An Offer from a Gentleman + Bridgerton Season 4

Dearest Gentle Reader, 

For this episode, we are deep-diving Julia Quinn's An Offer From a Gentleman, as well as Bridgerton Season 4 (part one). We have been THOROUGHLY charmed by Benedict and Sophie, and had just the best time discussing their season, the changes from the book, and our excitement for part 2. 

Recent Reads: 

• Lady Like by Mackenzi Lee
• One Day in December by Josie Silver
• Crash Test by Amy James

You can follow The Readirect Podcast on Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok at @readirectpodcast! 

Transcript

Welcome And Housekeeping

Abigail 0:00

Please just tell me directly, without using any bull, how I reach my pinnacle and what the f is it! Welcome to the Reader of the Podcast. I'm Abigail Fusion. And I'm Emily Rohan. The Reader of the Podcast is the show where we shift the conversation back to books. We discuss themes from some of our favorite books and how those themes show up in our real lived experiences. On today's episode, we are recapping an offer from a gentleman by Julia Quinn and the recent adaptation of that book in season four of Bridgerton on Netflix. Part one. But before we do that, it's mouthful. Um before we do that, if you love the show, we would love for you to support us in a few really simple ways. First, please go on Apple Podcasts and or Spotify. Leave us a five-star review and let us know that you love the show. You can also follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok at redirectpodcast. You can follow Emily on all platforms at Emily Rojas Reads and Abigail on all platforms. Or no, Abigail on TikTok at Fabigail11 and on Instagram at FabigailInsta. We need a more concise way to say that. Maybe they don't know who's talking. And um That's true. If you really, really love the show. So we did introduce it. Yeah, we did. Um okay. If you really, really love the show, you can share it with a friend. Sharing our show with a friend is by far the best way to grow our community of book-loving nerds. And uh so excited to release this episode so that we can talk to our community about Bridgerton and they can know our thoughts and we can know their thoughts. I'm very excited about this. I know. Me too. It's been so hard. Well, I kind of did reveal a little to you, but it's always so hard not to talk to you. I saw your um my review. Your like January reading roundup, and you were Oh, yeah. So I do have like this a slight spoiler that you said like against all odds, Benedict did charm you.

SPEAKER_05 2:02

Yes.

Book vs Show: Timeline And Recognition

Love At First Sight And Dual Identities

Abigail 2:02

Which I feel gratified about. I I was a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie, because okay, so I made you read the Colin and Penelope story. Woo Colin. You didn't like it, and you know, to be fair, on the look back, Colin's kind of a bomb. Yeah. Every time you showed up this season, not to spoil, but anytime I see him on my screen, I'm like. But I was really like, I think you're gonna like Benedict more. Yeah. But then when I was reading it, I was like, hmm, I wonder if there's still gonna be some things she doesn't like about Benedict. Because he's an imperfect guy. Anyways, but I'm glad to know that you liked it more. Yeah. I feel satisfied in that. As you should. So yeah, I liked it more. I liked it much more. I was wondering what did I rate that um the last Bridgerton book? Probably like, I don't know. I just hated Colin so much. Three stars. That feels right. Three stars feels right. Okay. What did you what did you rate an offer from a gentleman? I gave it four stars. I still feel like I'm not a no, and I'm not like a biggest historical fan. And also I find uh Julie, what's her name? Julia Quinn? Julia Quinn. I find her writing to be a little um, I don't even know, immature, like amateur-ish compared to some other romance books that I like. Um but I really liked it. I was I was genuinely very charmed by Benedict and by Sophie and by their like Sophie's a really compelling character. Yeah, she's great, like she's really interesting, so I was very charmed. And I was I loved the book, like so many parts of the book I really liked. And then Okay, good. That's the book. All right, where should we start? Should we start with the book? Like our thoughts on that, and then the show, and then like the comparison. Yeah, I think so. I hope you have good notes because I'm looking at mine and I'm realizing these are inconvenient. I don't really have notes on the book. I do have notes on the show. Let's just do like a general overview of the book and then go more in depth on the show. If that feels like that. Okay, let's do that then. Okay. Um so in the lineup of the Bridgerton books, this is book number three. So this is uh yeah, let's just exactly let's just go straight to the comparisons from the show. Yeah. So comparing to the show, um, this story is a little bit out of order. Um, and I actually really liked that change because um in the book, there's like a big time jump. It's like Benedict and Sophie have this meet cute at the masquerade ball, and then like years later, uh they like reconnect again. Yeah. So I liked that they didn't do that. Yeah. I did like that there was no time jump, but I do feel like, okay, yeah, we're just talking about the show now. I've seen a lot of people really confused, like, how did he not recognize her? I do think that makes a little more sense if it's been two years, like since you've seen her at all. Because you have this like image in your mind, you're like, I can't quite remember the details. And also, like, this is just one of those things you have to suspend your disbelief, or at least I do. But like, I never really get it. Like, oh, you can't tell what someone looks like if they're wearing something over their eyes. Come on, bro. Right. It's not like I mean, to be fair, I might not. I feel like I'm really bad at recognizing people anyway. So I do get that, but if it's only been if you're like this obsessive where he's drawing her in pretty exact detail, um, and it has only been like a few weeks or months or whatever, I do understand that that's confusing. I feel like that makes a little more sense when it's been two years, but I did like I also liked that we already know in the show that Penelope is Lady Whistledown because he can kind of like talk to her more and like use her to manipulate things more, which is fun. I thought that was a funny. And I like that change, and I get why you have to do it in the show because from the first season of the show, they're really building up this mystery of like who is Lady Whistledown, and you can really only ride that for so many seasons before you're like because the audience knows who Whistledown is, but not the rest of the characters. So yeah, I liked that. Um, what is your opinion about like love at first sight in books and and TV? Because I don't know if it was quite love at first sight, but like pretty close. Yeah. I mean, I can't imagine I can't imagine it for myself, but I do kind of like it. I mean, it's kind of like one day in December, which we just read. Very similar kind of vibes, like you see someone and then you spend all this time looking for them. Um yeah, I like I really like it in this because I like that he falls in love with um he falls in love with Sophie for real as well. So I like that because it's like okay, we had this initial connection, and I also fell in love with you as a person. When I didn't know who you were. When I didn't know who you were, and so I like that how it works in this. I don't probably always like it, but this I liked. So yeah. Yeah, and he has the whole thing of like, I'm falling in love with Sophie, but I still have this other girl in my mind.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

And it was Sophie, like you really are that girl.

