As someone who has been very turned off by the โwokenessโ of Hollywood in recent decades, I absolutely LOVED this show.
First of all, there is a message to the audience before the show even begins that this is not a historically accurate representation nor is it meant to be. Secondly, itโs set in a world of โwhat ifโ and I think it is such a creative โwhat ifโ fantasy and brings a new light to Bridgerton. Thirdly, I felt like the strength of the women in this show is not coming from a place of โman hatingโ, but rather a realistic place many women throughout history have found themselves. The strength of the Queen is seen through her sense of duty, unconditional love for her King, and a place of protectiveness for those she loves. I felt like the outspokenness of the ladies matched quite well with what you see from Jane Austen. While there is a modern flair, which might turn some people off, I believe it just adds another layer of creativity and intrigue to the fantasy world Shonda Rhimes imagined.
I do not believe this was simply a cheap โrace swapโ job, but rather a fantastic job of using race as part of the fantasy and exploration of โwhat ifโ.
This show is a work of fiction and a fantastic one at that. All reviews trying to put this in the same category as capitulation to the โwoke mobโ are just jumping on a bandwagon wagon.
I will be rewatching many times and I highly recommend anyone and everyone to give this a watch if you enjoy Time Period FICTION.