Heir Presumptive vs Heir Apparent and how it applies to the Bridgertons

This was originally a much longer post, however, I have made the decision to split the original post and make it two posts, turning this one into a much shorter post. I will post the second part of this prior to the release of season 4.   

Note: For the Purpose of this post I am making the assumption that the show has kept Edmund as the name for Kate and Anthony's son.  

About a month ago I saw a comment on Reddit referring to Benedict as Anthony's Heir Apparent, but this isn't quite right, and I realised there are some in the Bridgerton fandom that don't understand what these terms mean.  Benedict was Anthony's Heir Presumptive, not his Heir Apparent, so ahead of season 4 let's look at the difference between an Heir Presumptive (Benedict) versus an Heir Apparent (Edmund) using Benedict and Edmund as examples.  

Image Credit: Netflix

An Heir Presumptive is someone who is an heir, but can be displaced with the birth of a closer eligible (usually male) relative. In the world of Bridgerton when Anthony became the Viscount, on the death of Edmund, Benedict's role in the family changed as well as he became the heir presumptive to the Viscountcy. As Benedict would be displaced when Anthony married and had a son, he would only be known as an Heir Presumptive, even if he eventually inherited and became the Viscount. If Anthony never married, Benedict would remain the Heir, but he would always be the Heir Presumptive as there would always be the possibility of Anthony marrying and having a son.  

Image Credit: Netflix

This leads us to the term Heir Apparent that was mistakenly applied to Benedict. An Heir Apparent is someone who is an heir with an absolute claim, meaning there is no way that a closer eligible relative could be born and displace the Heir.  In the Bridgerton world Anthony was the Heir Apparent to Edmund as his eldest son, and likewise Edmund (Anthony's son) is now the Heir Apparent to Anthony, because even with the birth of more sons to Anthony and Kate Edmund can not be displaced as the Heir.  

As in my note at the top of the page this was originally going to lead into a longer post, that was going to look at how Benedict's journey could be seen through this idea of the Heir Presumptive vs the Heir Apparent and what the birth of Edmund could mean for him, but I have separated that original post into two.  

Bridgerton Season 4: Episode 1 'The Waltz'

Spoiler warning:  Please note that this review will contain spoilers from the first episode of Bridgerton Season 4 which releases on 29 January 2026.  

The Waltz

Written by:  Jess Brownell

Fans were given a preview of the first episode of season 4 during the first premiere held in Paris almost 2 weeks ago.  Again the feel of the show is very different under Jess Brownell as showrunner compared to the first two seasons, and even more so for this episode as it is the first episode not to begin with the presentation of a Bridgerton.  

The episode begins in a Downton Abbeyesque way by following the servants as they prepare for the return of Francesca & John, and Eloise, from Scotland.  However, the beginning also gave us a quick check in with the main Bridgertons we will be seeing this season, as well as a quick update to let us know that Kate gave birth to a boy, (whom I will refer to as Edmund as we have not officially been told his name), whilst setting up the story for Benedict.  

We learn that Benedict has been partying a little too hard, and has seemed aimless - particularly over the month prior to the beginning of this season, as with previous male leads we see him in casual liaisons near the beginning, it will be interesting if that continues after he meets Sophie.  There is one point where Benedict appears to resent being the 'second son', whether this is connected to the birth of Baby Edmund as Anthony's heir, and thus displacing Benedict as the heir, it is hard to know, but is definitely a possibility.  As with Anthony in season 2, and Daphne in season 1, Violet's focus for this season is on ensuring Benedict and, (as we later learn), Eloise get married.  Whilst the beginning of the season is about setting up Benedict for the season, unlike in season 2 with Kate, we don't get an early introduction to Sophie as the main female protagonist.  For those that are unaware of Sophie being the main love interest, and her story, I think the way she was introduced will be a surprising reveal, as long as the set up is expanded upon for her storyline and Jess Brownell doesn't fall into the trap of seaosn 2 in failing to provide a well executed story arc for her.  