Cinderella Plot Recap

Show Changes That Add Agency

Abigail 6:53

Like, imagine your man being down bad for you as two different people. Yes. Should we recap the plot for people who have no contacts? Yes. Let's do that. Okay, great. Do you want to? Sure. I feel like you're good at the recaps. Sure. Um, okay, so Benedict Bridgerton, son number two in a family of eight siblings that are noble and rich and part of the gentry in 1850s London. And he is the second son, and he's kind of known as just one of the Bridgertons, and it causes a little bit of an identity crisis for him. Sure. And uh his mom is really pressuring him to get married, and she is throwing a masquerade ball, and he is kind of a rogue, he's a little bit rakish, he's out in these streets, um just you know, kind of slutting it up, being a hoe. And he's doesn't really find like he doesn't really like society events because he's not really seen for who he is. He's more seen as just like a member of this family, and it kind of sucks. Anyways, he's at this masquerade ball from across the room. He sees this lady in silver who's wearing a silver dress and a silver demi mask, and he's like, Oh my god, who is that baddie? Well, that baddie is Sophie, and Sophie is the Bible of an earl, but he got married to another lady who had two daughters, and very much Cinderella, wicked stepmother-like, really didn't like her. So when her father passed away, she treated her like a common housemaid and basically enslaved her. And uh the housekeeper was like, I'm gonna help like very, very Cinderella style. Yeah. You're gonna have this one night out. Yeah, you know, so she goes to the masquerade ball, she can't, she tells Benedict asked her to dance, she says she can't dance. So they go to a private terrace and they chat it up a little bit. She's very like withholding about her identity, won't say her name or like really much any any identifying details. And when the clock strikes midnight, much like in Zinderella, she has to go back to her carriage, go back to her house, but she leaves behind a single glove that is embroidered with her grandmother's initials because her grandmother had a bunch of old clothes up in a trunk in the attic, and this is like the one identifying detail that Benedict might have to find his mysterious lady in silver. Of course, time goes by, he's not able to do that, though he has a few hints about who it might be. And in the meantime, Sophie is kicked out of her home and ends up working as a servant in the countryside outside of London. A few years later, Benedict is out at a party in the countryside at the Cavendar's house, and he sees Sophie there being harassed and nearly assaulted by the son of the home. He steps in to rescue her. And in rescuing her, he's like, I'll find you a job in London. So they get in his carriage, they're riding away, a storm strikes up. This is like old timey, so people are really susceptible to getting colds when it rains. Apparently, like immediately. Like literally immediately. Like it rains, and they're like, Oh my god, I live in a black rainy England, but I'm immediately getting a cold. And so they have to stop at his cottage, which is a mansion, and she has to save him from death. And basically, over this time, he falls in love with her, she falls in love with him, and then he asks her to be his mistress because he's like, This is the most that we could have. And she says no, because her mom was a mistress and she had a horrible life as a buyblow. Um, and then uh chaos ensues, they go back to London, she ends up working for the Bridgertons, they have this like tension-yearning relationship, and it is eventually revealed to Benedict that Sophie was the Lady in Silver. And uh then Violet Bridgerton, his mom, hatches up this whole scheme to basically like reverse blackmail her stepmother, like reinstate her to society, and Benedict and Sophie are able to make an actual match and get married at the end. That was great. And did I miss anything? Uh no, I feel like you nailed it. That's the main things. Yeah, that's the main things. Yeah. Um there were some good changes, I think, in the show. I think I agree. I like a lot of the changes. Uh I think the changes were good because there are moments in the book where you're like, Benedict. Yeah. You know, I also feel like Sophie is more like in the book, she can be a little like naive, and I mean, this is just probably typical of like this type of genre, whatever, but like she's very like virginal. Virgin is that the word? Virginal. Virginal. Virginal, thank you. And like pure and and naive, and like I like how she has a lot more agency, it feels like in the show. Um, despite her like status. Um it just feels like she's a little like even that scene at the at Cavender's house where she is like about to be assaulted, and she's but she's actually saving another girl in the show. Um, instead of in the book, they're like, she's like, ah, help me. Oh, I need to be rescued. But yeah, in this situation, and like she still did need to be rescued, but because she was trying to help someone else and just has a little bit more. I don't know. And in that scene, one thing I really liked was the change from the book. Because in the book, Benedict's like, Oh, I'm gonna have to go save this this girl. Like, I can't overlook this. And he did the whole thing where you hear his mental, like his mental monologue. It's like, well, I have sisters. And it's like, Yeah, okay. Well, that's your only excuse for caring that a woman's about to get assaulted is that you have a sister. Yeah, like I get like whatever it's forgivable, but I liked how in the show he just was immediately like, Don't you ever lay your hands on a woman like that again? You know, like that's way sexier. Yeah, totally. And then he gets hurt, which makes more sense than getting a fever immediately from Rain. Like he gets caught up pretty badly. Yeah, he gets a cut up wound, which I liked that change. Yeah. Um, I also forgot that canonically um Benedict is bisexual or pansexual or whatever. Yeah, in the show, not in the book. And I was like, oh and you know what? I get it. Because he not my type at all. At all. Town bicycle. Town bicycle. But he is so charming. Like I just feels like charmed by him. Like, I'm just like, I get it. I would probably guess you do. Like, I get it. He's like a soft boy, you know. So like Anthony, for instance, yeah, he was like, Oh, I have the whole world on my shoulders. I have my whole family, like I have all this responsibility, and I feel so tightly wound, whatever. Right. And Benedict feels more like misunderstood.

