Picture via Rottentomatoes.com By: Molly Bancroft The time has come upon us dear reader: The newest season of “Bridgerton” has graced our screens. Viewers were transported back to Mayfair, London in the year 1813 to reconvene with the esteemed Bridgerton family. The first season followed the love story between the eldest Bridgerton daughter, Daphne, and her now-husband, the Duke of Hastings. The second season, however, focuses on the love story of the eldest Bridgerton, Anthony, portrayed by Jonathan Bailey. Season two follows the viscount on his trials and tribulations trying to secure himself a viscountess. He eventually sets his sights on Edwina Sharma (portrayed by Charithra Chandran), who shares his same sentiments. The only thing stopping Bridgerton is Ms. Sharma’s protective older sister Kate Sharma, portrayed by Simone Ashley. What ensues is a season of hatred between the two, which eventually blossoms into an incredible love story. Picture via Cnn.com Personally, I much preferred season two to the first. The story between Kate and Anthony was much better written and performed by both actors. Their anger, yet underlying affection, was shown in every scene between the two. There were a number of swoon-worthy moments that will make the butterflies in your stomach really twirl around. But this writer is not simply writing this article to review the season. Rather, I would like to discuss one of the pinnacle reasons why the announcement of “Bridgerton” was met with so much attention: its color-conscious casting of all their roles. Obviously, during the 19th century, it was practically impossible for people of color to be in such high positions of power in England, such as dukes and queens, much less having a white person serving them willingly. But Shonda Rhimes chose to cast whomever fit the role best, regardless of race and ethnicity. This is clearly evidenced by the casting of the lead Duke of Hastings (Rege-Jean Page), Queen Charlotte (Gold Rosheuvel), and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Many applauded this choice, giving more opportunities for actors of color in a typical genre that type-casts them to the worker roles. ![]() Picture via Nytimes.com But does this choice actually provide a good amount of representation? Does the world of “Bridgerton” exist in a reality where racist tensions were never a thing? For the majority of the first half of the show, one may believe the latter question to be true. Nothing seems different of the sort. However, it’s not until episode four of season one that the audience is given an insight into whether these relations are historically accurate. While having a private conversation, Danbury and Hastings (Andoh and Page) are discussing their place in society. Danbury explains how the people like her and the duke had to work hard for their position in society. She further explains that it wasn’t until the king decided to marry Queen Charlotte, a woman of color, that they were able to fully acclimate into society. Although she never blatantly states the place of people of color in society, one can infer what she may be referring to. The only problem is that is the only time they mention anything regarding the topic. Not even in the second season do they reference anything of the sort. So, watchers are left with multiple questions, many of which I, myself, held. In an article from The Observer, author Carolyn Hinds writes, “It’s disingenuous to say their race doesn’t matter in this world, when the most prominent and numerous people are white. If race truly didn’t matter, there would be an equal number of Black, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latinx etc. and white people represented in the show.” Hinds brings up a notable point that others have mentioned: how the show claims to be color-conscious but under-represents various other ethnicities. But “Bridgerton” is one of the first few recent shows to take a step in the right direction. The representation will, hopefully, inspire other shows to move towards this notion. And “Bridgerton” has already fixed some of its missteps, mainly by casting three females as lead roles in the recent season who are all of Indian descent. Hopefully, this choice will continue on for “Bridgerton” seasons to come.
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