Bridgerton Promotion: Unequal Celebrations Lead to Bad Optics for Netflix and Shondaland

In 2020 the diverse casting in Bridgerton was framed as a commitment to diverse representation in spaces people of colour are not normally seen - specifically Period Romances. Bridgerton subverted the established norms for Regency romances on TV by casting people of colour in leading romantic roles which in the past had been reserved for white actors.  This was heralded and Bridgerton was widely praised for this casting, however, over the last few years the perception of Bridgerton, and Netflix's, commitment to diversity in the show has shifted.  There is a growing perception that the diversity and representation in Bridgerton is less a commitment and more performative, illustrated by the disparity in how they present the season 3 leads (both white) versus the previous two pairings - more specifically the season 2 pairing. This disparity has again been highlighted by official social media accounts for Shondaland, Netflix and the Bridgerton production all celebrating the first anniversary of the release of season 3 with photos and videos when they did not acknowledge the first anniversary of season 2.  Most noticeably was the NetflixUK social media accounts which posted twice for the first anniversary of season 3 as well as fan weeks and days, but have consistently ignored celebrations for season 2 or the season 2 couple including the recent third anniversary of season 2 which was acknowledged by a small number of official accounts with a very short video.  It is not lost on many fans that the season 3 couple are the only fully white pairing, in comparison to the previous leads, and some wonder if this plays into the disparate treatment, and more specifically the reason the NetflixUK social media team consistently post in celebration of season 3 and the season 3 leads.  

This is not saying the official accounts cannot celebrate the first anniversary for season 3, but rather it is saying that the failure to celebrate other leads and other seasons has led to an obvious disparity in the visibility of previous couples versus the season 3 couple.  What the official accounts don't do says as much as what they do, and in this instance what they didn't do was give the pairings that included a non-white character equal attention to that of the pairing where both characters are white. This is not a one off situation either, it is part of a pattern of favourable treatment towards the season 3 leads over others in the show in terms of promotion, celebration and storytelling.  

Images via Netflix

As mentioned above, NetflixUK posted twice to celebrate the first anniversary of season 3, coming after they posted twice this year for 'Polin Day', a fan driven recognition of the day that Penelope and Colin meet in the book.  It is important to note that acknowledging Polin Day is not part of the marketing strategy for Bridgerton, but rather something that the NetflixUK social media team have made the decision to do, whilst they ignore fan driven weeks or days for other couples in the Bridgerton Universe.  Polin are the only couple that NetflixUK have posted about fan driven dates/weeks for, including when it was not their season, and they are also they only couple that NetflixUK accounts posted prolifically for their first anniversary.  So what is the difference between Polin and the other couples?  Polin are a fully white couple, and whether they intend to or not NetflixUK have sent a clear message with their focus on Polin in this way.  NetflixUK are saying that in their opinion Polin are the only couple that are worth celebrating and worth recognising regardless of who the season leads are.  But NetflixUK are not the only official account to be sending this message, they are just the most obvious about it.  

Image Credit:  Netflix

There are some that will no doubt argue the previous season anniversaries have been recognised, but as this is focussing on how the official accounts celebrated the first anniversary, let's look at how the previous season's first anniversaries were recognised.  For season 1 the first anniversary, 25 December 2021, was used to announce the release date for season 2.  Perhaps it could be considered fitting to use the first anniversary for season 1 to celebrate the continuing Bridgerton story.  But when we consider the season 1 first anniversary in comparison to the first anniversary for season 3, it seems to be a very minimal effort.  The season 2 first anniversary is a completely different story altogether, it wasn't used to celebrate the continuance of the show, nor was it used to celebrate the second season, in fact there were no posts from any official account for it.  One crew member did post a celebration, but very quickly removed the post as if he was asked to take it down, thereby removing all trace of a celebration of the season 2 first anniversary.  From the perspective of a fan, or viewer, the optics are not looking good for Netflix or any of the official accounts.  

