Expectations were shattered, demolished, and utterly obliterated. Needless to say, the second season of Bridgerton knocked me off my feet and had me sobbing hysterically for the entire day.
Much like the rest of the world, I spent the last year and a half not-so-patiently waiting for the next season to drop on Netflix. But what kind of book nerd would I be if I didn’t read the book first? So I purchased my own copy of The Viscount Who Loved Me (for research purposes only of course) to be able to properly assess the screen adaptation.
It is no secret that the show strays far away from the original plotlines of the book, and thus there has been a lot of discourse about whether this hurts or helps the new story. Many creators and loyal fans of the book series on Tiktok have expressed their frustration with not getting certain scenes and the alteration of the story.
Something that many readers struggle with is accepting that books and their screen adaptations are entirely separate.
It’s hard to let go of a story that you have envisioned in your head so vividly and let someone else take the reins to bring it to life. When you love that book so much, you sometimes just want to keep it to yourself. But it’s an impossible task to make a perfect, scene-by-scene, line-by-line adaptation of any book or original source material. There are things that have to be sacrificed (narration style, point of view, inner monologues, etc.) in order to make it fit because books and movies or tv shows are drastically different forms of storytelling.
Specifically, with Bridgerton, the show is advertised to be “inspired by” the books. It’s not meant to stick to all the original plot lines. Creative decisions were made to keep or take out details from the book while maintaining the essence of the story. And do we really want an exact replica of the book? I’m certain the Bridgerton book fans would have been at least slightly bored with simply getting the same scenes we already know. I’m glad that Shondaland changed up the story so everyone can be on the edge of their seats while watching.
The most prominent plotline change is the way Anthony and Kate finally get together. In the book, they are caught in a very precarious situation that forces them into marriage. In the show, they choose to be together. One, keeping the original storyline would have been repetitive from the first season with Daphne and Simon. Two, the change avoids making a woman of color marry a rich white man. I won’t unpack all the things that would be wrong with that, but it was a necessary alteration for no doubt the most impactful aspect of this season: changing the Sheffields to the Sharmas.
From the first season, the show made a statement by diversifying the cast with characters of color even during a Regency-era story. This time around, the female lead and her family are three Indian women traveling from Bombay looking for suitable matches in London. I can’t speak for the South Asian community, but as a Filipina, another underrepresented Asian community, it was incredibly refreshing and moving to see them get the spotlight. Many South Asian creators on TikTok and my own friends said that the way the show incorporates their culture and customs was accurate and tasteful. The writers thoughtfully included jewelry, fabric, language, and tea-making, instead of resorting to cheap, ingenuine, and stereotypical ways to add representation to the show.
Asian communities that are not East Asian exist on the outskirts of an already marginalized group, so as a Southeast Asian woman, I was truly touched by the way this season challenges the largely held monolithic idea of Asians many people have. I actually sobbed the entire day when I finished the season because it was something I never thought could happen in a mainstream show. Thus, I don’t see how anyone can still hold onto the fact that the show deviates from the book as a reason to not like the adaptation.
The show also has a deeper and more intimate portrayal of the generational trauma both leads face (which also had me sobbing all day). Both Anthony and Kate suffer from the weight of their family obligations to the point where they never allow themselves to actually be happy. They constantly put their family first on top of never being able to process the loss of their father figures. They just want to do what’s best for their families, which hits close to home. Though the book does discuss this, I think the show does a better job of displaying the characters’ trauma. The flashbacks to Anthony taking over the mantle of his father at just 18 years old and Kate having the emotional conversation with her mother about how she felt she had to earn her place in their family were absolutely heartbreaking.
I do have to say that the addition of the love triangle is a change that most can agree was a bit bothersome. In the book, Edwina was supportive of Anthony and Kate and did not express any bad sentiments when it was announced that they would be together. Many people disliked how Edwina actually fell in love with Anthony and they almost got married in the show. I also didn’t particularly like the change, but I did like how they gave Edwina more backbone! I found that she didn’t have much personality in the book or more significance than a reason for the two leads to be kept apart. I especially liked when she finally stood up for herself and said that she deserved true love, offering us another strong woman of color to admire.
Despite all these changes, the relationship between Anthony and Kate did not suffer one bit. In fact, I think it’s stronger and more enjoyable than in the books. The tension and slow burn were so perfectly crafted and delivered. They helped each other realize that it’s okay to put themselves first and to be happy rather than constantly shouldering the weight of their families’ expectations. They chose to be together because they love each other, not because of their circumstance.
I do wish we could’ve gotten more time with them at the end, but we’ll just have to wait for the next season! I could go on and on about this season of Bridgerton, but suffice to say it stole my heart. Although it may not be a true “adaptation” of the book, it does not diminish the quality of the new story. The amazing representation and the discussion of true matters of the family really impressed me. I don’t know how the following seasons are going to top this one because the bar is set pretty high now, but I’m so excited to see what’s in store.