The reason you were born

[tryingtoturnthepage]

"Show Sophie is so much more serious, less cheerful and optimistic, and frustratingly evasive and closed off compared to Book Sophie-"

Yes, and isn't that absolutely wonderful?!

It makes her more relatable to many of us anxious introverts who have always been serious, prone to worrying, cynically yet self-protectively guarded, and resistant to change.

It means that the moments when Sophie IS joyful and carefree feel far more poignant and meaningful.

Sophie hesitating to allow herself to feel and experience pleasure while Benedict is a reforming hedonist who indulged in too many of life's sensory, temporary pleasures at the expense of substance, depth and dealing with reality is one of many reasons that Benophie are so complementary and perfect together.

Being overly cautious, anxiety-driven and joy-deficient is a much more realistic response to her childhood trauma and current circumstances than "sunny" (Julia Quinn uses that adjective frequently!) Book Sophie was allowed to exhibit.

Making Sophie more somber initially not only gives her more of an arc as she learns to let herself be happy and open herself up to change and new experiences, but it makes her distinct from her altar ego, The Lady in Silver. The whole point of The Lady in Silver is that it allows Sophie to be someone significantly different from who she'd always been - not just by posing as someone who had greater status and freedom and a nicer dress, but someone who was HAPPY. And allowing herself to playact someone so joyful showed her that her real self was capable of feeling that way too. Plus, as people smarter than I am pointed out, Benedict's arc revolves around realizing that he wants something deep and meaningful and complicated and sometimes difficult but entirely real with layered, serious, secretive and harder to truly know Sophie rather than just an easy, pleasurable fantasy with the seemingly perfect Lady in Silver.

Confession time: While reading the series, I was in the camp who felt that the more perky princess Book Sophie came across as too perfect to be a multidimensional, relatable and realistic character. But the show compelled me to do a total 180, pivoting from "eh, she's as Mary Sue-ish as people claim" to "wow, she's not only among the most layered characters of the entire series but one of my favorite female characters ever!" No longer a perky princess, Show Sophie is allowed to be somber, cautious, secretive, too repressed to be honest with herself (let alone others!), and so phobic of change that she can come across as passive and remains "stuck" in sub-mediocre circumstances rather than proactively seizing control of her own life and being brave enough to change it. It makes her more relatable and more interesting - and makes her ultimate 'happy ending' vastly more rewarding!

[tryingtoturnthepage]

If Kate Sharma were alive today, which type of career could you most envision her having? Obviously I couldn't include most possibilities, so just pick the choice that comes closest. Please also feel free to share ideas in tags/replies!!

Investigative journalist/reporter

Attorney

Educator/teacher/professor

Independent investigator/detective/private eye

Health care/medical professional

Political advocate/lobbyist/activist

Running programs offering horseback riding/survivor skills/adventures for women

Businesswoman/Finance/CEO

A scientist/researcher

Mechanic/electrician/another traditionally male-dominated trade

Voting ended onMay 12

Confession time: Last year, I started a fic which features Kate as a spirited, outside-the-box investigative reporter who clashes with a certain intense, "by the book" editor named Anthony. Don't worry - I never finished it so the fic-reading world is safe...for now ;)

[kirkwahmmett]

i have a passion for strange individuals

[tryingtoturnthepage]

This is a very serious and vitally important poll ;) Reblogs are always very much appreciated!

Which of these Bridgerton females would most likely become a vigilante who avenges victims when the flawed criminal justice system fails?! (Apparently my new life goal is to write a wildly unhinged Bridgerton fic that no sane soul would ever want to read ;))

Daphne

Penelope

Hyacinth

Eloise

Sophie

Kate

Francesca

Violet

Queen Charlotte

Lady Danubury

Edwina

Cressida

Voting ended onMay 12

[carpisuns-archive]

i do not care how many times it’s been done. i don’t care if it’s predictable or cliché or “uncreative.” I will always feel so connected to a story where the answer to the problem is love. when love has some kind of actual power and the crowning narrative event is an expression of that power? honestly nothing is more satisfying to me. give me all the stories where true love’s kiss breaks the spell, where a selfless sacrifice saves the world, where a single act of kindness changes fate, where one person’s humanity inspires another’s, where a good heart unlocks a hidden power, where compassion paves the way for a kinder existence for all. let love eradicate evil and end wars and resurrect the dead and restore what was lost and bring peace to the land. let love be both the question and the answer. let it be the root and the result of every painful choice that leads to a beautiful ending, and let it be the ending itself. if it’s predictable, so what? it should be. love really does have the power to change the world, and I’ll never get tired of the stories that remind us of that.