Image Credit: Netflix

The season 3 anniversary post comes as a Netflix Tudum article about season 4 was updated and reposted.  The article originally had Kate listed as Kate Sharma in the returning cast, whilst both Francesca and Penelope were listed as Stirling and Bridgerton respectively.  This is despite Francesca and Penelope having married in the show a season after Kate.  The article sent the message that, for Netflix, the white female characters are more important, and more deserving of respect, than the woman of colour characters, something that fans picked up on and were vocal about.  It is interesting to note that after I sent Netflix an email asking for comment on some of the points I have included in this post, including the optics around that article, Netflix has updated the article to list Kate as Kate Bridgerton, we will never know what drove Netflix to update the article eventually, was it the online backlash or was it something else? 

Image Credit:  Netflix

For a production that uses diversity and representation as a marketing strategy, and point of difference, it is fair to question if their representation and diversity is performative rather than substantive.  The consistent failure of Netflix, Shondaland and the Bridgerton production to celebrate the previous couples that include a person of colour, whilst consistently celebrating Polin, tells fans - specifically non white fans - that their representation is less important and less worthy of continual celebration and recognition.  

I realise that some will view a couple of social media posts, or a character's name in an article, as something small and nothing to get upset about, and they will do all they can to minimise the issue, but this shows a lack of understanding of the issues being raised.  What the official accounts write and what they post, is important because it reflects what the marketing teams at Netflix and Shondaland have chosen to highlight, and how they have chosen to reflect the Bridgerton brand, not as diverse but rather as centred around a white pairing. This is not a new issue, this is just the latest example of Netflix showing favouritism towards Polin, but each time they post they are telling viewers that the non white characters are not important, not worthy of ongoing celebration.  

Despite Bridgerton initially subverting the view of period dramas with diverse casting and presenting people of colour in leading romantic roles, the actions of Netflix, Shondaland and the show’s official social media accounts lead to questions on their commitment to diversity and representation. The stark contrast in how the official accounts have celebrated the all-white season 3 couple compared to the mixed-race couples of previous seasons speaks volumes, not just by what they posted, but also through what they did not post. These disparities, whether intentional or not, send a clear message that undermines their proclaimed commitment to diversity and representation, suggesting that perhaps the diversity we see in Bridgerton is more performative than substantive. If Netflix, Shondaland and the Bridgerton production are sincerely committed to the ideal of diversity and representation on the show and truly value inclusion, they must show it in both words and actions, they must be more equitable in how they promote and celebrate each season's couples. 

Netflix were approached for comment, but have not provided any as yet.  

Bridgerton Season 4: The First Clip

The Netflix Upfront was held on Wednesday afternoon US Eastern Time and as part of their presentation they released the first official clip of Benophie, which was unexpected.  I certainly expected this to be released during Tudum at the end of the month, so getting it today was a great surprise.  The clip was from the Masquerade Ball, which we know is the majority of the first episode.  

Video Courtesy of Netflix

In the clip we see Benedict walking into the Masquerade Ball, hosted by Violet, and immediately he is noticed, and targeted, by the debutantes present, then he spots a young lady in silver (Sophie) looking up in wonder, at this point his expression noticeably changes from one of determination to a softer look, showing him captivated with her. What is noticeable at this point is how the music goes from hard, fast and deeper sounding to lighter and softer, more musical, when he sees Sophie. If this is the Benophie theme then I am in love with it already, I can't wait to hear it more during the season. Benedict looks up to see what has captured her attention, and sees the Chandelier and then looks at her again in wonder. 

This clip has no dialogue between Benedict and Sophie, and really doesn't appear to show a lot on the surface, but there is a lot of subtext in what we see. For Sophie, she is entranced with the Chandelier, she is taking everything in and seems in awe of the Chandelier, we see little else from Sophie as all her attention is on what she is looking at, but her wonder and her captivation is clear to see. I think in this we see a little more of Benedict's emotions, but I think the ones he has looking at Sophie call back to the poem he gave to Anthony in Season 2:  What is it to admire a woman? To look at her and feel inspiration. To delight in her beauty. 

