We Burn For You, Bridgerton
"Is this not lovely? All of us together again."
By All of Us
Regrettably, it seems we have come to the end of our week-long discussion of the Netflix sensation Bridgerton. We revisited some of our favorite moments of the show, critiqued some of our least favorite moments, and allowed ourselves to once more get lost in the whimsy of Grosvenor Square. In spite of all that, we still have more to say. Today, we’ll take a minute to fit in any last thoughts, reactions, and perhaps even concerns we have about Bridgerton.
For the last time: SPOILER ALERT! Spoilers for Netflix’s Bridgerton lurk below!
Aimée is #TeamFriedrich
“Why settle for a Duke when you can have a Prince?” That’s all I gotta say about that.
…In all seriousness, I really did find myself rooting for a Prince Friedrich and Daphne match in the first half of the season. Admit it—Simon was fucking with her BIG TIME for a long time. Meanwhile, Friedrich was perfectly lovely! In the looks department, he’s very much a 6 (or so) to Simon’s indisputable 10, but he certainly isn’t ugly. Every social interaction between the Prince and Daphne was very charming, I felt. He was respectful to her, not pushing her too hard; he didn’t get frustrated when she was obviously distracted by something (cough someone) while they were supposed to be having a conversation; and mainly, he didn’t waste her time. Maybe this just means the bar is pretty damn low for men…but I couldn’t find one thing to dislike about Friedrich!
That’s somewhat typical of romance novels/series, though. The “beta” oftentimes does have nothing wrong with him, thus showing how strong the love/lust between the “alpha” and the protagonist really is. If Daphne can turn down a kind, decent-looking PRINCE who wants to raise perfect little babies with her in England, then she clearly REALLY wants to be with Simon. Obviously there was a little more to the story there, what with the garden hookup, almost-duel, and all that jazz…but you get my point. I’m just saying: Daphne could’ve saved herself a LOT of heartache in the early stages of her life as a married woman had she chosen to marry Prince Friedrich.
Polin (Penelope + Colin) All the Way for Kayla
Because I have not read the book series yet, my biggest takeaway from this first season is how badly I want Penelope and Colin to get together! I know, it may be cliché, but I find their friendship to be the most adorable thing! Plus, my heart will always go out to P for being the “outcast” of the group. Actually, let me rephrase that—she was written to be the outcast of the group as the token overweight character. Hell, one of the first lines in the show about her was that she was starting the first season “two stone heavier than she ought to be.” As the show proceeds, it is very evident that there is almost no representation by anyone of a different size. Between Daphne’s tiny littlie figure and Simon’s ripped body, it is evident that Penelope is set to be the ugly duckling of the cast.
This reason makes it that much more difficult for me, seeing her pining away for a man who, while seemingly very nice, only views her as a friend. The two have been very close for ages, given the close proximity of their families. Colin is the brother to her best friend Eloise, so she must have been around him a lot growing up…unfortunately, for a majority of the season, Colin is only interested in one girl—her “cousin” Marina Thompson. For reference, Marina is pregnant with her true love’s baby, but he is away at war. Because it is a complete disgrace for her to be pregnant without being married, Lady Featherington plots to find her a suitor very quickly before she starts to show. Unfortunately, the only real promise is a greasy old man who she hates. That is, until Colin comes along. Marina sets her sights on Colin and works to seduce him to marry her, all while knowing she is pregnant. Poor Penelope has to sit and watch the man of her dreams fall in love with someone who is knowingly deceiving him. Ultimately, this breaks Penelope (who we all know is Lady Whistledown) and causes her to basically out her family and write about the whole scandal…I know, can you say drama?
Although Penelope did a super shitty thing by basically breaking up the union of Marina and Colin, my heart still wants them to end up together. I relate to Penelope’s story by being the outcast in a group and not always feeling like you fit in, so I am rooting for the two of them to have their special moment and ultimately become a couple! Or at least for Penelope to find her true happy ending!
Lizzy Wants to See More Anthony
Despite how my piece may have made it sound, I actually really enjoyed the show!! It was a perfect blend of old and new. I loved that they brought in a diverse cast where most period pieces are Snow White all around. The music was beautiful and the outfits were stunning! I can’t wait for Season Two and to see more of Anthony! I hope this next season can help us see more of his personality. I liked him with his lower class lady, but I hope this next season will help him expand his views a little bit more. His relationship with Daphne infuriated me to my wits’ end. I’m excited to see some growth from him.
And with that, we bid Bridgerton adieu…at least until Season Two!
Shit We’re Loving: PEOPLE
Our Pick: Julie Andrews
Let’s be real: Lady Whistledown would be nothing—NO 👏THING👏—without the iconic voice of Dame Julie Andrews. Truly an angel among humans, she is best known for lending her incredible soprano to many beloved musicals, including Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Cinderella. Actually, who am I kidding—to our largely millennial audience, she will ALWAYS be Her Majesty Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genovia. Regardless of where you know Julie Andrews from, though, there’s basically a 0% chance that you dislike her.
Honestly, Julie Andrews’ career is so storied and impressive that it’s difficult to find out too much else about her. She is an older, classy, British woman, I suppose; they tend to not let too much of their personal lives be seen by the world. But I did manage to round up a few things you may not know about her:
She made her West End debut at age 12 and her Broadway debut at age 18.
She has written multiple children’s books, two of which I (Aimée) read in elementary school! (Might I recommend Little Bo?)
She has also written multiple autobiographies (I guess that long, impressive career lends itself to some stories worth sharing).
She recently created a TV series geared toward preschool aged children called Julie’s Greenroom.
Though we don’t get to hear much of Julie Andrews’ singing these days (due to throat surgery in 1997), I think we can all agree it was an absolute delight to hear her speaking voice on Bridgerton. Thank goodness Lady Whistledown’s true identity was only exposed to the viewers!
Show Your Support: ACLU
Kicking off our next year of giving, we’re spotlighting the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union—beyond one person, party, or side. Their mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees. They are “our nation’s guardian of liberty.” The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
To date, we’ve filed over 237 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration.
These people are freedom pros. Their interest lies in fighting governmental abuse and defending individual freedoms including speech and religion, a woman’s right to choose, the right to due process, citizens’ rights to privacy, and much more. It is to be noted that they aren’t necessarily concerned with morals as they are with violations to the Constitution such as the time in 78 when they defended a Nazi group that wanted to march through a Chicago suburb where many Holocaust survivors lived. Their message was clear: Free speech. And while it tastes a little sour in our current lighting, they have represented an interracial couple in the landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, where the court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional as well as won the case affirming the constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry. They are fighting the good fight and we thank them for it.
There are a few ways to get involved, the first is to simply go have a look around on their site. They have been involved in a ton of cases and have a fantastic “wish list” for when Biden and Harris take office. They also have a section for taking action where you can assist by signing and sharing petitions. Then, of course, the monetary donation, which A Trust Fund has already $100 donated to.
Daily Intention
Today I will…
Be thankful I survived January.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: