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The Duke and I - Bridgerton Season One
44 Plays6 days ago
📖✨ In this episode of Book Watch, we’re diving into Part 1: Character Analysis of The Duke and I by Julia Quinn and its 2020 Netflix adaptation, Bridgerton Season One. How well did the series capture the heart of the book? What casting choices stood out—and which characters felt like a departure?
💡 In Part 1, we’ll explore:
✅ Character portrayals
✅ Casting choices
✅ Key differences in how the characters are introduced in the book vs. the show
From Daphne’s debut to Simon’s smolder, we’re stepping into the glittering world of the Ton to see how this Regency romance begins—with all the drama, charm, and chemistry fans have come to love.
Join host Sarah-Daye and her guest, Megan Lachowski as they break down what worked, what didn’t, and whether this adaptation does the book justice. 🎬📚
📌 Tell us your thoughts! Did you love or hate this adaptation? Let’s discuss in The Book Watch Lounge on Facebook 💙
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:46
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Hello listeners and welcome back to another episode of Book Watch. I'm your host, Sarah Day McDougall. And today i am joined by Megan Lechowski, one of my besties.
00:00:59
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Although she's all the way across the United States from me.
Differences Between Book and Show
00:01:03
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um But Megan, this was when I told you about the podcast, um you were like, I have to do Bridgerton with you. And you convinced me to read The Duke and I, and I will be reading the rest of the series as well.
00:01:16
meegs
ah
00:01:16
Sarah-Daye McDougall
But tell me why this adaptation, this book and the show like was so important to you to be on with me for this podcast.
00:01:27
meegs
Because most people that I know who have experience relationship to Bridgerton have watched the Netflix show and have not read the books.
00:01:38
meegs
And the show is so different in every single way other than character names.
00:01:39
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
Plot Changes in Netflix Adaptation
00:01:46
meegs
And I felt like it was really important to begin the conversation to share with the world that there's a big difference. And a lot of people, a lot of people don't really take Bridgerton seriously because it's a drama sexy show.
00:02:04
meegs
And that's not the whole story, I feel like.
00:02:07
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Thank you.
00:02:08
meegs
So I wanted to start that conversation to show people that there's so much more that goes on in that world. And that it's not all that it seems from a a TV show perspective.
00:02:21
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And I'm excited to get into those differences with you because I was blown away when I read the book. I saw, okay, so I saw all three seasons of Bridgerton plus Queen Charlotte before reading The Duke and i um And so when I finally got to The Duke and I i mean, it's literally just Daphne and Simon and like all of the other plots and everything is, ah Queen Charlotte's not even like a thing.
00:02:48
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And I'm like, Queen Charlotte is my favorite part of the show. So was so mind boggling, but I'm excited to get into the conversation with you.
In-depth Discussion of 'The Duke and I'
00:02:58
Sarah-Daye McDougall
ah But yes, listeners, of course, we are going to be talking about The Duke and I, which is the first book of the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, which was released in 2000. And...
00:03:09
Sarah-Daye McDougall
and um
00:03:11
meegs
my I keep forgetting.
00:03:12
Sarah-Daye McDougall
and
00:03:13
meegs
i always forget that the books were released so long ago. mean, they're not really written like they were released that long ago. You know, they feel really modern. so
00:03:23
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Modern, yeah.
00:03:23
meegs
it's interesting.
00:03:25
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And I am just pulling up who did the audiobook so I can give credit where credit is due.
Production Details of Bridgerton
00:03:33
Sarah-Daye McDougall
The audiobook is narrated by Rosalind Landor, and I really liked her narration. um And then that brings us to the Netflix show. So of course, Netflix, Shondaland is the producer, Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, also executive produced.
00:03:53
Sarah-Daye McDougall
The creator and showrunner is Chris Van Dusen. one episode, the first episode was directed by Julie Ann Robinson. The rest of the episodes were directed by
Family Dynamics and Societal Contrasts
00:04:04
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Tom Verica. And again, this is the first season of The Bridgerton Show.
