Poets and musicians attribute various powers to love: turning the Earth on its axis, acting as a miraculous panacea. . . and, apparently, in “Bridgerton”, a non-money laundering society.
It is perhaps no surprise that the Shondaland-era adaptation of Julia Quinn’s novels takes an inclusive approach, creating a cast of characters much more colorful than the source material or Jane Austen – the great lady of the Regency subgenre – already written . But what differentiates the show from another color-conscious period casting is that it was written in the structure of the show, making it part of the alternative history or canon of “Bridgerton”.
Inspired by claims that the real Queen Charlotte perhaps, possibly (who can really say?) Had a Black ancestor, “Bridgerton” follows this idea and launches his Queen Charlotte (Golda Roshuevel) as a mixed. In turn, she uses her influence and the indulgence of her husband, King George III, to elevate the status of people of color in society or, at least, to make them tolerably fashionable.
The show drops this expository rumor during a key scene between two black members of the nobility. In the middle of the series, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) said to Simon, the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), “We were two separate societies, divided by colors until a king fell in love with one of us. With love, His Grace, conquer everything. ”
How the race colors the show
“I don’t call it a colorblind cast,” series creator Chris Van Dusen (“Scandal”) told Salon. “I think that would imply that color and race are not taken into account; color and race are part of the program’s conversation. Queen Charlotte, being a mixed race queen, was able to open up the world for us and allow us to explore stories and colored characters in a way that makes sense. “
People of color have existed for a long time in the history of England – despite what period dramas usually show – although not necessarily at the highest levels or mixing with their white peers. Therefore, the storytelling device “Bridgerton” uses allows for deliberate integration without happily ignoring a less integrated past.
In particular, it gives the show a more nuanced view of a character’s motivation this season. In the books, Simon’s father is obsessed with appearance and lineage to the point that his relentless demands for a ducal heir are believed to have killed his poor wife in childbirth. And later, he is emotionally abusive to his son because of Simon’s stutter. In the show, race becomes a factor that brings extra pressure to the new nobility.
“The queen used her power to elevate other people of color in society and gave them titles, lands and duchies, and that was where the Hastings lineage, Simon’s lineage, was born,” said Van Dusen. “Simon’s father instilled in him this feeling of having to be twice as good at everything to be perfect, because he is not the traditional look of a duke. We were only able to expand Simon’s story in this way because Simon was himself a colored person. “
It is one of the most intelligent uses of the program’s narrative license. On the other hand, however, this inclusion also draws attention to those who are being excluded in a way that, say, the faithful retelling of “Emma” by Autumn de Wilde does not. It is true that the colored characters are the richest and most powerful people in “Bridgerton”, as evidenced by the Queen, Lady Danbury and the Duke. But if you look more closely at these characters, there is a uniformity in them that Salon TV critic Melanie McFarland noted in her review: they all have fair skin.
This is obviously one of the first obstacles when it comes to increasing diversity – understanding that the representation is not just a physical presence on the screen, but about the quality of the representation. When looking at who becomes a hero, desirable, noble and influential in “Bridgerton”, everyone tends to approach white initially. Characters with darker skin and descendants from the Middle East or Asia are left on the sidelines (like the South Asian wife of a tertiary character) or worse, turned into villains. It is almost the same when the media starts presenting queer or disability stories.
Who can have a happy ending
Although people of color have more autonomy in “Bridgerton”, the situation of women and queer people is still relatively authentic to the period, that is, abysmal. In this season of “Bridgerton”, Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the eponymous clan in the series, laments that marriage is everything she was created for, and yet, she obediently aligns with gender expectations of educated society.
When Daphne makes her debut in the wedding market, her older brother, Viscount Anthony Bridgterton (Jonathan Bailey), leads her through the ballroom and negotiates the deal for her – and he will do the same for his other three sisters. His three brothers, presumably, do not need his approval or supervision.
Almost any action or behavior can lead to scandal and ruin for a well-educated lady who does not follow society’s ridiculously rigid rules of etiquette. Only marriage can save a lady from ruin, and that may not even prevent tongues from moving, depending on the circumstances.
“A lady’s reputation is really on the line,” said Van Dusen. “If they make a slip, a little impropriety, they are ruined – be it a long look, a passing touch, a kiss.”