SPEAKER_05 13:32

Yeah.

Benedict’s Charm, Rake Reputation, And Softness

Servant-Class Stories And Power

Stepsisters, Redemption, And Casting Notes

Sibling Dynamics And Side Characters

Francesca, “Pinnacle,” And Sex Ed Failures

Abigail 13:33

And the people who seem to understand him a little bit are like, oh, this like rake, you know, he's he's so rakish, he's so like he sleeps around, like there's rumors about him, and he has all these like you know, all these people that he's like. They are true. The rumors are true, right? But he's really like this soft, yeah, soft, sweet, and like creative. Yeah, that side comes out because that was one of my notes I had was that he um is so like chaste with her for the most part in the show, the show version. Like yeah, he's obviously such a rake, but he's so gentle and chaste and soft with her because she brings out this like ooey-gooey side of him, which I really liked. Yeah, I like it too. And it feels like he just wants yeah, he just wants someone to like know and love him for who he is instead of like his name. And so it makes sense that he's just like, I don't care. Nobody actually wants to get to know me, so I'm just gonna go be this person because it's easier and not try to actually marry anyone. She doesn't even really seem to care that he's a Bridgerton because to her it's like, well, I'm never gonna be able to marry a real noble person anyway. So And the part that she cares about is like his warm, loving family. Like she doesn't care about the status. She's like, I always wanted brothers, like this must be there's like a scene I think in the book. I don't think this happened as much in the show, but she sees all the siblings together and she's like, Oh, you guys care for each other so much. Like they're arguing, but she says, like, I oh, you guys just really love each other. He's like, What are you talking about? We're fighting right now. But she's like, No, I just always dream to be a part of a family like this, and that's really nice because it's like it has nothing to do with their yeah, their wealth or their house or like the things they have or their name. It's all just like I want to be a part of this family, even if it's just for working for them. I don't want to stop being a part of this family um because they're just so warm and loving, and like you have so many siblings to play with, and like it's just nice. So I like that too about Sophie. Yeah, I really did too. Um she is has like she's very like headstrong, like she knows herself, you know, but she's kind of also a victim of her circumstances, and just kind of like she wants to be seen too. It's like these two people who just want to be seen for who they are and not by their status, but like they're on two opposite ends. Like, you know, she's in the servant class and he's in he's a second son to a very noble family, so they both want to be seen for who they are outside of their class, which I thought was cool, and that's something that's explored more in the show, I think, than in the book. The whole thing of like the peek into the service the servant class life aspect of the show was really cool. Either outside of just Sophie, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that was a smart like through line that they're doing in in tandem with Sophie's story with her being a maid. Um, but like, yeah, the Featherington's maid asking for and the whole maid wars, which is in the book, but I like how they've turned it into this other thing of like, yeah, I'm not a part of your family, and I can ask for more money because like I'm not your family. Yeah, I'm not your family. Like, I'm a person. This is my job. Yeah. Yes. And like I one of the other changes along the lines of like the class discussion was when they're at Benedict's cottage. Um, Mrs. Crabtree, instead of telling Sophie in the book, she's like, You need to like remember your place. Like, you're not whatever. He tells or she tells Benedict, you need to remember your place. You have this like power dynamic over her. Yeah. I like it would be wrong of you to like abuse that. She couldn't say no. Yeah. I she wouldn't be able to say no to you, so you you need to not pursue things with her because like so. She totally flips it, and I loved that change in the show. I thought that was really, really good. That's what I'm saying. I just feel like Sophie got a lot more agency in this of like the choices she's making and then the under like her understanding of the world and her a little bit of like I don't know. Aid yeah, agency is the only word I can think of, but yeah, I like I like the Sophie, and I really like the actress how she's portraying her. Um, she just feels like an even more compelling character than I thought she was already in the books. Yeah, and I'm excited to see how they do the second part of the season, too. Me too. So the other half drop at the end of February. Um, other notes I had about this show was that why is Cho Chang on my screen as a mother to adult children? It's scary, it's scary. That felt not okay to me. Like, yeah, she probably was young when she had the kids. Um, it's a different time. The actress is 35. Yeah, well, yeah, and her kids are like 20, so yeah, I mean that makes sense, or whatever-wise. Yeah, so it's just concerning, but she's amazing, she's doing such a good job. Um, yeah, she's really good. She's like so evil looking, which is crazy. Because I feel like that's obviously all I know her really from is Cho Chang, and so different than her. So I love that. Yeah, I know. So this has been great. Yeah, love her. Scary that we're old, but yeah. What did you think about Rosamond and Posey? Her stepsisters. I I like how they've I okay. This is my one of my beefs of the book. I didn't like Posey, and like we're giving her a redemption arc, like she was so complicit. I do feel like Posey in the show is a lot nice, like she seems genuinely trying to help make things as much as much as nothing, but she's also someone who has like exactly zero agency. Exactly. So you know, what is she gonna do? Yeah, but in the show it felt like she just went along with things a lot more, or she was like not as warm, and then at the end we're all supposed to be like, oh yay, you know, you guys are free. The show made Posey nicer and what's her face, the other one Rosamond more evil. Yeah, so I like that because I think it'll it'll hopefully she still does get to leave her family and go live with the Bridgetons, because I think that would be nice for Sophie to have someone. Yes, at the end of your book, did you have the second epilogue? Yeah, I didn't know. There's like a second like a second epilogue about Posey. I'm like, I actually just want a book about Posey. I think she deserves her own art. She should, yeah. Give her her own art. Yeah. I like that. Yeah. Um, I did also one of my notes from the beginning, I liked I just continue to love and have always loved, but Benedict and Eloise's relationship, um, which got kind of a front row seat in this season as well. Because he's like, which again is a different thing that doesn't play out in the books. Um, but he's like, you