I think for Benedict what we see her is a combination of him delighting in her beauty, which is amplified with the innocence in her wonder at the Chandelier, and feeling inspiration. I am not saying he feels inspired to paint, but rather an inspiration to see things differently, to view the house he grew up in with new eyes and see its beauty more, look at it with a different perspective - another call back to seaosn 2 when Benedict told Anthony to look at things with a new perspective. I think this is what could start him on the road to painting again, we know that Sophie is the one that brings him back to his passion, and this moment we see in this clip could be the spark that sets it all in motion. 

But if the clip has been given to us with the upfronts, what could be in store for Tudum? I have some thoughts on that which I will post closer to the date of Tudum. 

Bridgerton: Is another Spin Off in the works?

Recent Instagram posts from Tom Verica and Shondaland has fuelled speculation that there might be another Spin Off coming, this time focussed on Polin and/or the Featheringtons, though some have suggested it could be about young Violet and Edmund. So what were these posts that created this storm of speculation in the fandom? Tom Verica posted two stills from season 1, the first of him with the Featherington women, and the second of him with Queen Charlotte, and he captioned it with: Little colourful S1 @bridggertonnetflix throwback w the OG Featheringtons and THE Queen. Big things coming. 😉 Just you wait. He then tagged Nicola Coughlan Polly Walker, Bessie Carter, Harriet Cains and Golda Rosheveul. Shondaland posted several hours later, this time a Polin Reel with the caption: it always gets better ❤️ #Bridgerton

Image Credit:  Netflix

But why do these posts in particular have fans thinking there could be another spin off? We have to delve into the comments section on both posts for context on the fan speculation. On Tom Verica's post Connie Jenkins-Grieg - the actress who played young Violet in Queen Charlotte - replied with a heart which led some to believe it could be a Violet and Edmund Spin Off. Meanwhile, on the Shondaland post, the social media team were liking posts that referenced a Featherington or Polin Spin Off, which has many fans taking this as confirmation that there is going to be a Spin Off for Polin and/or the Featheringtons. In addition to these posts Tom Verica was recorded by a fan saying some news is coming when asked what he was teasing. All of these factors combined do suggest that any news is most likely unconnected to season 4, and  potentially is centred around the Featheringtons. With three spin off possibilities - Polin and/or the Featheringtons, season 2 of Queen Charlotte, or an Edmund and Violet origin story - what is the most likely, and what will any of these possibilities say about Shondaland and Netflix?

Image Credit:  Netflix

Edmund and Violet Origin Story

This is a popular idea among many Bridgerton fans, the idea of seeing video and Edmund's love story that had such an impact on the family is tantalising, however I believe this is the least likely option for any new spin off. Julia Quinn has been open in the past she has no desire to write Edmund and violet's story because we already know how it goes, and move importantly how it ends. Further, both Jess Brownell and Shonda Rhimes have indicated that they have a distaste for sweet love stories and happy couples. My final reason for not believing that it is the story of Violet and Edmund being teased is due to the mages and reel used on the social media accounts for Tom Verica and Shondaland, as I believe if they were teasing a series about Edmund and Violet they would have used images or a reel of violet and Edmund. I think we can safely assume that Edmund and Violet will not be the subject of any new series in the Bridgerton Franchise. However, in saying all of that a Spin Off centred on Violet and Edmund will show a commitment by the production to telling the story of the titular family, and will allow opportunities for the other Bridgerton couples to be brought into it if it is told in two timelines similar to Queen Charlotte. 

Image Credit:  Netflix

Queen Charlotte Season 2

It has been suggested that Tom Verica was teasing a second series of Queen Charlotte as the pictures he posted both included Queen Charlotte. This theory was further 'confirmed' with the comment from Connie Jenkins-Grieg on the post. I am not sure that there will be a second season of Queen Charlotte as the initial limited series concluded the story well, but also the initial series did not do as well as was expected not reaching the same number of viewers as the main Bridgerton series and quickly falling down the list of most watched shows, even with a new Bridgerton series released last year.many viewers found the series to be too dark and weren't invested enough in the romance or the drama. A second season of Queen Charlotte will potentially send a message that the production are more interested in their original characters in the series rather than the characters from the books, it also risks more criticisms of Shonda's liberal interpretation of European history and a real historical figure. 

