Bridgerton Book vs. Show: What happened to Kate & Anthony's chemistry?
Shonda Rhimes seems to be overdosing on drama.
As Bridgerton Season 3 approaches, fans are wondering if it will be much different from the Julia Quinn novel on which it is based. The Shondaland show has already proven that it is willing to change the source material as much as necessary to make its characters and storylines serve the purpose of shocking viewers and eliciting deeper emotions from them.
As a result, many fans of the Bridgerton book series feel that Season 2 strayed too far from the book series. Some even feel that the show has ruined the chemistry between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma.
In the show, Anthony, played by Jonathan Bailey, and Kate, portrayed by Simone Ashley, play out a classic enemies-to-lovers trope. They are both fierce, strong and independent, which creates a palpable attraction and a lot of drama. The actors have managed to capture that magnetism on screen. But some fans feel that if the writing for the show were closer to the novel, the chemistry between the two characters would be much more intense.
'The build-up in the books was so much better and that made this season hard to watch,' one viewer commented on the season.
The book characters bond over fears triggered by the death of their parents. Kate is as afraid of a storm as Anthony is of bees. And as they help each other overcome these phobias, they grow closer, which is the perfect setup for real feelings.
In the show, the insecurities of the two characters are very different. Anthony is pressured by his duty as Viscount Bridgerton, Kate has to earn her place in the family, which makes her deny her own feelings. This makes them both harder to crack and less suitable for romance.
As a result, Julia Quinn fans feel that Kate and Anthony had a chemistry in the book that wasn't nearly as compelling on screen. In the pursuit of a convoluted, emotionally charged plot, the writers seemed to forget why they created the show in the first place and put drama ahead of romance.
While they got lost in the unnecessary love triangle and duty-over-love torment, both characters in the novel felt much more likeable and relatable, their relationship much more heartwarming, and their chemistry much more believable.
Source: Reddit.