Bridgerton has not yet been renewed for a second season at Netflix, but given the success of its debut, it likely will. Simon is trying to avoid matrimonial plots because he’s sworn off marriage, due to his solemn vow never to father children in order to let his entire family line, title and all, die with him. Through an unlucky turn of events involving epic misunderstandings, secret love trysts, and a duel — y’know, the usual — the storyline scoots Daphne and Simon into a hastily arranged marriage. SIMON BASSET – … Daphne knows nothing about sex when she gets married. Romance novelist Julia Quinn wrote the novel series on which Bridgerton is based, starting with The Duke and I in 2000. Men are often considered silent victims of sexual assault, and Black men in particular are often made scapegoats for sexual violence, which further erases the status of Black male victims of sexual assault. The dynamics of consent are complex and often frustrating and confusing, but one thing is almost universally certain: Rape is a big deal, and it often hugely impacts and alters both the rape survivor and the rapist. Obviously, these are horrible takeaways for a show to leave us with. That means the story will be focused on Anthony Bridgerton … What fans might not have noticed is that there’s a big hint about the future of their relationship in their wedding scene. For Bridgerton to ineffectively convey that Daphne raped Simon and then treat it like it was a minor side note to the much bigger issue of him lying to her makes it more difficult for audiences watching it to understand what consent looks like. Season 4: Eloise Bridgerton and Sir Phillip. It’s a tense situation, given that the nuptials were planned because Simon and Daphne were seen kissing in a garden. Despite coming from a powerful family and making a splash at her debut, Daphne is having trouble attracting suitors — so she bets (correctly) that faking a courtship with a very eligible duke will reignite the attention of other gentlemen. Bridgerton season 1, episode 5 is showing how vulnerable Simon has become; he does not seem to understand that Daphne is vulnerable as well. “You find things to love,” Portia (Polly Walker) advises Marina when … (Warning: This is about to get pretty graphic and gross.). If Daphne had married Prince Friedrich in Bridgerton season 1, Penelope's interest in Simon would've stayed the same, but she would have more opportunities to sway certain narratives. Daphne is even more upset now; she believes Simon despises her. When Simon and Daphne meet as adults, Simon makes it crystal clear to Daphne he has no intention of ever marrying anyone. When he realizes his predicament right before orgasm, Simon looks alarmed and tries to stop — he cries out twice for Daphne to wait — but it’s too late. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. This aligns with the broader cultural gaslighting of Black men and the shifting of blame away from the white men and women who enact violence upon them. I think that’s why dances are so central to these stories. One bad moment of uninformed consent does not justify a moment of nonconsensual sex. “Yes, it was shocking, but no one seemed to feel that Daphne had done anything morally wrong,” she told BooksandKrys. That indicates to me that Van Dusen and his fellow creatives knew the problems with the scene they were adapting. This is mostly because she still wants children while the duke refuses to have them — thanks to the vow he made to his abusive, dying father to never have children so that the bloodline ends with him. I think we learn the most about the characters on the dance floor.”. Let me back up. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, A little city, battered by the virus, tells its stories, US restricting visas, taking other action over Tigray crisis. BRIDGERTON star Regé-Jean Page has raised concerns for Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton's tumultuous romance in a potential second season. I can’t think of anything in my books that any feminist would find objectionable. When blonde lady — Cressida — fully establishes the stakes of the situation like the true villain she is. Daphne/Simon. Simon, who had been neglected and verbally (and emotionally) abused by his father because he had a speech impediment as a child, is averse to the very idea of getting married and having kids. That room also has a hidden meaning. The plot revolves around Simon’s choice not to tell Daphne that he has vowed not to have children. Through this moment, the show also undermines its central relationship, causing us to question the whole foundation of Daphne and Simon’s affection for each other. Because it happens pretty quickly and the narrative moves on immediately from the specifics of the sexual encounter itself, I’m not sure everyone will judge this scene in the same way I do. Quick banter is one of the things our favorite … Not only is that a condescending attitude toward a genre that is frequently very literary and very serious, but it’s flatly wrong: Rape, especially unacknowledged rape, is by no means a feature of historical romance writing, nor was it going unaddressed and undebated back when Quinn wrote this story 20 years ago. It was a healing moment for the new family of three. The Best Daphne and Simon Back and Forths/Banter. Their portrait also survives the bad weather and is seen in the couple’s home the day Daphne gives birth to their son. But like many Shondaland series, it has plenty of dark and disturbing