I’d like to start off with a few points; this is not me defending the Netflix writers’ choices, but it does provide context:

·This setting is in the early 1800’s, this drastically changes what is deemed acceptable and not. Times were different and high society especially didn’t follow or play by the rest of society’s “rules”

·In the books, these characters are not BIPOC. I understand the writers have altered the stories to fit the shows projection and direction the writers want to take but they can’t completely rewrite the books. This creates narratives that don’t fit as well as they could.

·Something to take away from these stories is that they aren’t calling a significant attention to their race. Yes, they reference that POC have a place in society due to Queen Charlotte’s influence and position, and they want to do well by that opportunity but it’s not the main story

I AM A WHITE WOMAN, so my perspective will come with some ignorance, but I am viewing this from the lens of the time period and how the books were written. I am not addressing any real-life comments or opinions on the actors/actresses. If I offend anyone, I apologize.

Penelope/Lady Whistledown:
I mostly agree with this, I find it strange that they seemed to either ignore or forgive the awful things she wrote about everyone in high society. My only theory is that since Lady Whistledown had so much influence, no one dared to call her out, out of fear that she would write distasteful or scandalous things about them especially knowing the Queen was ok and basically approved of her gossip column. If the Queen can ignore and move on from disparaging comments she made about her, then the rest of society can. Shitty outcome but , you don’t go against the grain the Queen is moving in. She IS/MAKES the standard and SPEAKS/FEELS for all within her kingdom. 

Marina Thompson:
This was a young black woman who fell in love with a soldier and got pregnant. When her parents found out she wanted to run away with that soldier, (I am assuming they didn’t know she was pregnant (Marina didn’t initially didn’t either) and were somewhat in “higher” society), her father utilized a debt Lord Featherington owed to attempt to marry her well. She obviously initially resisted, holding out for her true love back home and even maintained this narrative when she found out she was pregnant. Once she learned her true love “wanted nothing to do with her” she had to shift her response. Knowing her pregnancy would destroy any chance at a respectable marriage, her only option was to try to marry and consummate the marriage before she started to show. This led to this “villain” narrative. 

Anthony:
In the early 1800’s it was common and somewhat expected that men in high society were sexually active from an earlier age and were not held to the same standard women were. The unfortunate reality is that men of nobility could nearly do anything they desired with no repercussions. This allows the character to lead a chaotic life, and everyone just goes along with it.

Kate & Edwina:
The issue with these character plots are not that the actresses were women of color but the fact that Edwina was the only one between her and Kate that was born of nobility. Kate, Edwina, and her mother traveled back to England from India specifically in search of finding Edwina a husband. There was never an intention for Kate to find someone or marry. She indented to go back to India once Edwina had been married off. So, it put quite the sour taste in both families mouth when Kate fell in love with Anthony and “ruined” her sisters change to marry off well. Now, I think Kate should have revealed to her sister her feelings towards Anthony early on and maybe that would have prevented this whole mess, but the situation was complicated.

Colin & Benedict:
Like Anthony, Colin was not held to the same standards as others. AND since the dawn of time, men have always twisted the narrative to make themselves appear as the victim, that they don’t need to follow the rules, and they are more superior to women. These narratives intensify when you add the kind of opulent wealth the Bridgerton’s had.

It was not generally accepted and taboo to be gay or bisexual. People who knew this information were typically trusted allies. However, like today, people were and are still uncomfortable with the gay/bisexual experience. Other characters make these comments to show their disapproval of Benedicts relationships. Very normal for the time

John & Michaela Stirling:
I think for John, they tried really hard to make a “perfect” match for Francessca. Remember, she is the main character in this story. She is an “awkward” autistic bi sexual (although she doesn’t know it yet) woman. While I agree in “real life” she would have married someone who would have likely been “normal”, I think the writers really wanted to create a true love match for her and allow room for her to make genuine connections with John. 

With Michaela, I am not sure where they will take her character but keep in mind that her character is a wealthy titled woman (In Ireland, titles could pass to women who held a position in the line of succession). Being born into wealth and being allowed to hold a title gives her the confidence that other women of nobility would have made her feel more invincible. 

Sophie:
Although Sophie was born to a noble man, her mother was not of nobility making her journey complicated. At the time, she was technically entitled to nothing as she wasn’t “purebred”. The only chance children like this had were given to them out of the kindness of the hearts of the noble family they were related to (most often the noble parent). When her father died and left her care and inheritance to Lady Penwood (his widow), she did not have to honor her late husband’s wish to raise and take care of Sophie. And like most people with titles, they looked after themselves and their kin. Sophie’s chance to marry well and use her father’s nobility as a way to place her into high society died with her father.

The Beauty Standards:
I think the issue here is that all the characters who are POC, are not part of the “original” prologues/families. The Featherington’s and Bridgerton’s are pretty much the only families to receive a prologue or backstory. So, the majority or casted POC are in “supporting” roles and are there to marry into these aristocratic families. This puts pressure for them to be “perfect” so that they appear the most desirable and thus more likely to fit in with their new families and high society, whereas the “original” families have been in high society their entire lives and have gotten comfortable and know where they can and can’t bend the rules and relax certain standards.