Compatibility In Bridgerton

Bridgerton is one of my favorite TV shows. I fell in love with it as soon as I first watched it. And while the show isn't perfect, I've been wanting to talk about why each of the couples in Bridgerton make sense in terms of compatibility. For this blog post, I'll only talk about the current couples: Daphne and Simon, Anthony and Kate, Colin and Penelope, and Benedict and Sophie. 

We'll go in chronological order. Daphne and Simon start out fake dating each other. Daphne is a determined woman who knows what she wants and goes for it, for better and for worse. Disclaimer: I do not condone Daphne forcing Simon to have sex with her after realizing he is deliberately not letting her conceive. Simon is a man with a chip on his shoulder and can't get past his anger for his father. Their courtship is founded on a mutual desire to survive the social pressures of the Ton, but develops into a genuine love. It's through Daphne's determination and unconditional love for Simon that he finally lets go of his past.

 

Anthony and Kate are a stark contrast to Anthony's relationship with Siena in Season 1. Anthony always treated Siena like (to paraphrase a quote from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight) his own "personal brand of heroin." Their relationship was isolating, like a dirty little secret that Anthony indulged in. Siena has pointed out that Anthony has duties to his family and to his title. She'll always be the woman he loves in the dark, but never in the light of day. Siena is a realistic woman and she ended her relationship with Anthony because even when he indulged the idea of bringing her into his life, she knew there will be consequences and she didn't want to change her circumstances.

Kate Sharma, on the other hand, is a very self-assured woman. The dynamic she has with Anthony is very much like a chess match, with the two of them constantly sparring and competing with each other in everything from horse racing to pall mall. Underneath all that, however, they are basically birds of a feather: eldest siblings who grew up too fast and dealt with losing their respective fathers at a young age. While Siena was basically like a personified addiction that Anthony had to break free from, Kate is someone who humbles Anthony and matches his freak all at the same time.

Disclaimer: I'm going to write more about Penelope and Colin's relationship in the novel Romancing Mister Bridgerton more than how their relationship played out in the show because in my personal opinion, Penelope and Colin didn't get much screen time devoted to their relationship in what should've been their season!

Penelope and Colin are both writers. In the original novel, Penelope discovers Colin's writings about his travels and Colin feels delighted that she likes his writing. She also points out to Colin that he has more privileges and freedom than she does and that he should appreciate it. In other words, she makes Colin see his own value and in turn (eventually), Colin does the same for Penelope. As such, their compatibility is founded on friendship as well as their parallel character arcs in recognizing their own worth.

 

In the past three seasons of Bridgerton, Benedict has had more than his share of flings and affairs. His past romances were always with unconventional women with the occasional guy thrown in because Show Benedict is a chaotic disaster bisexual/pansexual. 

 

Sophie Baek is the complete opposite of Benedict in every possible sense. She's a member of the working class, even lower than Siena or Kate. Siena was an opera singer, a somewhat respectable profession. Kate is the stepdaughter of a noblewoman (even though her birth father came from trade). Sophie is a maid and the illegitimate daughter of an earl. However, she is still intelligent, well-educated, and resourceful. 

 

Benedict is an artistic soul constantly chasing fantasies, including his muse, the Lady in Silver. Even though Sophie was the Lady in Silver during the masquerade ball, it's not her authentic self. It was a persona she created because she wanted to have a fun night free from her abusive stepfamily. It becomes quite surprising, then, that Benedict falls in love with Sophie's authentic self.

 

Their relationship develops in My Cottage, away from the eyes of the Ton. Sophie (as both herself and the Lady In Silver) becomes Benedict's muse. He starts creating art again. In turn, Sophie gets a taste of having a good family when she goes to work for the Bridgertons. I love that she establishes a good dynamic with Eloise, the sibling who's closest with Benedict. 

 

Even if Sophie and Benedict come from opposite ends of the social ladder, their compatibility is like yin and yang (apropos given that Sophie is Asian). Benedict's relationship with Sophie will eventually make him realize how blind he was to his own privilege. At the same time, Sophie will eventually realize her own self-worth from Benedict's love for her. He (and the Bridgertons) give Sophie something she never had: unconditional love. 

 

The common thread that ties all the Bridgerton relationships together is that each relationship centers on both parties recognizing their own value. 

The next batch of episodes cannot come soon enough. I can't wait to see how it ends.