"Bridgerton": Feminist Tale or Steamy Romance?

By Tayler Nowak

Edited by Taylor Morgan

Dearest Gentle Reader, 

You may be sitting at the edge of your seat for the rest of season four to be released; however, there is much to be said about this Cinderella-inspired “Bridgerton” love story. 

BIBIS / @abeatrizdfx on Pinterest

Of course, the two love interests of this season are Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek, a maid who comes to the ball not to find a love interest but to experience what it’s like to be in society as a lady. However, after Sophie runs back to turn into a pumpkin, or in this case beat her secret stepmother and sisters home from the ball, Benedict—or perhaps I should say Prince Charming—falls for her and searches the whole Ton to find her with no prevail. All of the “Bridgerton” seasons have overly emphasized things women can’t or should not do in a good society in the early 1800s. Such as being alone with a man, even in public, owning a successful business and being a career woman without the help of a man or even taking part in sports. Could “Bridgerton” making such a large deal out of what women should and should not do, often pointing out how ridiculous it is, be an underlying theme of feminism?

“Bridgerton” could also be categorized as a steamy romance show, one that people mostly watch for entertainment. After all, each season has an epic love story with an attractive Bridgerton lead and some trial and error before each couple inevitably gets together in some sexy and show-stopping way—thinking back to season one with Daphne and the Duke in the rain. 

But what if, in this season, we need to look out for some not-so-subtle hints? Such as, how will Benedict and Sophie be together if Sophie’s father was a nobleman but her mother was a maid? Will this go as far as to showcase an interclass marriage, allowing maids or lower-class citizens a chance to come out of the shadows in the next “Bridgerton” season? This could make a statement that all women deserve their own love story, not just those born into the higher class. 

What do you think will happen in the new episodes to come? Will love prevail in this Cinderella story, or will society rip these two apart? Let me know in the comments. 

Yours Truly, Tayler Nowak.