For this season the main set piece is the Masquerade Ball, which takes up most of this first episode.  This is Violet's ball, and we learn that Violet has taken over the hosting of the first ball of the season from Lady Danbury, something that I find problematic for a couple of reasons, not least of which is that the ball is hosted in Bridgerton House, which is Kate and Anthony's house, which lends to the perception that this production does not view Kate as the Viscountess Bridgerton and rightful Lady of the House for Bridgerton House. This is reinforced by having the writers refer to Kate and Anthony as 'Anthony and his bride' during the ball when talking with Araminta, this is immediately followed up with her saying 'Penelope and Colin'. 

Image Credit: Netflix

The ball acts as a way for many characters to provide information of future intent, or set up potential future storylines, mostly circling Queen Charlotte, Lady Danbury and Penelope, in addition to setting uup the love story. Lady Danbury informs the Queen of her intent to leave and visit her ancestral lands, thus setting up the possibility of Lady Danbury being written out this season, and perhaps have her place at the side of the Queen to be taken over by Penelope, who has provided the Queen with information on members of the Ton. 

Image Credit: Netflix

The main part of the ball is the meeting of Sophie and Benedict. Sophie is not introduced properly, we see her putting on her mask prior to the ball at the end of a monatage showing the main characters getting ready for the ball, and then we see her briefly arriving in a carriage and being addressed as My Lady. At this point, like Benedict, the viewers don't know who she is, but unlike Benedict the viewers are aware she does not belong, and that she sneaked into the ball. After the ball, as Sophie arrives home we learn that she is a maid to Araminta and her household. However, very little is known about her. I found this way of introducing her as interesting, and for someone who was unaware of the story, it would have been a surprising reveal. 

Image Credit: Netflix

The season is starting well with this episode, it showed a good dynamic and good chemistry between the leading pair, and the potential for interesting storylines, if the writers wish to make it so. The only black mark for this episode was the erasure of Kate as Viscountess, that the writer (who is also the showrunner) was unable to have any character say her name was, in my opinion, very telling about how much this showrunner cares for the Bridgerton family. The worst line relates to this, where Mrs Wilson says she was glad The Viscountess gave birth in India, which says a lot without saying much about how this production appears to view the Viscountess. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Highs: 

• The main couple, they were funny, sexy and had a great dynamic. 
• Our first look at the Li Family / Penwoods. The short amount we saw them onscreen was magical, they bring a different vibe to the show, and I am certainly looking forward to seeing them going forward 
• Seeing the glimpse into the servant's world. Controversial, but I think that the Bridgerton servants presented a better option for side stories than characters who don't connect into the Bridgerton family, or main story, or those that are forced into the stories in an unnatural way

Lows: 

• The lack of Kate and Anthony in the first episode was noticeable
• Not having any Bridgerton family moments, it is feeling less and less like they are a family, and more like they are characters existing in a workplace - perhaps this is what Shonda means when she calls Bridgerton a workplace drama? This is no longer about a family, but rather she sees the Bridgertons as nothing more than colleagues co-existing. 
• The erasure of Kate as a character by Jess Brownell 

On the Fence: 

• The Mondriches. I am still unclear what storytelling importance these characters have, and I do feel that Jess Brownell is not using them in the best way possible. She was so keen to make them part of the ton that she missed on how they could be incorporated into the show in the best possible way. I will see how their story progresses in the rest of the season. 

Bridgerton Season 4: Is Early Promotion Missing the Mark?

Early promotion for season 4 began just before Christmas with a 12 days of Bridgerton promotion that promised exclusive videos, never before seen photos and even giveaways.  The takeaway from many fans was that there would be something new from season 4 each day, however, what they got was definitely less than the expectation.  This promotion started promisingly with an in-character promotion video of Benedict and Sophie, the new stills on day 2 were soured a little with a still of Penelope forced in ahead of the still of Sophie. By day 3 expectation was high for new stills or character promo to introduce the new characters, however, the merchandising collaboration fell short of expectations, and hopes, of the fans.  With more stills and a short video of Jess talking about S4 with vague references to the main story was again a little disappointing for the fans.  

