Bridgerton Fandom: The excuses and justification for 'Prickly Spinster of a Beast'

In the second episode of season 2 we hear the voiceover of Lady Whistledown (written by Penelope Featherington), say the words 'prickly spinster of a beast' to describe Kate Sharma - now Viscountess Bridgerton.  This phrasing, specifically the adjective beast, in relation to Kate, is extremely problematic, if not overtly racist.  I have discussed the problematic nature of this line previously in this post.  

Image Credit: Netflix

The meaning behind the word beast in this line has divided the fandom, with some viewing it as problematic and racist, whilst others defend the production and writers for including it, and excuse Penelope as a character for having thought of it, written it, and published it.  Many of those in the fandom that excuse the use of beast as a descriptor for Kate, dismiss the views of those that find it problematic, talk over those that have expressed their distaste at the word, in the case of one Reddit user called those that find it racist 'snowflakes'.  This discourse highlights one of many instances of some within the Bridgerton fandom, excusing and justifying of casual racism within the show and by extension sections of the fandom, or at the very least ignoring the underlying racism. 

As a fandom we should be united against the use of such language in the show, especially when we consider the historical use of the word beast in the context of British Colonial relations with India, but we are not. So, why are some fans excusing and justifying the use of an historical colonial era slur?  To be honest no-one knows why some will bend over backwards in attempting to excuse and justify the racist connotations of that phrase or why others will ignore the broader issue of the underlying racism that is seen both in the show and in parts of the fandom, but we can all find their excuses and justifications on a variety of social media platforms.  

Below are some of the excuses and justifications that I have seen put forward explaining why Penelope calling Kate is not a racist insult, each of which is problematic in itself.

1. It was a common historical insult

This is an interesting excuse to use, because Polin fans themselves say that Bridgerton is not meant to be historically accurate when defending some of the more anachronistic choices in season 3.  It seems that this excuse is only for criticism of Polin's season, but when it comes to Penelope using racist language then historical accuracy is important in the show.  

2. It was in the book

During my research for this post, I saw a claim on Reddit that the line came from the book. To confirm if this was true I did a search on the e-book and this line did not appear, and it seems the worst that Penelope wrote about Kate in the book was to say she looked like a 'singed daffodil' when she wore a yellow dress.  But again, even if it was in the book this is no excuse for the line being translated to the show, because again Penelope's fans like to remind the fandom that the show is different from the books when it is raised how prominent the Featherington family are in other seasons. 

3. It is from Taming of the Shrew

This justification is not so black and white.  The Viscount Who Loved Me is loosely based on Taming of the Shrew, however, this does not excuse the writers for Bridgerton using modern racist language as a descriptor for the main female character. Also it is important to note that despite its name, the play does not directly call Kate a shrew, and never calls her a beast, which I believe invalidates that justification.  However, even if in the play Kate was directly called a beast, it still would not justify using that word to describe a woman of colour today, considering the play is almost half a Millenia old, and the playwright has been dead for 400 years.  After all language evolves, and what was acceptable 10, 20 or 400 years ago is not always acceptable today.  

4. Kate would think it is a compliment

Some users on Reddit have made the claim that Kate would see this as a compliment, and that she would love Penelope as a result of this, but would she? In the show which is very much centred on Penelope and fails time and time again to show care for the character of Kate,  this is probably what will happen, however, those that claimed Kate would find being called a beast - which is racist in its implications - a compliment are the same ones that were extremely offended when Penelope was called an 'insipid wallflower' in the very same season, they saw that as one of the worst things anyone could say about her.  This excuse and justification is something that comes across as a way for Penelope's fans to again minimise the use of this language and to pretend that it doesn't hold the racist connotations that this way to describe a woman of colour is inherently racist.    

5. Penelope only prints the truth

This is one of the more disturbing excuses that some of Penelope's fans have come up with to justify what she writes, though it is sometimes interchanged with 'she only prints what she overhears'.  There are some nuances in these excuses and justifications that are deserving of a separate post, but in the context of the specific descriptor of 'beast' for Kate, either of these excuses are not flattering for Penelope as a character.  By claiming that Penelope only prints the truth they are saying that Penelope's truth is that Kate is no better than an animal - or beast - which in itself shows an inclination for Penelope to view her as being less than, whether based on race or a superiority complex is something that should be explored.  However, if it is a case that Penelope just prints what she overhears then her fans are implying that Penelope is not intelligent enough to- or is not moral enough - to differentiate right from wrong, but also this negates the argument that Penelope is a journalist who only prints the truth.

6. Blame the writers, Penelope isn't like that, it is the writers fault (and variations)

Well yes, it is the writers, but this come back from some pre-supposes that Penelope is a sentient being that exists outside of what the writers write, which simply isn't true.  What we see on screen, what Penelope says and writes, all comes from the mind of the writers, producers and showrunners, Penelope does not exist outside of their imagination and their vision onscreen.  While it is correct that it is the writers that should be blamed for putting those thoughts in Penelope's head, and on her page, in the context of the show it is Penelope that thought of that phrase and wrote it down to be published.  By trying to divorce the words from the character some within the fandom are again finding excuses for Penelope's use of the phrase, and whilst they aren't specifically saying it isn't racist, they are suggesting that the character of Penelope did not write those words, and so even if the words are racist it did not come from Penelope. 

While blaming only some in the fandom for ignoring or excusing the racism is easy, it is not all entirely their fault, as some of them take their cues from production and from Netflix.  Both the production and Netflix have steadfastly ignored the implications of racism from that line, to the point that some fans believe Kate and Anthony were sent to India so that they would not be in the country when Penelope was unveiled as Lady Whistledown at the end of season 3.  Perhaps by ignoring the racism of some of the words the writers have given to Penelope via Lady Whistledown Netflix hopes that the fans will as well - and some are, but others are not. Bridgerton has used the diversity of its cast as a marketing tool, but within the show they ignore racism and create an environment within the fandom that allows some fans to ignore the racism in the show - and in real life. 