[a-silly-poll-side-blog-yay]

you have to spend a week in the last series you watched how is it going

good

bad

great

awful

dead

results

Voting ended onMay 7

[tryingtoturnthepage]

Hey, same anon, I would love to hear your UOs about Bridgerton if you want to tell us? One rule: don't do that thing where people claim they have an unpopular opinion but know it's actually a very popular take because they just want notes ;)

These asks are so much fun - thank you!

I'm going to abide by your rule and only offer opinions that I do genuinely believe are unpopular here, but I'm also going to try to keep them positive, focusing on aspects of the series I like even if most people don't rather than complaining about certain ships or characters...which I've already done enough of :)

It's probably not that unpopular to name Benophie as my favorite Bridgerton ship, but it likely IS unpopular to claim that Benophie is one of my two or three favorite ships of any show - and I consume a lot of media! This is pretty much my dream ship, hitting basically all the tropes and dynamics I like and almost none that I don't. I've always gravitated toward couples who have to navigate class differences. I instinctively root for introverted, anxious and somewhat change-phobic female leads - guess who can relate all too well?! I love a hero and heroine who challenge each other to be better versions of themselves while still accepting each other's imperfections. And I absolutely adore stories that tackle themes of fairy tale fantasy vs. challenging but ultimately more rewarding reality.

It seems unpopular to name Hyacinth/Gareth as among my top three Bridgerton ships? I love how unique a "heroine" (potential anti-heroine?!) Hyacinth is, I love how Gareth is kind of a detached, casually rebellious but indifferent ass until Hyacinth drags him into her shenanigans and makes him CARE about not just her but life in general, and I especially love that they've got this cutely creepy vibe and aren't averse to committing minor crimes :) I just think they're this amusingly chaotic duo who's fascinating to think about - and, for people less lazy than I am, to write about.

Simon is one of my favorite love interests ever, and it is NOT due to his looks...well, not due primarily to his looks :) I'm sure part of my affinity for him is that I was very close to someone who struggled with a stutter growing up and witnessed firsthand how a speech impediment can impact someone's self-esteem and their willingness to speak to anyone. (Which is why Simon feeling so comfortable conversing with Daphne from the beginning and even opening up to her about things he'd never otherwise talk about is so significant!) I'm also helpless in the face of the admittedly cliche 'he's a mocking misanthrope until he finds the one person on earth he can truly love' trope. I love how extremely independent he is. Anthony cares about duty and has to consider society's rules due to being the head of his huge family, and Benedict initially needs a lot of external stimulation and escapes into hedonistic pleasures to get by - and I understand and love both these men, so no shade at all, but something about Simon being content with his own company and genuinely detached from society until he meets Daphne really resonates with my weird loner self! I adore that he's presented as someone who likes boxing and other higher risk physical pursuits yet also has a totally nerdy love for math. (Sapiosexual alert: Simon is VERY smart, though that's one of several aspects of his character that kind of got lost in translation from book to screen!) I find it intriguing that he's got such a dark vindictive streak while also being capable of so much real love and goodness.

*ducks the bullets coming my way* I also love Daphne but don't want to delve into it for fear of making it sound like I'm excusing or defending certain things that I'm just trying to understand and explain - there's a fine line! I will say that I think nearly all the characters have done terrible things (especially the book versions of our male heroes!), so I personally never saw Daphne as the one exception who should never be forgiven for problematic behavior driven by ignorance and desperation while we as a fandom more readily forgive nearly everyone else, but I do fully respect the fans who can't get past what she did! As a mostly misanthropic loner, I'm drawn to her warmth and genuine eagerness to connect with people and the way she finds ways to navigate her way through society rather than giving up and detaching herself from it as I would. In the books - not just hers, but subsequent ones - we constantly see how excited she is to support her siblings in every way possible and how they see her as someone - often THE one - they can readily confide in. She's "the average one" (again, in the books - feel free to see my other posts for rants about how the show stripped Saphne of a lot of what made them more vulnerable and relatable!). She's not as talented or gifted with as unique a personality or even as keenly intelligent as most of her siblings but is one of those women who cheerfully and graciously takes on the bulk of the family's so-called "emotional labor", and as someone who mostly just detaches and door slams because I get so easily overwhelmed, I love that about her.

I have a much more open mind about Philoise than most do, especially after seeing how they made both Anthony and Benedict much more likable and less comparatively "problematic" on the screen than they were in the books!