00:04:09
Sarah-Daye McDougall
So let's kind of talk about some of the key themes from the book and how they transferred onto the screen. We can get into what was added as well. but But primarily for family relationships the bridging's in general and their relationship as a close-knit family seems to be really prominent but also the jessica justice position of their family against simon and his father
00:04:39
meegs
um Well, I felt like that was more accurate than a lot of the other plot points or a lot of the other relationships, even though it was not.
00:04:49
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:04:49
meegs
i feel like almost everything that I saw in the TV show was not what I expected just because it was so they changed so much. So there were, and don't know, it felt different because all of it felt different.
00:05:01
meegs
But um I do at least feel like the the hatred that the Duke felt for his father, that Simon felt for his father, was palpable.
00:05:10
Sarah-Daye McDougall
ah
00:05:12
meegs
And I think in the book, that is one of the the most contentious relationships because the book is so much more light-hearted in general which i'm sure we'll get into um there's a lot less drama in the books but i do feel like simon and his father that relationship you can tell in the book that there is a lot of um
00:05:24
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:35
meegs
animosity between them, like to say the, to say it diplomatically. And so I do feel like that came across in the show clearly. ah But it was also like intensified, like the death scene um when he goes up and he's like, I will never marry to his dying father. I was like, okay, that's, I don't know how realistic is that right that somebody would do that. But, but yeah, but I feel like at least a there was a lot of hatred in the book. It felt like between them. yeah.
00:06:02
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Well, and also we get all of that in the prologue of the book, whereas in the show it's divided into flashbacks throughout the season. So it's not hitting us all at once.
00:06:12
Sarah-Daye McDougall
so when we're reading the book, it opens, we're opening the book, this story with this relationship, and we're already getting to know why Simon is the way Simon is. Whereas in the show, we get to breathe in between
Themes of Trauma and Emotional Healing
00:06:26
Sarah-Daye McDougall
these little flashbacks.
00:06:26
meegs
yeah yeah and I do like the flashbacks in the show but I also like how they just in the prologue Julia Quinn did just kind of get it out there so that you know right away when you're introduced to Simon really what the what the story is there so I like both I guess I don't really have a major preference either way and
00:06:27
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:06:46
Sarah-Daye McDougall
her
00:06:48
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And speaking of Simon and his relationship with his father, I think another key theme of this book is trauma and emotional healing and kind of like ah generational trauma and how kids deal with that. And Simon is the the main example of that trauma. Yeah.
00:07:05
meegs
Yeah, I really like that they don't shy away from it. And again, even though I i take issue with how dramatized the TV show is, because I think it cheapens the book in a way, um...
00:07:22
meegs
It's like it cheapens the the relationships and because when you're over-dramatizing it, it's almost like you're not trusting the audience to be able to understand like the nuances of friendships and relationships and family dynamics.
00:07:23
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:07:34
meegs
so when This is a problem, I think, for for TV in general.
00:07:37
Sarah-Daye McDougall
right
00:07:40
meegs
um But I think... that the That the trauma that's displayed um in the show, or the I guess the way that they display the trauma, I think is it's real. And so I think that they do a good job with...
00:07:56
meegs
showcasing that the show is made really well and the acting is incredible. So I think that they do a good job with that.
00:08:00
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:08:01
meegs
And then in the books, same thing. It's just in a different way that they show it. And it's actually pretty incredible that
Societal Expectations and Daphne's Character
00:08:07
meegs
they're able to discuss the trauma in the book in such a lighthearted way.
00:08:07
Sarah-Daye McDougall
yeah
00:08:11
meegs
Like Julia Quinn is a really good author at being able to do that. And I think, well, You know, you and I talk about Harry Potter all the time on our on our podcast, Peeves Cab Fest, but also just in general.
00:08:21
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:08:23
meegs
And I think it's the it's similar. J.K. Rowling is really good at writing about traumatic and horrible things, but in a lighthearted way because the books have a lighthearted feel.
00:08:34
meegs
So I think there's parallels there anyways.