Bridgerton Production: The continual disrespect for Kathani, Lady Bridgerton

In 2021 Simone Ashley was cast as Kate Sharma, the main female character opposite Jonathan Bailey's Anthony Bridgerton for season 2 of Bridgerton.  By the end of the season we find out that Kate and Anthony have married (despite not seeing their wedding onscreen), thus making Kate the Viscountess (as called by Anthony in the epilogue scene).  In the very first episode of season 3 Kate is directly called Lady Bridgerton, which makes it baffling as to why in official Netflix articles for both season 3, and now season 4, Netflix has referred to Kate by her unmarried name.  In contrast to this, Penelope was referred to as Penelope Bridgerton in official Netflix media prior to season 3 being relased, and again in official Netflix media for season 4.  This is just the latest in a number of issues with the way that Netflix, the Bridgerton production, and Shondaland, have promoted, written for, or spoken about Kate as a character, and Simone Ashley as an actress.  This subject has become bigger than one post so over this year I will be doing a series of posts looking at different aspects of the disparity in treatment from Netflix, the production and Shondaland between Simone Ashley - and her character of Kate - and the other female leads and their characters. 

Image Credit: Netflix

When the initial cast list was released by Netflix for season 4, Simone Ashley did not appear on it, leading many to believe that she would not be returning, despite having stated that she wanted to return.  This idea that Netflix did not want to have The Viscountess in the show, especially when they failed to complete her story arc in season 3, was mindboggling, but not surprising.  It took Netflix over 4 months before Jess Brownell announced that Simone Ashley was returning at the Valentine's Day event - after Jonathan Bailey  had filmed, which has led to more questions about her appearance in season 4.  Does she have scenes with her onscreen husband? Will we see her baby? Or will we again be left with an incomplete storyline and very little of Kate? Making it seem yet again that Kate is not a member of the Bridgerton family, let alone Lady Bridgerton.  It should also be said that many online noted that Jess Brownell did not look excited, interested, or happy that she had to announce Kate's return to Bridgerton which has left some questioning if she was forced into announcing it, or was she forced into having Kate return?  

Valentine's Day also saw official Netflix articles about season 4 release, and immediately it was noted that the character of Kate was listed as Kate Sharma, not Kate Bridgerton nor as Lady Bridgerton, but rather by the character's unmarried name.  This in itself would not have been a problem if it was not for the fact that the characters of Penelope and Francesca were both listed  with their married names (Bridgerton and Stirling respectively), so why the difference? It is hard to know, but it is not hard to miss that Penelope and Francesca are both white characters, whilst Kate is not, I am not saying that was the reason, but the optics of it are not good for Netflix especially when other evidence is taken into account (that will be discussed in other posts where this one will be referred back to).  Kate was married by the end of season 2, two seasons prior to the one currently being filmed, while Penelope and Francesca both married towards the end of season 3, yet they have the respect of being listed with their married names whilst Kate is still listed with her unmarried name.  To some in the fandom this is dismissed as a minor matter and not a slight, however, what this indicates is that Netflix does not see Kate as a Bridgerton, or even as a main character, and it diminishes her role within the show and the family, while they are saying that the white female characters are more important.  Kate is The Viscountess Bridgerton, but reduced to being an outsider, while Penelope has immediately become a member of the titular family, and that Kate is also a dark skinned woman of colour presents a view of Netflix that contributes to the negative perception about Bridgerton and Netflix that some fans have. 

This could be overlooked as an error if it was a one off, however, this is not.  Netflix, and Shondaland, have shown a pattern of diminishing both Kate as a character and Simone Ashley as an actress (many of which will be addressed through this year), and the author of this article previously wrote an article in 2023 ahead of season 3, initially omitting Simone Ashley as a returning character (though she had been seen on location filming), then adding her but referring to her character by her unmarried name only changing it to Bridgerton after an online backlash and some online publications highlighting this in article.  This was not the only slight against the character of Kate by Netflix or Shondaland , in an article in 2024 on Shondaland's website, a caption for two images names Penelope as 'Penelope Bridgerton' (in an image from episode 2) whilst Kate is named as 'Kate Sharma, sending the message that Shondaland views Penelope as more of a Bridgerton than Kate, who is The Viscountess, whilst Penelope was still a Featherington at that point in the story. I realise that for some the idea of being upset over how a fictional character is discussed may be seen as unimportant, I view it as something that we should be concerned about, as often the entertainment media we consume will reflect the values of those producing the media as well as wider societal values. We, as viewers, will form our view of the organisational culture of companies like Shondaland and Netflix via the media they produce - and that includes the articles they choose to write for their websites, the media releases they choose to send out, and the way they choose to promote their products. 

In these articles Netflix and Shondaland are telling young women of colour - specifically young South Asian women - that they are not equal to their white counterparts and that Netflix (and Shondaland) has no care for them compared to their white counterparts.  For many it is these little details that matter, because if Netflix (or Shondaland) has no care, or interest, in the small details for their South Asian character in Bridgerton, then what care or interest do they have for their South Asian audiences beyond taking their money?  For some of these fans the diversity that Netflix and Shondaland like to talk up and promote in Bridgerton feels very performative as opposed to substantative, and they send the message they don't really care about diversity or their diverse actors.  

Bridgerton: Is the heart of the show being removed?

During the first half of this year I plan on doing a series of posts connected with each season as I complete a rewatch of all three seasons, these posts will cover aspects of the show - both serious and lighthearted - as well as other things connected to the production, including historical context (the first of these posts is available here), promotion, representation and storytelling.  Before I begin with the season 1 specific posts this post will look at the initial messaging provided on what the show would be about, and whether, after three seasons, Shondaland have maintained this vision.  

Image Credit: Netflix

In July 2018 Shondaland announced they were developing a series for Netflix based on the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn.  In an official announcement via Deadline Bridgerton was listed among other planned Shondaland projects for Netflix.  The original blurb about the show read: 

" Based on Julia Quinn's best-selling series of novels, this smart feminist take on Regency England romance unveils the glittering, wealthy, sexual, painful, funny and sometimes lonely lives of the women and men in London's high society marriage mart as told through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family." 