Video Credit: Netflix

Day 7 delivered the expected in-character promotion video of Penelope and Colin Shondaland and Netflix reinforced negative perceptions on their commitment to diversity and representation when that was followed by an announcement of the name of Penelope and Colin's baby, and a behind the scenes picture of Nicola Coughlan with the baby. This had some questioning why a white baby gets an announcement when the mixed babies have not, and this is not helped by the fact that we still have yet to see Kate and Anthony's baby on screen - or any evidence that we will see him onscreen.  Most fans believe that we could have waited until the release of the season to find out the name of the baby, just as we did with Daphne and Simon's baby in season 2, but for whatever reason Shondaland and Netflix decided a self important 'baby announcement' was required, reinforcing the view that for them only the white characters matter.  

The Netflix tie in promotional spots with the NFL during the 12 days of Bridgerton promotion also was a bit of a miss for the Bridgerton team, this was cringe to a lot of people, and made very little sense as a cross promotion considering Bridgerton is a show set in Regency England, not modern day United States.    

Image Credit: Netflix

As mentioned above there were stills released during this 12 Days promotion, including long awaited solo stills of the leads, but the aforementioned positioning of a still of Penelope in the middle of stills of the leads, and ahead of the leading lady, was not received as well as they may have expected outside of the Polin fandom.  This positioning showed that they either lacked awareness in their efforts to promote Penelope, or were uncaring of the optics of positioning a white woman whose season is over ahead of a woman of colour who is the season's leading lady.  This looks bad for a show that is claiming to be diverse and representative, as the message they were sending was that the white season 3 lead was of higher importance than the Korean lead for the season they are promoting.  

Image Credit: Netflix

However, there were some positives with the announcement of the season 4 world premiere in Paris, and the trailer being released.  

But the issues with the early season 4 marketing do not stop there.  On New Year's Day they released a 'family' promotion showing the Bridgerton family cast members giving their character's New Year Resolutions.  The issues that many saw with this promotion was about who wasn't included, as opposed to who was.  

First it was noted that neither Wil Tilston nor Jonathan Bailey were there to round out the Bridgerton siblings, suggesting that they don't value those they have given smaller storylines too.  But additionall it was noted that Nicola Coughlan was included in the promotion, and while Penelope is a Bridgerton, her inclusion led to questions why she was the only 'spouse' to be included.  Hannah Dodd was in the promotion, but Victor Alli, who plays her husband John, was not.  As mentioned there was no Jonathan Bailey, which means Simone Ashley was also missing.  If this promotion was meant to be 'family only' then why include Nicola and not Wil at the very least, but preferably Wil and Jonathan?  But if this promotion was meant to include spouses then why wasn't Victor at the very least included, or (again preferably) Victor and Simone?  If the promotion was not meant to be the siblings and spouses, or the siblings only, then why not include Yerin who is the season's leading lady?  Essentially this promotion on New Year's Day was a 'terribly white' promotion (to steal a phrase from Adjoa Andoh), and has done nothing to alter the negative perceptions held about Shondaland and Netflix.  

It should also be noted that there still has yet to be a 'passing of the baton' from the Season 3 couple, and most likely will not be, something that was one of the first promotional clips done for season 3.  This again raises questions as to why did the gay man and dark skinned South Asian woman have to 'pass the baton' while the straight white couple do not have to?  Of course promotion is just beginning, maybe this is still coming, but considering they have begun the character introductions this week I highly doubt it.  

Bridgerton Season 4: 12 Days of Bridgerton (Day 8)

NB: due to family commitments this is a day late, my apologies for that.  

On the Eighth day of Bridgerton Netflix gave to me....  some random football ad and three stills.  