I'm a fan of every Bridgerton couple. That obviously doesn't mean I love them all equally, but I do genuinely like and ultimately root for every single one of them :)

@dr-lizortecho @wonderlandleighleigh @popcornbutterfly and anyone else who may want to share UOs too!

[scarletjohansson]

Mr. Darcy walked so that Benedict Bridgerton could run (x)

BRIDGERTON S04E5

[chenfordsbee]

“Do you have feelings for her ?” “No. I did. Until I met you.”

[tryingtoturnthepage]

I was just accused of shipping Franchaela *only* because I’m “representation-obsessed LGBTQ”, which is hilarious because even as someone who’s not white, Christian or male, representation actually ranks fairly low on the reasons I love any piece of fiction, and I also happen to be hetero. Otherwise, it was an astoundingly accurate assessment :)

Seriously, it just reminded me why I never assume or generalize anything about shippers of any given pairing other than that those fans find the characters’ personalities and dynamics compelling. And, in this case, you don’t have to be a certain gender or sexual orientation to be beyond weary of the show’s seemingly endless parade of male rakes and feel excited to see a refreshingly different perspective!

[lucyabernathybridgerton]

Please choose one of my Bridgerton head canons! None of these are meant to offend in any way, but be forewarned that most may find their way into my terrible fanfics :)

Lucy is neurodivergent (the obsession w/ details, the blurting out)*

Stealing this: Hyancinth has slight psychopathic tendencies - in the best way!

I don't see SeriesEloise as a lesbian - I truly think she's ace

Fran talks to John (RIP) daily and is sometimes convinced that he answers

Violet/Edmund didn't have as idyllic a relationship as Violet recalls

"Always cheerful" yet discontent Colin sometimes suffers from major depression

Modern day Daphne would be a "momfluencer"

Gregory has an undiagnosed learning disability so never believed he was smart

Sweet Sophie has a secret dark/vengeful side thanks to her upbringing

Edwina/Hermione/etc form a "glad to have dodged marriage to a Bridgerton" group

Voting ended onMar 27

*The way my girl is intent on knowing EXACTLY how many stairs lead from one room in the house to another, and that's just for starters :)

[nessa007]

If this lady is important to you, do not let her be like one of the projects in your study. Something you are passionate about today but forget about tomorrow. BRIDGERTON (2020- ) | Season 4

[tryingtoturnthepage]

Hi! I like your blog and your Bridgerton musings. Totally with you on not thinking Lady Whistledown's column is nearly as witty and clever as we're supposed to think it is based on the excerpts they give us!

No pressure ask, but I'd be curious to see which of the primary Bridgerton characters you preferred in the books and which you think are better on the show?

First, thank you for the ask and the kind words! And for agreeing with me that the majority of Lady W's "observations" aren't especially clever or amusing in the least ;) Idk, the way it was presented had my hopes up for wry, perceptive insights into society and human nature, and instead it's more along the lines "yuck what an ugly dress she was wearing."

If anyone sees this, please keep in mind that the below comments just reflect how my weird mind subjectively perceives these characters. I'm definitely not making any sort of "this is fact!" assertions!

Better in the Books:

Daphne (and, to an only slightly lesser extent, Simon!) I like the actress who plays Daphne, but like others have noted in metas that I'm probably about to plagiarize from without intending to, Daphne's main 'thing' is supposed to be that she's regarded as the average one in a family full of such unique talents and personalities. Among people of the ton, she's perceived as a "that's just Daphne, not a woman we'd ever marry" buddy who everyone feels comfortable with but who no one views as special or worthy of romantic interest. Simon singling her out as special and worthy of a Duke's forever love therefore has a lot more resonance. He's the one person who changes book Daphne's perception of herself as utterly ordinary and as everyone's friend but no one's object of desire. (The book's one-sentence synopsis even specifies that "no one desires" Daphne, so why the show arbitrarily decided that in fact EVERYONE should desire Daphne will forever annoy me!) She's the one person who Simon, hesitant to speak to anyone due to his stutter and his childhood trauma, can really talk to - though that too loses resonance because show Simon is a whole lot more slick and confident. Why the show deprived us of all that by making Daphne the universe's most seemingly perfect, sought after "diamond" baffles me. Like another Tumblr said, it's as if the Netflix writers deliberately stripped away the aspects of Daphne and Simon that made them more vulnerable, semi-underdogs who were easier to root for and instead were like "hey, you know the smugly popular people who you kind of wanted to punch in the face throughout your four years of high school? Here, have them as the main couple you're supposed to relate to and root for, even if we have to totally ignore their book characterizations to do it!"

