A Guy

Pls lmk. (I am writing something).

The way she’s hardly bothering to hide how amusing the whole situation is.

It seems like such a mundane moment when compared to other early interactions between the two, such as when they danced together at the ball, or when Tom witnessed Mary win the riddles night. (Though I know these came after).

Tom witnessing, for the first time, Mary’s unapologetic brand of sincere curiosity, having only seen her be somewhat reserved and unsure of herself prior. There’s an admission of vulnerability to Mary’s actions in this scene; she really did want to be included in the previous game of graces, but truly didn’t know how to be part of it. And this inadvertent admission is what makes Tom realise he’s done for.

While I am not a Bridgerton fan in the least, I’ve had some fun giggly nights watching it with friends and enjoyed that very much.

Bridgerton plays out like a fantasy show, with outrageous costumes and extravagant sets- it’s apparent, rather quickly, that while this show is considered somewhat of a ‘period piece’, its historical accuracy is not the top priority; and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a show and it’s entertaining. One aspect of Bridgerton that I truly love is the colourblind casting- as a POC it’s rare to see yourself represented in a period piece, especially wearing beautiful gowns‼️

But at its core, Bridgerton is a projection of a fantasy- much like a soap opera or an erotic novella: women are all perfectly shaved, hair and makeup perfect, nails and eyelashes done UP 💅, the men are tall dark, handsome and rich. Some of the characters have great depth and interesting arcs, but I’d argue that steamy scenes can often take precedence- which makes sense as that’s what the show is known for!

Bridgerton is in no way rooted in reality, it’s intended to be watched with a gasp, swoon and giggle; shock value on TOP.

Comparatively, TOBS is much more grounded. Though its historical accuracy has been challenged on some points (fair!) I think it’s safe to say that the world within the show is a much more realistic depiction of that era. Still with colourblind casting though (EPIC!)

The show is centred around growth, self expression and acceptance, with romance existing within as somewhat of a secondary plot point. TOBS highlights the awkwardness of its protagonist, it shows a young woman learning to accept who she is despite not being considered graceful nor glamorous by the majority. Mary Bennet doesn’t suddenly become fashionable, she stays true to her nature and finds people who love her for it.

Desire is present in both shows however, in each it serves a different purpose. In Bridgerton I find it is expected and used not only to force characters together but also to get audiences hyped and perhaps a little hot under the collar. The show blatantly sexualises the characters and is intended to convey magnetic connections within scandalous situations (IMO). There is genuine romance and feeling between the pairs in Bridgerton, much of this hinging on the pull of insatiable desire.

TOBS is much more reserved in its use of desire, I find. We see it used as a stepping stone in Mary’s coming of age story: a young sheltered woman experiencing physical attraction for probably the first time, about some forearms no less. This too, is blatant and meaningful, but manages not to sexualise any of the characters involved- instead highlighting Mary’s journey of self discovery as she tries to enter a new era of her life. Here I found that this depiction of desire is less about the man, (Tom❤️) and more about Mary and what this development means for her story.

So though these shows have similarities, it is evident that they are vastly different- in theme and content. Bridgerton is a high budget drama (verging on soap opera) and TOBS is a quieter coming of age story and to me, this makes it difficult to hold them up against each other in a critical way. It’s like comparing a javelin thrower and a long jumper at their performance in a bobsledding event. The shows each set out to do different things, with a different budget on different streaming platforms, and the audiences vary somewhat.

One thing I see frequently are comments on hair and makeup between both shows. While I definitely appreciate how the TOBS crew gave us a Mary with a messy fringe, minimal makeup and pit hair, I also appreciate the costume and makeup designs in Bridgerton; this coincides with the aesthetic of the show; deliberate choices are made with audience in mind.

Anyways. Wow this got long. There’s more to chat about but that’s my two cents worth for now. What do you think?

(I don’t know if I was clear that I don’t think one show is better than the other, they are just different!)