Bridgerton: Why Miss Thompson’s Condition Is “Catching”

In Bridgerton season 1, episode 2, “Shock and Delight,” Lady Featherington calls Marina Thompson’s condition “catching,” implying that pregnancy is contagious. Marina, a distant relative of Lord Featherington, came to live with the Featheringtons in London at the beginning of Bridgerton season 1. Shortly after Marina’s arrival, Lady Featherington discovers that the unwed Marina Thompson is pregnant and sequesters her from the Featherington girls – Penelope, Prudence, and Philippa. When Penelope inquires why Marina is being kept away, Lady Featherington snaps at her daughters, telling them, “Because her condition is catching!”

The following sequence that plays out in episode 2 highlights a theme that is prevalent throughout Bridgerton: sex and, more specifically, sex education – or the lack thereof. In Bridgerton, it’s clear that all the young people are curious about sex, but the adults in their lives are never straightforward with them and that leads to some devastating consequences. Lady Featherington misleads her girls and Lady Bridgerton dodges Daphne’s questions before her and Simon’s wedding night, leaving all four young women ill-informed and bewildered, but – in the eyes of Lady Featherington and Lady Bridgerton – bewildered is preferable to what they perceive as the alternative: scandalous.

With Bridgerton set in the 1800s of Regency Era London, being sexually active before marriage was one of the most scandalous things a person could do. Even simply associating with someone who is known for promiscuity would lead to one’s own reputation becoming tarnished. Lady Featherington might not have meant to imply that pregnancy is literally contagious, but she did fear that Marina’s “corruption” might spread to Penelope, Prudence, and Philippa. Lady Featherington’s concern might have been that her daughters would learn how sex works and then become pregnant themselves – or, more likely, that people would learn of Marina’s pregnancy and ostracize the entire Featherington family for associating with her.

But Lady Featherington’s desperate attempt to keep her daughters away from Marina had an unintended effect. Lady Featherington’s confusing word choice made Penelope even more interested in finding out how Marina became pregnant in order to avoid becoming pregnant herself. This led to Penelope Featherington asking her good friend Eloise Bridgerton if she knew how pregnancy occurred. In turn, Eloise barged in on her whole family and demanded to know how a woman becomes with child. This also piqued Daphne’s interest, leading her to do some digging of her own throughout the series.

Whether intentional or not, Bridgerton presents several examples that illustrate the importance of being clear and forthcoming with one’s children regarding the topics of sex, consent, and pregnancy. Leaving young people to figure it out on their own, as Lady Bridgerton assures Daphne that she and Simon will, can make them easy to manipulate and less understanding of their responsibility to be respectful of their sexual partners, both of which are seen within Simon and Daphne’s toxic romance. While Bridgerton sends some mixed messages about modern perceptions of sex and sex education, merely broaching the topic so openly makes Bridgerton unique among period dramas.

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