Bridgerton

When it became known that Shonda Rhimes, the creator of popular shows such as Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder, would make a series for Netflix based on some romance novels, many were excited. I personally haven't read the novels by Julia Quinn about the large Bridgerton family, but I thought I'd give the series a chance - like a record-breaking number of other viewers as well. My verdict is very mixed, but here's why watching Bridgerton is worth it.

As a student of English literature, I have read many romance novels from various eras, and have also watched countries adaptations of classical novels. Topics like family, courtship and marriage, as well as financial hardships of various social classes are present in most of these, and are wonderful to read about if the author is skilled -  as Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell , George Eliot and the Brontë sisters prove, among others. 

It's difficult to reach the level these novels nowadays, in a time when many romance novels are rather considered entertainment than literature. American novelist Julia Quinn is one of the writers who has really become successful in her own genre, selling millions of books and giving up any other career plans she once had when attending Harvard University. Born in 1970, she has written more than 20 novels so far, and has now increased her audience by everyone watching the TV series.

The novels that form the basis of this series are 8 books, one for each of the Bridgerton siblings. The family is blessed with four sons and four daughters, which are named alphabetically in order of their birth - Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth. While the titles of the novels are very different (e.g. The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me etc.), the series is titled Bridgerton after the family name. As there are eight siblings and novels, one can expect there to be eight seasons of the series.

I started watching the series without any high expectations, and found some elements to be really pleasing:

- The costumes and the entire sets are beautiful to look at (they might not be historically accurate in the way that many period dramas as trying to be, but they're certainly stunning).

- The world of the so-called "ton" (the high society) during the London season is wonderful to watch for anyone who loves Regency novels and films (Austenites will recognise settings such as Bath as well).

- The large cast of eight Bridgerton children and their mother, as well as several other families and supporting characters, is generally well-cast and provides various storylines with plenty of diversion.

- The idea of an anonymous writer who publishes all the gossip, Lady Whistledown, creates some tension and excitement, and is a smart idea because it connects all the characters. It is of course reminiscent of the concept of Gossip Girl, as has often been pointed out.

- The colour-conscious casting, which has become the norm in British theatre and also in some film productions (e.g. also in Mary Queen of Scots, where it has been widely discussed), is refreshing to see and sets the series apart from more traditional Regency films and series (this has been heavily criticised by some as "unrealistic", but in my opinion that's totally acceptable in 2020, especially as it's a fictional story).

- The music, which includes some instrumental versions of modern pop songs (e.g. by Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish), adds an interesting element which I found a nice touch fitting this Recency-inspired world with modern touches.

- Some modern elements, seen in the behaviour or wishes of several of the female characters, are actually nice to see, even if not very realistic (e.g. women trying to choose an unusual path in society, defending themselves from unwanted attention...).

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Some other elements, however, were very annoying or disturbing to me, and made me reluctant to actually recommend this series:

- Well, I haven't mentioned the plot yet - for a reason. Without wanting to spoil anything, I thought it was often very strange and unrealistic, and far from smooth writing. Some scenes were hard to watch.

- The dialogue, which I heard is quite witty and funny in the books, is, well...not that. The dialogues only made me laugh sometimes for the wrong reasons. 

- While fan fiction is a justified genre, this really does at times feel like Jane Austen fan fiction, but not on the same level. Being neither British not American, I had the distinct impressions hat I was watching an American version of a fictional British parallel world, which seemed a strange combination.

- The whole sexual part of the series felt really unnatural to me. It certainly is unusual to see any sex scenes in Regency films, but that could have been an interesting difference. As countless films show, it's possible to film sex scenes that are relevant to the plot and are filmed in a way that is not embarrassing to watch. It seems to me that they wanted to show some skin of the beautiful protagonists - but the chemistry is totally lacking...

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All of that being said, it was enjoyable to watch overall, not the least because it is a nice escape from current times. But some things could have been improved, and one can only hope that the next seasons will bring some improvements in these elements. As many other series have shown, this is often the case when a series gets more money after a successful first season, so there is hope.

Let me know what you think, and if you had similar things that bothered you...

(Images: IMDB; Netflix)