Bridgerton

From Fanlore
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Fandom
Name: Bridgerton
Abbreviation(s):
Creator: Julia Quinn (author) and Shonda Rhimes (tv producer)
Date(s): 2000-2006 (books)
2020-current (tv show)
Medium: books, television show
Country of Origin: US
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Bridgerton is a popular historical romance novel series written by Julia Quinn and set in the Regency era. The series follows a set of siblings (the titular "Bridgertons") as they find love and is known for the inclusion of a Gossip Girl-style narrator known as Lady Whistledown. It's also known for a controversial scene involving Daphne Bridgerton tricking Simon Basset into sex while drunk in order to conceive a child even though he has expressed that he doesn't want to have children.[1][2][3] This incident is often called "The Scene" by Bridgerton fans.

The series has also been adapted into a television show by Shonda Rhimes for Netflix, which caused a renewed interest in the books.

Canon

The Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn are known for their heartwarming romances between the eight Bridgerton siblings and their significant others. Here's a detailed breakdown of each canon couple:

  1. Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings & Daphne Bridgerton ("The Duke and I"): To escape unwanted marriage proposals, Daphne and Simon enter a fake engagement. Their witty banter and undeniable chemistry lead to a passionate love affair that defies societal expectations. After a misunderstanding based on Simon's past, they reconcile and build a happy life together, with several children.
  2. Anthony Bridgerton & Kate Sheffield/Sharma ("The Viscount Who Loved Me"): Determined to secure a wife for duty, Anthony becomes entangled with Kate, the fiercely protective older sister of his intended bride. Their constant clashes mask a growing attraction. Faced with societal disapproval and Kate's own past, they navigate emotional turmoil before finally admitting their love.
  3. Benedict Bridgerton & Sophie Beckett/Baek ("An Offer From a Gentleman"): Benedict is captivated by a mysterious masked woman, Sophie, at a masquerade ball. They share an unforgettable night, but Sophie flees before dawn due to her secret identity as a servant. Years later, their paths cross again, leading Benedict on a quest to find and win the woman who stole his heart.
  4. Colin Bridgerton & Penelope Featherington ("Romancing Mister Bridgerton"): Penelope Featherington, secretly the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, has been harboring an unrequited love for Colin Bridgerton since childhood. Their friendship takes a turn when Colin returns from travels. However, his obliviousness and Penelope's insecurities create a comedic yet frustrating dance before Colin finally recognizes Penelope's true worth.
  5. Eloise Bridgerton & Sir Phillip Crane ("To Sir Phillip, With Love"): Eloise, the most independent Bridgerton sister, prioritizes intellectual pursuits over marriage. In a series of mistaken identities and unexpected circumstances, she may end up with Sir Phillip Crane, a widower with young children.
  6. Francesca Bridgerton & Michael/Michaela Stirling ("When He Was Wicked"): Francesca's love story takes place before the main Bridgerton series. She marries John Stirling for love, but tragedy strikes, leaving Francesca heartbroken. Years later, she finds solace and a second chance at love with Michael, John's cousin.
  7. Gregory Bridgerton & Lucy Abernathy ("On the Way to the Wedding"): The youngest Bridgerton brother, Gregory, falls for his childhood friend Lucy Abernathy. Their playful dynamic evolves into a sweet and innocent love story, defying societal expectations for age difference.
  8. Hyacinth Bridgerton & Gareth St. Clair ("It's In His Kiss"): Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton sister, is known for her wit and sharp tongue. She meets her match in Gareth St. Clair, a charming but notorious rake. Their battles of wit mask a growing attraction, leading to a hilariously combative yet passionate love story.

Fandom

Bridgerton fandom participates in the regular fannish activities of making fanfiction, fanart, gifset, vids etc. Although the books were incredibly popular within the romance community prior to their adaptation into a TV show by Netflix, there wasn't much of a transformative fandom around them. Most of the fannish activity on sites like AO3 and Tumblr is based around the Netflix show, rather than the books, although there are a small handful of book-only fanworks.

Common Tropes

  • Modern AU
  • Canon Divergence AU

Pairings

The two most popular pairings in the Bridgerton fandom include Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield (Kate Sharma in the Netflix show) and Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington. They're more or less equally popular, although Kathony is currently the first most popular pairing on AO3 with 250 or so more works than Polin, although "Colin Bridgerton & Penelope Featherington" also appears in the top 10 pairings.[4][5] Pairings featuring the other Bridgerton siblings are also popular, although many of the fanworks tagged on AO3 with them feature them as a side pairing to one of the main two pairings. However the third most popular pairing in the book tag, Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton, has a number of works focused on the pairing[6] while the third most popular pairing in the Netflix show tag, Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton, rarely appears as the main pairing of works.[7]

Because of the series' nature as romance, specifically het romance, it's a rare fandom where slash and femslash don't dominate the popular pairings. None of the top 10 pairings on AO3 are same sex[4] and even Reader fic is more popular.[8] Still, there are a handful of Benedict Bridgerton/Henry Granville works on AO3,[9] as well as some Simon Basset/Anthony Bridgerton.[10] Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington fics,[11] was the only femslash pairing with a notable number of works, until season three when the pairing of Eloise Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper emerged. Also interesting is that despite the first season of the Netflix show and the first book centering around the Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton pairing, it is very much not the most popular pairing, likely due to the aforementioned issues fans have with their relationship.

Challenges

Fanworks

References

  1. ^ My Issue With The Bridgertons Series – The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (Review). Posted 17 Dec 2020. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  2. ^ Yes, Bridgerton's Non-Consensual Sex Scene Is Controversial — But It's Meant To Be. Posted 29 Dec 2020. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  3. ^ Winsome or Loathsome: Daphne Bridgerton. Originally Posted 2 Mar 2015. Reposted 2 Jan 2021. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  4. ^ a b Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  5. ^ Bridgerton (TV) Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  6. ^ Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  7. ^ Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton Tag on AO3, filtered for "otp:true." Accessed 2 May 2023. Compare to the unfiltered tag, which is about 2/3rds being tagged as a side pairing.
  8. ^ Bridgerton (TV) Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023, when both "Benedict Bridgerton/Reader " and "Anthony Bridgerton/Reader" appeared in the top 10 most popular pairings.
  9. ^ Benedict Bridgerton/Henry Granville. Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  10. ^ Simon Basset/Anthony Bridgerton Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  11. ^ Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington Tag on AO3. Accessed 2 May 2023.
Retrieved from "https://fanlore.org/w/index.php?title=Bridgerton&oldid=2673062"