Image Credit:  Netflix

Featherington and/or Polin Spin Off

Assuming that the post on Tom Verica and Shondaland's Instagram accounts are connected, and they are teasing a new spin off then it makes sense it will most likely be focussed on the Featheringtons and/or Polin, as they were the main focus of the posts. Would a spin off focussed on the Featherington family, or even Polin, make sense? I am sure Shondaland think it will be wildly popular, but for a show that marketed its diverse casting for a historical romance, as a major point of difference, the decision to do a spin off focussed on a established white family that has been a major part of the main show could seem to contradict this marketing.  Further, if a spin off is announced that is focussed on Penelope and Colin, it may not go down well consideirng Shonda Rhimes had this to say about a Kate and Anthony spin off in 2022:  "I don't know what story would be told. The beauty of this show is that we get to tell a complete love story from beginning to end with a happy ending every season. We don't have to manufacture reasons why a couple can't be together, we let them have their actual happy moment. And so, there are no spinoffs to be had because we'd have to find some reason to break a couple up, and that feels very artificial."  Additionally, if there is a spin off that has a focus on Polin the optics for Netflix and Shondaland are not great, it will again raise questions about their commitment to diversity, and the perceived underlying racism within the production, especially as the season for Penelope and Colin has been completed, and there is no compelling storyline left for them that could justify a spin off series.

Also, if it is a spin off that is beign teased then when would it be announced?  There are three possibilities for an announcement depending on what the spin off is: 

1. The Upfronts:  This is where streamers present their upcoming seasons for advertisers, I think it is unlikely any spin off will be announced at the Netflix upfront on Wednesday as the focus will be on the shows they will be releasing in the next 12 months or so.  We may get a hint as to whether Bridgerton season 4 is to be released in the upcoming year, or whether it will be later in 2026, but that is possibly all that we will get from Bridgerton. 
2. The season 3 first anniversary:  This is the most likely day for any potential spin off to be announced, especially if it is going to feature the Featheringtons and/or Polin.  S3 was the Featherington season, and it makes sense that on its anniversary a Featherington/Polin spin off is announced.  
3. Tudum:  This is a possibility, but seems unlikely as I believe they would not have teased anything this far out.  Tom Verica has confirmed there will be something about Bridgerton at Tudum (I will write on what that may be closer to the event), however, if for some reason an announcement of a spin off is made at Tudum this will not be a good look for Netflix and Shondaland, especially if the potential spin off is about the Featheringtons or Polin.  Tudum is highly expected to be - and should be - about season 4, and if it is used to announce a spin off about the Featheringtons or Polin it will be widely seen as Netflix again hijacking an event for a season with a woman of colour lead in order to promote a white woman, what is worse is that the white woman in question has already been the lead of a season.  

The talk of a spin off is only speculation within the fandom at present and unconfirmed, so if not a spin off what could the posts and Tom Verica have been teasing?  There are two other possibilities that it could be: 

1. A release date for season 4:  This is highly unlikely for a number of reasons, first because season 4 has not wrapped as yet, and second because why use Polin, the Featheringtons and Queen Charlotte to promote something for season 4?  
2. First Anniversary of Season 3 Part 1: This will be controversial if the tease is for some big celebration of the first anniversary of Season 3. For the season 1 anniversary the release date for season 2 was announced, but the season 2 first anniversary was completely ignored by the production - and to an extent the cast and crew, with only one member posting something then deleting it after a short period of time leading to speculation he was asked not to post anything. If there is a tease post and then something large to celebrate the season 3 first anniversary then it will reinforce the negative perceptions of the production supporting a pairing that is played by straight white actors and not having the same support for pairings with more diverse actors (eg: a gay man and dark skinned South Asian woman) as leads. 

On the whole, whatever the instagram posts were teasing - assuming they were connected - it will present terrible optics for both Netflix and Shondaland and undermines their claims of being interested in diverse characters and diverse actors as they continue to put their focus on a white family that is not the titular family, and more specifically potentially on a white character that remains the only one to have used a racist slur in the show, and has not been held accountable for it. This can only damage the Bridgerton brand further with some of the fandom, and for Netflix and Shondaland further damage their reputations as inclusive and diverse employers.