"Bridgerton" reveals the intricacies of the Regency Era
By Alanı Kanan, Staff Writer
Netflix’s new eye-catching binge, “Bridgerton'' aired on Dec. 25 2020, bringing some controversial issues with it. Set in the early Regency Era of London, “Bridgerton'' explores the storyline of the powerful Bridgerton siblings living in Britain's diverse high society while battling the scandals of a secret writer. All while, during the season, aristocratic families scheme to marry off their children. These young eligibles navigate their way through the complex world of Britain’s high society trying to find the right suitor. We watch as Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the firstborn daughter of the Bridgerton family, and many other desirable bachelorettes navigate their way through a world full of fake relationships, secret gossip and many unknowns, all while trying to find a worthy suitor.
Daphne, the image of a perfect young lady, wants to marry for love, although she quickly discovers that it rarely occurs in the world of debutantes. In order to buy time, Daphne makes a cavalier pact with Simon, the sought-after Duke of Hasting (Rege-Jean Page), however, the mysterious gossip column writer Lady Whistledown stands in her way. Meanwhile, Elosie (Claudia Jessie), the second-born sister of the Bridgerton family is on a wild chase to uncover the true identity of the writer instead of focusing on her duties of becoming the next top debutante, bringing a modern twist.
As we continue through the storyline we watch as once innocent bachelorettes learn the world of sex and pleasure. The drama mixed with steamy scenes enhances the connection between watchers and characters’ relationships, however, it also idolizes women being dumbfounded with the realm of sexual life. Thus, degrading women’s intelligence in order to please society’s standards.
In regards to nonconsensual sex, there is a scene in episode six that depicts a sexual assault that is not properly addressed. Which, predominantly glorifies sexual assault, categorizing the interference as a mere violation of trust rather than a deliberate violation of consent.
While the show is notably racially diverse for the period it is set in, there were some flaws to the conception. Within the show, we witness only four main African American characters with a significant amount of dialogue, while the other majority of dialogue is given to the white characters. Additionally, almost all of the side characters were cast as white actors, except for two smaller supporting black characters. Many of the African American characters in the show had significantly more negative attributes than the white characters. Thus, the casting of a “diverse” cast was not all “perfect” since there is a significant racial gap within the cast. Furthermore, there is a scene within the show that also discusses how Britain was once a separated society due to the racial gap, until the king fell in love with a black woman, ultimately ending racism. Thus, within “Bridgerton” the only reason racism no longer exists is all due to a powerful white man, which does not depict the image of an equally diverse society.
Lastly, despite the controversial issues, the show is a modernized representation of the Regency Era, focusing on the brilliant fabrics intertwined in the vintage corsets and suits. “Bridgerton” shows off the beautiful sets of London’s green land, vivid grand balls and distinguished castles, while simultaneously describing the life of romantic and platonic relationships between men and women during this era. Overall, “Bridgerton” is a binge-worthy show for those who love drama, romance and British accents.