know, I'll pretend to be your chaperone if you help me try to find this lady in silver or whatever. And then I will make you talk to any men. Like, okay, mom is really trying hard to get us married off this year. Like, let's go. He's like, I don't want to marry, I only want to marry this one person. You don't want to marry anyone at all. Yeah. So like, let's let's covort together. Yes. So I really like that. And I just any scene they're in together, I just I find them they play very convincing siblings. They feel like a real brother and sister who love each other a lot and who kind of seem to understand each other more than their other siblings who have no uh so don't seem to understand them in the same way. So I like that dynamic between them. Um I liked in the show um we see more about Hyacinth. Um I like Hyacinth as a character, she's so different from Eloise, and they're like building out that tension between them where um it's kind of like a um a Meg March versus Joe March kind of thing. Like just because we don't want the same thing doesn't mean I'm wrong. Yeah. Yeah, it doesn't mean that your dreams are better than mine. Like being supporting women, being a feminist means supporting women, whatever choice they make for their lives. And like Hyacinth really wants to, she's really leaning into being a lady and like training up for all of that and like being in society and going to balls, and Eloise doesn't understand that because that's never been her thing. Um, so I thought that was cool. The one thing I appreciate about the show is obviously like the book is gonna be way more limited to the the main characters of that story. Yeah. Um, so we see more about their thought process, but in the show we get to see more about the other characters. So we have the maid side plot, we had the queen side plot. I was not that into. Yeah, it's getting old. Like, okay, wrap it up. Yeah. All right, Lady Danbury. But did you watch Queen Charlotte? No. Okay. I I have heard. People like it. Like the yearning? Yeah, that's what I've heard. So is absolutely it's it's the to me, it's the best like male monologue of any of the Bridgertons. Okay. Including Anthony. Okay, I'll go watch it. I'll watch it before we record our next episode. Maybe. Um and then we had okay. We also had the Francesca side plot. Yeah. So spoilers ahoy, okay? Do you want to know what happens in the in the book? I am aware of the discourse, so I do know what happens in the book. Okay. So for those who don't know and want to know, here you go. Francesca, uh, like early in this in the series, uh like she has already gotten married and she's off in Scotland living with the Earl of Kilmartin, her husband, and she doesn't get a love story with him. That's not in the book, really. Her love story comes later after the Earl of Kilmartin has passed away. And then she uh has like a second chance at love with Michael, his cousin. The show has changed that to Michaela, his like sister or something. I think it's still his cousin. It's still so his cousin, okay. Yeah, I thought that's what I'm saying. And Francesca is having a hard time this season reaching her pinnacle. Uh-huh. I was like, you know what? The next time I'm writing something, I'm gonna start slipping back. Okay, you're gonna you're you're gonna censor me here, and that's fine, and I know that. I'm probably gonna censor myself, okay. You're gonna censor me here, but it's just like I thought for sure. Okay. Yeah, that's getting cut out. But I thought for sure. I thought for sure that at some point they would stop calling it that. Like that was just gonna be a euphemism. We have to pick a different euphemism, euphemism than Pinnacle. Pinnacle was so crazy, it's so funny. Oh god. And then like, I just it made me depressed for Branjasca and all the women, every woman in the show. You know what? It hit way too close to home because the lack of sex education, uh huh, the lack of conversation about female anatomy. And uh I mean, if you didn't watch the first season, I did watch the first season. Oh, you did, you did, okay. Yeah, yeah. The first season was like, But Sandy doesn't even know how children are conceived. Exactly. Yeah, and same in in the the last one with the Featrington girl, who was like, Yeah, something I don't know what they were doing. Right, I forgot about that. She was like Same thing. Oh, she thought sex happened like in your belly button or something. Yeah, yeah, something weird. Okay, yeah, come on now. We gotta talk to we gotta talk to young women about their anatomy and it's like I get it, we're in the time, period. But like you guys, she's married now. You could be frank, you could be a little more frank, and she's somebody save her. Please, someone save her. Also, like it is heavily implied that Francesca and John are both autistic. Yeah. Like, they probably really I I would put a lot of money on the fact that they really value direct and honest. Exactly. She's begging euphemism. I don't know. Please stop using metaphors. I don't understand it. It's very hard for me to get. I don't know what you're talking about. Please just tell me directly, without using any bulls, how I repeat my pinnacle and what the f is it.

unknown 25:23

What's the metacle?

Abigail 25:25

God, it made me so sad for her. I'm assuming. I get it. Oh, I'm so scared because I'm so scared of being around her because I feel so confused. And she's like, I just want it to be easy. And I really that's the thing, is she really likes John. Yeah. She really feels comfortable around him. She likes it. And he's so sweet. He's so nice. And he seems to like understand and care about her a lot. And I just don't think she's ever considered like when being with women as an option. She's just like, would she? She's a woman. This is a comfortable guy. Yeah. Yeah, correct. Men can do whatever they want in this world. The women can nobody will even have a conversation with them. Otherwise, they won't be married. Anyways, continue. What did you think about the scene? This is okay, so this is uh outside of book canon, but they added in the scene where like Colin, uh Benedict, John, and then Mr. Mondrich were sitting around at the club and they were talking about mistresses. And Benedict says something like, Well, you know, Anthony had a mistress before Kate. Because in that time, a mistress didn't just have to be someone you were cheating with, it could be like anyone that was not kept woman. Yeah, yeah, kept woman. Even if you aren't married, yeah. And Colin is like, oh, I thought it would never suit me or whatever. What a loser. You're right. Nobody's interested. Colin. Sorry. I don't hate Colin the way that you hate Colin. I know. I just but you know what? I do think Colin is a flawed character. One thing I respect about him, though, in his character arc, is that he was like, Yeah, I don't like Penelope, I don't like Penelope until one day he was like, Oh shit, I really like Penelope. I want to have sex with her immediately and then get married the next day. Yeah, I don't respect that at all, actually.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

I know, I know, I know.

