There are eight novels for each of the Bridgerton siblings (four boys, four girls, very neat) and this series is focused on the first novel, The Duke & I, which tells the story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings (Rege-Jean Page). However, there is a LOT of material being pulled in from the other novels, and you will get plenty of background to set up the future romances of Anthony, Benedict, Colin, and Eloise (the children were all named alphabetically if you have failed to note that already). The central romance is quite faithful to the novel, but there are definitely elements of the story that are a drastic departure from the original source material, which means there are still plenty of surprises in store for even the most devoted readers.
I'm not going to go into much detail about the plot. It's a romance, there are a ton of misunderstandings, it's all very delightful. You should settle in for the ride and many heightened emotions. What I do want to get into though, is why this series is so utterly magnificent and a treat for your eyes and ears. Created by Chris Van Dusen, who was a former writer on Shondaland's Grey's Anatomy and Scandal, this show is a soapy, sexy, stunning successor to everything Shondaland gave us on network television and can now amp up in the TV-MA world of Netflix. Let's be very clear. This is not some tame adaptation with some heaving but fully clothed bosoms. You're gonna get nudity, of the male and female variety, at the outset (there's a sex scene about two minutes into the very first episode if you weren't sufficiently warned) and hoo boy, the sexy times just keep a-coming. The folks at Shondaland understand exactly why readers love Regency romances, and they deliver in spades.
The cast of this show is absolutely impeccable and up to the task of giving us something that is both titillating and emotionally affecting. I thought it was purely color-blind casting but in Episode 4, there is an explicit acknowledgement of why there are so many Black Dukes and Lords running around London high society. Romance novels are already a bit of a fantasy genre, so why restrict yourself by suddenly claiming a need for "historical accuracy"? It makes for a richer and more diverse and diverting (see what I did there) show, and allows for some absolutely sublime performances. My very favorite might be Adjoa Andoh who plays Lady Danbury, a fierce, elderly dowager who loves to gossip about the ton and is very free with her opinions. If race had been an issue during casting, we would never have gotten to see this magnificent performance from this superlative Black actress, but now? I will never be able to picture Lady Danbury as anyone else.
Next, there are the costumes by Ellen Mirojnick. What a work of art. And just, what a lot of work, period. The costume department ended up creating around 7,500 distinct costumes for this series and their efforts have not gone in vain. Even if you haven't read the books, it is immediately apparent that the Bridgertons have both taste and elegance, while you will chuckle over the unfortunately garish costumes the Featherington girls are forced to don, and it is all incredibly bewitching and remarkable. And of course, to go along with the costumes, we have the stunning production design from Will Hughes-Jones who brings us Regency London in all its pomp and glory. When I read these books, I have always had to pictures these worlds in my head, but now, I have so many settings and dresses and ballrooms to choose from. Every scene of this show is a delight and I could stare at it for hours, losing myself in the colors and textures and sumptuousness of it all.
And where would I be if I didn't mention the music? The original score is wonderful and the work of composer Kris Bowers. But I need to sing the special praises of music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas. When I was in college, I mostly discovered new music on TV shows and the soundtracks that often caught my ear were Gossip Girl and Grey's Anatomy. Patsavas was responsible for the music on those shows, so once I started noticing pop music Easter Eggs in Bridgerton, I knew my lady was behind the scenes and ensuring this show would not just be a visual feast but an audiovisual one. Pay attention in the ballroom scenes: what sounds like Regency orchestral music is sometimes a cover of a modern pop song, including a rip-roaring version of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" in Episode 3. But the music moment that made me cry was in the finale. There's a particularly beautiful waltz that is set to Max Richter's "Spring 1," a piece of music that is my definition of what joy sounds like, where every pluck of the violin strings seems to pluck at my heartstrings. It was such an apt selection for this moment where our couple was going to get their happily ever after (this is not a spoiler alert, you just don't understand how romance novels work), and I was overcome with a sense of how this show had managed to meet my expectations and then wildly surpass them.
Bridgerton is a feast for the senses and a television masterpiece. And apart from all the aesthetics I've described, I cannot emphasize enough how well-written and well-paced it is. Every episode contains exactly the right mix of scandal, drama, and comic relief, and even though there is such an absurdly sprawling cast of characters, I was never lost for a single minute, eagerly following the myriad storylines and curious to see how much more I was going to get from any particular supporting character before we circled back to Daphne and Simon's central romance. It is a screenwriting tour-de-force and if the writers don't win any Emmys, it will be purely because of the foolish disrespect people have for the romance genre and not because of any lack of skill. This show is a perfect distillation of why we love and admire this genre so much - yes, the scenarios can be silly and contrived, but the emotions and characters are fully developed and engaging and unforgettable. Watch this show and then start reading Julia Quinn's novels. You're in for such a treat.
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