It is a culture of classic patriarchal purity. Women have no autonomy and are at the mercy of men for their sexual happiness and security, a mentality that, in turn, encourages predatory behavior. Fortune hunter Nigel Berbrooke (Jamie Beamish) first uses physical violence and then the threat of scandal to try to force Daphne to marry him against his will. In the books, Nigel was Daphne’s rather foolish but benign suitor, while in the program he is much more aggressive and insensitive, determined to acquire Daphne as a kind of mare and for his considerable dowry.
“We refer to Nigel as a regency version of an incel,” said Van Dusen, adding that the character change was made so that the show could “explore things like sexism and misogyny and the way women have been treated for centuries. “.
Since Anthony fails to block his cock, it is up to Daphne’s sympathetic women, as Van Dusen describes, “creating strategies to assert himself.” They use one of the few weapons allowed to women at the time: information. Daphne’s mother plans to speak to employees and learn gossip that they can use against Nigel. In a society built on reputations, they are able to leverage their secret crimes against him, which is why the anonymous author of the gossip sheet Lady Whistledown (voiced by Julie Andrews) has so much power.
While Daphne is saved from Nigel, she still slips. A passionate kiss – witnessed by Anthony – leads to her having to marry the Duke of Hastings. The couple eventually falls in love and, although it turns out well for the upper class Daphne, not everyone has the option of such a happy destination, even in a fantasy world like “Bridgerton”.
Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker) is one of those unfortunates, a pregnant but unmarried woman who suffers physical and emotional pain from her condition and whom the Featheringtons treat alternately as a burden and an outcast. She ends up in a loveless marriage, married to her dead lover’s brother, who assumes her as a duty. . . and this is considered a happy outcome. Women who are seen working, such as dressmaker Madame Delacroix (Kathryn Drysdale) and opera singer Siena Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett), are not considered good enough for a proper marriage and depend on the men who take them as lovers. And “Bridgerton” doesn’t even deign to focus on employees or the lower class who live outside the social turmoil of the London season.
Then there’s Sir Henry Granville (Julien Ovenden), a man who befriends Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and introduces him to an underworld of artists and orgies. Granville is also a closeted homosexual who has a woman as a beard. Behind closed doors at the sex parties he throws are the only occasions when he and his lover can be together. In the Regency era, homosexuality was considered illegal and punishable by death.
Van Dusen said he wanted Benedict’s friendship with Henry to reflect “tolerance in times of intolerance”. He added: “Beneath the beauty, glamor and decadence of this wonderful escapist world, we have a modern commentary on how in the last 200 years everything has changed, but nothing has changed.”
In “Bridgerton”, this misogyny and homophobia can be treated in a milder way, but it is clear that, despite having made progress in the past two centuries, the modern public still manages to identify itself. It is condemnatory to see such family inequities, but at the same time it challenges us to question what will be needed to effect real change. Or 200 years from now our world will be treated to a frothy period drama with depressing and stagnant social illnesses?
Unmasking Lady Whistledown and Season 2
The most intriguing character in the series is a persona: the notorious and observant scandal writer, Lady Whistledown. Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) notes that as a woman, Lady Whistledown does not have the opportunities that men do, but she has conquered her own niche and created her own power in the world, albeit anonymously. She is also clearly a woman of means and leisure; as a housekeeper points out, she is too busy earning a living to write about other people’s lives.
Lady Whistledown is more than just a funny observer of London high society, but she directs the action in the series. Both Eloise and Queen Charlotte are inspired to discover the author’s identity, with the latter even setting a trap to catch her outside the printer’s office. In the end, however, it remains evasive. . . except for the audience who learn in the last minutes of the show that Lady Whistledown is nothing more than Eloise’s good friend and neighbor, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan, famous for “Derry Girls”).
It’s a bold move to reveal your true face so soon, even if the characters in the series don’t know it yet. Much like the sarcastic and omniscient blogger who narrated “Gossip Girl”, Lady Whistledown’s identity is a delightful mystery in Quinn’s novels and only revealed in the middle of the eight-book series (a volume dedicated to each Bridgerton brother’s love story) ). Why do it now?
Although the TV series has already given a hint about Whistledown, Van Dusen defends the move, hoping that this will set up more intrigue (and seasons) to come.
“It was time after spending a season watching Eloise on the Whistledown trail,” he said. “I think it creates a really interesting storyline for a hopeful second season. With success, I would love for the series to continue and would love to be able to explore stories and novels for all the Bridgerton brothers. There are eight books, so this is no secret. “