Bridgerton’s attempt at a utopia of tradition & modernity

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Bridgerton dusts off the stiff reins of nineteenth-century Britain, entrancing the viewer with a dazzling portal of merged time frames.

 

The show has flamboyantly burst into life through programme creator Chris Van Dusen and producer Shonda Rhimes.

 

It follows the Regency era of London in 1813, focusing on the lives of the Bridgerton family’s eight children.

 

From Pride & Prejudice to Made in Chelsea, the show serves as a period drama that sits regally in-between modernity and tradition. The ladies of Bridgerton present themselves extravagantly in the fancy ballrooms, the seven thousand, five hundred costume pieces made by costume designer Ellen Mirojnick creating a peacock performance of aristocratic elegance and seduction. The dreamy debutantes search for their lustful bachelor counterparts as they flutter their feathers, serenaded with a rendition of Ariana Grande by the Vitamin String Quartet.

 

The exploration of sexuality in Bridgerton is overtly refreshing and sets the show apart from other prudish period dramas.

 

A rather cringy yet somewhat honest conversation between the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton results in her discovering her sexual prowess. Daphne consults her mother about the lack of information she has received regarding sex, an intimate and genuine conversation which is unusual for a period drama. It is a shame that the show tends to prioritise romantic endeavours more than these complex issues. This honesty is swiftly pushed to the side when the Duke of Hastings and Daphne go on to have sex and everything is immediately perfect in the bedroom.

 

Regé-Jean Page, Adjoa Andoh, and Golda Rosheuvel are among the people of colour who make up the diverse cast of the show, further perpetuating its celebration of modernity. Golda Rosheuvel plays Queen Charlotte, who is not a character in the books but is based upon a real figure in history. She was thought to be of mixed racial heritage, showing distinctive African features in her portraits. Although a continuation of the utopian fantastical ideal, this historical reference in Bridgerton has been expanded to include several black actors, emerging alongside Queen Charlotte as grand and vivacious.

 

Bridgerton has enthralled the nation by becoming the most-watched show ever on Netflix, with eighty-two million households tuning in over Christmas.

 

Filming for the second season is set to begin in March 2021. Hopefully the gate to utopia will welcome us with an open-minded, experimental hand, adorned with an elegant silk glove.

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