Following the initial announcement that the show was in development the next major news on Bridgerton was in June 2019 when it was announced that Julie Andrews would be voicing Lady Whistledown.  In the announcement of Julie Andrews's casting in Backstage magazine, the outline of the Bridgerton series was given as "...following the twists and turns of high society, the series follows the powerful Bridgerton family over a story lasting eight novels".  This article also stated that they were in the process of casting for the show, suggesting that Julie Andrews was the first actor cast for the series, which was confirmed in an article from Variety on the casting of Julie Andrews.  The Variety article goes on to provide more information about the series as detailed below: 

"The Bridgerton series is set in the world of Regency London high society. From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic palaces of Park Lane and beyond, the series unveils a seductive, sumptuous world replete with intricate rules and dramatic power struggles, where no one is truly ever on steady ground. At the heart of the show is the powerful Bridgerton family. Comprised of eight close-knit siblings, this funny, witty, daring and clever group must navigate the upper ten thousand’s marriage mart in search of romance, adventure and love."

Based on these announcements the original vision for Bridgerton was to have the Bridgerton family at the heart of the series with all the stories coming back to them in some form. So what happened to this vision of a Regency romance with the titular Bridgerton family at its heart? It could be that when Rege Jean Page did not sign on for more seasons the writers were left with a gap in their storylines in season 2 so tried to fill them a bit with unrelated storylines, and of course when Jess Brownell took over and changed the protagonists of season 3 from Benedict and Sophie to Colin and Penelope this vision appears to have completely derailed. 

Image Credit: Netflix

We saw the return of Daphne in season 2, albeit without Simon, allowing for some Bridgerton family scenes, the storylines outside of the main story for Kate and Anthony (and the adjacent storyline with Edwina) there were very little storylines that connected back into the Bridgerton family, with the main Featherington storyline of the fraud and Ruby mine scam wholly unconnected. This contrasted with the main Featherington storyline in season 1 that connected back to the Bridgertons via the Marina and Colin relationship. Moving on to season 3 it appears the writers really aren't interested in developing the Bridgerton family or their relationships. Despite setting much of Colin's story in Bridgerton House there was a noticeable absence of many of the family members, especially The Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton as well as Daphne with her two children, reducing the number of Bridgerton family scenes to the detriment of the season. 

Recently we have learned that Jonathan Bailey has only been on set for a week or two for season 4, with only a scene with the Bridgerton brothers mentioned (though which brothers is unknown as Luke Newton has been filming in Rome). Meanwhile Simone Ashley has not been confirmed as being on set, leading some to speculate that The Viscount and Viscountess may not even appear onscreen together, with others speculating The Viscountess won't be in the season at all. Adding to the lack of information regarding filming for Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley we have had it confirmed that Phoebe Dynevor was not asked back for season 4, despite her being keen to return for some scenes with the family, making it clear that the vision for the show is markedly different to what was promoted in the beginning.

Image Credit: Netflix

 

Bridgerton is no longer a show that centres on the titular family, but rather is clogged with secondary and original characters that serve very little, if any, purpose in the storyline of the Bridgerton siblings, often at the expense of good character development for the Bridgerton family and their spouses, such as with the little character development for both Colin and Penelope during season 3. Further, the focus on melodrama, as opposed to telling a good romance story, has some fans questioning if the writers, showrunner or any of the producers have read and understood the source material. 

With very little Kate and Anthony in season 3 Bridgerton felt as if it had lost its heart, and this will only continue to worsen as Jess Brownell works to remove the Bridgerton siblings one by one once they have had their season. 

Historical Context: What is the Regency Period?

This is a rework of a post from August 2023

One of my first posts was a post about the Regency period, and so I have decided to revisit it ahead of a rewatch of all Bridgerton seasons. I have tweaked aspects of this post, but the post will remain largely the same as my original post. 

This post is not designed to be an in depth history lesson, but rather a short and brief introduction to the Regency Period, and what a Regent is. 

What is the Regency Period? 

The Regency is an historical, and political, period of British history that covers the incapacitation of the Monarch, which required a Regent to act in place of the Monarch. This period began in 1811 with the enactment of the Regency Act, and ended in 1820 with the death of King George III when The Prince Regent then ascended the throne as King George IV. 

This time period coincided with the latter part of the British Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), as well as shifts in political and cultural norms with the French Revolution, and following Napoleonic wars influencing these shifts. Fashion was one such aspect of society influenced by the unrest on Continental Europe, with the fashionable of the day adopting simpler styles, and popularising the Empire silhouette, whilst men had fitted, tailored jackets and trousers. 

Image Source: RosyBVM.com

What is a Regent? 

The term Regent is a legal term, and is defined as a person who is appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor, absent or incapacitated. It is important to note that a Regent acts in place of a Monarch, and is appointed via an Act of Parliament (legislation), this is not what we would refer to someone acting on behalf of a minor who inherited a title within the peerage. I have seen a lot of misinformation in the Bridgerton fandom saying that Colin is acting as the Regent for his son, who is the new Lord Featherington, however this is not the correct usage of this term and misunderstands what a Regent is. Colin is managing the estate, but he is not acting in place of his son as Lord Featherington, and this was not set out for him via an Act of Parliament. 

In 1811 HRH Prince George, The Prince of Wales, was legally appointed as Regent via an act of Parliament due to the incapacitation of King George III. Under this act The Prince of Wales undertook all of the duties of the monarch, and was the monarch in all but name. 

Image: Portrait of King George IV by Sir Thomas Lawrence via NationalTrustCollections.org.uk

The Regency Act:

Prior to 1937 there was no one Regency Act in the United Kingdom, and legislation was passed on an ad hoc basis as required, such as the 'the Care of the King During His Illness Etc Act 1811', commonly referred to as the Regency Act 1811, which brought into being the official Regency period in Britain. 

The act states that "His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick Prince of Wales shall have full Power and Authority, in the Name and on the Behalf of His Majesty, and under the Stile and Title of "Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," to exercise and administer the Royal Power and Authority to the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland belonging, and to use, execute and perform all Authorities, Prerogatives, Acts of Government and Administration of the same, which lawfully belong to the King of the said United Kingdom"

The legislation passed in Parliament, thus suspending the King from his duties as Head of State with The Prince of Wales assuming the Regency, on 5 February 1811. 

The Regency ended with the death of King George III on 29 January 1820 when The Prince of Wales ascended the throne as King George IV. 

Bridgerton Fandom: Shipping of actors leading to bullying, harassment and toxicity

As a romance show Bridgerton requires the viewers to 'ship' the couples, however, occasionally some will take this outside the show and fictional characters, projecting their desire to see the fictional couple's romance play out in real life for the actors. This can go too far, however, with the most extreme of these fans harassing, bullying and stalking the actor or their partners, something that we have seen play out within a subsection of the Bridgerton fandom. 

