Bridgerton: This Glorious TV Inclusivity, Is It Just an Itch?

Is it safe to speak about Bridgerton Season 2? (If you still haven’t watched it, spoilers ahead)!

I have to admit, I needed a minute to get into this show when Season 1 came out. A colorblind Regency Era with modern tunes performed in classical renditions? The fact we were all surprised by it shows we had to participate in this imagination.

A few days ago, I read an interesting question about Bridgerton: “This TV inclusivity, is it an itch?”

I hope it’s not; it’s glorious.

Seeing all those diverse faces on screen, made me think just how much we miss in life and in art, not seeing those beautiful faces more often, in lead roles, and all the magic they bring along.

This world is tired.

We need more magic. We need glory. We need to celebrate differences and all they bring to the table. Someone, somewhere convinced us those beautiful dark faces are somehow less pretty than the light ones.

I spent 9 years in Los Angeles trying to help my ex-boyfriend's acting career, and I sat in so many meetings at production houses or studios listening to executives explaining to us why “a romantic lead with an accent would bother the viewer”, or “an eastern-European accent can never be a romantic lead”.

I could never understand why an accent would interfere with a well-written story, told by actors that are more than capable of transferring the emotion to the viewer. I have no issues following a story and getting all tingly watching a guy handling a girl while not speaking perfect English.

Same as racial diversity. Couldn’t you follow a love story just because one of the pair is shades darker? What a refreshing thing to see, people of color just existing, without the stereotypes and puns.

The inclusivity in Bridgerton is not just in the color of the skin. It’s also about having currently the only openly gay actor playing a straight romantic lead in one of the biggest tv shows on the planet. And not just satisfactorily play him, he plays him so that the new bar of romantic leads needs to be established, post Jonathan Bailey take on Anthony Bridgerton.

What did we just witness?!

A superior portrayal. Here comes an openly gay actor, the one that you probably didn’t cast for so many straight roles he was perfect for, and he gives a lesson to many straight actors about how a romantic lead should be played.

He put all the Darcys and Heathclifs to shame; Johnny understood the assignment and he came to play ball.

I always felt so bad for actors forced to hide their sexuality for the sake of their careers. Imagine how hard it is to hide a part of yourself to be able to put food on your table; the cruelty of that equation was never lost on me.

Do we hire a serial killer to play a serial killer? Why then, do we have issues hiring a gay actor in a straight romantic role? Is he not able to kiss a person?

Unfortunately, it's not about the capability to play a role, it’s studios not wanting to risk money, after all, they sell dreams and fantasy; they hire straight actors in romantic leads not because they can screw a woman on screen but because they want women watching thinking they can be with that guy after the credits roll.

It’s selling a fantasy.

But why?

Damn his gayness, the only thing standing in the way of him & you riding into the sunset!

Why are we like this?

Can we not enjoy someone without projecting? He won’t date you, gay or not, you might as well just enjoy the performance. The only thing that will come out of your relationship with Anthony Bridgerton is you watching him moan on screen like you watch any other straight actor moan on screen.

Bridgerton Instagram profile caught a bit of fire after it aired; the majority of comments were: “Why is he gay??”, “Damn, he’s gay, what pity”, and so on.

Pity for who?

This man created a character that no Regency Era, no Jane or Charlotte will ever top, and here we are - talking about who he likes to fuck.

So boring. Mundane.

What I like the most in Bridgerton is bringing sex to the Regency Era. I miss that in Austen or Bronte, and as once Charlotte famously trolled Jane Austen: “Passions are perfectly unknown to her”. We need a little passion, and even though most of the people I talked to loved Season 1 and Duke of Hastings’ very explicit climaxes, I liked Johnny, sorry the Viscount Bridgerton, and the way his face gimmicks showcased all the stages of the courtship, passion, romance.

Yes, I get it, you all are hot for “you are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires”, but erase all the words and put him on mute and this guy played this character with his face; looks, hidden looks, stolen looks, heavy breaths, moans, I mean moans, that was pure art in moaning, face on face, face next to the face, face between the legs with eyes looking up and the hand there bellow the face, in Regency Era, no less, (it cracks me up, do you think they had sex as we do, then?) AND the bee scene.

The bee scene.

The bee scene is an acting masterclass.

No words, just breathing, shaking, and nodding, and we understood the whole paragraph of what he wanted to say.

Last dance with Wrecking Ball playing in the background, no words, just mimics of the face, longing, passion, and fear of losing it.

So many scenes. But if I have to choose one, it’s the bangles. The wedding, the looks, the bangles, the drop, and the “allow me” - it felt like seeing a beautiful painting being made right in front of me.

Simone Ashley, playing Kathani Sharma, an equal partner in a brilliant performance. Stunning face; aren’t you tired of the Instagram faces, huge fake lips, tons of makeup, same features? How refreshingly beautifully angular is her face? Stunning eyes? Lips? Her facial expressions are so precise, it’s a joy seeing how skilled she is in front of the camera, with so few roles prior to this.

Charitra Chandran as Edwina Sharma, another exceptional character creation for only a few roles under her belt. The excellent juxtaposition with her older sister.

And finally, why are we so taken by this story?

Because we’re tired of all the men who can not communicate properly, because everyone around us is watered down, mundane, because we long for a banter, our words to bounce off something. Someone.

Because, maybe, we are tired of the complexity of modern dating. Maybe because we long for the simplicity of walking off to a garden, for a guy coming running after you to talk or almost kiss you or declare some grand gesture. Imagine, all you have to do to communicate is wander off to some garden!

We are mesmerized by talking, bantering, communicating, courting, flirting, saving, protecting. Yes, we are all taught to be enough and to love ourselves, we are taught no one will love us until we love ourselves, and no partner will come your way until you sort your life, but I’m tired of that notion.

I’m tired of not being feminist enough and woke enough to say, I sometimes want saving! I want someone to find me and sort me and I don’t love myself any less in that process.

There’s some joy and magic in a person showing you the best parts of yourself you forgot about, whether it’s a partner or a friend. This constant pressure from society telling us we need to be content alone and never need help or assistance or even some kindness; is a very unfeeling way of life.

I don’t care for it.

Watching Bridgerton is participating in its imagination. A colorblind place where race doesn’t matter, where there’s passion, longing, saving, transforming, penetrating (not that kind, settle down) into someone’s existence, showing them who they ought to be.

It’s the furthest from our current reality.

Race matters, color matters, no one is passionate about anything but one-upping each other on Instagram, no one wants to save or help or assist anyone, love is non-existent, and affections are a weakness.

And finishing the last episode is a cruel awakening back to real life.

Still, there are blueprints for what to strive for.

Netflix is forever and we’ll have the Viscount Bridgerton and Kathani Sharma for eternity.

Real life is just unnecessary noise.