Bridgerton: 10 Major Flaws Of The Show That Fans Choose To Ignore

It’s difficult to work out exactly what Bridgerton‘s aims are as a show. In the start, it feels like satire, or purely a bit of absurdist fun. It’s this fun energy, perhaps, that contributes to the addictive quality of the show and the fact that it has an overall 91% fan approval rate, according to Google. But then it becomes clear the show also takes itself seriously and aims to assert political interests, and things get messy.

It’s undeniable that Bridgertion is massively entertaining: the romances, the bright, enthusiastic settings, the family drama. But amidst the dazzling glamour and gossip, some substantial flaws of the show wedge a crack in its foundation, causing the viewer to get a little lost about what, exactly, the show is trying to say. One thing is for certain, though–the costumes are amazing.

10 The Race Issue

The show is notable for seemingly leveling the playing field when it comes to race, that is, until about halfway through the series when Lady Danbury randomly slips in a quick summary of why race relations are the way they are–which is seemingly nonexistent. In an eight-episode show with each episode nearing almost an hour, the matter of race gets about two minutes. If, as Lady Danbury asserts, Black people had only begun to be accepted in society as recently as her own generation, they would not be living in the colorblind world that Bridgerton parades. Rather than have meaningful conversations about the process of moving away from racism, or actively choosing to ignore it, the show chooses to sweep the issue under the rug.

9 Eloise’s Naïvety

Eloise is the young sister who serves as the foil to Daphne’s sweet, conventional persona. If Daphne tries to work within the limits of the world she is given, Eloise spends her time hollering at anyone who will listen about the injustices of a male-led society. She could be a more interesting character, but she is made to be ridiculous and silly in a way that undercuts her ability to be taken seriously by the audience.

8 The Timeline Inconsistency

The brief spotlight that the issue of race gets in the show consists of Lady Danbury casually explaining all the modern-day perfect peace way as a result of the current (white) king having fallen in love with the current (Black) queen.

This explanation, even while overly tidy, might still work, if not for the fact that a romance that the timeline simply wouldn’t allow for things to be as socially advanced as the show illustrates, and it certainly doesn’t explain how Simon Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page, came to inherit a massive estate that is implied to have been passed down forgenerations from Lord Hastings.

7 The Toxic Romanticization

Many a films and show push the message that as long as a romance is full of passion and lust, it must be full of love. In Bridgerton, it’s hard to ignore the fact that one of the greatest things emphasized in Daphne and Simon’s relationship is their sex life, and their seeming inability to resist one another. This harkens to other toxic romances such as those in Fifty Shades Of Grey and Twilight, where passion often trumps health and reason.

6 The Obvious Plot Device

Bridgeton is rife with material that engages the viewer and keeps them clicking that “next episode” button, but that doesn’t mean it’s doing anything all that original. The main plot of the two people who form a feigned romantic attachment out of convenience and–surprise–end up falling in love, is a commonly used device. Luckily, the show has enough going on that viewers can distract from the obviousness.

5 Penelope’s Character Contradictions

Some viewers might realize who Lady Whistledown is within a few episodes of the show, and others might not be enlightened until the reveal at the end. Either way, once it becomes apparent that–spoiler–Penelope, played by Derry Girls‘ beloved Nicola Coughlan, is Lady Whistledown, the viewer can compare the character to the words they have been hearing narrate the show all along, and they might realize that the two don’t quite go together. Penelope is a young girl who is shown to be rather naïve and innocent, as made apparent at the moment Marina is forced to tell her off for her immaturity. Such a character writing the clever, all-knowing social observations of Lady Whistledown might not add up for some viewers.

4 Daphne Always Accommodating Simon

For a show that attempts to assert its heroine as a self-aware voice of the female struggle, it’s a bit contradictory that the writing consistently puts Daphne at the feet of Simon, effectively shaping her world to his when things go wrong. While it could be said that it’s a step forward to have a woman encouraging a man to accept himself versus the usual trope of men saving insecure women, it’s also possible to see Daphne’s ultimate pitying of Simon as yet another instance of women putting men’s concerns before their own.

3 The Under-Developed Class Relations

Every once in a while the show will drop in a little instance of class conflict or offer a small window into the world of the people downstairs. However, this adds up to very little considering the fact that almost all of the show takes place upstairs, in the world of the elite.

At best, the tidbits about the lower classes feel like an obligatory mention. Giving the servants just enough voice to make apparent their real struggle in the face of the elite’s trivial concerns, and then giving all the screentime to those concerns, mostly serves to pour salt in a wound. Fans can hope that a second season would expand on some of these characters.

2 Weak Queer Inclusivity

Benedict Bridgerton is teased to be the show’s leading gay character, but this possibility never manifests. Instead, viewers are offered an occasional side character as the sole representative of the queer community. And, amidst a slew of intense, detailed heterosexual sex scenes, a mere blink into the world of gay sex through the literal opening and closing of a door.

1 Half Utopia, Half Not

The political interests of the show are highly selective, making the world seem like a place of racial utopia but a gender dystopia, with a smattering of LGBTQ+ and class issues. The show could have taken the path of a light-hearted period drama with fun modern influences, pegging itself as the ultimate escapist, inclusive happy-binge, but with the politics, all over the place fans are left feeling a bit torn between worlds.