Image Credit: Netflix

'Shipping' is the act of enjoying, creating, or supporting a particular romantic relationship. The term shipping in this context is derived from the word relationship. Within the world of Bridgerton the viewers and fans need to be invested in, and support the relationships onscreen in order for the success of the show to be sustained, however, as mentioned above, this has gone much further for a small subsection of the more extreme fans of Bridgerton, or at least one couple in Bridgerton. Instead of keeping their focus on the characters, and romance, of Penelope and Colin a small section of fans have projected their desires for Penelope and Colin onto the actors, resulting in some concerning online behaviour.  It is important that we note this is not a consequence of the PR for season 3, but is something that has been prevalent for several years in the fandom, but has been exacerbated by the PR strategy for season 3.

The idea of wanting to see favourite actors date, and have a relationship in real life is not new, it has been around as long as the movies themselves, however, sometimes this goes beyond just thinking that the actors look great together or have amazing chemistry. The behaviour that has been invading a small subsection of the Bridgerton fandom is toxic and dangerous for the actors and for those people closest to them in their lives.  The shipping of Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan is one such example of toxic behaviour by fans that ship the actors in real life with some fans chronically stalking Luke and his girlfriend online, as well as following and stalking his friends and family online and the friends and family of his partner online.  These fans are so deep in their belief that Luke should be with Nicola some have moved their obsession from online spaces into real life spaces as well. 

I first became aware of this behaviour during the filming of season 3 when I learned of a small group of fans who were involved in online harassment and bullying of Luke's girlfriend at the time.  The bullying of her became so bad that the fans were harassing her at her work. Jade, his girlfriend at the time, is a singer and musical theatre actress, and during the winter of 2022/2023 she was in a Christmas musical show in London.  During the promotion for the production each of the cast took turns to do a 'Social Media takeover' where they would take control of the official social media accounts for the show. Jade was one of the cast members to do a Social Media Takeover for the show, but during the time she was in control of the account some Bridgerton fans went onto the account and harassed and bullied her for no reason other than she was Luke Newton's partner. This incident led to her shutting down her social media for a time, and it was at this that Luke Newton left twitter. 

Whilst this incident with Jade was awful for her, it was by no means the first, nor was it the last instance of Bridgerton fans harassing and bullying her.  In fact Jade had been targeted by some extreme Polin fans prior to this incident.  There are reports that a small group of the more extreme fans had a WhatsApp group to make fun of her and mock her medical condition (I won't disclose that as I don't know how open she is about it). In addition to this, there were those that would comment on her social media with trolling comments, and make TikToks to bully and mock her. Despite Luke and Jade having broken up she continues to be mocked and bullied online by a small subsection of Bridgerton fans. In one comment I saw the other day one fan suggested that Jade was overreacting to the bullying and harassment she had received and was doing it to try and 'play victim'. This behaviour is nasty and toxic, and this subsection of the Bridgerton fandom are repeating the toxic and bullying behaviour online. 

Luke Newton has a new partner, and like Jade, she is targeted by those in the fandom who see her as an obstacle to Luke and Nicola being together.  Whilst she has not yet been targeted in her professional capacity as Jade was, she is still bullied and harassed on her own social media accounts.  But it is not just on her own accounts that she is targeted, some fans hold lives on X and TikTok that can last for hours where they discuss Luke's girlfriend and make up conspiracies about her, they also dissect every social media post she makes and blame her for any negative press about Luke or Nicola.  The bullying, harassment and nastiness goes further as some on X use derogatory and misogynistic language when talking about her, such as 'slut' or 'cockroach'.  There are fans that have openly stated they will hate on Luke's new girlfriend because she is with Luke and they believe he should be with Nicola, and then there are the ones that believe Luke and Nicola are in a secret relationship and Luke is cheating on Nicola with his girlfriend. Outside of this online toxic bullying, one fan boasted how she tracked down a hotel that Luke was staying in on holiday and called them up to demand information on whether his girlfriend was with him, another stalked him at another hotel he was at in LA and covertly took photos of him and his girlfriend. 

This behaviour shows a disturbing lack of boundaries by fans, as well as a lack of respect for the actors, all so that this small group of fans can project their own fantasies onto Luke and Nicola.  However, this lack of respect and lack of boundaries also extends to the families, partners and friends of Luke especially, to the point that these fans have harassed and bullied two young women because they ship two actors. There are also reports that members of Luke's family have been doxxed, as well as the family of his girlfriend - people who are not in the entertainment industry, not in the spotlight and who don't seek to be so. 

Over the recent months as information about Nicola's relationship has leaked it has been interesting to note that neither Nicola, nor her partner, have received a fraction of the bullying, harassment and toxicity that Luke and his girlfriend has. The anger and hatred of these people appears to be directed solely at the female partner, not the male partner. It is sad that the actors, and those close to them, have to deal with this from those that claim to be their fans. 

Bridgerton: Where the show's writers failed Kate and Anthony

For a show that prides itself on diversity, Bridgerton has repeatedly failed in providing good writing and storytelling for its more diverse characters, something that I plan to look into in more depth at a later date, however, today I am going to do a short overview post on one such situation.  This post will look at the failures in the storytelling for Kate, and by extension Kate and Anthony as a couple, predominantly looking at the missed opportunities on the part of the writers, both in season 2 and in season 3.  

Image Credit:  Netflix

Kates Past

I believe this is one of the biggest failings in storytelling from the production. 

Whilst we see some very good character development for Kate in her season, mostly due to the incredible acting of Simone Ashley as opposed to good writing for her character, we are still none the wiser about what actually shaped her and made her become the character we see in the beginning of the season, whilst we see what shaped Anthony through the use of flashbacks telling his story.  I realise that some may argue that we learned of Kate's past through dialogue, but whilst we learned a few snippets in this manner we didn't see the impact the big life events had in moulding her character. This is a huge failing in my opinion.  

