There is a disarming quality to the first few episodes of ‘Bridgerton’ due to the show’s demand that you accept the Duke of Hastings, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and a few other characters as black characters in what would very much likely be white roles in any other Regency era film or television show. But as the very fictional show tackles some very contemporary issues — the role of women in society, the sexual awakening of a woman vis a vis what society prepares them for, deconstructing the nature of love and marriage in society, the fragility of reputation and image and whether it is truly necessary in a community — why can’t it tackle race equality as well?
[Photo: Liam Daniel / Netflix]
By showing us an image of the past that was more racially fair and equal, can it not help us imagine a present that is the same? Even with the way the production design and the performances mimics the time frame, the sensibilities are very modern. There’s no way a young woman would be walking alone in the streets of London the way some characters do in this show. There are very steamy love scenes in the show that really goes counter to what one usually sees — and that’s not always a bad thing.
The show resets our ideas about the time period, not in effort to erase history, but as a fantasy that compares our current times with the past. And by doing so, proves that we haven’t progressed that much since.
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But as revolutionary as this vision of this period of history can be, it keeps the story focused on the members of the aristocracy and this is where it fails to be completely inclusive to all members of society. Because the most interesting moments of the show is when the camera moves towards the servants and the lower class, as it does in episode 3, and it shows that all these games and high society manipulations means nothing to the people who do not live in such luxury.
I wish there was more of that, and maybe there will be in future seasons.
But there is a lot to enjoy in the show. The chemistry between Dynevor’s Daphne and Page’s Duke of Hastings and their will-they or won’t-they push-and-pull plays off very well. Claudia Jessie’s Eloise Bridgerton, the next eldest sister and her pursuit for independence and a way out of high society’s trap for women. She has the character that truly speaks most honestly for contemporary women but after the third episode, they don’t really know what to do with her other than echo what she’s been saying all throughout the season. Hopefully, they get to utilize Jessie’s vibrant screen presence in the next season. Also enjoyable to watch is Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, Eloise’s best friend and neighbour, whose own family sees the Bridgertons more as rivals than as friends.
[Photo: Nick Briggs / Netflix]
There’s a lot of intrigue and interesting character developments that happen along the way but it can get repetitive as it focuses too much on Daphne and the Duke of Hastings rather than spread out the narrative threads evenly amongst the rest of the huge ensemble.
Though they probably are going to follow the books and each book focuses on one of the siblings but as television structure goes, it is good to pass these plot points around just to keep it exciting and the pace moving steadily so it doesn’t feel redundant.
My Rating
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Bridgerton, from Shondaland, premieres December 25 on Netflix. Follow Bridgerton on Instagram @bridgertonnetflix and Twitter @bridgerton.