Abigail 27:26

But you know what?

SPEAKER_01 27:27

The man knows what he wants when he needs to be able to do it.

Mistresses, Class Norms, And Media Literacy

Anticipating Part Two And Likely Changes

Violet’s Romance And Servants’ POV Gold

Abigail 27:28

He knows what he wants eventually after he repeatedly insults the woman term. I know, I know, I know. Anyway, I get it. The steamiest scene we got in this first part of the season was Penelope and Colin in the carriage. That made me want to buy gone again because I literally can't watch them. I'm just like full body cringe anytime I see them. We didn't really I mean, I and I think maybe that's part of what's so good about this first half of the season is that Benedict and Sophie have been very off limits, right? There's like this building tension, they're not really like and didn't till the end, but even that was very brief, yeah, very you know, very quick. Everything is very forbidden, and like the yearning is really like building up. And I like this because in the book they do sleep, he like the hymen stuff. I I I can't deal with that in this freaking book, so I'm done with that. Um we need just pause on that. I think we like these women in the book need more education about their hyans, but I think also as a society we need more education about hyans because why am I getting that? It is not that it it doesn't work the way that it appears it happens in books. That there you go. In this book, especially. And if you need me to explain that to you, DM me. She won't use any metaphors. I want I will be fully uncensored by Emily and she won't be able to bleep out what I'm saying. Um anyways, I liked that the first time they hook up, it is not in a way that could produce a child because that really bothered me in the book. Oh, where he was like, it might be too late for that, Sophie. That really bothered me. That was the one thing actually that I'm curious what seeing you thought would bother me. That's the one scene that did bother me. And it bothered me for her because I'm like, okay, it's not you're not dumb, and you've this has been your like hill to die on, and now you're you don't want to have a bastard child because you were a bastard child. Exactly. And if you're gonna go like obviously, hopefully she she doesn't get pre- I there's no implication that she gets pregnant this time, whatever. But my whole point is like I hate that it feels like she compromised herself, but then she won't just go beat his mistress. Like, if you already are willing to make take the risk, like just do it, you know? Like, I would have been like she is not, I mean, she's a maid, right? So like people in the serving servant class aren't kept so like um like the information isn't so privileged from them, right? Because it's like it it's implied that like she's probably seen the naked form, like walking in and out of rooms to deliver towels and things like that. They still have artists, but like having that kind of information. Yeah, you know, like so yeah, like she probably it would have been more interesting if she had been like like not like this, or you know, yes, which I feel like is what happens in the show more. So I liked that. Um I really liked that whole scene. The part I thought you weren't gonna like was when they were when he was swimming at the lake and she's like walking to the woods and she sees him at the at the lake, and then he's like, No, you're not going anywhere. Like, you're not walking away, you're not going anywhere. Like, I'll follow you, I'll chase you down. Yeah, I don't know. I like you. What I don't I don't actually mind the like dominating guy that appears in these books. I didn't like Colin because he was specifically physically violent with with Penelope multiple times in the books. Not to like punching her, but like I didn't like him grabbing her or like forcing her to drink the champagne or shoving her in a closet. Benedict doesn't ever really lay a hand on her, so I don't mind that he has a little like a little anger problem as much. But he was more like not throwing. It was more like, hmm. I think it could be read that way. I think it can also be read a different way, which is like, I'm not gonna let you just like run away from your feelings right now. You're gonna stay here and you're gonna talk to me about it. We're gonna have to. Which I also understand because Benedict at this point isn't thinking about them. He does kind of think of them as equals at that point in the book. And I feel like even in the show, like he's not he's like he likes her. She's the one who keeps on being like, No, I'm a servant, no, I'm a servant. He's like, please call me Benedict, don't call me Mr. Bridgerton, like you're a guest in my house. Yeah, yes. So, yeah, I liked it because I feel like it was more flirty than like mean. Yes, but then there's the disappointment where he's like, You deserve better than this than being a servant in my mother's house. Come away with me and be my mistress. But I get it, and I I don't I feel like let's get some media literacy, people, because the whole sh season, part one, and and in the book, but like I've seen a lot of con discourse about the show, he's been like they've been planting these seeds in his mind where it's like you cannot have a relationship with her, and then they're talking about mistresses, and a lot, hey, a lot of guys have a woman that they actually love, and then they have a wife, and that's very common. Sometimes you're not present as a bad thing, yeah. You marry in your class, and you sometimes love in your class. Yeah, so just do what everybody else is doing and what is presented as a normal part of your society that you would have a wife you don't love and have them like I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying, that's like to be fair. A lot of wives, like a lot of society wives, kind of know that their husbands have mistresses. They're probably happier, some of them, because have you met Colin? Because some of them don't like their husbands, they also marry their husband, like they just kind of want to be left alone. There's not a lot of agency in this world into whom you can be a partnership, yes, and especially these women, they don't even know what they're getting into. That nobody's talking to them, so they're just married off one day later, and then all of a sudden they have this guy here all the time. Like, you know, so I don't care about that. And I feel like we need to calm down. And Benedict is not ruined for me because he asks her to, I think he's doing what he feels like he has to do. And in the book, it's also like implied that he's kind of holding space for the lady in silver to be his actual wife. Yes. Um, but he doesn't want to lose Sophie, which I'm not saying that's great, but like he's in love with her. Like, what's up? And like, spoiler for the second half of the season, yeah. The one other thing that kind of put me off a little bit on the reread this time was whenever he sees her with the scarf over her eyes playing with the kids, and then he realizes that she's the lady in silver, and then he's like mad at her. Yeah, I assume they'll change that. Do you think you would be mad that she like deceived you? I was trying to like put myself in Benedict's shoes in that moment because I didn't like it that much. I didn't like how he like kind of cornered her and was screaming at her and whatever in the book. I again assume they will change that. Um, just based off how they changed Colin. Um but I think like I don't know, maybe I would be a little mad because he has been looking for her all this time and it feels like a lie. It feels like you knew I was looking for you, and you didn't say anything. So you knew I was looking, yeah. I don't know. I don't think I think Sophie is not in the wrong, but I do think I understand him being upset or like hurt or whatever. Like, why did you lie to me or why didn't you just tell me? And I understand her, like it would have made it harder, but it's like, well, you already slept with him, so you know again. At that point, I do feel like maybe you could have told him. So what are you looking forward to in part two? Everything. I'm looking forward to see how it resolves because it feels like they've cut out the like dowry thing. Um, they did change that. They cut out like more of the legal stuff and like the conditions for why Aramenti. So like at the end of the book, she ends up like in jail, and then like Violet has to intervene. So I think the whole ending is definitely gonna change. I do think that's gonna be different. I imagine that it's gonna be found out through maybe like Posey coming to tell her that he did leave her a large sum of money and like not just the dowry that he left her, you know, part of her his estate or something, so she can make her way into society that way. That's what I would imagine. Yeah, or maybe there's gonna be some sort of like servant class arc where like the the the new housekeeper for Araminta, who left the Featheringtons, Mrs. Van Vandy or something like that. Yeah. Anyways, maybe they're gonna do something to expose the truth. I feel like that could be truth. That might be like a win for the servants. I do like how uh the the boy servant from her old place is like showing up now, and like I like how because that did kind of bother me too. I feel like she's like, oh, I'm not like other girls, I shouldn't be a servant, forget my old life, you know what I mean at the end of the book. Like, wait, no, but she would be like chilling with the homies. Like these are her like that, yeah. I like that change about Sophie's character, and I think that I imagine in her like new position of power she might make some changes. But I do I love that the like I want a whole season of like the behind the scenes of the Bridgerton house because all those scenes are so I want a whole spin-off just about the servants and their drama. Yes, I knew I was like, dude, the tea of being oh yeah, we didn't even discuss Lady Bridgerton and Can we talk about her? I'm I'm ready to talk about her. Yeah, so she has a whole this is totally extra to the the book canon, but yeah she has like a romance with Lady Danbury's brother, and she asks her housekeeper to like organize a nighttime tea, get everyone out of the house so that she can get dicked down by her man. I was so desperate to know what are the vibes, like is that allowed? I guess she's like a widow, like who cares? Is it like widows can do whatever they want? It's not as improprietary. I don't think she's gonna get married to it. They understand that they're not gonna get married to one another. Yeah. So they can just have this. I guess so. I mean, I don't yeah, I don't know. It's just fascinating to me. But yeah, the the whole like I mean, she can't get pregnant. Yeah, I'm assuming she's postmenopausal, so it's like, alright, whatever. Yeah. Let's do it. Good for her, good for her. Like, no, she deserves it. Yes, girl, it's been like 17 years since your husband passed. I think it's okay. I think it's okay. And also, I forget what Mr. Bridgerton looked like, but I know that what she's dealing with now is better.

