BRIDGERTON, A YOUNNG CLASSIC

 It is quite a tale I have for you. Who would have wished for all that excitement and yet would want to run from it when caught up already?

It is 1813 in Regency London. It is also another mating season. Our amiable Queen Charlotte is hosting a ball to amuse the high class of London and to give high prospects to the debutante who meets her fancy. It is a tradition that every year, a certain lady is crowned the diamond of the season. This is an important time for bachelor ladies who wish to be respectfully married. I happen to observe that the marriage market always has a high supply of spinsters and a short in beaus. No wonder Jane Austen always features female heroines whose major accomplishments are being suitably matched.

An entrance is everything for a lady on her debut appearance in society. Daphne's entrance before Queen Charlotte is reminiscent of Charlotte Morland's debut entree to the Upper Rooms in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. In Daphne's case however it is not written, "Not one, however, started with rapturous wonder on beholding her, no whisper of eager inquiry ran round the room, nor was she once called a divinity by anybody."

It is not so however. That would have been a bad start for the diamond of the season. Yes, Daphne is selected by the Queen herself for such a precious title. It instantly increases her chances of finding a suitable husband and she would have succeeded had Anthony not chased every one of them away.

This is where our elusive and mysterious beau Simon comes into play. Every lady loves a mystery especially if he has broad shoulders and charming eyes. Simon practically has mothers and daughters grovelling at his feet.

How is he significant? Daphne has received a jab from the poison quill of Lady Whistledown and so her visitors are reduced to one, the despicable Nigel Berbrook. Simon has also been jabbed but more favourably. This doesn't suit them both and in a garden meeting they plan over the knocked out form of Nigel Berbrook (Daphne did that) how to reverse their fates.

It was to be a ruse but it turned out to be a beautiful fiasco. Slowly, they give way to the torrents of emotions that flush their cheeks when they behold each other. It is a disaster when Simon decides to leave. Daphne is remorseful and wonders if only she feels the agony of love. To find this out, she lures (do pardon me but it is true) him to the garden and a catharsis of emotion ensues. Let's leave it at that.

Such actions are outrageous and Anthony demands a duel for Simon has soiled his sister's purity. They set off the next day to due but Daphne interferes in a most startling way. Whoever put such an idea into her head as stopping a duel by riding right into the middle of it.

The duel is aborted when Daphne deems it fit to marry the duke despite his claimed inability to give children. Still, Daphne did just what she had always dreamed of; marry for love. The Queen approves of the union, after a most heart warming speech, and the two are bound in holy matrimony.

It is delightful to note that it doesn't end there. Let's flip the page to after the wedding. No, Netflix cannot close the curtains with that phrase "Happily ever after" because it is far from the ending. It will not be a happy family with no children (or adopted ones) because things haven't been put right. The foundation of the marriage has a fault in its foundation. The duke has lied, or not told the complete truth.

Taking advantage of Daphne's innocence of the world, he plays on her ignorance to keep his payback vow against his father.

"I will never sire an heir." Simon.

Daphne is infuriated and when he reminds her of her willingness to marry him even without the hopes of children she makes it clear that the promise was founded on her belief that he hadn't lied.

He has kept her in the dark a couple of times. For crying out loud, she's your wife. Does she have to search for letters before you speak of your problems?

We may not understand the gravity of Simon's hurt, to have your father treat you like a nonentity. To be rejected is a suffering but to be rejected by the family that ought to have our backs when the world is against us is the worst of afflictions. Simon's father's actions are unforgivable but Daphne shows that they are. Simon just has to choose to love. Thanks to Violet Bridgerton, Lady Danbury and a refreshing rain, the two reconcile and Simon decides that he doesn't want to be alone.

At last, love conquers all. It all ends when we behold the newest heir of the Hastings dukedom.

Bridgerton clearly does reflect it's time plot perfectly. The setting was apt and so was the plot. The costume designer must have lived in the 19th century because what? The audience were impressed from Daphne's revenge dress to Queen Charlotte's numerous wigs. The camera effects were well done. Let's not even speak of the actors!

Okay, let's. Regé-Jean Page (Simon) and Phoebe Dynevor (Daphne) were the perfect fit. The chemistry between the two was perfect. They embodied the characters beautifully. Watching them, it was like taking a real peek into the lives of Simon and Daphne of the 1800s.

There are other lovable characters. There's Lady Danbury, my favourite Bridgerton character. She has a sharp wit like a true London lady and knows how to value herself and the people around her. She is Simon's backbone and also his scheming matchmaker. Her fellow schemer Viscountess Violet Bridgerton is another wonderful character. She is a true mother who would have her daughter marry for love than for anything else. There are also the lovable Bridgerton siblings who keep us laughing and smiling at the warmth of family life.

Bridgerton is a mixture of plots featuring Daphne and Simon, Anthony and Siena and Lady Marina Thompson and the Featheringtons. There's also Colin and Marina, Eliose and Penelope and Lady Bridgerton and Lady Danbury.

