I have never been the girl that wants to go see the latest rom-com. I have just never found love stories to be interesting in any way. Maybe I’m just too cynical to get caught up in romance and fairytales, or to think that meet cute is actually cute. I typically find romcoms to be rather nonsensical and thus non-interesting.

However, I have recently found that I do enjoy a good historical drama. As a history buff, it’s easy for me to enthrall myself in a historical setting. I like to imagine what it must have been like to live during that time. I like to think about the scenarios and issues raised by the character’s struggles and juxtapose how it’s being played out in the drama versus how it would be played out in our world today.

We were two separate societies divided by color, until a king fell in love with one of us. Love, Your Grace, conquers all.

~AGATHA, LADY DANBURY

Book I

Book V

Book II

Book VI

Book III

Book VII

Book IV

Book VIII

When I first heard of Bridgerton, I wasn’t sure if it was something that I would enjoy. I just couldn’t really wrap my head around this seemingly comedic romance set in the past. What did catch my eye were two things, that it was from Shondaland Entertainment, and two that it had a Black Queen of England and several key Black characters.

I’m definitely a fan of Shonda Rhymes. Grey’s Anatomy is one of my top 10 favorite shows and I actually enjoyed Private Practice and Scandal considerably. Although, not quite to the extent that I enjoyed Grey’s Anatomy. However, this show seemed so far removed from anything that I have ever known her to be associated with and that was something I found quite fascinating and thus made me really want to know more.

I was shocked when I looked up the historical characters from the show and learned that England did in fact have a Black queen and that England’s past society was not as white as I had always thought it was. On top of that, the show kept getting crazy amounts of buzz. The buzz was at a level that I could not ignore any longer. I had to find out what all the hype was about.

Now, that I have actually seen it, I have to say that the hype is most deserved. I binged the show nonstop in one day! It was that good!!! I just could not stop watching it. It has a lot intrigued me. In fact, it was the complex drama around the women in the show that really drew me in. The show definitely highlights the precarious nature of being female during that time but it also highlights the agency women took in crafting lives on their own terms within the suffocating constraints of their patriarchal system.

Despite the show being a historical drama, it is also a very deep love story. It is the story of a woman who is willing to risk everything to have true love and a man who has completely turned away from the hope of having it, so much so, that when it is staring him right in his face he can’t even see it.

Bridgerton is a very timely show for American viewers because our country is trying to find its way back to normalcy, to connection, and to healing from a year fueled by fear, turmoil, and hate. Through the show’s two protagonists, you are forced to ask yourself how much is love worth and if can love truly conquer all.

Bridgerton is extremely thought-provoking and will definitely tug at your heartstrings. Plus, it has just enough comedy to keep you laughing but not too much comedy to take away from the deeper points raised by the story. From its musical score to its costuming to its cinematography, and to its spectacular cast you cannot go wrong with Bridgerton.

Synopsis

From Shondaland and Creator Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter of the powerful Bridgerton family as she makes her debut in Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps and find a match sparked by true love, Daphne’s prospects initially seem to be unrivaled. But as her older brother begins to rule out her potential suitors, the high society scandal sheet written by the mysterious Lady Whistledown casts aspersions on Daphne. Enter the highly desirable and rebellious Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), a committed bachelor and the catch of the season for the debutantes’ mamas. Despite proclaiming that they want nothing the other has to offer, their attraction is undeniable and sparks fly as they find themselves engaged in an increasing battle of wits while navigating society’s expectations for their future.

Bridgerton is a romantic, scandalous, and quick-witted series that celebrates the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their way, and the search for a love that conquers all. The series also stars Golda Rosheuvel, Jonathan Bailey, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Nicola Coughlan, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Polly Walker, Ben Miller, Bessie Carter and Harriet Cains, and Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown. The series is inspired by Julia Quinn’s best-selling novels.