We’ve been in quarantine for almost ten months and it’s been the perfect time to binge so many Netflix shows. This month’s popular show takes us to the regency era and into the lives of the insanely wealthy people of the Ton. The show is none other than Bridgerton directed by Shonda Rhimes. It follows the main character’s journey of finding a suitable husband and fighting scandals reported by Lady Whistledown, an anonymous writer. Finding a husband is even harder for the main character Daphne Bridgerton when she is granted the Queen’s blessing for the dating season. Her brother, the Duke, a creepy older man, and the circumstances of life all pose a challenge to Daphne’s efforts. But Daphne isn’t the only character with problems. Each character is unique and their storylines are as well. It shows that the perfect lives of aristocrats are messier than we give them credit for.
But why is this show the talk of this month? Early on in the pandemic, a lot of people were baking bread and imagining living their lives in a cottage in the woods or in a castle and having tea parties. We had time to stop and think about these imaginary scenarios. Bridgerton revives the feeling we had almost a year ago while providing us with passionate scenes that make us miss our usual social interaction. While we’re imagining wearing elaborate gowns and meeting the love of our lives, most of us are still stuck in the house. TikTok has also helped Bridgerton stay popular amongst older Gen Z and Millenials. Those of us who are creative have sewn regency era dresses and stays/corsets. And if you’re like me and can’t sew, we just enable our quarantine shopping addiction by buying the items instead and taking pretty pictures. If you fall into neither of those groups, then we just watch all the pretty videos and like the pretty pictures.
Bridgerton has become a defining moment for some of us during the pandemic, and I would say a lot of us are okay with it. It provides a ray of sunshine and is a great way to dream about being social again. Hopefully, when the pandemic is under control, we can have balls and tea parties while wearing elaborate dresses and gowns just like Daphne. We might even find an eligible suitor.