It's centered on Daphne who is making her maiden appearance in the marriage market. Someone else is making an entrance; the duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. Their purposes are entirely different. Daphne is looking for a respectable suitor while Simon is running from respectable mothers and their daughters. Now, doesn't that sound familiar? It is a well known romance plot. It is predictable which makes it loved and hated as well. While some viewers want something new, others are happy with the conservative plot.

Bridgerton is actually based on the book by Julia Quinn titled, The Duke and I. It was nearly titled Daphne's Bad Heir Day. The series known as Bridgerton is a creative recreation of the book. Chris Van Dunsen is the creative director of the series. He expertly lifted the plot from the pages of Julia's books and even infused elements of race and gender into it. Many agree that the 2020 series is much better than the first of Julia's 8 Bridgerton series published in 2000.

I must state that there is an opinion that the director would have done a better job by removing the "rape" scene altogether. The reason stated was quite convincing. If Daphne had never conceived the notion of "taking charge in the bedroom," Simon's withdrawal method would have continued until the ineffectiveness of the method would find Daphne pregnant. Simon's reaction would have revealed the truth and the plot would have been less messy. That would no doubt have saved the director much criticism and the parents more scenes to shield their children's eyes from.

I have had experiences with London romance and 19th century love stories. The likes of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and her sister Anne Bronte come to my mind as classic romance writers. The stories are hard to describe. Slow burn romance? You can simply feel the love without even witnessing a single intimate moment. All that is in the power of the one thing London people don't joke with; witty conversations. Why, Emma Woodhouse (Emma by Jane Austen) could grade you and predict the success of your prospects after a single conversation!

London romance was all wit and words. It was hardly cheesy. The ones that were by writers like D H Lawrence and James Joyce were considered scandalous. They were termed "novels" a name which in the time was used to classify corruptive literature. Corruptive because it filled people's heads with fantasies.

They may have taken it far in some cases. Writers like Jane Austen even had to publish anonymously or using fake names. However, these writers performed remarkable deeds without knowing it. They created intimate free romance.

Reading books like Emma by Jane Austen and Northanger Abbey also by Jane Austen, one would wonder, is this what they call romance? Why, there are no love scenes. The only signs of affection were the blushing of the cheeks or the pounding of the heart. I call it true romance. It is the one that shows no love and yet shows the deepest affections of love.

Bridgerton broke these expectations by actually taking us beyond the drawing room to the actual bedroom. They shared such intimate knowledge writers of the time would be scandalized to share, except they didn't care about the opinion of society. At the time, it was dishonour enough to ruin a lady completely for her to be found in the passionate arms of a man. Such topics were unheard of and terrible to the ears. I actually expected Bridgerton to reflect this but it seemed to me the intimate details were essential in keeping the audience hooked, and with such flawless acting from wonderful actors, who wouldn't love it?

The press did exist in the 19th century. What's London without it? When women are bred to be married and men born to hunt and life is so drab and uninteresting, one person's business is everyone's business.

Lady Whistledown understands that and makes an honest income from making or defaming people with her poison quill. She is the publisher of the most famous scandal sheet in London. She is quite the villain but then even her royal majesty Queen Charlotte patronizes her. So, let the poison pen write on.

Anthony is quite a conflicting character isn't he? One minute defending your sister's honour and frolicking with an opera singer the next? This is significant of the imbalance that exists till this day. Ladies have always been and are still raised with a cautious hand and restricted from everything reckless while men can pretty much do as they please. Women have to keep themselves chaste and pure for the one special moment of their life while men do as they please. It is a recurring theme in Bridgerton. That is why Daphne is an epitome of innocence. She is completely ignorant of the ways of the world but her brother, Anthony is more experienced. This is no fault in his part. He recognizes the flower his sister is and does a good work protecting her even going to the point of staking his life in a duel against his good friend.

This is not to say that Daphne is subject to his whims and caprices. This is where we see the spice of feminism in Bridgerton. Did we notice that it was Daphne who proposed to the Duke? Anthony would not hear of it initially and Simon refused it, but Daphne's determination breaks the barriers despite her sex.

The Wiki fandom described Bridgerton thus, "Bridgerton is a romantic, scandalous and quick witted series that celebrates the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their ways and the search for a love that conquers all."

If I was in the 19th century and I caught wind of such a romance as this, my review would no doubt be much different. I would have berated Bridgerton and influenced parents to keep their children away from such a scandalous tale. I guess I don't have to be. As much as Bridgerton has many fans, it also has many haters. Quite a number don't approve of Simon's lesson on masturbation. Many more can't overlook the bedroom scenes. A person who has not watched the series would be no doubt confused on which notion of the movie to accept.

Bridgerton has its share of fans and critics. It has been approved and disapproved, adored and disdained, loved and hated.

There are many views to the Netflix series. They seem to change or grow deeper when more seasons are released. My opinion is, overlooking the flaws of Bridgerton, it has a beautiful moral to teach,

"You may think you are too damaged and too broken to ever allow yourself to be happy but you can choose differently... That should not be up to anyone else."