Season 2 set up Kate and Anthony to be mirrors of each other, with their experiences in life meant to reflect each others.  However, this mirroring was never fleshed out in the storytelling.  We saw one side of the mirror that was Kate and Anthony, almost as if the mirror was blacked out and there was no reflection, leading to the situation where the viewer had to infer the reflection (something which social media discourse tells us many failed at). As indicated above, brief mentions of Kate past were present, and we could see the way that Kate was treated by her half sister, her stepmother, and her stepmother's parents, however, nothing showed us how they got to that point.  We were told about their perceived relationships, but this was rarely done from Kate's perspective, and so it was set up for Kate to be a bit part in her own season whilst they focused on other characters.  

One thing that highlighted the way that Kate's past was treated in her own season, compared to other characters, was the flashback given to Penelope, who would be the protagonist of season 3.  This flashback for Penelope gave us a glimpse in to her recent past and was perhaps something that could have been saved for Penelope's season instead of including it in Kate's season when we didn't find out anything about Kate's past - recent or otherwise.  In fact we know more about Penelope's past BEFORE her season than we ever found out about Kate's past DURING her season.   The line in episode 5 where Kate says "My mother had a name" resonates, of course her mother had a name - but what was it?  We never find out that name, in fact we know nothing about Kate's mother except that she was dead and that Kate had her wedding bangles.  We know Penelope's mothers name, we know Simon's mothers name, so why is Kate the only Bridgerton spouse (so far) where we don't know the name of their mother?  

It isn't just Kate's mother's name, there is a lot about Kate's mother, and Kate's father, that shaped who she was as a character, but the show failed to tell us for the sake of melodrama, and spending more time than was needed on the Featherington family.  By the end of season 2 it feels like we knew more about Penelope's background, history and family life than Kate's and this is unacceptable for a lead of a season.  

What makes this worse for many is that Kate is a dark skinned South Asian woman of colour, she has been used by the production to highlight the diverse casting and position themselves with this point of difference in the world of historical romance, but in the season when she was the female lead the writers gave more prominence to telling the background of the white season 3 lead.  I feel that this is one of the most egregious failures of the Bridgerton production. 

Wedding

The very first post I wrote and posted on Tumblr spoke about why a wedding for Kate and Anthony made sense.  I discussed why a wedding made sense for Kate and Anthony's story, and this is something that I still believe to be the case. A wedding to bring these two characters together towards the end of their season would not have been only about providing fan service, nor would it have been about showing a wedding in a romance, but it could have shown a very important aspect of the relationship between Kate and Anthony going forward, cementing their commitment to each other, as well as to themselves, after spending so much of their lives living for other people. 

Over and above the idea of this commitment, a wedding for Kate and Anthony would be a chance to show, and not only tell us, Anthony's promises from throughout the season.  In episode 2 at Lady Danbury's soiree we see Anthony say to Edwina that 'pretty words are well and good, but they are useless unless backed by action', and then in episode 8 we see Anthony say to Kate that he wants a life that suits them both.  A wedding for Kate and Anthony could link those two statements, giving action to Anthony's words and showing us his intent and promise as opposed to just telling us about them.  Whilst for some fans a wedding may not be seen as important, or something that is needed in the show, I would argue that for Kate and Anthony's story it was important to show that Anthony truly wanted to see them have a life that suited them both through action.  How better to do that than show them beginning their life together with a culturally fused wedding that included Indian elements with a traditional Church of England wedding.  So, a wedding for Kate and Anthony that included Indian elements as well as traditional English elements would, in my view, be putting action to Anthony's 'pretty words' of wanting a life to suit them both.  

Whilst a wedding would be putting the action to words, there is one other reason for why not having a wedding was a failure for Kate and Anthony (and their fans) that wasn't included in my first post.  I see that a wedding for Kate and Anthony would show the viewer them committing to each other with love, which would be a completion to their season 2 arc, showing how each of them opened themselves to love and chose something - and someone - for themselves instead of them both just doing what they believed was right for everyone else.  A wedding would also show us that Kate has let go of her trauma and know that she is loved unconditionally and does not need to be useful to anyone to be loved, and similarly we could see Anthony let go of some of his trauma and see him marrying not out of duty but because he was in love.  

So far in this series Kate and Anthony are the only couple that have gone to the altar completely open with their love and their lives, and this was their story arc - learning to become open with themselves and their love of themselves and each other.  This is why I reject the premise that a wedding for Kate and Anthony had no narrative purpose, I truly believe that a wedding for them would close their season 2 arc, and allow for their post marriage story to begin in season 3.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Baby

This is something that is unforgivable in my opinion, and though there are some in the Bridgerton fandom who don't understand (or care) and are saying 'but we saw Kate pregnant' as a reason that us actually seeing the baby wasn't important shows a lack of media literacy in some, as for Kate and Anthony, I would argue, it was very important for us to see a baby at the end of season 3 - more so than seeing one for Penelope and the Featherington girls.  

The first, and most obvious, reason that not seeing Kate give birth and have a baby in season 3 was a failure is the way it exposes the ineptness of the writer's room in being unable - or unwilling - to complete a story arc they started.  The show runner and the writers had Kate and Anthony's whole season 3 story revolve around Kate getting - then being - pregnant, but then they failed to follow that storyline though, basically there was no pay off for the viewers.  I briefly mentioned this as one of the failures of season 3 in a previous post here.  

Kate and Anthony's story in season 3 ended with them travelling to India, however the story arc that was begun for Kate and Anthony was never completed. This exposed the writers, and show runner as failing in the most basic aspects of storytelling that most primary school children know - that a cohesive story has a start, a middle and an ending.  Whether this failure in the storytelling was as a result of contempt for the characters, laziness or incompetence is hard to know, but whatever the reason the show runner has not only failed the characters, but also the viewers, with this incomplete storyline.  

The missed opportunity for storytelling by failing to show Kate having a baby is immense and could have gone beyond showing an impact for Kate and Anthony as characters.  With the obvious use of a birthing scene being used for Anthony's healing, this scene could have also been used to progress Eloise's growth and work towards preparing her for her own season by providing a contrast between Edmund's birth and Hyacinth's birth.  Most importantly an expanded pregnancy storyline, and a birthing scene could have been used to show us some of Kate's past through the use of flashbacks to Kate's birth (and maybe even Edwina's birth), but the storyline itself could have been a way to provide context to Kate as a character, bringing in her mother and showing us more of Kate's past.  For two seasons there has been discussion around Anthony requiring an heir, with emphasis on this in season 2, and the writers just ignored all of that by showing no imagination and using lazy storytelling.  

