Monday, February 1, 2021

Netflix Picks: Bridgerton

I think this is a post that requires no prior explanation. After all, around 63 million have already streamed this movie on Netflix (or so they say). I am, apparently, one of those 63 million. I have watched/streamed/binge-watched Bridgerton on Netflix and I loved it! 

Word of advice: do not watch this with your parents. It does not matter if you are already an adult or have children of your own, just do not do it because it can get pretty awkward. I was watching this over breakfast with my mother when suddenly Anthony Bridgerton was getting it on with his opera-singing lover (and they were not being quiet about it if you know what I mean). We both ended up pretending nothing was happening on the screen until I slowly put up my hand to stop the video. Considering how I later discovered how many more steamy scenes there would be between Simon and Daphne, it was a good call that I later decided to just watch it on my own.




For those who have become hermits during this pandemic and have not heard of this show, Bridgerton is a Shonda Rhimes series on Netflix that is based on a series of novels by Julia Quinn that revolve around the Bridgerton siblings and finding love during the Regency era. The first (of many, hopefully) season of the show centered around the story of the eldest daughter, Daphne, and her eventual love story with Simon, the Duke of Hastings.

The story is set during the social season, where eligible women are presented to the Queen and to high society so that the eligible men may be able to meet and court their future bride. In between balls and whatnot, it is shown that everyone is also obsessed by the publication made by a certain Lady Whistledown, who shares insider gossip about the people in the ton (British high society) during this season. As much as everyone hates Lady Whistledown for what she says about their respective families, people are still obsessed about her work because of what they say about other people. Even the Queen herself is curious about Lady Whistledown and wants to find out who she is. 

There is so much to talk about when it comes to this series. There is the fact that they have decided to do what they called “colorblind casting” where the actors may be of a different race from what was originally intended but were given the roles that they played anyway. In the world of Bridgerton, they have not just white people as part of the ton, but other races as well. They have even played on the historical rumors that the Queen of the time was also part black, which was the reason why people of color were welcomed into the ton in this storyline. Then there are the Regency-era cover versions of popular songs from people such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift that were used as background for some scenes of the show. And who can ignore the beautiful cast that they have? It makes me look forward to more seasons so that I can see the other characters find love next!

I have only read the first book of the series but watching this show has made me interested in reading the others as well. I have never been a fan of these kinds of stories, but this show made me think of taking a second look before I skip reading them. There were some (welcome) changes to the series compared to the show such as Freddie Stroma playing a Prince who also fell for Daphne, but I did not mind at all (I mean, hello, look at Freddie Stroma, wouldn’t you want an excuse to include him too?). 

With the confirmation of a second, Anthony-centric season, I am hoping to see more from this series. In the meantime, I will read the books to catch up while they are still waiting to decide when the next season will come out.

Have you watched Bridgerton yet? Tell me what you think!



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