So today's offering is partially better than yesterday's.  Initially Shondaland and Bridgerton posted a random American Football ad with Benedict, which made no sense in the context of Bridgerton, but it did seem to hit at something coming on Christmas Day, perhaps a trailer, though we still haven't seen any passing the Torch Videos (which is a different matter altogether).  An hour after that posting they posted three stills, one of Sophie, one of Posy with Sophie, and one of Benedict.  So let's look at them each separately. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Sophie: 

This still shows Sophie standing in front of a mirror, she appears contemplative as she looks at her necklace.  Attention is brought to her necklace through her hand placement.  This suggests that the necklace contains some importance to Sophie, possibly a gift from her mother? 

Sophie is dressed in the same costume that she wears for the promotional shorts, which is believed to be the maid's costume for the Cavendar (or Cavendar stand in).  We get a better look at the colours here and see rather than burgundy the colour is more purple, with what appear to be dark green, or grey, stripes. 

This still has been reported as being from episode 3, so potentially at My Cottage, or just before she ends up at My Cottage.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Posy and Sophie: 

This still shows Posy and Sophie in what could be a bedroom in Penwood House.  We see Sophie side on from behind, and Posy from the front.  Posy is looking excited while Sophie looks alarmed.  They are in the sitting part of the room, with a cabinet of shoes behind Posy. 

Sophie is in her maids uniform, which I have discussed previously, Posy is in a pink dress with what appear to be blue dandelions.  This is significant for two reasons, the first is the meaning behind dandelions.  A dandelion is often dismissed as a weed, but symbolises hope, strength and transformation, perhaps symbolising these qualities in Posy. The second thing of significance is that the dandelions are blue, and not any blue, but rather a shade of Bridgerton Blue.  In the books Posy ends up living with Violet, so could the blue in her dress reflect that happening in the show as well? 

This still is being reported as being from episode 2, which leads me to speculate that perhaps one or more of the Bridgertons are calling on Penwood House, leading to Posy's excitement and Sophie's alarm, and being the reason for the blue in Posy's dress.  

Image Credit: Netflix

Benedict: 

This still doesn't show us Benedict very well so there won't be discussion of him, but rather the overall aspect of the still. 

This is an overhead shot of Benedict, possibly in either the library or study.  Benedict is standing by a desk that is covered in drawings of the Lady in Silver.  What this shows is that Sophie, as the Lady in Silver, is the one that drew Benedict back to drawing, and back into art.  In the books the Bridgertons didn't know that Benedict was an artist, something that is not the same in the show, however, in the show we saw Benedict give up his art in season 2, so this aspect of the story could be that the family don't know that Benedict has begun drawing (and painting) again.  

This still is reported as being from episode 2, which aligns with Benedict going back to art in the days after meeting the lady in silver.  

Bridgerton Season 4: 12 Days of Bridgerton (Day 7)

On the seventh day of Bridgerton, Netflix gave to us a Polin promo and baby announcment. 

Yesterday's contribution was a short video of Jess Brownell talking about S4, if you wish to see it you can view it on Shondaland and Bridgerton's socials. Today we got a promo short for Penelope and Colin as well as an announcement for their baby, who will be named Elliot Bridgerton, Lord Featherington. 

Video credit: Netflix

Polin Promo Short: 

As with the promo shorts we have seen for Benedict, Sophie and Benophie, these take place in front of an Autumnal floral arrangement. There is nothing stand out about Colin's costume in this, it is a standard dark suit and white shirt. Penelope is in a Green and Gold dress with blue flowers, her hair is partially up, which is much better than her having it fully down for a lot of season 3, which is a style that was mostly worn by sex workers and children, which Penelope was neither. It is also interesting to note that Penelope's make-up is toned down from last season, which looks a lot better on her. Overall I like this new look on Penelope and actually think that it is a better 'glow up' for her than her season 3 'glow up'. 