Kate - This one is probably very controversial? I just like that book Kate was less polished and elegant, still confident yet more clearly vulnerable, unfiltered, and messily but delightfully chaotic. She really was more the "shrew" who refused to be "tamed" while show Kate is a regal, poised paragon of outward perfection. I ADMIRE series Kate greatly, but as an inveterate lover of flawed and messier characters, I don't personally connect to her. And I really love how book Kate was such an intriguing contrast to Anthony - she was a chaotic whirlwind who upended his carefully ordered life. By contrast, show Kate is a poised, composed woman who was depicted as extremely similar to Anthony rather than offering him a refreshingly new perspective. In my opinion :)

Colin - The more I think about Colin's progression (or...lack thereof?!), the less of a grasp I have on the show's version of this character. At one point or another, they seemed to throw every possible personality type, story arc and character trope his way, but none of them stuck and some were directly contradictory, so he ended up everything but nothing. Also...look, I'm sure the actor is talented and he seems like a wonderful guy, but I personally think he was miscast in this particular role. He just - TO ME! - doesn't exude the warmth, energy and effervescent charm that's supposed to define Colin's character.

Better on the Show:

Benedict - This is probably my one choice that won't anger people because I honestly don't think I've ever come across anyone who thinks Benedict's character was better in the books?! Book Benedict had virtually no personality at all other than being an entitled ass who kept trying to make Sophie his mistress...and did he mention that Sophie should be his mistress...and, hey, just for variety, how about trying to make Sophie his mistress?!

Sophie - I have a pinned meta on this one so won't bore you by reiterating it!

Anthony - Show Anthony has his share of flaws, but the writing and acting ultimately made him surprisingly endearing to me, and I (almost!) never doubted that he'd end up being a great husband. Book Anthony would have me urging my female friends to run far away in the opposite direction ;) Even as someone who's not particularly sensitive about problematic characters - especially those who lived in a different era - book Anthony exhibits so many alarming red flags to me that at times I genuinely wanted Kate to find someone else!

I already know that Francesca belongs in this category but will elaborate after she gets her own season :)

[ngalitzine]

BRIDGERTON | 4.08

[tryingtoturnthepage]

So does anyone else feel like Bridgerton desperately needs more male nerd representation? Anyone...?!

Not all of us are drawn exclusively or even primarily to the party boy hedonistic rakes and haughty, rigid alphas who comprise about 98% of heroes in the romance genre - some of us are sapiosexuals dreaming of sublimely smart nerds who want to trade weird theories about the universe and whose idea of socializing is playing boardgames and earnestly analyzing novels with fellow bookworms :)

I'm still bitter that they had such a great opportunity to lean into Colin being the unabashedly, endearingly nerdy male Bridgerton, especially since they'd already established that he loves words and is chronically curious, but instead they treated us to the cringey 'fake rake' nonsense and subsequent blandification. (I still like Colin, but he could have been so much more unique and dynamic and such a welcome departure from the genre's usual "charming rakish manwhores"!)

Especially now that earnest, 'getting out of social occasions is my favorite pastime - oh, yay, jigsaw puzzles!' John Stirling is gone (RIP! You were too good for this world!!), the male dorky, introverted nerd vacuum desperately needs to be filled :)

[tryingtoturnthepage]

One of my very favorite things about nearly all the Bridgerton women: it's canon that they like to read! What genre of books do you see as being Sophie Baek's favorite?

Romance

Self-Help

Mysteries/Thrillers/psychological Suspense

Horror

Literature/Classics

Sci-fi

Nonfiction: history, biographies, etc.

Voting ended onMay 9

Just my take, but I feel like Daphne and Pen would love romance, Eloise would read primarily nonfiction, Hyacinth is a TOTAL horror/psychological suspense girl with some True Crime thrown in, Francesca would live for activity books with brain teasers, crossword puzzles and tips for organization, Kate would read...hmmm...maybe biographies or contemporary fiction/literature? (The more I contemplate this show, the more I realize that I have only a very tenuous grasp of Show Kate's personality!) Oh, and I'm convinced that Posy would love whodunits, though I have less than no basis for feeling that way :)

[crowley-anthony]

laura’s endless list of favourites ● ships ➼ benedict bridgerton & sophie baek "You have … taken posession of me, shot me back to life, turned me from someone who could not sit still for a moment to one who wishes to be in one single place, beside you, for as long as I might live … You are not that kite in my study. You're the person I've been searching for all my life. I love you. I love you. I love you."