00:08:35
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:08:37
meegs
So I do appreciate that there is a lot of trauma and a lot of family dynamics that is discussed because that is real in modern times. But also back then, I can't even imagine, you know, having to be in these family situations, trying to find marriage just to climb up in society or whatever being expected to marry.
00:08:49
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:09:00
meegs
um And so I think that they do, they just do a good job with demonstrating that.
00:09:02
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:09:07
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Well, and that's a really great segue into the next key theme, which is societal expectations. And I feel like Daphne is kind of the embodiment of that key theme and how like her whole process of needing to find a husband and going out into society.
00:09:22
meegs
I do think that the TV show made that more real, what women in particular have to go through. um Again, I can't even imagine being in the situation that Daphne's in or that people in her status and society are in where you literally have no choice other than you have to be married or else you will be you know, in poverty, because that's how life was structured up until um scarily recently, women have had to find a male partner in order to be able to be comfortable in life at all.
00:09:51
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:09:55
meegs
And so I think that the the TV show... did demonstrate that more um because the books are so lighthearted that it's almost like it kind of glosses over it. You still get a sense of it. But I do appreciate that about the show because I think it is a real problem that that a lot of people are kind of ignorant to.
00:10:14
meegs
And so i I like that the show dramatized that specifically more than the books did.
Choosing Bridgerton for Adaptation
00:10:20
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah. um It's always interesting to see or read stories from this Regency era and, um you know, see how far we've come and yet so how far we do still have to come. But I do like the story that Julia when wrote and i'm excited to see how she um tells more stories um within the societal expectation era so um so megan why do you think this book was chosen for an adaptation especially since it's been it's such a different telling of the story
00:10:44
meegs
Yeah.
00:10:47
meegs
Yes.
00:10:52
meegs
Yes.
00:11:00
meegs
Wait, clarify what you're asking. Why do you think it was chosen?
00:11:05
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah, why do you think this series was chosen to be adapted into a TV show?
00:11:09
meegs
Got it. In general. Um, I, well, I guess I don't know because the show is so different than the books.
00:11:20
meegs
And I didn't really hear about the books. It's not like they were some crazily popular phenomenon as a book series.
00:11:27
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:11:28
meegs
I think they, I think that they, that there were more people that knew about it than I thought. But, but yeah, it is interesting that it was chosen, but I'm, I don't know, maybe...
00:11:40
meegs
maybe Shonda just really liked the series or really or her and Julia Quinn knew each other or something. I'm glad that it did happen. um But yeah i don't know.
00:11:51
meegs
But it's a good it's a great idea. Like it makes sense that it should be adapted.
00:11:53
Sarah-Daye McDougall
yeah
00:11:55
meegs
What it wouldn't.
00:11:56
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:11:57
meegs
what a great way to make money for a TV show, first of all, because you have eight books that are already written. but um But yeah, i don't I don't know why.
00:12:04
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:12:06
meegs
Because Fourth Wing makes sense. And like the ACOTAR series, like those make sense because they're like crazy popular.
00:12:11
Sarah-Daye McDougall
right
00:12:12
meegs
But this one, this series wasn't necessarily...
00:12:16
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um So we're going to get into our characters here in a moment um now because it's so different. And I feel like I probably should have switched the formatting of my episodes for this book because there's so much added.
Casting Choices and Chemistry Discussion
00:12:33
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um and we should have talked about the key plot points first because when i went to do my list of characters i just wrote daphne and simon because in the book the rest of the bridgertons and like penelope and the featheringtons they and queen charlotte like i mentioned earlier they're mentioned in the book but they're not characters like they don't have stories and then the one bartender guy and his wife like they're not in the book um so i only wrote down um you you know daphne and simon but if you think that we should get into the casting of the other bridgertons or wait until their season let me know first we have daphne
00:13:21
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Bridgerton is played by Phoebe Dynaver and Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings is played by Roger Jean Page.
00:13:32
Sarah-Daye McDougall
So Megan, tell me what you thought about the casting of our two main characters.
00:13:38
meegs
Not on board with Daphne and the casting. I mean, Phoebe is beautiful. And I think that she's a fantastic actress, but not at all who I would have envisioned for Daphne. She looks like a Daphne.
