Bridgerton Would Be Getting More Deaths and Drama If Not Based on Books
Netflix's Bridgerton series has sparked a renewal for romance dramas. The show, based on the novels by Julia Quinn warmed the hearts of the audience and made us all fantasize about what it would be like to love and be loved.
The show is set during the 19th century in London and is centered around the Bridgerton family whose members go through drama, heartbreak, and desire in order to be with the one they love. The show has had two fantastic seasons spearheaded by Shondaland's tactful hand.
After debuting in the December of 2020, the show quickly became the most-watched English language series on Netflix at the time. However, despite the acclaim and the well-deserved success, there are points of contention here as well.
For instance, Bridgerton runs into the same problem that any show adapted from a novel runs into. That of how far it goes to replicate the original source material. While some changes were welcome, for instance making certain characters mixed-race, others are more divisive.
Speaking about the potential for a spin-off series, producer Shonda Rhimes stated that she has no plans for anything of the sort at this time. She believes that a story arc that ends in a happy ending is complete and nothing remains to be explored. She added that it will feel artificial if drama is created for the sake of drama.
This is in contrast with how the books were written. For instance, in Viscount Who Loved Me, the actual story begins after Kate and Anthony are married. There are many opportunities to explore these characters more and have them persevere, but apparently, the producer is not ready for that at the moment.
This statement led to debates on the internet for both sides. While some fans believed that Shonda Rhimes' talents were in creating conflict that exists outside the relationship or when it is blossoming. However, after the couple gets together, the drama wears off.
"She says this because Shonda is a drama writer through and through. Watch any of her shows. She doesn't know how to have conflict within a relationship unless some serious drama comes to the coupling. Death, injury, etc. It's just her MO. If they gave Kate/Anthony a big subplot this year (as much as I want it) it would probably be awful." – u/KangarooWooden
The books tend to go deeper into the internal conflicts and that is something the fans miss. Many fans were disappointed at the lack of courtship after the engagement and the potential for greater storytelling here. Furthermore, a deeper exploration of Kate's trauma, childhood, father, culture and all make for exciting stories.
Many fans even took offence to her opinion because they thought that it meant everything after marriage is boring. However, considering that future seasons are already in the pipeline, fans are expecting to see Kate and Anthony again, just not as the main focus.
Season three of Bridgerton is in production and is based on Colin who is the protagonist of Romancing Mister Bridgerton. The new season is bound to include some nods and characters from the past. Hopefully, it has the answers we seek.