Aside from the storytelling aspects, by failing to follow through with Kate and Anthony's storyline in season 3 and not showing us their baby, the show runner and writers have solidified the negative perception that many have of the production, especially in relation to the commitment that Shondaland, Netflix and the Bridgerton production truly have to diversity in the show.  It is becoming clearer to many that the characters of Kate and Anthony are being given less, and treated as lesser, than other couples, and it has not escaped their notice that they are the characters played by an openly gay man and a dark skinned South Asian woman.  When a couple that had no indication of a baby in their story arc in season 3 finishes the season with a baby, but the couple whose entire story arc was about having a baby doesn't get a baby, it shows an inequality and a distinct disparity in the way that the showrunner, the producers and the writers see the characters.  

One pairing appear to be loved by the production, with the production appearing to have bent over backwards to have the viewers love them as well, whilst ensuring they get everything that is expected and anticipated in a romance, whilst the other couple have had their major life moments as a couple relegated to being offscreen.  This is something that rankles many fans, and as noted above it hasn't been missed that the couple that are being treated as lesser are the couple played by an openly gay man and dark skinned South Asian woman, whilst the couple that is loved by the production are played by straight white actors.  

Bridgerton Promotion: The Covid Excuse

UPDATE:  I did not have the source for my first image, I have now updated with the source for that image.  

Bridgerton has begun its season 4 era with a small promotional blitz - not too unlike what they did for season 3, but whilst many are welcoming the promotion that the season 4 leads are getting it has also raised questions again around why the season 2 leads did not gain the same level of promotion.  Within the fandom the most common excuse that is given for why there was very little promotion of the season 2 leads is covid, but does this stand up as an excuse, or is it a lazy way for some to ignore the obvious disparity in the treatment of the season 2 leads?  Personally I do not believe that the covid excuse does stand up, and I do believe that it is an easy (and lazy) way for many to dismiss the very real concerns surrounding the perception of homophobia and colourism from Netflix.  

Image Credit: @penguinempress8 on X 

The main complaint - and biggest issue - with the promotion of season 2 is how the leads were not promoted properly as leads when compared to the leads of season 1 and season 3 - and even season 4. Yes, covid meant that they couldn't have the big world tour that season 3 got, but covid wasn't the reason the leads were not promoted together as a leading couple in a romance, that every interview with the leads included a third party indicates covid was not a consideration. Also, we have to remember that covid didn't stop other cast members from being promoted together, and it didn't stop there constantly being a third person present in the promotion of the leads. 

Image Credit: Ben Weller for British Vogue

Season 1 began filming in 2019, completing production in early 2020, and was released Christmas 2020.  Lockdowns in the UK began in March 2020, so Covid didn't impact the filming of Season 1, but as the lockdowns continued through 2020 including one over Christmas 2020, this situation was the perfect storm for Bridgerton to take off and become a sensation, but it wasn't the perfect timing for a lot of more traditional promotion with much having to be done remotely.  Whilst the timing of the release meant that all the press was done via Zoom, there was a good mix of press with some interviews involving all the cast and some with just the leads, and the leads themselves were promoted as a leading couple in a romance show.  But noticeably among all the media and promotion were a number of BTS interviews with Phoebe Dynevor and Rege Jean Page done during their filming, in these they played trivia games, talked about their characters, talked about scenes and other interactions.  In addition to the interviews and BTS interviews Phoebe and Rege also did a British Vogue photoshoot for the December 2020 issue of Vogue.  It is likely that the photoshoot was done during the ease on restrictions during the summer of 2020, however, whilst some things were opened up it was still in the midst of Covid and some activities were restricted.  This is important to note, as some of the arguments as to why the season 1 leads had a photoshoot but the season 2 leads did not is that season 1 was filmed before covid. The fact it was filmed before covid explains having more BTS interviews, but the covid argument does not take into account that season 1 was released at the height of covid in late 2020 and they still managed to have interviews and a photoshoot with the leads of the season. 

Yes, season 2 was filmed predominantly through the Covid period, there were Covid protocols in place, and to an extent that could explain the lack of couple BTS interviews. Well covid could explain the lack of BTS interviews with the leads if there were no BTS interviews with multiple cast members together. It seems strange that the romantic leads were unable to be together for BTS interviews but Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie could do some BTS content at the beginning of filming.  The BTS interviews are not the only things that show a disparity in how each of the seasons leads have been promoted, the main poster for season 2 was one of the two romantic leads and a supporting cast member, not a lead, but a second woman appearing on the poster (this is another issue that will be dealt with separately). Posters of the season are the main promotional image for the season, and to not have the romantic leads on the main promotional material for the season is a failure for Netflix. Not only did it send the wrong message regarding the season, it also caused a lot of fan backlash, and is now one of many factors that has contributed to the negative perception that many fans have of the production. 

When it comes to season 2 promotion, the suggestion is not that it should have had a world tour like the leads received in season 3, because the reality is that covid would have precluded that happneing, however, covid cannot be an excuse for the lack of promotion for the lead couple, especially when you look at the promotion that season 2 did get. The promotion for season 2 did exclude the leads to a large extent, or at the very least it excluded them being promoted as the leads and more importantly as the leading romantic couple in a romance show. The season 2 leads did have some solo photoshoots, (though I am unsure if they were directly related to Bridgerton or ones organised by their individual teams),   however, one of the first main Bridgerton photoshoots to be done was for the Entertainment Weekly cover for the February 2022 issue and completely excluded the leads. The photoshoot in question was done at a London hotel, and involved Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie and Charithra Chandran, and I was told that by someone who works in the hotel that it was done around November of 2021.  It is believed that Nicola Coughlan was filming Derry Girls at the time and was flown back from Ireland to do the photoshoot, despite the leads being in London at the time.  This photoshoot alone debunks the idea that the leads could not have a photoshoot due to covid, because it has to be asked that if covid was preventing two people  who had been working in a bubble together from having photos, why could a cast member be flown into the city from another location and have a photoshoot with 3 other cast members? If covid was the reason for Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey not being able to have a photoshoot, then how was it possible for Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie and Charithra Chandran to have a photoshoot in the same circumstances? 