moments, and the show’s first season leaves us with more questions than answers. The fact that the rape victim here is both male and a person of color makes it even more egregious that the show is glossing over the incident. The strangest thing about this moment is that I’m not sure the show’s writers consider this scene to be a rape scene. The queen put them to the test but it was the first time we heard Simon verbalize how much he really felt for Daphne and it was so beautiful it hurts. The relationship ruse is mutually beneficial for Daphne and Simon, as it allows him to avoid seriously participating in the marriage mart. During their small ceremony in episode 5, a black and white checkered floor is seen on the floor of the church. And we’re given no assurance that she won’t violate his trust the next time she decides he might be lying to her. Though divorce was difficult to get and was socially unacceptable during the time in which Bridgerton is set, Daphne and Simon's marriage seems to be all … The narrative treats the difference between “can’t” and “won’t” as a crucial distinction, one that fills Daphne with horror and bitterness when she realizes it. It’s a promise he made in order to spite his abusive late father, who emotionally abused Simon all his life and cared more about his dukedom than anything else. The first show to come out of Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix deal, the series is a period piece based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels. This causes her brother to challenge Simon to a duel which Daphne stops–right before the men begin–and begs Simon to marry her. Indeed, one dance floor, in particular, contains a reference to a previous point in Daphne and Simon’s relationship. “The dancing was a gift,” he said. Daphne and Simon get married in Bridgerton season one but the marriage is not a smooth sail for either of them. And although it’s framed as a serious violation of trust between consenting parties, it passes without any explicit acknowledgment on the show’s part that what just occurred was a deeply disturbing violation of consent. This subplot contributes to Bridgerton’s most interesting thematic idea, if one it ultimately squanders: the relationship between scandal, secrets, and informed consent. The main storyline centres on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton and Duke Simon Basset, after their plan to pretend to be courting backfires when they actually fall for one another. Bridgerton is thematically concerned with the dynamics of informed consent, which makes it even stranger that this scene was left unaddressed; indeed, if there are any lasting repercussions for the victim of the assault or their dynamic with their rapist, we don’t actually see them. Page told Esquire that Simon and Daphne’s dance scenes are exactly where fans should look for the clearest signs of their feelings. Her mother, too embarrassed to give her the specifics, sends her off to her marriage bed completely unprepared. Yet by 2010, the scene was being discussed among readers as an example of sexual assault and lack of consent. Daphne and the Duke, Simon, spend much of Bridgerton episode six shagging in various places around their mansion and its grounds, and the Duke pulls out every time. 2021 Showbiz Cheat Sheet, All Rights Reserved. Daphne is immediately furious with Simon for lying to her, and the show then focuses on her betrayal and rage; she even has a semantic speech about the difference between “won’t” and “can’t.” It’s clearly intended to spell out the intricacies of informed consent, but none of Simon’s duplicity justifies the way Daphne pulls his secret — and, to be clear, his semen — out of him. But of course, in between bickering and pretending to be in love, the two fake lovebirds soon develop a very real romance. But the floor of the church they got married in hinted at their future stability as a couple. “Once you start dancing, you get to be honest. After faking their courtship to boost Daphne’s desirability and keep other women away from Simon, the two characters end up getting married. Lovers in the Rain (Episode 6) Gazebos in the rain have a very special place in my heart, due largely … Simon and Daphne weather the storm on the black and white floor, which is meant to symbolize the couple sticking to their vows and trying to make their marriage work. The first show to come out of Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix deal, the series is a period piece based on Julia Quinn’s romance novels. Determined to figure out whether he’s capable of it, she takes control during sex and positions herself on top of him so he can’t pull out. Daphne decides to go on a trip on her own to a village where there are rumors she'll be able to get an annulment. Meanwhile, instead of telling his new wife what’s up, Simon enjoys ravenous sex with Daphne but adopts the ol’ tried-and-true contraceptive method of pulling out every time. I should note here that an even more nonconsensual version of this scene also occurs in the novel. But their newfound love also creates a whole new set of problems arising from Simon’s vow never to sire a family — a vow Daphne knows nothing about. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Bridgerton is a historical romance set during London’s Regency era, a period of whirling 19th-century ballrooms and high-society intrigues. But it seems like they failed to see how badly they ultimately handled it.

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