SPEAKER_01 38:03

There's no way.

Abigail 38:05

Oh, he is a fine piece of man. He's so good looking. So I thought I was like, he kind of looks like straight Kuramo.

SPEAKER_00 38:15

He kind of does. He looks like straight Kuramo. I can see that.

Yearning, Pinkies, And Canthony Fix

Abigail 38:20

Yeah. Yeah. So good for her. But yeah, I want a whole spinoff of the server, like the bell that rang. And even from the beginning, um, before Sophie was introduced, like there's a scene where like they're all chilling in the sitting room or whatever, and like the servants are on the wall and they're all kind of talking about, oh yeah, your baby's so cute when you don't have to take care of it. Um, yes, give me more. Yes. Yes, I would, I would I want to just I want to just like look in. So I'm gonna write this fanfiction. Where I just need to start writing my own fanfiction because I keep on having these. I'm gonna be honest, I do think you need to start having this gonna be. I'm at my max. But like you look into the room, like you're like, you're fly on the wall and you're like hearing this the servants like sh talk mad. Yes, like talking mad sh about all the kids in the house, and like what a little bit hyacinth is, and like, oh my god, did you see what Eloise Eloise needs to cut those f ass bangs and all this? But you know what? The reason Eloise has those bangs is because she's supposed to be 20. That's and the actress is like 36 and she has deep foreheadlines. That's fair. I was gonna say it's so they can glow her up when it's her season, but that's a good, that's a good, uh, that's a good point as well. I'm also so interested to see what they do with her. Me too. Because her love story in the books is that she's like becomes pen pals with this guy who's like a widower, widower, and he has two kids, and like she goes out to like visit him to be like, okay, let's see if I should get married to you. And she ends up basically being like a like he's like stepmommy vibes. I don't know, it's it was a little weird. So I'm interested to see if they're gonna do two lesbian seasons because she gives lesbian a little bit. She does. I did have that note very beginning. Why did we not make Eloise a lesbian? Um, but I I'm like I people I know people are really have a lot of feelings about Francesca. Um yeah, I don't care about your feelings. I am so glad I'm not like I keep on seeing people be like, oh, there's just discourse. I have not seen any of it. Good for you, and I think that that's because they know I have nothing to do with it. I personally love gay people.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

I love when people aren't gay in me.

unknown 40:34

Yeah.