Image Credit:  Entertainment Weekly

Another issue for some is that the season 2 leads had no interviews of just the two of them, in fact the only 'couple' interviews for season 2 were for the couple that would later be named as the leads for season 3.  Instead of having interviews with the leads only Bridgerton season 2 included a supporting cast member in every single interview the leads did, yes she was an important part of their story, but she was not a lead and she should not have been included in all interviews with the leads. I understand that there was benefit in including the three of them in some interviews, however, it was painfully obvious in some of those interviews that Charithra was a third wheel, she looked uncomfortable and out of place when Simone and Jonathan were discussing Kate and Anthony's story and growth, and this is on the PR team from Netflix putting her in this situation.  But the question has to be, how did Covid make it okay for three people to be in the interviews and not the leads only, further, how was it that Covid made it acceptable for the leads of season 3 be interviewed together, but not the leads of season 2? 

The idea that Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey have been sidelined for promotion of their season in order to seemingly benefit the season 3 leads is an uncomfortable topic for many in the fandom, and I believe this is why they like to fall back on the covid excuse. For these fans it is easier to believe that covid is the reason for the disparity in the promotion between the season 2 leads and the leads from other seasons as leads because then they don't have to acknowledge that perhaps a straight white pairing benefited from Netflix and Shondaland treating diverse actors badly. 

Bridgerton Season 3: How successful was Bridgerton Season 3?

The extensive, and over the top, promotion of Bridgerton season 3 appears to have resulted in a successful season, however, a source has revealed that the Netflix executives are not happy with the viewing numbers for season 3, and are considering the season a failure, despite the positive spin in the press.  The executives at Netflix were expecting a much bigger return on season three than they got, considering the amount of money and effort put into the promotion and world tour.  Currently season 3 is sitting on 105 million views putting it at number 6 on the all time top 10 English Language shows, which is about 12 million more views than season 2. Whilst the numbers look impressive to most of the fans, when digging into the trends, and looking at viewer behaviour, this is probably not the bump in viewers Netflix executives were expecting or wanting for season 3 when they agreed to an extensive promotional campaign. 

Image Credit: Jason Bell

But let's look at the numbers more closely.  Whilst the initial viewing numbers were very high, there was a much quicker and sharper drop off of viewers from week to week, with part 2 providing a slight bump.  However, the viewing number for part 2 were down on those for part 1, and again dropped off quickly and sharply week to week.  This suggests a high abandonment rate or, more importantly, a failure to attract a lot of new viewers when the new viewers brought in over the two years since season 2 released is taken into consideration.  It is important to note that this is speculation on my behalf, and mostly my opinion as to the reasons for the trends, and the unhappiness of the Netflix executives as I don't have access to all the data and metrics that Netflix uses. 

What I do have is an idea of the numbers of subscribers to Netflix, which for season 2 was approximately 207 million, whilst for the release of season 3 the number of subscribers was around 277 million subscribers (a 25% increase in the two years), whilst for the release of season 1 there were only about 195 million subscribers.  Looking at the views for the first 90 days as a percentage of the subscribers, we can see that season 1 comes out on top by a significant margin with the views being approximately 58% of subscribers.  For season 2, the first season released after lockdown ended we see that the views are approximately 45% of subscribers, whilst for season 3 the views are only about 38% of subscribers.  

These numbers work on the assumption that each view is a unique view from individual viewers, however, an analysis of viewing habits of Netflix subscribers showed that approximately 26% of viewers will rewatch a show on the platform, thus reducing the overall number of unique views.  Applying this to Bridgerton, this would translate to: aproximately 43% of subscribers tuning in for season 1; approximately 34% of subscribers tuning in for season 2; and approximately 28% of subscribers tuning in for season 3. 

But the viewing trends are not the only indication that season 3 did not live up to the expectations of the Netflix executives.  The Social Media engagement also suggests that Colin and Penelope did not capture the imagination of viewers outside the fandom. With the exception of one or two posts the majority of engagement since the beginning of season 3 promotion comes from posts of other characters, not Colin and Penelope.  Currently on the official Bridgerton Twitter account the most liked post is the season 4 announcement for Benedict, whilst on Instagram it is a short promotion of Kate and Anthony.  On Youtube the season 3 part 1 trailer is the best performing video in terms of engagement, with an almost 50% drop off in engagement for the part 2 trailer.  Also, on all platforms (when I looked) the solo promotions of Penelope/Colin and the majority of the couple promotions were often out performed by other characters for season 3, for example Kate and Eloise have more engagement than Penelope and Colin in the 'gossip chain' videos.  This suggests that it is not Penelope and Colin that drives Bridgerton engagement, but also that perhaps they did not capture the interest of the general audience, and new viewers, in the same way Daphne & Simon or Kate & Anthony did.  Another factor to note is that there wasn't the same level of viral moments from season 3 that we saw from season 1 or season 2, nor were there as many memorable lines from the leads as what we saw for the previous two seasons.  In fact one of the most viral moments from season 3 came from Philippa, as did one of the most memorable lines, all adding up to a season that didn't perform to expectations.  

I will say that I am not suggesting season 3 was a complete bomb, it is still one of the most watched Netflix shows after all, but it also isn't as successful as some may believe, nor is it the success the Netflix executives were hoping for or expecting.  The over the top promotion for season 3 did not pay off for Netflix in terms of the main metrics they measure, and from all accounts they are not happy with the performance of the season. It is understood that the Netflix executives are more than aware that it is characters such as Benedict, and Kate & Anthony that drives the engagement, and that it is Simon that the viewers are missing the most from the show. Everything was gambled on Penelope & Colin's season, and they lost, not just in the views, but also in the goodwill of many viewers.  How this will impact future seasons and their promotion is hard to know, but it is likely that future seasons won't get the same level of promotion as Netflix will not want to risk putting so much money, time and effort into promoting a season that will again fail to live up to expectations. 

Sources: 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/  https://wifitalents.com/statistic/netflix-viewership/ https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/most-popular/tv

Bridgerton Season 4: Five Things we need to see in season 4 and Two Things I want to see

With season 4 about to begin filming many in the Bridgerton fandom are turning their attention to what they want to see in season 4.  Whilst there are things we want to see that are connected to our favourite characters, sometimes we overlook what plot points are needed for storytelling purposes. The scenes we need to see may be big or small, they may be to move a story forward, to complete a character arc, or to show a character's growth.  

