Why Bridgerton is not God’s Gift
Kate Archbold is currently obtaining her Masters in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship, after spending the last three years as an IBACS student. She likes international adventures, reading, movies, and window-shopping online. Has mastered the arts of definitely not remaining calm, preaching what is politically correct when drunk on homemade pornstar martinis and making the most delicious brownies (fact!).
Why Bridgerton is not God’s Gift
Warning: Spoiler Alert!
Do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Proven by the fact that I finished it in less than 24 hours like many others. Despite many historical inaccuracies, I totally fell in love with the show's set and costume design; the team was going for a vibe and they thoroughly delivered. More so, seeing Daphne and Simon’s love story flourish on-screen is the stuff of dreams. Besides, I did not know I needed a version of Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next performed by a string quartet in my life prior to watching the first episode. That being said, I do not understand why everyone is praising it to the heavens, as they show is flawed in several ways.
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First, there is the plothole that is the identity of Mrs. Whistledown. It could not have been Penelope, since she would not have the means to pay for the printing as an unmarried woman of the upper-class. One could argue, that she could have stolen the necessary means from her father, but oh wait... he is completely broke. That being said, I hardly think the printer helped Penelope out of the goodness of his heart as he felt it would be important for the upper-class to receive their daily gossip.
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I have always had an issue with how shows and films use this certain storyline in which characters are adamant about not procreating, and their spouses have trouble accepting it. Sure, Simon could probably win an award for the world's worst communicator by not understanding the difference between “can’t” and “won’t”, however, that did not give Daphne the right to go on and commit marital rape! Nonetheless, Daphne discovers that Simon is adamant on not procreating due to issues with his father; something that could be overcome….eventually...not like 10 seconds after a heartfelt speech in the rain. Personally, I would have liked to have heard the sentence: “You make a good point Daphne! Let me sleep on it before I commit to taking care of another human being for the rest of my life. See ya at breakfast.”
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Many period dramas are overwhelmingly white, thus it was admirable of Netflix and Shonda Rhimes to completely dismiss the book and cast POC actors to play white characters. That being said, Bridgerton explains, very briefly may I add, that people of colour are a part of the ton due to the fact that the King fell in love with a woman of colour. It is particularly the very brief aspect of it that bothers me; at least integrate the discussion of race into the story as opposed to diminishing it to a passing comment. Particularly as there is so much that could have been said on the topic; the world our beloved characters inhabit is after all built upon colonialism, racism, and its adjourning slave trade. For the rest of the show, the issue of race has been completely ignored apart from some references in their dialogue, in which words such as “them” and “us” are used. If you would like to further delve into the issues Bridgerton has with race, I would recommend you to read the following article by Komonibo and Newman-Bremang and Hinds.
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Also….it’s the 1800’s Simon. You would NOT have been present at the birth of your child.
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Last, and most infuriating of all.... really would have liked to have seen one realistic sex scene....no one comes in 5 seconds, Daphne.
In all seriousness though, I did enjoy the show and I cannot wait for the next season, in which we will discover if Anthony will be able to overcome being a rake. That being said, hopefully, the topic of race will be a more integral part in the following season and less treated as a taboo topic. Moreover, I really hope to see no more men being present during childbirth and at least one realistic female orgasm. Also, am I the only one low-key thinking Cardi B and Meghan Thee Stallion’s WAP would sound great played by a string quartet?
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