This Christmas we may have been deprived of our usual Christmas celebrations but we were gifted with something that maybe, almost, sort of made up for all of that.
The first season of Bridgerton dropped on Netflix on December 25 with the eagerly anticipated Shonda Rhimes produced series bringing us amazing costumes, compelling characters and sex. Loads of sex.
For those not yet familiar with the period drama, adapted from the best-selling novels, it is akin to a Regency-era Gossip Girl, in which young ladies from high society make their decadent debuts with the sole purpose of finding a suitable husband. So, yeah, it’s not the most feminist leaning show on the planet, but it sure is fun and offers the same sort of silly escapism Emily in Paris provided.
Narrating the series is the mysterious Lady Whistledown, who spills secrets as quickly as I do red wine when in the vicinity of a white carpet.
The first season of the series largely centres around the blossoming chemistry between eldest Bridgerton sister Daphne and the Duke of Hastings, who is played by Regé-Jean Page, and it is oh-so-hot.
Eagle-eyed viewers might notice that Daphne looks very familiar, and if you’re a fan of the rom-com series Younger you’ll know why. The first female-born Bridgerton is played by actress Phoebe Dynevor who is also known for portraying Clare – the bartender turned game developer who marries Josh (Nico Tortorella) for a green card and shows up allegedly pregnant with his child after the two have called it quits.
Many fans were skeptical of Clare’s pregnancy announcement on the hit TV show, questioning whether or not the child was actually Josh’s (it is) and what this will now mean for his obviously unfinished relationship with Liza.
Unfortunately, we may be waiting a while yet for the answer to that last question, as filming of the show’s seventh season has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Hilary Duff, who plays Kelsey Peters, had previously suggested production would hopefully pick up in March 2021 but with case numbers in the US rising at an alarming rate, and Duff’s own pregnancy, filming could be postponed even longer.
While even another week is way too long to find out who Liza chooses, at least we have Bridgerton, with all of its pomp and glamour, to tide us over in the meantime… for about a day until we’ve binged it in its entirety and have to impatiently wait for the new season of that too.