Below are five things that I believe we need to see in season 4: 

Image Credit: Netflix

Kate and Anthony with baby Edmund, and potentially baby number 2 on its way (or being born)  

This is something that I believe has more importance than some may want to acknowledge.  During season 2 we saw Kate yearn for a child - not in so many words, but it was obvious in her expressions.  More than just Kate yearning for a child of her own to love, Kate needs a way to belong, to feel loved unconditionally, and whilst she is finding that with the Bridgertons to an extent, they are not her blood relatives.  Kate seemingly has no blood relatives left - at least no full blood relatives, and a child of her own will mean that there is a piece of herself - and her parents - continuing into the future.  But baby Edmund isn't something that we need for just Kate's storyline, Anthony has many 'daddy issues' (to use a modern phrase), and Edmund will help him moving past those and perhaps finally being able to give in to his grief over his father's death and move forward knowing that Edmund's legacy is continuing.  A lot of Kate and Anthony's story is about their past, and Edmund will be the final push for them to look more towards the future and less into the past.  Finally, Kate and Anthony's story arc in season 3 was about having the heir, and Kate being pregnant, by not showing us baby Edmund the writer's failed to complete the story arc they began - which I find both unprofessional and sloppy - so in order to truly complete Kate and Anthony's story arc from season 3 we need to see them with baby Edmund, and with a potential timeskip we can see them with baby number 2 on the way (and being born).  

In a postscript (of sorts) it is pertinent to note here that having Kate give birth onscreen was actually something that the writers of season 3 should have included for the continuity and rounding out of Anthony's story, and potentially beginning Eloise's.  In season 2 we saw the trauma of Hyacinth's birth, and whilst that appears to be being kept for Eloise, it also impacted Anthony, so seeing him deal with Kate giving birth could allow him, and Eloise, to deal with the trauma they both experienced from Hyacinth's birth.  

Penelope apologising to Kate for the slur she used in season 2

One thing that has not been addressed, (and most likely will never be addressed), but is very much an issue with some fans, is the slur used by Penelope when talking about Kate in season 2.  Many (myself included) was hoping against hope that a production that claims to be all about diversity would show some courage and awareness, and deal with this issue in the most recent seasons, but they didn't.  Many fans need to see Penelope show that she has grown as a character, something that the writers of season 3 failed at, and one way they can show a new maturity and self awareness in Penelope is by having her be accountable for her blatant racism in the Lady Whistledown column.  Whilst many don't see what Penelope said as terrible, and don't believe she owes Kate any kind of apology, I believe that view just exposes an underlying racism within the fandom, and it appears to be one that is present in the writer's room.  There is very much a perception that they don't believe a white woman should be apologising to a woman of colour for the use of a dehumanising slur. However, these characters are now sisters in law, and this slur still lies between them, anything less than acknowledgement of it and an apology by Penelope will certainly be viewed as the writers brushing racism under the carpet and not treating it seriously - worse it may look like they put more value on a white character over a character that is a woman of colour.  Penelope said in season 3 that she had changed, that she understood the harm she did with her Lady Whistledown column, well let the viewers see that she does truly understand that harm and show Penelope having a heartfelt conversation with Kate about her use of the slur, and let Kate be hurt and reluctant to have Penelope in her home without an apology.  One of the worst aspects of season 3 was the way none of the Bridgertons cared that Penelope was Lady Whistledown and not one stood up for Kate, whom they claimed they all loved, whilst the writers sent Kate and Anthony away before the denouement of Penelope in order to not have to deal with that aspect. The writers ensured all the discussions that about Lady Whistledown and the hurt she caused focused primarily on the white members of the Bridgerton family - Daphne, Eloise and Colin, with not one mention of the racism towards Kate and Penelope's deliberate dehumanisation of her.  

Queen Charlotte's death

If season 4 shows the two year time jump then it will take the show to 1818, which will nicely lead into the death of Queen Charlotte, especially if they keep the show centred in Autumn/Winter as suggested by Jess during season 3 press. Queen Charlotte's story was told in the spin off, which ended inexplicably with the Duke and Duchess of Kent announcing they would be having a girl, potentially 2 years before Queen Victoria was even born!  We have seen Queen Charlotte's arc in Bridgerton play out with the unveiling of Lady Whistledown, and with no Bridgerton girls debuting for many years there is very little space for her in the show.  

The end of Lady Whistledown

I believe one of the mistakes in the writing of season 3 was having Penelope continue with Lady Whistledown, the most toxic part of Penelope's personality. By continuing to write the column she is hanging on to that toxicity, and we can't be sure she won't go back to what her column was before.  Season 3 showed us that, for Penelope, Lady Whistledown is the most important thing in her life - even more important than Colin as she was willing to give up Colin to keep Lady Whistledown, this is the manifestation of a toxicity in Penelope, but also an addiction. In season 2 the viewers were shown that Lady Whistledown isn't needed to drive the plot forward, the narrative did not contribute to Kate and Anthony's story. In order to truly grow and love herself Penelope needs to move on from the toxicity of Lady Whistledown and put her talents into a different focus. 

  

Marina's death  

Eloise's story will most likely be season 5, (assuming Bridgerton gets renewed), which means to set up her story we need to see the death of Marina. I think that could work well in season 4 with Eloise as the B plot, and allow Eloise to begin her correspondence with Philip on learning of Marina's death. 

And now for two things I want to see in season 4: 

Anthony calling Newton 'our dog' when talking to Kate  

I can't claim full credit for this, someone I am acquainted with on Social Media actually said this, and I was very much like 'yes'!  Whilst this is a tiny thing, I think it will also show Anthony's growth, his acceptance of Newton as a part of his and Kate's family, especially after previous seasons where he made a point of calling Newton Kate's dog.  

Image Credit:  Netflix

Kate and Gregory relationship  

Kate and Anthony are the couple that made Gregory believe in love, it was them that showed him what he wanted when finding a partner in life, and I would like to see this shown a bit in season 4.  Also, to see Gregory enamoured with Kate and willing to do anything for her will be a joy to watch.  

Will we get to see any of these in season 4?  Probably not, but that doesn't mean we can't express what we think needs to be present in order to make the show something we will want to come back to again and again.