by Ariane Lodge
Everyone loves a period drama. The incredible aesthetics, costumes and makeup draw you in, despite how clearly inaccurate they may be (or perhaps women were in fact wearing acrylics and false eyelashes in the 1800s, I wasn’t there). Over the last few years, I and every other teenage girl have fallen in love with one in particular: Bridgerton. Based on the book series by Julia Quinn, this show has taken off over the last 4 years since season one. Something about ‘Gossip Girl’ in the 18th century has had an appeal to Gen Z these days, and I am no exception.
If you have never watched this Netflix show, the premise in short is that each season displays a different member of the wealthy Bridgerton family in Regency England finding love. Season 1 saw Daphne Bridgerton’s society debut to find a husband. Season 2 saw Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a wife, and Season 3 focused on Colin Bridgerton. The show is based on a series of eight books, one for each child, so if it remains popular, we may see even more Regency romances taking place. However, another focus of the show is the mysterious ‘Lady Whistledown,’ a gossip column writer who reveals the town’s secrets. I will not spoil who the secret author is, but I will tell you it was not somebody I would have ever suspected!
As a teenage girl, I am of course always a sucker for romance stories, so this show was perfect for me. Watching each of the different relationships develop throughout the seasons in high society balls and teas, the love triangles each pairing seemed to include, and the shocking revelations made by Lady Whistledown turning the entire plot upside down, it is always an entertaining watch. ‘Shondaland,’ the show’s producer, even came out with a spin-off ‘Queen Charlotte’ last year, displaying the younger version of the slightly terrifying Queen Charlotte’s love story with her, by the time of Bridgerton, ‘mad’ husband King George III. This emotional series was a perfect watch in between the release of the main show’s 2nd and 3rd seasons, and the flash forwards to the time of Bridgerton itself were excellent in building the main plot.
I would say that Bridgerton is the perfect series for young people in the 2020s; whilst it takes place in the Regency era and has some beautiful regency inspired costuming and design, it is still perfect to watch as a teenager thanks to the brilliant actors, many of whom have gained their fame and success on this show, as well as the gorgeous music. In the balls, characters dance not to 17th-century songs but to classical covers of modern classics by artists like Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes and Billie Eilish, so you can always recognize what you hear during the dramatic dance scenes, as well as exploring topics like sexism and LGBTQ+ in the early 1800s.
My ultimate point would be to tell you to just try the show out. It isn’t particularly long: eight episodes each around an hour per season, but the plotlines, both primary and secondary, are riveting, and the show's overall aesthetic is completely gorgeous, portraying the 17th century in a beautiful way.
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