This is a short promo to show Penelope and Colin in their honeymoon phase of wedded bliss, and like all the shorts we have received so far there is no LW voiceover, just music. One thing to note is that this background actually looks better for both Colin and Penelope than the background in their season, it certainly complements their look a lot better and as the colours are warmer it doesn't make the promo look as harsh. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Baby Announcement: 

Shortly after the promo short was posted Bridgerton then posted an official baby announcement for Polin's baby. Before I look at the baby announcement itself, I will say that my first thought was Why? Bridgerton have never made a big deal about the babies previously, we saw Auggie Basset briefly in season 1 at his birth, and then again in season 2 where we also saw a brief moment with one of Marina's twins. We haven't seen Edmund, Kate and Anthony's baby, at all, and definitely no announcement. The optics on this are - at present - not great for Bridgerton or Netflix. There are 5 days left of the 12 days of Bridgerton, so it will be interesting to see if we see anything announced for Edmund, or not, in this period. 

On to the announcement itself, it begins with some platitude about the Bridgerton family continuing to grow, which is an odd thing to say when the show has been actively writing out Bridgerton family members. In the second paragraph etiquette goes awry for the Bridgerton writers, it refers to Mr Colin Bridgerton and Mrs Penelope Bridgerton, which is not how they would have been referred to in any formal announcement. The correct way to refer to them would be Mr and Mrs Colin Bridgerton. A small thing, but it could indicate contempt for the time and place they are setting the show. 

Finally, the announcement creates confusion around the child's status. The end of paragraph 2 refers to Elliot as the heir to the Featherington title, however, in the final paragraph he is called Lord Elliot Featherington. Now, the Featherington title is a Barony, so therefore children and heirs have no right to be called Lord, so if the child is the heir then the correct address would be Master Elliot Bridgerton. If the child is the title holder, then he is not Lord Elliot Featherington, but rather Elliot Bridgerton, Lord Featherington. 

This announcement comes across as lazily written showing contempt for the time and place that the show is set in - Regency England, something that was seeping into the writing and show in season 3 with mistakes in titles, and attempts at trying to be cleverer than the writers are. 

Bridgerton Season 4: 12 Days of Bridgerton (Day 5)

On the fifth day of Bridgerton, Netflix gave to me.... 

3 Season 4 stills. 

After 2 days of no new season 4 content, we are back today with some new stills, this time featuring Araminta, Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Araminta: 

Araminta is positioned in the foyer of a house, possibly Penwood House. She is dressed in dark clothing. She has a blue dress on with a black and blue patterned pelisse by the looks, or it is possibly a black and blue gown with a blue insert. The collar is reminiscent of a Qipa, and ther is a floral pattern in blue on the black. It is hard to see exactly what the flower represented is, however, it could be a Peony which once symbolised wealth and nobility in China. 

Araminta is holding a Red Pouch, or Reticule, in her hands. This is very significant as red pouches, which symbolise good fortune, joy and warding off evil spirits, are very important in Chinese culture. These pouches often hold money, but also are used as good luck charms, or can carry symbolic items other than cash. But these red pouches are also significant in Korean culture, and along with providing good luck and warding off evil spirits, red pouches are aslo used at other significant events such as a baby's first birthday. This pouch could have meaning to both Araminta and Sophie, so the question has to be: is the pouch Araminta's, or is it Sophie's that Araminta stole? 

Araminta is standing in the foyer of a house, most likely Penwood House. We can see that the house appears to be decorated in Turquoise and gold. Immediately behind Araminta is a table, that looks like could have been Chinese inspired in design. It is hard to take in too many details as the focus is on Araminta and the setting behind her is blurred, but I do think this is the Penwood House foyer. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Lady Danbury: 

In this still we see Lady Danbury in her drawing room with a drink. Lady Danbury is very casual with her hair down. Lady Danbury appears to be dressed in an overdress, or robe, of purple, and is possibly sheer. Underneath she has a blue night dress or gown on. The simplicity of her outfit, lack of much jewellery, and the informality of her hair down, suggests this could be in the evening, however, the light suggests daytime. Lady Danbury is looking at something - or someone, and whatever it is has not pleased her at all. Is this connected to Marcus and Violet? 

Image Credit: Netflix

Queen Charlotte: 

The still of Queen Charlotte is an overhead shot from above her head. In it Queen charlotte is laying back on a large Red pillow that looks to be on a rug on the floor. Queen Charlotte herself is wearing Purple dress, with a geometric pattern, adn her wig is styled into a heart shape. Next to her on the pillow is a copy of the Lady Whistledown paper. 

