Bridgerton

A constant boredom during winter break led me to Netflix, who not so subtly kept recommending me Bridgerton. The Netflix original based on the book series by Julia Quinn, was released in late December. The show broke records on the streaming service by becoming the most watched series in Netflix history. The show is sort of a revival amongst others in it’s genre because it brings a touch of modernism to an often outdated genre of story-telling. As the season continues the plot continues to thicken with drama that only draws in the viewers more.

The show follows Daphne Bridgerton during her debut season and her journey to find a husband. Set in the early 1800’s the show was able to touch on the harsh realities of being a woman in those times. There are multiple times during the show when Daphne gets into arguments with her older brother because they often took away some of her choices. Phoebe Dynevor’s performance was very well done because she was able to embody the frustration of her character and deliver her the purpose of her lines strongly. The show also touched on how society was very restrictive, people who were not from the same class could not be together. This ties back into how the show was able to capture the essence of the 1800’s but keep it interesting to modern day viewers. Often this kind of show loses it’s viewers over time because writers aren’t able to form a sense of relatability and connection to its audience. Bridgerton was able to create relatability through some of their character hardships which made the show even more interesting.

Another protagonist is Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings. The Dukefirst comes into the show as a mysterious old friend of Daphne’s older brother. As the show progresses we learn that the Duke keeps a secret hidden which is very frustrating to watch. The Duke’s actor, Regé-Jean Page, did an amazing job of always being unaffected by anything going on around him; although that tactic hardly ever worked in his favor. Although he has his faults, the Duke is a very supportive friend and refuses to let friends go through troubles alone. The show did an excellent job in building suspense while being able to show character development in the Duke of Hastings.

The visual aspect of the show was not a let down either. From clothes to decorations, no detail was left unthought of. Each character never wore an outfit twice and each home’s decoration perfectly matched the regency era which is the time period the show is set in. Daphne is able to hold a sense of grace because of her appearance of being in luxurious outfits and her hair never left alone; this is how society often depicted women to be and men and women were not able to leave their home without formal clothing due to their society’s. The director did an excellent job of getting the audience to immerse themselves with different scenes and camera angles.

The show’s main draw however, was the unknown Lady Whistledown, who brought the secrets of the high class to the public. Often creating trouble for characters by revealing their secrets this usuallysents many into a tailspin trying to pick up their reputation after being damaged. The show slowly let’s little details slowly slip of who Lady Whistledown was as she continued to write the newspaper anonymously. The mystery of who Lady Whistledown was continued to make viewers return to solve the mystery. 

Bridgerton is by far one of Netflix’s best originals. The storytelling and visual aspects were very well executed. The actors also did an amazing job of portraying the characters which made the show a lot of fun to watch. The show is rated TV-MA, recommended to those above the age of 17. I would rate the show a 7.5/10. You can find the first season on Netflix. Bridgerton has officially been renewed for a second season, but the release date is currently unknown.