One Bridgerton Scene Will Never Be Okay No Matter How Hard the Writers Defend It
One thing Bridgerton writers are notoriously good at doing is raising pulses with the ample amount of steamy sex scenes in the hit series.
Warning: This article contains spoilers and information about sensitive topics which may be triggering for some readers
When the first season aired, it quickly became the talk of the town. However, there's one controversial scene in particular that got people talking. And not in a good way. In fact, it made fans question the morality of it and caused a number of debates. But what could possibly cause such an uproar? Let's talk about it.
Recap
In case you're unfamiliar with the plot, here's a quick overview of what happened. The main protagonist, Daphne Bridgerton, learns that her husband, Simon Bassett, is avoiding fatherhood and that he had lied to her about his inability to have children, despite her wanting to start a family.
It turns out, he can have children but uses the pull-out method to prevent pregnancy. She then starts hatching a plan to get impregnated by him, and one day, positions herself on top of him during sex, making him ejaculate inside her, against his will.
How Viewers Reacted
Many viewers were very shocked by what they had witnessed, and the scene caused a lot of backlash. Some say it could've been portrayed better, while others think it should've never made it into the show in the first place.
Surprisingly enough, some fans tried to defend Daphne's actions by claiming she didn't know it was wrong.
Of course, that statement is not exactly accurate because Daphne knew Simon was avoiding having children, even though he lied about the real reason why. Yet we still see her planning and executing this act. Not to mention the fact that he tries to stop her, but she goes through with it anyway.
But what really upsets the viewers is that Daphne doesn't actually suffer any consequences for this horrible act, which was completely glossed over. In fact, it almost seemed as if the series switched the focus back to Simon, highlighting that he's the bad guy for lying to her.
So, this not only sends the wrong message about what rape is to the audience but also makes it look like Daphne's emotional hurt was somehow supposed to justify rape.
This made a lot of people feel as if the series is downplaying sexual assault because the person that's committing it is a woman, not a man.
What Did the Writers Have to Say About This?
Showrunner Chris Van Dusen told Entertainment Weekly that this scene was a part of Daphne's story.
"I've always called this first season of the show, if it had a subtitle, it would be, 'The Education of Daphne Bridgerton.' That incident really goes along with that overall — that overarching theme that she starts out as this picture-perfect, wide-eyed, innocent debutante. And we watch her grow into this woman who gets to shed all of the constraints society has held her to, and she finally figures out who she really is and what she's capable of," he explained.
What makes this scene problematic is not so much the fact that it's in the plot but rather that it doesn't portray the act properly for what it is, which is sexual assault. The hit series also lacks the much-needed depiction of consequences for such terrible actions. It does, however, raise the important topic of consent, which is something that can be given but also removed at any point. The bottom line is, regardless of the circumstances, sexual assault can't be justified, and the entertainment industry should display that clearly.