Abigail 40:35

And I think like it doesn't, I don't know. I haven't read the book, obviously. So anybody who cares about this a lot is not gonna care about my opinion, but I uh I don't feel like like it doesn't mean she doesn't care about John if she's a lesbian. Like it doesn't mean that she's gonna not be sad when he dies. And I feel like I she still loves him. There was a lot of tenderness there, and like a deep. I was actually surprised by how much because of all the discourse I've seen. I thought that there would be nothing, but like they have a really, yeah, really meaningful relationship. And so, like, are you not sad when your friends die? Like that you love a lot. Like, that's perfectly. I think she deeply trusts him, she feels seen by him. Yes, like that's why they got together in the last season because she was like, Oh, being in society is really stressful for me. Yeah, being around you makes me feel really calm and I feel seen. Like, that's a beautiful thing. Yeah, it doesn't cheap in anything about it, just because she can't reach her pinnacle with it. And Michaela seems awesome. So, like, I'm really happy about this for everybody involved. And then like, I get like these Bridgerton people are freaked out for people of color. They minus minus Colin, but like everybody else is the worst, freaked out. And I get it, because everybody in the show pretty much they're like no more, all of our kids are gonna be mixed-raced or redheads. We are changing this bloodline. We're gonna have either redheads or people of color. That's it, we're done. Yeah, and as they should, period. Also, speaking of like mixed race children, um did you see like in the season the part two trailer we have like a Canthony scene? I did see that. I with their baby. I need them, I need them to show up.

unknown 42:19

Talk to me about John.

Fashion Notes And Lake Scene Banter

Abigail 42:21

It is not far enough. God. No, the scene where he smells her as she walks by. Or when their pinkies reach out. Oh they walk past each other. That's crazy. I am so freaked out by when people touch pinkies and like historical romances. Because it's an it's like I get it actually. I do understand. I understand because you can see nothing, and then you see a pinky or you like brush a hand and you take a glove off. And why is it like so beautiful? I don't know. I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 42:56

I know, I know, I know, I know. I can't see it. An ankle, a flash of leg. Yes. Oh my god. I'm gonna go rewatch season two.

Abigail 43:01

He was so down bad for that woman. And I get it. That's what I'm saying. Like everybody in the show is too hot. I got to Billy, you deserve Sexiest Man Alive. He deserved it. That's what I mean. I agree with anything in my life that was an election. Um, yeah. Uh I did also like, I liked at the river. Sorry, I'm just making sure I've mentioned everything in my notes. Um I know we went so out of order.

SPEAKER_04 43:28

We did. Oh my god.

What We’re Reading: Ladylike

Abigail 43:32

I liked by the river where um he well, actually, before this, my note was he should definitely not be swimming in the river with an open wound. Dude is gonna get sepsis combined with what must be an amount of STDs because he is. Oh in the show, he's I think more promiscuous than is it portrayed in the books, or I'm just missing subtext because he's calling the media on Gonneria. This is old times, you know. Like he oh my gosh, yeah. He started the AIDS epidemic. Like he was patient zero. Anyways, I liked yeah. I liked when um they're at the river and she's like they're going back and forth and then she says, I cannot help but notice you. I was like, I'm literally like I was just screaming, like so happy. I love them. They're a little banter. So I like so pretty. She's so pretty. Yeah. Her skin, like the just the creaminess, this like it's like her skin is she convincingly looks much younger when they have that funeral scene because, like, yeah, her skin is so beautiful. Like, you believe that she's a teenager in that scene. Um she's gorgeous, yeah. Perfectly cast. I'm excited about it. I'm glad that you like Benedict. I'm glad we could redeem this a little bit for you. Yes. Um, based on like the data points I now know about you with the series, I would say skip Francesca's book. Um interested in the show version of that. Hyacinth. Hyacinth and Gregory both have great books. Okay. They're both really good. Gregory force me when those seasons come out. 20 years from now, we're still doing the podcast. In 20, yeah, in 2038, when we get Gregory's season. Although I do love Gregory. We got a little bit of Gregory. I know. He's such a cutie, and I am so pro his his season ends up being so, super, super, super cute. And High Synth too. So maybe I'll read them. Yeah. Perhaps. Yeah, I can't wait. I'm really excited for part two, genuinely. Like, I couldn't believe I couldn't stop. Oh, my other note. I love Benedict and his slutty little deep V necklines. Why is he always wearing such a deep name? He's always wearing the billowy, like linen, like Mr. Darcy shirts. Good for you, man. Yeah, he knows his face. I get it. He knows his look. Also, they're like breeches. Like when he gets out of the lake and he puts those pants on. And they're all up high. And they're all like high-waisted. Hello? Let's bring back men fashion. Let's deep V high waist. This is like pre them having zippers, so they had to like do like a ton of buttons. I think that's I think that's right. Benedict knows what's up. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. He knows how to dress it. My other note is not fit to print, so I'm good. What is it? It just says, in all caps, five 30,000 exclusions. Dude. That was crazy and I loved it so much. Okay, wait, there's one other thing I thought of too, which was I saw someone on TikTok was like, when Anthony gets back from India from his extended honeymoon and he looks into like the ledgers and like the family accounting books, and he just sees a bunch of fing drawings of like stuff key. So mad. Oh, Benedict is like tanking the family finances. Like he's like Let's let's get the maid POV of that argument between because I know they're not gonna show it, but Anthony and Benedict like having it out. You didn't take a single note. You just kept drawing pictures of stuff. Like I could have asked. You raised my 20 years of my Eloise would have done a better job. Eloise would have done a way better job. She would be like, see it, I could be a man. Yeah, exactly. Honestly, oh, you know what would be so great? I want like a scene where Eloise is wearing pants. Oh, you're right. They need she would look so good. They need that. I need that. She would look so good in like oh, and that was if I had a note. Free her, free her. All over the place. But I liked in the book when Sophie was at my cottage and she had to wear men's clothes. I missed that. I wish they had kept that. Because I feel like that also kind of like makes her a little bit more vulnerable. Like makes her situation a little bit more intimate. Like she's wearing his clothes. Yes. But I would try that. I get it, but I didn't. I get it, but whatever. Anyways. I'm so excited. I loved it. Yay! Too good. Should we talk about what we've read recently? I would love to. Okay. I have like one thing of note, so I can share that. Go for it. It is also historical fiction.

