#daphne was the first to clock Kate & Anthony but Eloise was the first to get close to Kate as a person not as her brother's future wife

[hamletshoeratio]

Apparently, Eloise is a mean girl and is not a girls' girl???

[sea-owl]

The eight children of the Bridgerton family have been hiding a secret from their mother. It's not anything too bad, really, but when one lives in high society, some things are considered tabboo even if it's something as mundane as tattoos.

And the worst part is? They didn't even get these tattoos, their soulmates did and their soulmates are jerks who don't consider what is put on their bodies appears on also shows up on the soulmates. Tattoos are permanent!

Ironically enough, the tattoos all have that silver outlining to them, meaning all their soulmates go to the same artist.

Anthony was the first to have a tattoo show up on his skin. It was lilies going up his side. Tulips joined them on the other side later.

Poor Benedict had the most tattoos from his soulmate of all his siblings. This required him to get quiet good at hiding them with clothes and cosmetics. The biggest and most detailed piece was on his back shoulder, which was Cinderella inspired. The clock striking midnight with Cinderella' glass shoe sitting in front of it. Underneath is written "Have courage and be kind."

Colin's soulmate had tattoos only on their back. The left shoulder had a feather quill dripping ink. In different spots on his back were butterflies, with one half being wings and the other half being different quotes from literature.

Daphne's soulmate had a whole sleeve down their arm. The sleeve is composed of a compass at the shoulder with different map coordinates around it, and waves going down her arm, a tiny ship popping up here and there.

Like Colin Eloise's soulmate had their's only on their back, but their's also covered her entire back. It honestly looks like a garden with all the different plants and flowers she had. The most notable was the baby's breath that had twin flowers resting in the middle.

Francesca's soulmate had half sleeves on their lower arms. On the left was music notes to a song she would sometimes play if bored. On her right looked to be a memorial piece, to a brother, she would guess.

Gregory was the lucky one all his siblings would mutter. His soulmate only had a tiny ankel tattoo of a bird flying out of a cage.

Hyacinth's soulmate has gemstones on the inside of her forearm that looked to be partially buried in her skin. She was still underaged when that tattoo appeared, and Anthony almost lost his shit.

They all groan whenever a new tattoo appears because those are getting really hard to hide from Violet, okay? And makeup is expensive!

Anthony in frustration once broke the high spciety rules of soulmate writing and asked (demanded) his soulmate stop getting tattoos.

Kate immediately went to Sophie after reading that message and had her draw in marker a skelton hand, flipping someone off with pretty flowers around it. She's gonna let him think she did another tattoo.

Anthony about near had a damn anuyersym.

[thekatebridgerton]

Have you ever thought which Bridgerton sibling might outlive their spouse? It’s depressing to think about but I can’t shake the feeling that Anthony, Eloise, Daphne, Colin, and Benedict all outlived their spouses. Since it’s been confirmed that Anthony lived until to his 90s, anything could happen to Kate. I am being nice to Fran cause home girl doesn’t need to see two husbands dying.

hmm well here's my HC about it.

Anthony does outlive Kate, but only for a few years, two or three at most, to get his affairs in order and eventually pass away from natural causes at his home surrounded by friends and family

Sophie outlives Benedict for twenty five years, for some reason I feel like she would be the Bridgerton that will live the longest, because older grandma Sophie is the only one in that whole family who is resilient enough to survive the death of most of her loved ones, especially after the love of her life passes away. I HC that Benedict dies in his sixties and Sophie twenty years after that. She'd be the last 1st gen Bridgerton left alive after the others pass actually.

Colin, yes he sadly is the type to die of grief in less than a year after the passing of Penelope sometime during their eighties.

Simon, also outlives Daphne. I HC her as having died at childbirth because I can see Daphne trying for one last child in her menopause years and having a child in her fifties. Sorry Saphne shippers, it's not that I don't like her, it's just that I HC Daphne as the first death that really impacted the whole family. As the Basset matriarch, she's always been.

Eloise yeah, she outlives Phillip, I think the scars from Marina's death would make Phillip super overprotective over Eloise health, and their case would be a death where they both got sick at the same time of something like the flu, but Phillip got so focused on making sure Eloise made it trough, that he neglected his own health. Eloise would mourn him for years and just like Anthony, she'd pass away within two or three years of Phillip's death.

Michael, like you said, outlives Francesca, by around twenty years. She dies of natural causes and Michael spends the rest of his life in their daughter Janet's household. Because she's the only person who reminds him of Francesca. I feel like after Francesca's death, Michael's grief could develop into a form of senile dementia, the type where he believes Fran is still alive and confuses their daughter with her. John takes over the Earldom and provides round the clock nursing care for Michael, but Janet insists on keeping their father in her household, because Kilmartin castle has too many memories.

