May 7, 2025
Bridgerton
Romance in the early 1800s. Gossip, balls, and hot dukes — what more could you ask for? Getting swept up in the enchanting eras of the 19th century sounds like a great time; you would just have to ignore the infrequent nature of showers, STDs raging through the population, and the lack of indoor plumbing, but that’s really no big deal. Bridgerton is a Netflix original series based on a series of steamy books by Julia Quinn that follows the lives and romances of socialites in Regency-era London and does a splendid job of ignoring all of the aforementioned general yuckiness of the time period. It also ensures that it represents people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds within its cast and by making changes to the book’s story lines, which do not have the same diversity. This is pretty unique for a period piece such as this one and is one of the aspects of the show that make it a favorite of mine. It centers around the Bridgerton family as the children enter the marriage market, and we see their struggles while they look for other members of “the ton” whom they deem fit for marriage.Everyone is going about their lives as normal when one day, a “Lady Whistledown” decides to publish a new gossip paper. These papers are not novel to the people of the ton, but this one is different. Why? It reports the gossip using people’s real names, which no other paper had dared to do before. With this fresh and anonymous reporter on the scene, the Bridgerton family, as all the families of the ton, must find ways to avoid scandal while also trying to find love.
Each season of the show follows a new Bridgerton sibling, with the first season centering around Daphne, the fourth-born sibling and eldest daughter. She is enamored with the Duke of Hastings (hubba hubba), or as he is known less formally, Simon. He does not wish to marry at all, but there is something about her that just draws him in. After their story unfolds, for season two we move on to the oldest Bridgerton, Anthony, and his story of looking for a wife — not because he wants love, but as the head of the family, he feels a responsibility to do so. Season three is all about third-born Collin and his longtime friend Penelope, who, as it turns out, could be more than just friends. The three seasons we have of this show are every cheesy romance fan’s dream. It is nothing but drama, love, and tension. Do be warned: this show does get a little spicy, and by a little, I mean a lot, so watch with caution. I am not claiming that it is the most highbrow and prestigious show, but with the melodramatic story lines, enduring romances, orchestra covers of modern-day songs, and Regé Jean Page, how could you not love it?
Available on Netflix.