The entertainment value of the 19th-century high society cannot be overstated, with the beautiful dresses, instrumental music and romantic drama — straight and queer alike. “Bridgerton,” a 2020 period drama set in the early 1800s, carries every one of these elements while being more relaxed with historical accuracy, adding handfuls of diverse casting and queer/feminist plotlines that have viewers glued to their seats. With their upcoming season announced to be focusing on a queer/lesbian plot line for the first time in the show, the fanbase is conflicted.
The Netflix series has 7.5 stars and over 227,000 ratings on IMDb. The show itself follows the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family as they enter London’s high society one by one. Each has their own romantic experiences in attempts to find a good match in the rigorous high society while blending modern concepts and culture into the fictional story.
For example, the “Bridgerton” casting has gained attention for its high level of diversity. Vaishali Sehgal said their modern casting of leads and feminist plotlines within the show are a refreshing and positive showing of representation, especially in time pieces like this show. “‘Bridgerton’s’ diverse casting has been praised as a refreshing departure from the norm. While historical accuracy often results in an all-white cast, ‘Bridgerton’s’ inclusive approach breathes new life into period dramas,” Sehgal said.
Queer characters aren’t unheard of for this show either. One of the characters, Benedict Bridgerton, the second-oldest sibling, has even been confirmed to be either pansexual or bisexual in the show, as it shows his intimate, short-term relationships across multiple genders.
“There’s already a lot of diversity in the show,” Allie Vogel, a student at UO and a “Bridgerton” fan, said. “I think adding more would definitely do more good.”
This pattern continues with the official season five announcement released on March 24, which was a 48-second video showing one of the siblings, Francesca, and another previously introduced female character, Michaela Stirling, reaching to hold hands. In the books, Francesca’s upcoming lover was a man named Michael, who is now being played by a woman (Masali Baduza), and the character was gender-bent into Michaela.
Despite the show’s previous efforts for modern inclusivity, and the positive attention it has gained because of that, show fans have exclaimed their disappointment with the upcoming plot line, especially on social media platforms like the “Bridgerton” Reddit thread; complaints include the relationship being too soon with Francesca still mourning her late husband, wanting another sibling to get the spotlight before Francesca or the fact that the change is a departure from the source material (as the show was based on books by Julia Quinn).
“This isn’t the show for them,” Vogel said to the fans who find issue with the new couple. “If anything, they are probably more concerned about it being realistic for the time period, but it’s fiction; it’s not meant to be exactly how it was.” “Bridgerton” was never designed to be completely historically accurate, especially with its heavy emphasis on romance with the time period’s gender and race roles. So the show starting a sapphic relationship isn’t out of the realm of possibility for plot lines.
Lesbian or sapphic relationships have a long history in cinema, specifically, a neglected and stereotypical one. According to Cinema Paradiso, since cinema was originally a male-driven field for a long time, many lesbian relationships on the big screen were bent to fit the “male gaze.” In other words, they were focused on sex and nothing else. Not to mention, many queer relationships in media ended in tragedy or death rather than a happy ending.
Are the complaints typical fan concerns, or are they indicative of the previous and continued backlash lesbian relationships have had on screen by filmmakers and the audience?
Either way, “Bridgerton” does not plan to slow down. “I do believe they should be represented,” another UO student and fan, Allison Woodard, said.
For every negative reaction to the season five announcement, there exists another excited fan, like Woodard and Vogel, ready to see another captivating relationship for the Bridgerton family. “I think there should be representation of all types of romance,” Woodard said, “just like how you would want representation of your community.”