Hyacinth also outlives Gareth, and goes mad with grief about it, languishing in bed and worrying everyone, one day she decides to come out of mourning and go on a trip to the coast and news comes back that she passed away on the way home. It's unclear if that was her plan or along or if she really was trying to move on and accidentally caught the sickness that killed her.

Gregory outlives Lucy by around eight years. I HC that she dies around the same time period Benedict dies. So while Gregory does have lots of children, he goes off to spend his mourning years with his sister in law Sophie who is basically left as the family matriarch. And probably die because of an accident or a wound that wasn't cleaned properly. Because we all know Lucy was Gregory's common sense and with her gone, he simply doesn't care about himself.

but these are just my HC, what do you think about them dear reader?

[thebluemallet]

My Top 10 Favorite Moments From Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 1: "Capital 'R' Rake"

It has officially been one year since Season 2, so please enjoy my upcoming series of posts about my favorite moments from each episode (and ignore the fact that I never finished doing this for Season 1). My favorite moments in no particular order (except maybe chronological):

10- Daphne Passes the Torch

The first Bridgerton we see this season is the previous season's lead: Daphne. And before the show cuts to the opening credits, she wishes Anthony-this season's lead-good luck on the marriage mart. It's a nice cinematic choice for the show to pass the torch on to the next Bridgerton who will fall in love. Let's hope that next season keeps it up with something similar between Anthony and Colin.

9- Bridgerton Family Dynamics

The whole family arguing outside of Eloise's door while she's getting ready is hilarious. Daphne and Anthony are ready to beat down the door and drag Eloise out. Violet has to tell Benedict to be quiet when he's listing ways Eloise might have escaped her room so that her younger daughter doesn't get any ideas. Benedict recognizes that Daphne, who loved her season, is the last person that Eloise, who hates the idea of the marriage mart, wants to see. Francesca is the calm voice of reason when she insists, "Of course [Eloise] is still in there!" and even tries to fan her in the carriage. It's moments like these when they seem like a real, chaotic family.

8- Anthony's Debutante Montage

Anthony trying and failing at the marriage mart is amazing. I feel for the poor ladies. I feel for poor Anthony. I'm mesmerized by his hair in this particular sequence for some reason?

And let's not forget that this is the return of the viscount's bum. We saw it in season 1. It returned in season 2. I wouldn't mind seeing it in season 3. He's got a great bum.

7- The Great Kanthony Race of 1814

This is the best meet cute, hands down. Anthony's returning home like a zombie, trailing behind two geese (foreshadowing!), on a dim and cloudy morning. Then, out of the mist, emerges a mystery rider: Kate Sharma. The sun finally comes out when they speak with each other and Anthony is left with a genuine smile on his face.

6- Lady Danbury Versus Newton

Lady Danbury probably already guessed she was going to have her hands full this season when she clocked Kate's mud-soaked hem, but the look she gives Newton just confirms it.

5- Kate Seeing Anthony At The Conservatory

If you had any doubts about how charmed Kate was by her short meeting with Anthony in the park, wonder no more. For someone who said she's only interested in finding a match for her sister, Kate sure is interested in Anthony. She already has quite a crush on him. Too bad Anthony ruins it by opening his mouth five minutes later.

4- Deficient Character (and Horsemanship)

Anthony and Kate meet again! Anthony is still smitten by this mystery rider and pleasantly surprised to see her again. Kate, on the other hand, has taken a disliking to him after hearing about his "requirements" for a wife. After verbally dressing him down, she leaves him in the dust and Anthony.exe quits working for a while.

3- Benedict Bridgerton Has No Chill

I've posted about this before, but if THIS is Benedict trying to be casual with a girl he likes:

then every last one of the Bridgertons will know he's in love with Sophie within ten seconds once his season comes around.

2- Eloise Putting Down Cressida

Eloise's impatient and blunt declaration that she would "rather die" than be friends with Cressida was hilarious and to the point. Sometimes dealing with bullies requires finesse. Sometimes it requires telling them to just fuck off already. Eloise chose the latter.

1- "Miss Sharma, my lord."

Anthony has decided to just marry the diamond and be done with it. And when Edwina passes his "test" with flying colors, Anthony probably thinks that everything will be smooth sailing from here. Only to find out that the sister he has to impress is the same woman from the park. And he finally has a name to put to the face.

[triviareads]

Hi there, 👋

I stumbled on your blog by accident (via the Bridgerton tag 😎), and I thought I’d chip into the popularity discussion.

