It's Time for Bridgerton to Admit Sex Doesn't Solve Everything
It's not because I'm a prude, I swear.
What's not to love about Bridgerton? Opulent settings, gorgeous costumes, cheekily classical pop covers, men in waistcoats glaring at the women they love from across a ballroom… it's Pride and Prejudice but with sex.
Lots and lots of sex
Is that a problem? Clearly not, say the millions of fans that devoured the first two seasons and the spinoff prequel Queen Charlotte. The 'bodice ripper' genre has been popular in books for decades, and Netflix was wise to let Bridgerton embrace its steamy glory. But while the show has been praised for its bold approach to intimacy, it's time to challenge Bridgerton's apparent belief that sex alone can replace (or resolve) complex character dynamics.
In a show brimming with interesting people and simmering subplots, the relentless emphasis on sexual encounters can sometimes become a distraction, preventing viewers from fully connecting with the characters and their journeys.
Bridgerton sex is a mess
The first season saw a joyful boink-fest in the marriage of Daphne Bridgerton and Simon, aka 'The Hot Duke'. Their passion reached almost cartoonish heights, with one montage showing Daphne being happily deflowered on a ladder, a gazebo, and the front lawn in broad daylight (scandal!).
Season 2 toned down the sex for its main couple, but made up for it with a series of frankly unnecessary encounters for its secondary cast. Much as we enjoy Benedict's Benedick (tee hee!) it would have been nice to spend time learning more about him as a person, instead of witnessing a bland series of hookups with his nameless art pal.
What was the point of that subplot? Just to shoehorn in more bare butts? It smacked a little bit of Anthony's S1 arc, which crammed a surprising number of sex scenes in even before we got to the heart of his relationship with Sienna. The fact that we saw so much more boinking from Anthony in Season 1, but only understood a tiny portion of his character, is pretty much a case-in-point.
Can we tone it down a bit?
There is no doubt that sexy, guilt-free romps are part of what makes Bridgerton such fun. But the series is most successful when the love scenes are part of a larger story. It's what made the Daphne-Simon scenes work so well, and what kept us watching through the more restrained Anthony-Kate pairing. When Bridgerton's sex scenes feel like nothing more than filler (no pun intended), it cheapens what is otherwise a very satisfying encounter.