00:13:51
meegs
Like she looks like a person named Daphne, but I don't think that she captured the vibe of the book Daphne at all. but However,
00:14:03
meegs
I think that for what they did in the show, I guess what they were going for, I suppose it makes more sense.
00:14:04
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:14:09
meegs
I feel like she's more, she's a lot more uptight. And um like in the book, Daphne is written as everybody's friend and like really warm and,
00:14:21
meegs
that's and that does not come across to me um in the tv show but the tv show has so many changes that the way that she portrayed that character or the way that the director you know asked her to portray it whatever happened it fits more um but absolutely i was like the first scene i was like oh my god this doesn't even feel like daphne at all um
00:14:30
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:14:36
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:14:44
meegs
Simon, um I feel like that that he they nailed it with his casting. I feel like the um just like the aura about him was definitely captured much more than Daphne.
00:14:44
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:14:56
Sarah-Daye McDougall
hu
00:14:58
meegs
um But yeah, so I think that those are fine. I think they're.
00:15:03
meegs
Are we talking about their connection yet or is that going to be and another segment?
00:15:07
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:15:09
meegs
I think that their connection that they have.
00:15:10
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Like their chemistry with each other.
00:15:11
meegs
Yeah, I do think that for again, for the TV show, I think that their chemistry works. And I think that they do. They did ah a good job with that. But again, overall, does not feel like it has the same vibe as the book for me.
00:15:27
Sarah-Daye McDougall
huh Yeah, I can agree with that. um And I like going back to Daphne and the change in her character, I feel like she was more playful and not more tomboyish in the first in the book. um But yeah, like she just.
00:15:45
Sarah-Daye McDougall
I've correct me if I'm wrong. I feel like you've read it quite a bit more than I have a few more times than I have read the book only once. um But did they say that she like the boys weren't going after her because like she's their friend like they see her as a friend not as a wife.
00:16:00
meegs
Yes.
00:16:02
meegs
Yeah, exactly.
00:16:02
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And then in the show, um this is her first season, whereas in the book, it's her second season. um and so like, and and she's the diamond of the season in the show.
00:16:14
meegs
yeah
00:16:15
Sarah-Daye McDougall
So she's a lot more um desirable in the show than she is in the book.
00:16:21
meegs
Yeah. And I didn't like, again, that was like right off the bat. I didn't like that they changed that because it just transforms so much about the whole plot.
00:16:32
meegs
So I didn't and didn't like that because it automatically turned ah Daphne into like the impression from the audience is more that that she is that diamond. And it's like, but that's not at all like the whole...
00:16:46
meegs
the whole point of Daphne's experience, I guess, being on the market now. And so I just didn't like that they changed that.
00:16:53
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right. No.
Ensemble Cast and Character Development
00:16:55
meegs
um And yeah, I that that's a huge transformation that she couldn't get, you know, quote unquote, couldn't get a suitor before, because she was friends with everyone. And that vibe does not come across in the show. She's, she's nice. She doesn't seem like she's
00:17:12
meegs
ah you know, an annoying person to hang out with or whatever, but she doesn't give off that tomboyish type of like kind of friends with everyone, lighthearted, giggly type of vibe that was and like the main point of her in the book.
00:17:12
Sarah-Daye McDougall
now
00:17:24
Sarah-Daye McDougall
ah And I do think that Phoebe could...
00:17:27
Sarah-Daye McDougall
I do think that Phoebe could have portrayed that, um but that's just not the route that the showrunners and the directors wanted to go for some reason. And wellll we'll talk about that a lot more next week, I think, when we get into the key plot points on why we think they they went this route.
00:17:37
meegs
Yes.
00:17:46
Sarah-Daye McDougall
But do you want to talk about any other casting? um Is there anybody that stands out that you want to talk about?
00:17:54
meegs
Yeah. I mean, i really like, um, lady Danbury. um i think that her casting was great. I think that Penelope was great. uh, yeah.
00:18:07
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Oh, yeah. And we'll definitely talk a lot more about Penelope in book three.