I think it might have to do with the “Whistledown effect”. In books 1-4, Whistledown is still in business. That creates an extra dimension of excitement but also a sort of broader context of events. Whistledown’s Society Papers represent the information everyone in the Bridgerton universe knows. And the novels themselves sort of become a race against the clock to get to your happy ending before that crucial piece of information gets leaked. The latter four novels aren’t as bad per se, but there lack that form of suspense.

And yeah, the plots are somewhat repetitive. The Gregory-Hermione-Lucy triangle bears strong resemblance to the Anthony-Edwina-Kate situation. (I hereby declare I hope they cast Hermione as black, and while doing so get rid of the name…sorry it’s really not my thing. 🤫) And the Gareth-Hyacinth dynamic (“we’re partners in crime but really we’re not in love!!”) reminds me a little bit of Simon-Daphne. Eloise’s and Frannie’s plots are quite unique, but somewhat like each other but reversed. (Except Francesca was really fond of John and Phillip…not so much of Mariana 😬).

Plus…I feel you need to invest a lot as a reader to familiarise yourself with the main characters. Especially Francesca. I understand people love Franchael’s dynamic. But before reading the book I felt I barely knew Francesca. Which made rooting for her a bit difficult for me. (And I’m not even touching the topics themselves here…) As for the dynamic itself. I think especially with WHWW, it would serve the showrunners well to show how the dust settles once Francesca and Michael get together and married. Call me a prude, but I still believe in good old conversation. And especially after such a tumultuous start, it would be nice to see how they get used to living together as man and wife. And pay a little more attention to Francesca’s trouble conceiving. (I know it isn’t a sexy subject but it’s very important to talk about – both for the story and for the viewers). I thought all of that was somewhat brushed over whereas imho, they were much more interesting than that endless “will-they-won’t-they” and that slightly toxic game of attraction and rejection. That reminded me a lot of Wuthering Heights…but we all know how that one ended. 😔

Oh and finally an important change I would make: include the Bridgertons much more in WHWW! I know the whole point of the book was the seclusion in Scotland. (Yeah, I’m still manifesting Michael is a true Scot -> preferably with a beard and a kilt!) But in all the other books family was able to help or just speed things along. And I should hate to think Frannie can’t rely on the same close-knit relationships. Even if she seemingly wanted to. 😉

Well, apologies for this lengthy dissertation of my views on Bridgerton. I hope you could reflect ideas.

Kind regards,

— Thel.

P.S. Because I couldn’t sleep I came up with a (“commonwealth inspired”) idea for the background of all the love interests. Would you like to hear why it? 😊

Answer below the fold!

Hi Thel! Wow, I love this- the "Whistledown effect". That totally makes sense! I never realized how tantamount Whistledown is in leaking something near the end of every story the first 4 books, like a pattern. You're right- I guess the tension does die away with the last 4 books since there's no public reveal, or threat of public reveal, at least.

I do agree I'd like to see all the couples, if possible, after their plot conflict has been resolved, and they're living their lives, just to see how they're doing. If Bridgerton ever gets to Francesca and Michael, seeing their fertility struggles is something I'd definitely like to see portrayed, because you're right, it is an important topic. I wouldn't go as far as to compare Michael and Francesca to Cathy and Heathcliff, mostly because the genres are very different and I got the impression when I read the novel (years ago, and forcibly- thanks Honors English) that Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship is both unnaturally intense in its intensity (in keeping with the gothic genre, I guess) and there is never any happiness for them. Francesca and Michael, on the other hand, are in a very different genre (one far more known for its happy endings), and they're both people inclined towards happiness, I think. They don't luxuriate in misery the way Cathy and Heathcliff seemingly do.

I would be interested in hearing about a "commonwealth inspired" background for each of the love interests! Although, at that point in history, I do have to point out it would not be the "commonwealth" (that status only came later), but the various lands and colonies that are under the subjugation of the British Empire. But I would still love to hear what backgrounds you have in mind for the remaining love interests, and under what circumstances they (or their ancestors) came (or were brought) to England!

[thebluemallet]

My Top 10 Favorite Moments From Bridgerton Season 2, Episode 3: "A Bee In Your Bonnet"

It has officially been one year since Season 2, so please enjoy this ongoing series of posts about my favorite moments from each episode (and ignore the fact that I never finished doing this for Season 1). My favorite moments in no particular order (except maybe chronological):

10- Edmund's Final Farewell

Not everything on this list can be a "fun" moment. But this moment deserves a mention because it definitely left an impact.

This opening was heartbreaking, wasn't it? There's the picture-perfect day, the father-son bonding, and then the bee. It's a change from the books having Anthony and Violet present at Edmund's death, but a necessary one, I think. But the most heartbreaking part of the scene is when Edmund seems to realize (and accept) that his time has come--he's going to die. So he reaches out to Violet, the love of his life. And Violet understands (but does not accept) that he's saying goodbye as Anthony watches on helplessly.

