*Contains spoilers from books and past seasons*Â
After the hype that followed season four of Bridgerton, it encouraged a lot of people to read the book series. After reading all of them, many fans were disappointed to learn that their beloved characters were much different than what was shown on the screen. Although the book series was popular, it’s much different than what the show is now. The books are more true to the time when Bridgerton takes place compared to the show, where it is much more diverse, and characters are a lot less controversial. There are also a lot of plots that the show has added that fans also enjoy watching.Â
The Addition of Queen Charlotte
One of the most beloved characters in the book-to-screen adaptation is Queen Charlotte. Many fans are surprised to learn that she was not part of Julia Quinn’s original Bridgerton book series. Even more surprising is that, although Queen Charlotte now has her own book, it was not published until May 9, 2023, just five days after the release of Queen Charlotte, the prequel series to Bridgerton.
The TimelineÂ
In the TV show, it follows a new season the year after the next one, with Bridgerton’s characters falling in love with very little to no time jumps in between. Compared to the book series, where there are often more time jumps and stories happening at the same time. This has caused the plot to be affected in the show on multiple occasions. One big example of this is when people find out Who Lady Whistledown is. In the show, Penelope Featherington was able to hide her identity for around 10 years, which is different from the show where she was only able to hide it for three years.Â
DiversityÂ
One thing that stands out in the Bridgerton show that many people enjoy is the diversity of characters. The books on the other hand follow a much more historically accurate 18th century England monarchy. In the books, every character is described as having fair skin and either blonde or brunette hair. But throughout the show, there is a diversity that was not included in the book series and most series that take place in the Regency time period, leading a lot more fans to enjoy the series, having the opportunity to subtly learn about different cultures.Â
CharactersÂ
In the book series, it follows the same eight siblings that we see in the show. The only difference is that we don’t get to learn about the siblings really until it’s their book. But in the show, we are able to see the siblings grow, allowing us to see them have their own storylines and grow throughout the show. This allows the characters to have more depth behind them going into their season.Â
Season FiveÂ
One of the biggest differences that we are gonna be seeing with season five of Bridgerton is the gender-bent character Michael Sterling. This is allowing for the first leading queer romance in the Bridgerton series. In the books, Francesca Bridgerton loses her husband John Sterling and falls in love with his cousin Michael Sterling. We will be seeing in season five that Francesca Bridgerton falls in love with John Sterling’s cousin Michaela Stirling instead.Â
Although the Bridgerton books are what started it all, we were able to see and grow with the show more, and it is a rare case for many fans to believe that the show is actually better than the books.