According to a fan account online, the still of Araminta is from episode 3, while the stills of Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury are from episode 2. 

Bridgerton Season 4: 12 Days of Bridgerton (Day 2)

On the second day of Bridgerton, Netflix gave to me....  

3 Season 4 stills. 

Bridgerton released 3 stills for their second day of the 12 days of Bridgerton. The stills included one of Benedict, one of Sophie and one of Penelope, however, as it is day 2 of the 12 days of Bridgerton, and I believe they should have only released two stills, I am only going to discuss 2 of the stills released. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Benedict:

In the first still we see Benedict leaning against a fence or gate, possibly at night, appearing to be looking up, potentially at a house/window - but whose? Benedict is dressed in a deep blue jacket with a patterned gold and black waistcoat and a white shirt. On the bottom of Benedict's waistcoat there appears to It appears that Benedict may have a new fob chain for his watch, and it looks like the design on the fob includes a heart shaped design and flowers that may be hibiscus flowers, which are the national flower of Korea. The peek we get of Benedict's waistcoat appears to have flowers and plant motifs embroidered, and the flowers look like they could be Tulips in a call back to his waistcoat from the Pall Mall game, however, I am not really sure what type of flowers they are, but maybe a question for the costume designer. Another theory I had, which is also a bit out there, is that they could be representing something like a Wattle or Waratah as a subtle hidden nod to Yerin being Australian. If you don't know, the Wattle is the national flower of Australia, and the Waratah is the state flower of New South Wales. 

Image Credit: Netflix

Sophie:

This image of Sophie shows her laying on a bed in a bare room, in the picture she is holding one long white evening glove, most likely the glove that she was wearing at the Masquerade Ball. Sophie is in a maids uniform, and appears to be the one from her stepmother's household. What we see up close is that this uniform is not plain black as it appeared initially in the sneak peek we got on Valentine's Day, but rather it appears to be alternating dark reddish brown and a lighter brown colour with black pinstripes. This is similar to her promotional costume in that the colour is deceptive, initially appearing as one block colour but on closer inspection is actually patterned with multiple colours. 

In this image it is most likely after the ball as Sophie only has one glove and is looking at the glove as if she is remembering, and trying to prolong the feelings she had. 

Another interesting thing to note in this image is the pattern on Sophie's bedding. The pattern is not usual for Regency England, and potentially are inspired by, or representative of, Korean patterns. This could indicate that the bedding, or at least the blanket, is something that belonged to her mother as opposed to being something provided by Araminta. 

Bridgerton Season 4: 12 Days of Bridgerton (Day 1)

On the first day of Bridgerton, Netflix gave to me....  

Benophie being cute. 

Video Credit:  Netflix

This short is Benedict and Sophie in the same costumes, and setting, as for their individual promotional shorts that I previously wrote about here and here.  

What is notable with this promotional short, seeing them side by side, is the complimentary colours with their costumes. In the initial video of Sophie, I thought her costume could be more burgundy, but when seen alongside Benedict's it looks more rust coloured, which compliments his trousers nicely.  What also is noticeable is how Benedict's green coat and waistcoat picks out the green in Sophie's maid costume.  

The idea of the leads wearing complimentary colours in the promotional shorts was first seen with Kate and Anthony in season 2, where they were very deliberately matched for the promotional shorts.  For season 3 there was a hint of complimentary colours between Colin's waistcoat and Penelope's dress, but they weren't matching to the same degree as Kate and Anthony before them.  Benedict and Sophie fall in between to a degree, while Sophie's dress does appear to match the colour of Benedict's trousers, we see a more subtle match up in the waistcoat and coat with Sophie's dress, giving a strong complimentary colour palette with hints of matching.  

As with the previous shorts, this video has no narration and is set to music, mirroring season 3 where the first character promotional shorts were set to music and not a Lady Whistledown VoiceOver.  What we do see with this short promotional video is Benedict and Sophie sneaking peeks at each other then quickly looking away with a small smile, which is very cute of them.  

