Meet the new faces of Bridgerton season 2

It wouldn't be a new social season in London without some fresh faces to shake up the lives of the Bridgerton family.

Season 2 of the Shondaland smash hit welcomes a bevy of new characters ready to get in on all the romantic action. Some will be familiar to fans of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels, which inspired the series, while others will be entirely original.

"The main love stories of the books provide the bedrock and the romantic spine of the season," Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen tells EW. "But the books are the books and the show is the show, and the show has to keep those new to the books entertained. We also have to surprise the book fans with the show too and do new and interesting things. We never want any portion of our audience to be ahead of us."

We promise not to get ahead of ourselves, but we can't resist giving fans a glimpse of the newest members of the ton. Meet them all below.

01 of 07

Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley)

Bridgerton New Faces — Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

New to London from Bombay, smart, headstrong Kate is a force to be reckoned with. Especially when it comes to her family and her heart. "I admire Kate's priorities in her life," Ashley tells EW. "Her priority is her sister and her family above everything else. From the get-go, her objective is to protect her family and help her sister march through the craziness of the marriage market to help her find a suitor [who loves her] and is someone that she loves."

02 of 07

Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran)

Kind and optimistic to a fault, Edwina is the season's new "It Girl." But beneath her demure surface of perfection, still waters run deep. "On the inside, Edwina is a little bit more wild," Chandran tells EW. "She's grown up in India away from the eye of the ton, so she could grow up more freely. She's not just this doe-eyed naive young woman."

03 of 07

Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn)

Matriarch of the family, Mary is trying to do right by her daughters while coming to peace with her husband's death and the ton's judgment. "The show is about family and all the different types of love that you have," adds Chandran. "We often focus on romance being the center of our love, but in most cast, it's not. No matter what happens, [this family] will always choose each other."

04 of 07

Newton (Austin)

Bridgerton New Faces- Austin the dog — Liam Daniel/Netflix

Kate Sharma's very good boy. Loyal to his mistress, this mischievous corgi's antics give Anthony pause when he comes courting. "Newton is beloved, and I always wanted to include him in this season," Van Dusen teases. "There's a little arc for him that audiences can look forward to."

05 of 07

Jack (Rupert Young)

The newest member of the ton, Jack is thus far an enigma — all we know is that he has a connection to one of society's most notable families. "For Jack, anything I say at this point would be a spoiler," Van Dusen says.

06 of 07

Theo Sharpe (Calum Lynch)

A printer's assistant dedicated to intellectual pursuits and the fight for equal rights. Hmm, sounds perfect for a certain Bridgerton. "Theo is an original character to the series," says Van Dusen. "Bridgerton is about a whole world. It's always been interesting to me to see what happens outside the confines of Mayfair and Theo is very much not a part of Mayfair."

07 of 07

Edmund Bridgerton (Rupert Evans)

The dearly departed Bridgerton patriarch comes into focus in a small but impactful way as we learn more about Anthony's demons. "He's had to be a surrogate husband [to his mother] and a surrogate father to his brothers and sisters," Jonathan Bailey says of the impact of Anthony's loss. "There is no space for just Anthony."

A version of this story appears in the March issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands Feb. 18. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

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