00:18:09
meegs
yeah
00:18:12
meegs
Yes.
00:18:12
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um Lady Danbury is played by Adjoa Ando.
00:18:17
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And forgive me, listeners, if I butchered that name. But yeah, I love her as Lady Danbury.
00:18:21
meegs
Mm-hmm.
00:18:23
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And again, i don't think we got her as much in the book. um
00:18:27
meegs
Yeah.
00:18:27
Sarah-Daye McDougall
But I... So I... you know It was hard for me to go to the book after seeing the show because I do like the ensemble cast of the show.
00:18:33
meegs
Mm-hmm.
00:18:36
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um and to have it be such a a more narrow story in the book was ah very jarring for me.
00:18:36
meegs
Mm-hmm.
00:18:43
meegs
Yeah, it is a lot different. um And i I like both for what they are. I like that the that the books are, they're like a ah perfect little read.
00:18:56
meegs
They're a perfect, you know, relatively quick romance novel.
00:18:58
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yes.
00:19:00
meegs
They're... They get the point across. The characters still feel full. Like, I really like what she did, and I think that they totally make sense for a series. But I really like that in the show, they did spend a lot more time and developing these other characters.
00:19:16
meegs
I think that some of them... could have been, i think that some of the characters could have been featured less and they could have focused a lot more on Daphne and Simon.
00:19:26
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Sure.
00:19:27
meegs
And then a little bit on some of the side characters and instead thought about doing spinoff shows like the Modiste. I think that she should have a spinoff show. I think that that would be, she's a really interesting character and like doesn't exist in the boxer and his wife, like they, you know, or the bartender, boxer, bartender.
00:19:36
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Oh yeah.
00:19:43
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:19:44
meegs
Um, So I think that there is so much to go off of with these characters.
00:19:46
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:19:49
meegs
But um so I'm fine with both. They're just really different, obviously.
00:19:54
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Let me
Format Debate: Movie vs. TV Series
00:19:55
Sarah-Daye McDougall
ask you this.
00:19:55
meegs
um Yeah, yeah.
00:19:55
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Do you think that it would have been better if it was a movie instead and like a series of Netflix movies instead of a tv show
00:20:05
meegs
Not necessarily, although I would be so curious to see what they would do with a movie. Like, i'd be i would have I would be fine with watching it. So, um yeah, I mean, i'm i am fine with it being a show. i think that either way...
00:20:20
meegs
I mean, i like the idea of including all of these other spinoff side characters. So I like that they were able to do that in a show because the show was what? Eight hours ish long.
00:20:31
meegs
Like it was not a lot more content than would be in a movie.
00:20:34
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:20:35
meegs
So I like that they had so much room to breathe with it, but Maybe if they did a movie that was a lot more focused on Daphne and Simon and then also included a miniseries or TV show that, you know, featured side characters or something. So guess I'd be fine either way. i mean, the my biggest issue is just that they, the lightheartedness is completely gone in the and the TV show. So I'm always going to go back to that.
00:21:05
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah, I do agree that there's the book is a lot more lighthearted. And it's just a like you said, a quick romance speech read. um But I do think the show isn't doesn't take itself too seriously either. Like it is a fun, silly trash TV almost.
00:21:24
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:21:25
meegs
Yeah, which is totally fine for like what they're going for. i guess I get like protective of it because I think that the books – The books are so good and it's almost like a lot of people mocked The Bridgerton Show because it it does have it turn into a kind of trashy feel because it adds so much more drama and sex.
00:21:38
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:21:47
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:21:48
meegs
And so I feel protective of the series because of that.
00:21:50
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:21:52
meegs
Although it's entertained it's still entertaining to watch, so it's not like I dislike watching it. It just makes me feel like a mama bearer.
Marina Thompson's Storyline Impact
00:22:00
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Okay, you had um ah mentioned Penelope played by Nicola Coughlin. Was there anybody else that you wanted to draw attention to before we kind of wrap up our first episode?
00:22:12
meegs
um I feel like Violet Bridgerton, do like her casting. i think at first, I wasn't sure. i think she looks the part, like just like a pretty woman of that age with the brown hair. like i i feel like...