Stand by for Day 2

Bridgerton Fandom: What is in a Name? Kate Sharma vs Kate Bridgerton and why it matters how she is addressed

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet", so says Juliet in William Shakespeare's play Romeo & Juliet, but Shakespeare was mistaken because there is a lot in a name.  A name is more than a label, it is a reflection of identity, culture, personal agency and social status. Using a correct name is considered a basic expression of respect, in our real lives most will not show their friends, family or acquaintances disrespect by using a different name when discussing or talking to them, so why is it okay for a fictional character?  Kathani (Kate) Bridgerton is The Viscountess Bridgerton, but some in the fandom still insist on calling her Kate Sharma, with one content creator recently claiming it is to put respect on her heritage, but does reverting Kate's name to her maiden name show respect for her heritage? Or does using Sharma, instead of her married name and title, actually echo ideas of erasure and Orientalism?   

Image Credit: Netflix

A few weeks ago a mid-tier content creator on Instagram made a post about season 2 that prompted a number of responses, both positive and negative, but one response in particular caught my attention. I was sent a screenshot of an exchange where a commenter raised the issue of how Shondaland and Netflix continually refer to The Viscountess Bridgerton as Kate Sharma, whilst referring to the white characters of Penelope and Francesca by their married names. The content creator replied to the comment, ending with"...I still call her Kate Sharma and she is my favourite character, full stop. You know why? Because I like to put some respect on her heritage and not erase that she's a Sharma first". The idea that referring to The Viscountess Bridgerton as Kate Sharma, is something I have seen expressed on other platforms as well, and while it may seem to be a noble and respectful thing to do, it is very problematic. Calling Kate by her maiden name and disregarding not only her married name but also her title, mirrors a common trope where characters of colour are kept in the 'before' identity and unable to grow and evolve as characters. Essentially those that continue to refer to Kate as a Sharma when discussing her post marriage are freezing her identity as a Sharma, and could be seen to be reinforcing her as an outsider, implying she doesn't belong as a Bridgerton. 

Image Credit: Screenshot from Instagram

Further, by failing to recognise Kate as The Viscountess Bridgerton, or as a Bridgerton at all, it can act as a way of ensuring Kate remains 'in her place' as it reinforces racial hierarchies and challenges Kate's legitimacy in the white majority world of Bridgerton's aristocracy, and even the Bridgerton family.  More than this, using her anglicised name of Kate, while claiming to 'put some respect on her heritage' feeds into the colonialist practice of anglicising ethnic names. It presents a Western worldview of anglicised/europeanised first names, while defining her heritage via her surname. In this situation it is a Western content creator deciding how Kate's heritage should be respected while denying Kate's character arc in season 2 that culminated in her marriage to Anthony and her gaining the title of Viscountess. If this content creator, (and others in the fandom), wished to 'put respect on Kate's heritage' then surely it would be more respectful to use her first name of Kathani rather than an anglicised first name while reverting her surname to a time before she married? Kate becoming The Viscountess Bridgerton wasn't just a plot point, it was the whole of her story arc in season 2, it not only represents her growth as a character, but also agency, love and security for the character and it represents so much more to many South Asian women who watch the show, a representation that goes far beyond just seeing a brown woman onscreen, and failing to refer to the character of Kate as a Bridgerton denies this character growth.  

Image Credit: Netflix

The concept of Orientalism within cultural studies is where Western storytelling keeps characters from non-Western cultures in an unchanging version of who they are, and not allowing for character arcs or growth.  Using Kate Sharma, instead of Viscountess Bridgerton/Lady Bridgerton/Kate (or Kathani) Bridgerton, falls into this idea of Orientalism, and perpetuates the Western views of non-Western characters. The reverting of Kate's surname while failing to use her ethnic first name can also be seen as a subtle way to imply that Kate is not part of the Bridgerton family, and that her new life as The Viscountess Bridgerton cannot co-exist with her culture and heritage. This is compounded by the content creator failing to take on board what women of colour tell her about how the denial of Kate's position in the show makes them feel, or how it can be viewed as a microaggression or racism. The fact that the content creator - who is a white woman - fails to listen to women of colour, can be seen as echoing the long history of the lived experiences of people of colour being ignored as white people continue to define how they must interact in society, and how they must feel, essentially she is defining what they should be thinking and feeling, which is a classic Orientalism approach.  

