Bridgerton's previous problems with perception and optics in relation to the character of Kathani 'Kate' Bridgerton, continue even before she has had any official promotional still released of her for season 4. In this case it relates to the production's treatment of Edmund Bridgerton, the baby of Kate and Anthony, and Elliot Bridgerton, the son of Penelope and Colin, specifically in how they have chosen to present these babies in promotion - or not. Whilst Elliot was seen in season 3 we did not have a name for him, in contrast Kate was roughly 5-6 months pregnant when the showrunner decided it was a good idea to send Kate and Anthony on a 6 month journey to India to have their baby (realistically he would have been born on the ship). Noting this fans of both couples had been highly anticipating season 4 in the hopes of seeing Edmund and Eliot, the introduction of the babies for the season has been vastly different. Both of these babies should be treated equally, however, the reality is that this has not happened in the lead in to the two parts of season 4, in fact the show has resolutely ignored Edmund whilst giving more attention than some feel warranted to Elliot, something that again raises questions around the show's treatment of the character Kate, and the show's commitment to diversity.
Image Credit: Netflix
When looking at the official Instagram accounts there is an obvious disparity in how this show perceives and views the two offspring of these couples. Almost 40 days out from the release of part 1 an official announcement of Elliot's name was made on official social media sites, including a behind the scenes photo of Nicola with the baby, since there there have been multiple posts about Elliot which included behind the scenes photos or video, in addition the Netflix UK & Ireland official account, and the Netflix Australia & New Zealand official account have also posted multiple posts dedicated to Elliot. As I write this we are just over four days out from the release of part 2 and the official sites have not posted a still of Kate from the season, let alone any formal announcement introducing Edmund like they did for Elliot over a month out from release. The claim of some fans that it is to prevent spoilers is null and void when Kate was pregnant at the end of season 3 (so we know she had a baby), the 'heir' is mentioned in episode 1 of the new season (so we know it is a boy), and we have seen the baby in the trailer for part 2. The canon name for Kate and Anthony's first born is Edmund, and there is no reason for the show to change that (and leaks for part 2 confirm his name is Edmund in the show), so nothing would be a spoiler for the marketing team to provide an announcement and some photos like they did for Elliot.
Image Credit: Netflix
Further adding to this uneven portrayal and validating the negative perception of the show are allegations from leaks that in part 2 Kate is not seen holding Edmund, in fact the leaks allege that only Violet (the grandmother) and Penelope are seen holding Edmund, this is especially insidious of the showrunner and production, because the symbolism of a mother holding her baby is significant. A mother holding a child in terms of visual storytelling is an often used signifier of nurturing and selfless love, key themes surrounding Kate in her season, and by having Penelope hold Edmund instead of Kate the production have reassigned these values to her. Whilst I am sure some will not view this as a big deal (often some fans say to 'chill it is just a TV show), this actually is a very important factor in how the audience interpret the characters, and by reassigning this visual cue of maternal love to Penelope over Kate for Edmund the audiences perception could shift in the way that they view these characters, and instead not see Kate as fully inhabiting th erole of a selfless, nurturing mother instead seeing that in Penelope only, feeding into a pattern of media representation where white characters are allowed to embody traditionally positive traits while women of colour cannot. Assuming these leaks are true, this is a deliberate choice by the showrunner, the writers and the director to strip an important visual signal of motherhood from Kate and give it to Penelope, further sidelining her character and framing Kate as an outsider in the Bridgerton family.
In anticipation of some potential comments, it is important to note that as a Grandmother Violet is also a key carer for Edmund, and her holding Edmund is not as diminishing to Kate's role as the mother as it is having Penelope step in as if she is a replacement for Kate.
Image Credit: Netflix Screenshot
The promotion clearly favours Penelope and Colin, and their white family, over Kate and Anthony's mixed race family as Kate and Edmund are not being prioritised in the same way that Penelope and Elliot are. Whilst this may seem like a minor issue to some it raises larger questions for viewers about what this show prioritises, and just how strong their commitment to being truly diverse and representative is, they are sending the message that whiteness is the priority, and (in this instance) South Asian representation is peripheral and unimportant to them. This also raises questions as to how the production may treat its current East Asian lead in future seasons, will she also be pushed to the periphery and will it be a situation where Sophie will also not be considered a true Bridgerton as Kate is not? Or will she gain better treatment and representation in future seasons?
