Netflix's Bridgerton Finally Fixed the Books' Creepiest Trend
Despite the fact that Netflix's Bridgerton is based on Julia Quinn's book series, the show has altered its storylines and characters.
And while some of the changes have been frowned upon by fans of the novels, most were embraced with enthusiasm and made the show a pop culture hit that captured the attention of audiences from the very first episode.
Julia Quinn's book series is a classic Regency romance with high society, its challenges, problems, rumors, and an occasional steamy scene. The show, on the other hand, feels more modern and relatable, even though it presents an alternate reality where love has conquered racism.
Bridgerton has changed the Regency clothing and hairstyles to looks that feel period-inspired but aesthetically pleasing today. It made most of the characters more complex and the plots more compelling. And most importantly, it fixed the creepy age gap issue.
Those viewers who decide to turn to Quinn's books in anticipation of Season 3 may be surprised by the ages of the main characters, namely the large age gaps between husbands and wives.
Today, such a tendency seems like a relic. But men taking much younger wives was standard in the Regency era. Women generally made their social debut at 18, and most were married by 21.
Men were expected to get an education and actually grow up before settling down and marrying. In Season 1, for example, the hunt was on for a husband for Daphne, but the eldest sibling Anthony was in no hurry.
Moreover, when Colin, who was a year older than Daphne, proposed to Marina, Lady Violet and Anthony thought he was much too young to marry.
And although in Season 1, Daphne was aged down to meet Simon during her debut year, making their age difference even greater, the writers fixed that issue with the other two main couples.
Kate Sharma was aged up five years so that she and Anthony were not very far apart in age. And Colin was aged down so that he is not much older than Penelope. Most likely, other couples will also be adjusted in age.
This idea of changing the age of the characters has been praised by fans for making the show more relatable to modern viewers and for fixing the creepy trend where the men of the ton would always take much younger wives.