based on her own experience playing croquet as a child at her grandparents’ house with her sister.
On her website, Julia Quinn writes: "If there is one scene (from any of my books) I hear about the most from my readers, it’s the Bridgerton Pall Mall game."
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes agreed that season two couldn't miss out on the opportunity to show the Bridgerton family's version of croquet.
"I'm a superfan of Julia Quinn’s books, so I have probably read her books almost more than anybody.
"For me, the Pall Mall scene had to be in there. We really needed to see that game and that moment.
"But mostly we needed to capture the essence of who Kate Sharma is.
"Kate and Anthony are such an interesting pair, and I really wanted to make sure that we captured their essence."
Teasing viewers, Rhimes added: "Obviously, there are things that we've added to the world, elements that we've built on.
"There are some very interesting surprises that I think the audience is going to love, but mostly I wanted to make sure that we were capturing that world without feeling like we had to stay true to every piece of dialogue, or every scene in the book."
Bridgerton series creator and showrunner Chris Van Dusen also acknowledged that the Bridgerton family tradition from the book had to feature in the show.
Revealing a few secrets of the Ton, Van Dusen said: "I knew from the very first time I read the Bridgerton books that I was going to include the Pall Mall scene in the show.
"It was never a question. It’s quintessential Bridgerton. You get that razor sharp banter between the siblings; you get the family dynamics set on these beautiful grounds on a sprawling estate in the gorgeous countryside; it had to be included."
The executive producer enjoyed filming the scenes on location.
"One of the fondest memories of this season was shooting the Pall Mall sequence.
"There was a point when we just set the cameras up and we let our actors play.
"They actually played the game, and their competitive spirits came out. It was hilarious."
Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton in the show, echoed Van Dusen's comments.
"The Pall Mall sequence was a total highlight. Having read the book, we all were suspicious and hopeful that there would be a Pall Mall segment.
"And just getting all of us together is the dream. We had Phoebe Dynevor there as well, which was amazing.
"It took a few days to shoot, we had the most amazing weather, and it was just ridiculous and silly.
"As we all know, the Bridgertons are a very competitive bunch, and so is Kate, so it’s a great way to see them all interact."
In the books, author Julia Quinn introduced the Pall Mall game as a way of showing Kate how Anthony interacts with his family.
Quinn wrote on her website: "I realized I needed to add a scene in which Kate realized that Anthony wasn’t such a bad guy, and the best way to do that would be to show him interacting with his family. And thus the Pall Mall game (and the Mallet of Death!) was born."
Sex Education star Simone Ashley felt the pivotal scene at Aubrey Hall was key to the pair's blossoming relationship in the series.
"It was really fun, we basically played it in real life, so there was a lot of screaming.
"They’re both very sporty people; he fences, she’s a great rider, and they’re both incredibly competitive.
"The Pall Mall game forces them to play and get out of their duties as the older siblings; forget about their responsibilities and to just play with one another.
"That’s when they find these moments of laughter, and falling in the mud, and finding common cause.
"And that’s annoying when you’re like, 'Oh, I actually really don’t like you, but you’re making me laugh and loosen up'. They’re forced to let go."
Playing Kate's younger sister, Edwina Sharma, is Charithra Chandran.
Charithra said: "The Pall Mall scene is definitely the most anticipated scene of the season. I know the fans are so excited.
"For me, I enjoyed shooting it just because we were outside. And it was just really fun and playful. It was a bonding experience — I can’t say we were very good. But we gave it a go.
"And the best player? Me, obviously. Maybe not.
"Probably Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton). But I think I was a close second. I could give him a run for his money."
As the series poster says: "Love never plays by the rules."
Production designer Will Hughes-Jones revealed: "For the Pall Mall scene, one of our team members went to the Museum of London to research the game, and the actual rules are pretty vague.
"So we decided that the Bridgertons play their own version of it."
Claudia Jessie plays Eloise Bridgeton and didn't have a clue what was going on.
"Pall Mall is a game I do not and will never understand, but it was fun and incredibly difficult.
"I still don’t really know how to play it, but you’ve got a mallet and you whack a ball through some pegs until someone wins. It was intense.
"That’s when I had crazy hay fever. I’d spin around and things would just fly out of my face.
"I hope people like it, it was a lot of fun. It felt like carnage. We get really giddy when we’re all together, all us Bridgertons."
As the official Bridgerton Instagram page posted: "The secrets of the game are nothing compared to the secrets of the Ton."
The games begin on March 25 when the second series of Bridgerton premieres exclusively on Netflix.
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