9- "Is that a promise or a threat?"

Daphne has returned to the Bridgertons with Augie just in time to meet the lady her older brother has been courting and intends to marry. And she promises to help Anthony this season just as much as he helped her last year. Which Anthony doesn't take too well.

8- Mistaken Identity

The Sharmas and Lady Danbury have arrived in the country! And Kate is definitely charmed by the sight of Aubrey Hall. She can't help but take it in. And does Anthony first greet the woman he has been courting first? Nope. He makes a beeline for Kate. They banter. Newton makes his feelings known. Daphne is giving them some side-eye. Eventually, she proves herself to be the only Bridgerton in possession of the Bridgerton brain cell (or any brain cell), because she immediately clocks that this must be the woman who has won Anthony's heart.

But of course, she quickly discovers that the woman who has won Anthony's heart and the woman he has been courting, are two very different women.

7- Pall Mall

It's pretty safe to say that this sequence was highly anticipated by anyone who read the books. And we got it all. We've got Kate and Anthony being competitive maniacs and we've got the Bridgerton siblings being little shits. More Bridgertons than the book, even, since Eloise and Benedict didn't participate in the book.

It's also a series of red flags waving furiously in the wind that Edwina and Anthony would not make a good couple. Anthony's really struggling to hold on to his "gentlemanly" persona in Kate's presence and his siblings aren't helping things. Kate immediately gets along with the Bridgertons and gets into the spirit of the game. But it's clear from the start that Edwina is not having a good time. The playful music stops every time it's Edwina's turn to swing. And every time she misses, there's only polite clapping. It's like the Bridgertons are taking pity on her and decided that teasing her would be akin to kicking her while she's down.

By the time Edwina bows out of the game, she's struggling to keep up her own "pleasant" diamond persona. It's a wonder that Daphne is the only one who picked up on anything else happening between Kate and Anthony.

6- Mud Bath

Anthony and Kate falling in the mud. Of course their competitiveness would lead them there. But it allows them a much-needed moment of levity that they haven't had since they first met. And, honestly, it's probably the hardest Anthony's laughed in years.

Of course, Anthony's emotional baggage comes back to haunt him and the moment is gone.

5- Emotional Damage

The entire episode is killing us with the flashbacks. There's Edmund's death, Anthony being thrust into a role he is nowhere near prepared for, everyone looking to Anthony to have all the answers when he doesn't have a clue, nearly losing his mother and sister in childbirth, and then losing his mother to her grief for who knows how long afterward. Anthony had to develop a tough exterior to survive it all and nobody around him seems to understand how hard that was--and still is--for him.

4- Benedict, how high are you?/No it's "hi, how are you?"

If your friend tells you to only take one edible at a time...you listen to them. They probably have more experience than you. Unfortunately for Benedict, he was not in possession of the Bridgerton brain cell when he decided to drink all of Colin's tea. And he has to learn from his mistake by tripping balls during his mother's dinner.

But let's be honest: it's Benedict. He will learn nothing from this experience whatsoever.

3- The Proposal That Wasn't

Jesus Christ, Lady Danbury! Are you blind? Your success from last season must have made you cocky. (Though if you think about it, she did as much to get Daphne and Simon together as Emma did with Mr. and Mrs. Weston.)

Anthony's been eyefucking Kate from his seat for the entire dinner and he looks like he wants to stab himself in the eye with his spoon when Lady Danbury not-so-subtly hints at a proposal.

They're all lucky that Anthony's dinner didn't come back up at the effort of attempting to force a proposal. Thankfully he abandons his efforts...for now.

2- Anthony vs Newton

If it hadn't been for the subtitles, I might have missed Newton growling at Anthony. And it's funny to see Anthony get so worked up because he can't get a dog to like him. Why is Newton's good opinion so important to you, Anthony? Did you ever stop to think about that? Hm? No? I didn't think so.

1- The Bee: The Sequel

Anthony's past has come back to haunt him. When he's bickering speaking with Kate after her ride, a bee lands on her, and Anthony can't help but panic. Especially when Kate does not heed his warnings to stay still. And all of that fear of watching someone he loves dying right in front of him comes rushing back. And only Kate can bring him down from his panic.

Controversial opinion, but: I don't mind that they deviated from the book here. At this point in the book, Anthony decided that sucking the venom out of Kate's bosom was the only way to save her, they get caught by Violet, Mary, and Portia, and they have no choice but to get married. But with the number of times a lady's reputation is "compromised" in a Bridgerton book and the couple is forced to marry, that plot device would get very old very quick in the show.