Image Credit: Netflix

I am certain that some may read this and think that I am overreacting, or that it doesn't matter because it is 'just a show', with comments like 'it's not that deep' or 'it's not that serious', however, the way some people respond to fictional characters can reveal their real world attitudes and biases, whether consciously or unconsciously. Brushing off the concerns of women of colour, specifically South Asian women in this instance, can not only reinforce the racial hierarchy where a white woman believes her views are more valid than those of others, reflecting an entitlement around defining what counts as racism or a microaggression, it reinforces a subtle form of gatekeeping determining who gets to define a characters identity. In the specific situation I have discussed, the content creator is dismissing people of colour, relegating them to not being as important as she is, which perpetuates the idea that white people get to make the decisions on how non-white characters are viewed and identified, views that could reflect her real world views where she thinks she has the right to decide how those she interacts with are identified. Dismissing women of colour on matters of their lived experience is arrogant and entitled as it reinforces the views of colonialism and white superiority that should be a relic of the past, but are seemingly just another facet of the Bridgerton fandom, only this time with a content creator that counts people like Julia Quinn among her followers. 

Bridgerton Promotion: Sophie Character Promotion 1

This last week Bridgerton released the first Sophie Character promo for season 4.  Like the Benedict promo a couple of weeks ago this had no voiceover and was set to music.

Image Credit: Netflix

Costume: 

We see Sophie for the first time in a maid's costume, and based on the sneak peek we got at the Valentine's Day event this looks to be the Maid's uniform she has on when she first goes to My Cottage with Benedict, and subsequently when Benedict takes her back to Bridgerton House.  At first glance the uniform looks to be a solid dark colour, but in the light we can see it is a tartan pattern with what seems to be a deep Burgundy colour with either dark green or black stripes through it.  As this looks to be the same costume as we briefly saw Sophie in at My Cottage, it follows that this is the Maid's uniform of Cavendar (or the Cavendar stand in).  It should be noted that Benedict's cravat in his character promo was black with burgundy accents through the cravat, complimenting Sophie's Uniform, also, it should be noted if the stripes in the tartan on Sophie's uniform are in fact green (and not black) then that perfectly compliments Benedict's Coat.  The idea of complimenting, or matching, the leads costumes in the promos was done previously in season 2 with Kate and Anthony where Anthony's cravat and waistocoat complimented the Colour of Kate's dress and Pelisse, and it is something that has been brought back for this season.  

I do want to discuss briefly Sophie's necklace.  I have seen some commentary online from within the fandom that Benedict should have recognised Sophie's necklace as it is the same one she wore at the Masquerade.  Until we see the season when it releases we won't know for sure what the context of Benedict not recognising her is, however, it is important to note that just because we see the necklace clearly in the promotion doesn't necessarily mean that it will be prominent in the scene when she is in this costume - or even if she will be wearing it in the show.  What is worn in the promo is not necessarily the exact way the costume will be presented in the show, we saw this last season where the jewellery Kate wore in the promo was different to what she wore in the show with the costume, so in this case it could be that the necklace is there for the promo and won't be worn with her maid's uniform in the show.  

Setting: 

I am not going to go into the setting much here, it is the same setting as Benedict's promo, and includes the Autumnal flowers and leaves.  You can read about it here. 

Audio: 

As mentioned above, the promo is accompanied by music, as Benedict's promo short was.  I have gone back to listen to Benedict's and listened again to Sophie's and it is the same music, the question is - was this music composed for the promos, or is this Benophie's theme?  Time will tell, but something makes me believe that it is most likely Benophie's theme.