“Dearest Reader,
Did you miss me?…”
-Lady Whistledown
For those of you who are yet to watch the Bridgerton series, please do skip this post as it contains several spoilers.
For someone who have already read the entire Bridgerton book series, then I share the same sentiment with you; excitement and eagerness to see our dear Viscount Anthony Bridgerton tightened his lips against the one and only Miss Kate Sharma whose words are sharper than Lady W’s pen.
As expected from a book adaptation series, it does not exactly looked like a book adaptation. 😅 Number one on that note was the sequence of the entire story line. Although some notable scenes from the book were present, like the most anticipated Pall Mall game. For those who does not know the game, please ask Google. He will be able to provide you enough information about it.
The viscount and Miss Sharma, the elder one, did not specifically met at dawn while horse racing. They met during the first ball of the season to which I will remind you, their story took place only a year after our dearest Dapne Bridgerton secured her true love match the last season. Although there is one thing the adaptation did justice to the book, and that is the never ending, no losing, no period arguments between the two.
Kate and Edwina’s surname was never Sharma but the show still found a way to incorporate their real surname from the book, Sheffield. Lady Danburry was never the Sharma’s sponsor for their return to Mayfair. But well, considering the show’s eagerness to display deep affection among the ton, it was just right to let her sponser them.
Newton, the corgi dog, I hoped he was more playful in the show. After all, he was a very playful dog in the book. The river scene happened at a later episode in the show but that scene was actually at the first part of the book and that started the Anthony and Kate’s hate/love relationship. This part was where Anthony began to have lust dreams about dear Kate.
The Aubrey Hall country party was indeed became the turning point on Anthony and Kate’s relationship. Like stated above, the Pall Mall game with Kate securing the mallet of death deepened the bickering of the two who never wanted to admit defeat. The execution of the game is the best in the show, it’s my favorite part of the show actually. Though it was a bit sad, our Duke of Hastings was not in the show as he was supposed to be in the book accompanying his Daphne.
The library scene was even more intense and emotional in the book than in the show. It was actually the real turning point on their relationship. The viscount saw the one and only weakness of the woman he desires the most. Storm give Kate the fears of a child whose mother died on a rainy and thunderous night. They gradually opened with each other.
And the next scene, the bee sting. The fear of a man whose father died of a bee sting. Anthony, worried, tried to extract the sting on Kate’s bosom, and soiree! The mothers witnessed the respected viscount’s hand on a lady’s bosom. The scandal!
This was actually the thing I was looking forward to a lot in the adaptation but it seems, the production decided to turn the whole story line into a love triangle between two sisters and one man. This is the biggest difference of the book and show.
I was hoping they would not exaggerate a love triangle but they just did. Edwina was never in love with the viscount. She preferred a scholar who love books and not ledgers. Although both in the book and in the show, Anthony was really set to marry Edwina as she is the diamond of the first water and fits all the viscount is looking for a wife, except, of course, true love. That is totally out of his equation.
The bee sting scene was supposed to be Anthony and Kate’s engagement. But it turned out different. Instead, they let Anthony proposed to Edwina and even let the innocent girl fall in love with him. This caused a major reap between the sisters’ relationship. But I do think our show’s dear writers wanted to emphasize the bond of sisterhood. In the name of love, trust between sisters will never fade.
Well, in the end, despite the differences of the book and the show, they manage to reveal the deep emotions of both persons who, above all else, will do anything for their families. That above all else, before their desires for one another, the importance of the family shall still comes first. And in the end, it is still a happy ending.
The entire series also showed some parts that were never in the book and there were parts that were mentioned in other books. A great example, Lady Whistledown’s identity. It was not known until the 4th book where Colin Bridgerton finally decides to find a suitable wife after his travels from Greece. Penelope Featherington was indeed a total wallflower whose existence was never of notice even in front of Colin. But in Romanticizing Mr. Bridgerton, PoLin’s stans win. Also, Eloise Bridgerton was the last person to know the identity of Lady W because when Colin and Pen announced her identity, she was off somewhere else. If you want to know where, please read the book. El was never the first one to know the truth. Although in the show, it was Madam Delacroix who identified Lady W’s identity first. Well, she was never in the books.
In total, the whole series is still a big success despite the difference in the sequence of the story line in the book and in the show. The actors gave justice to all the characters specially Viscount Anthony Bridgerton.
So for all who have yet to watch the show, embrace yourselves with slow burning romance between the Viscount and Miss Sharma. Enjoy the unending bickering and playfulness of the Bridgerton siblings. I do hope I will see more of Francesca in the next season since she will making her debut as well.