00:22:28
meegs
She was fine, but I wasn't as on board with her again. But I think that's because of the vibe of the show in general was directed so much different.
00:22:35
Sarah-Daye McDougall
and
00:22:36
meegs
But like on rewatch, I think that they did a really good job with casting her. I think all the siblings in general.
00:22:45
Sarah-Daye McDougall
and
00:22:46
meegs
are are casted okay um like eloise i think is fantastic i think that they really captured her essence and i cannot wait for her season i think it's going to be super fun the young ones um hyacinth i feel like they got her i mean one of the youngest child syndrome like that sort of you know the young kid behavior so she's little now so we're seeing her literally as a child But in the in her book, she has that young energy.
00:23:15
meegs
So I think that already they casted her really well.
00:23:17
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yes.
00:23:17
meegs
And I'm really excited to see how she develops. I think Anthony, antony sorry, he's Jonathan Bailey is going to be fantastic in whatever role he's in. So I think that they casted him well, um perfectly, actually.
00:23:29
Sarah-Daye McDougall
yeah
00:23:33
meegs
ah we Just like the vibe is so different. So it's hard to get past that. But as far as the way that he looks, the way that he portrays his character and stuff, I think that they did a great job with him.
00:23:43
meegs
I'm not I'm not sold yet on um Benedict, but we haven't really seen much of him. So that one I'm not too worried about yet.
00:23:50
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Okay.
00:23:52
Sarah-Daye McDougall
So let me just run through the actors here. Lady Violet Bridgerton is played by Ruth Jemmel. um Colin is played by Luke Newton. Benedict is played by Luke Thompson. um And then you already mentioned Jonathan Bailey, who is like, I also have just recently seen Wicked and I'm now obsessed with Jonathan Bailey and I want to see everything that he's ever in.
00:24:17
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Eloise Bridgerton is played by Claudia Jesse. Hyacinth is played by Florence Hunt. um And they recast the other sister. Forgive me. What's her name?
00:24:29
meegs
um
00:24:30
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Francesca?
00:24:30
meegs
hello Francesca, yes.
00:24:32
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah, so they they recast her. um and then the last Bridgerton is Gregory, which was played by Will Tilston in the first season. And I, is that all of them?
00:24:43
meegs
Did you say eight?
00:24:47
Sarah-Daye McDougall
I don't know.
00:24:48
meegs
Yeah.
00:24:49
Sarah-Daye McDougall
ah Listeners, you can write it and tell me who I forgot.
00:24:49
meegs
Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, George, Hyacinth.
00:24:51
Sarah-Daye McDougall
very
00:24:56
Sarah-Daye McDougall
That's right. I just have to go in alphabetical order. Yeah.
00:24:58
meegs
Yes.
00:25:02
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um Okay, one character that I want to talk about actually that I just saw Marina Thompson played by Ruby Barker in the show not in the book.
00:25:12
meegs
Yeah. No. Yeah. um I think I like her character. I think that she's, she's cute. She does a good job um with what they had her do, but that was so, that was one of those, like, what's happening here? Like what is going on?
00:25:29
meegs
um So she, yeah.
00:25:29
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And we can get more into that in the next episode. But did you like that storyline at all? Because it is at an added, well, I think it's an added storyline. It's definitely not in the first book. I haven't read any other books. I haven't gotten to Colin's book yet. So um what did you think of that?
Faithful Adaptation or Re-imagining?
00:25:45
Sarah-Daye McDougall
And like you said that you were surprised by this. So tell me more about your feelings about that whole storyline.
00:25:50
meegs
Um, I,
00:25:54
meegs
I was like, just like, what? I don't like that it was added in, I guess. It's, it was, it's interesting, I guess. It's, it's an interesting story.
