Is Bridgerton Trashy and Stereotypical or Progressive and Innovative?

Where to begin…

I have yet to see ‘Wuthering Heights’, but it seems similar in style. It is not in keeping with the time it depicts and weaves in the modern era. I love this about Bridgerton, although I was unsure at first. I have watched every season, and it’s always thought-provoking.

But I can’t decide whether I am watching trash TV or something more…

What arose for me this season is how women are doing much of the emotional work in relationships, which is in keeping with patriarchal roles. In modern life, women are still doing most of the emotional work.

Women are watching podcasts, reading books and bringing up hard conversations. Women are the ones going to counselling and initiating their partners come. I am generalising here, but when I get with a group of women, there is a sense that they are the ones trying to work out how to improve the relationship, and the men are ignorant or unwilling.

I love Bridgerton for the way it highlights social norms, not just of the time depicted, but also now. We have progressed since the eighteenth century in terms of equality, but we have a long way to go.

Bridgerton dares to play with these norms and expose inequality, but at the same time is gratingly conservative. Why does this matter? Visual Media is powerful and can help highlight injustice and slowly stimulate change.

Bridgerton could take its artistic license further, rather than challenging some arenas and not others.

When it comes to the relationships between men and women, it’s a confusing mix of depth, realism and superficiality that’s hard to reconcile. It leaves me a bit frustrated.

Firstly, let’s look at Violet and Marcus. They are attracted. Violet gets uncomfortable, and he smiles way too much when they meet up in society or have tea. Violet behaves like a schoolgirl, while Marcus is super polite and says little, but lets her know he’s interested.

Her discomfort is understandable as she has not been with a man in many years. They act like teenagers, which I find inspiring, as I am long-term single and wonder if I could feel that again.

The tension builds until Violet becomes an exploding pressure cooker. She spills out ridiculously to Marcus about how difficult intimacy is after so long. Her vulnerability is refreshing, but it was the way it landed that made me cringe.

I can’t recall what Marcus said, but he never dropped down to meet her. His stance remained formal, and his words were encouraging but brief.

She expressed her unfiltered feelings, which then opened the door to the physical intimacy that later followed.

But Marcus still doesn’t give anything away about himself.

The intimate tea scene in the next episode is redeeming for Violet, who confidently takes charge. I felt moved by her post sex happiness. She has never expressed that level of happiness in any other season. It made me smile.

But still the discomfort remained, because this man got close to her because of all her efforts, and I have yet to see them connect in any real way. Violet’s character is transforming, but the connection lacks foundation.

The show both skims the surface while simultaneously exploring real depth.

In Bridgerton, despite complexity, once resolved, couples marry. The show reverts to social norms of the time. If Marcus and Violet take a different path, I hope he does more than smile and leave her to grapple with how to navigate a less conventional love affair.

Violet’s relationship with Marcus is not the only one where the woman is doing the emotional work. Similarly, her daughter Francesca has a very formal relationship with her new husband, and it is she who changes the tone.

We watch Francesca bravely and uncomfortably express her feelings about sex to her husband, John.

John seems oblivious to her lack of orgasm during sex, but redeems himself by discussing the issue in the most beautiful way in episode five. He told her that just being herself is enough and that there is always time to explore.

This scene builds that connection and intimacy that has been lacking up until this point. But even though the couple connected, it was Francesca who moved the connection to the next level, just like her mother did.

Let’s talk about Benedict. He doesn’t fit into society and has no time for pomp and ceremony. He’s real and relatable.

But as much as he abhors his social position, it has given him some entitlement. It’s the small things that he takes for granted.

When all the brothers decide to throw shaving cream at each other, Sophie walks past and observes a maid cleaning up after them.

How progressive would it have been if Benedict made the connection that this maid was not unlike Sophie, whom he loves, and he insisted on cleaning up his own mess?

But instead the image lingered uncomfortably…

I know it’s just the times, but by this point, I felt that women were doing too much emotional heavy lifting, so that moment of a woman cleaning up after men added to that injustice.

Women are still doing too much of the physical work in households. I would love to see Bridgerton rewrite this aspect, as they have taken artistic license with rewriting interracial relationships and power positions.

The imbalance of household labour between the sexes could also be challenged. Just imagine if household cleaning and cooking were done equally by women and men. That would be exciting to watch!

Benedict does put himself out on a limb emotionally, but not really.

Benedict and Sophie are equally struggling with their attraction because of their polar social positions. Benedict is engaging emotionally; it’s more Sophie who is holding back.

After much soul-searching, Benedict offers Sophie a position as his mistress. But this attempt to reconcile the situation is lazy and allows him to avoid transformation. That doesn’t land well with Sophie, which will challenge him to dig deeper.

I can see from spoilers that the social fabric unravels with the revelation of their love.

I am looking forward to the next episodes and hope the writers flip more of the narrative, rather than presenting a show that flirts with innovation but then stays in the safety zone by returning to known social structures.

Is this just another eye candy trashy show, or is it more?

Whatever it is, and isn’t, like Wuthering Heights, it gives people something to think about. Love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.