00:26:07
meegs
But to me, it it didn't really add to the story. it just was not yet another side character. It wasn't,
00:26:17
Sarah-Daye McDougall
more drama
00:26:17
meegs
enhancing anything yeah it wasn't enhancing anything to do with the point of this season which was supposed to be about dafti and simon um so for me i feel like it took away from the point of this season's plot and further i think it created a lot more of um
00:26:26
Sarah-Daye McDougall
right
00:26:39
meegs
it made a Lady Featherington much less likable. Not that she was super likable in the books because as and as we'll get into Penelope's story, we'll find out more. So it's not like she's everybody's favorite.
00:26:53
meegs
But I feel like it really turned her into like this evil woman with how they portrayed that plot line.
00:26:55
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:27:01
meegs
And I'm like, this just feels unnecessary. And and And it's not adding anything to Diamond diamond diamond and Daphne um daphne and Simon's story. but
00:27:14
meegs
I feel like if it had enhanced that storyline or fit in more with the Bridgertons in general, then maybe. but But they probably have a plan for that for later seasons in the TV show.
00:27:27
meegs
that will become apparent later. But to me, it just felt like, it almost felt like a distraction from the point of what they were trying to make.
00:27:34
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah. um But Miss Featherington, it is another, she is another example of the societal expectations and the pressure that those expectations put on the families and having to meet those expectations and what you're willing to do to meet those expectations.
00:27:44
meegs
Yeah.
00:27:52
meegs
I do agree. And I think that um that the show did really, again, emphasize what women have had to go through in order to be accepted in society and how they can be completely ostracized or worse um if they do anything that's not deemed perfectly appropriate.
00:28:05
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:28:12
meegs
So I do like that that came across. To me, it just felt like um it felt it felt to me like it was very clearly added in. like they were trying to add that in as a side plot.
00:28:24
meegs
To me, it didn't feel like it fit as much, but that also is probably just because I know what the book plot line is. So perhaps
Conclusion and Farewell with Megan
00:28:32
meegs
if there was no book plot that we had to compare it to, then maybe we would feel differently about it.
00:28:33
Sarah-Daye McDougall
right
00:28:37
meegs
and
00:28:39
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Okay. So Megan, tell me, do you think that the show is a faithful adaptation or a bold re-imagining?
00:28:45
meegs
No, bold re-imagining.
00:28:50
meegs
Like not even faithful the least.
00:28:51
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah, I think that was pretty clear from the beginning.
00:28:55
meegs
They kept the name Daphne and Simon.
00:28:56
Sarah-Daye McDougall
um Do you like the bold re-imagining?
00:28:59
meegs
No.
00:28:59
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Right.
00:28:59
meegs
um overall Overall, no.
00:29:00
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Yeah.
00:29:02
meegs
I will say that is my short answer.
00:29:05
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:29:05
meegs
ah The long answer of you know, I can see what they were trying to do to make it into a dramatic, interesting TV show. The acting is incredible. The um diversity of the characters is incredible.
00:29:19
meegs
um The way that the show is designed, like the literally the filming of it and the set and everything like, so there's so much about the show that is incredible.
00:29:30
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Mm-hmm.
00:29:31
meegs
as the, and
00:29:32
Sarah-Daye McDougall
but story-wise, not so much.
00:29:33
meegs
Adaptation? No! What are they doing?
00:29:40
Sarah-Daye McDougall
All right. um Well, Megan, thank you so much for joining me on this first episode of the Bridgerton chat.
00:29:44
meegs
Thanks for having me.
00:29:48
meegs
Mm-hmm.
00:29:48
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Is there anything, is there anywhere you would like followers, listeners to find you on the internet?
00:29:55
meegs
You can find me just on my regular old Instagram page um at Megan, M-E-G-A-N underscore Lachowski, L-A-C-H-O-W-S-K-I. And then right now, the only other um creative project I have going on um is teaching Cuban dance, but that's local. So if you're not local, sorry, i don't know how helpful that will be for you.
00:30:19
meegs
But if you decide to ah pay attention to anything that I'm doing there on my personal page. When I do have another creative something going on, then I'll be linking it there. But otherwise, you're all welcome to watch my stories or whatever you feel like doing on my Instagram page.
00:30:42
Sarah-Daye McDougall
Well, thank you again for joining me and listeners. We will see you next week.