unknown 48:11

Yes.

One Day In December Reactions

Crash Test: High Angst Queer Romance

Closing And Tease For Next Time

Abigail 48:11

And so I stopped watching your recent TikTok when you started talking about this, so I could hear it for the first time. Oh, good, good, good, good, good. Okay, so this book is called Ladylike by Mackenzie Lee. The tagline of this book is In Need of a Husband, in Want of a Wife. So it is uh two gals who uh are in the London season and they are also big class divide. Um, they are in need of making a match. And I don't want to give too much away about the circumstances of why they both need to make a match, but they both need to make an advantageous match, and they both have their sights set on this Duke who is out looking for a wife this season. And they start off as rivals competing for his affection and end up falling in love with each other. Love it. And they're girls and they kiss. And um, it's called Ladylike by Mackenzie Lee. I feel like if you like Bridgerton the show, but you don't like Bridgerton the books, you would like this book because it really bucks convention. It like challenges a lot of like of the historical accuracy. Like, yes, it's still 1850s London. Yes, they still can't be like outwardly lesbians, but like the the rules around it are like a lot looser. It's a way more vibes-based, and um, the characters are incredibly lovable. And it was just a lot of fun. It was a romp. Um, so highly recommend, and I think you would like it. Ladylike. Okay, yeah, that sounds really good. I I'm in need of food. I think that's a good one. It sounds kind of like that. Um, what's that book with the TS5 title? Mm-hmm. Don't want you like a best friend. Yes. Yeah. It kind of reminds me of that. Where it's like, it's not really like I think for you, you're like, I don't care about the historical accuracy if the historical accuracy is gonna make you shove a woman into a closet. Exactly. This is like look, you're really gonna have to stretch the bounds of your imagination. Like, if you love historical accuracy, this one's probably not for you. But like, it's just fun and Regency era and lesbians. Love it. I'm gonna put it on hold as soon as we stop recording. Um, okay. What about you? What did you read? So we talked about this off pod, but to close the loop for everyone who's I'm sure on pens and needles, I did read one day in December. No, we talked about that on the podcast, didn't we? No, we just texted about it. Oh, okay, okay, okay. I couldn't wait. So yeah, I really liked it. I I told you I thought the pacing was a little weird. Like, she, I don't not to spoil too much, but yeah, the ending was just rust. And I I was wondering, I was trying to be analytical. Like, am I too deep on AO3 where there would have been one, maybe two full chapters of them like doing it nasty, like after the end. You know what I'm saying? Like, I do think there's part, but I did feel like, okay, she was in a relationship with someone for like a really long time, and then the end confession, and like that's only a few chapters, and then they kiss, and then it's just spam over. So I wish there was a little more of like because at the end I even found myself wondering, like, are they gonna even make this work? Like, they both have their issues, yeah. Yeah, and I don't need an epilogue, I just need them like maybe to go on a date or something. I don't know. It feels like she got this concept from the scene in Love Actually, where the guy is like in like he's holding the signs, and she was like, I want to make that happen for them. Like, how do I how do I make it happen? And then she just kind of got to the end, was like, big romantic gesture, and I'm gonna guess. And so, but I really like the whole I like the concept, and I I love like a story that takes place over a long period of time. So I like that, and I really liked the female friendship as well. I thought it was really nice. So yeah, and the way she navigates it, that was like skillful. Yeah, I think me too. I was stressed. I was too what I've actually read is um well, I actually read that, but something new. I read Crash Test by Amy James, and Okay, this is on my holds list. Okay, I really don't know if you're gonna like it, but I'm gonna talk about it. I feel similarly to this about like heated rivalry, which obviously you did end up liking, but it's one of those where I'm like, I don't know if you'll like this or not, but I'm gonna tell you about it. Anyways, this follows um Travis Keeping is our original, it's dual perspective, but we start with his perspective. And he is a Formula One racer, which I know next to nothing about. It doesn't come up very much in the story. Um, so don't worry if you're like me and you don't know anything about it. But he um the the first chapter, he like gets done with a race, he's kind of not happy with his performance, but he did okay. So he's like thinking about how he's gonna do better in the next round. I don't know how this works, but whatever. He's trying to like qualify for something, and um, he's doing like the media after the race, and the reporters start kind of like chattering, and he's like, What's going on? What's like what are you guys talking about? And they're talking about a fatal accident in Formula Two, where someone is dead on the scene, a couple drivers have been like airlifted to the nearby hospital, and then a couple are okay, like we're cleared, but he nobody knows who's who yet, obviously, because they contact the families first and whatever. So in Formula Two is his secret boyfriend of over a year, and he was driving in that race, Jacob. Um, and so he doesn't know if he's the one who's died, he doesn't know if he's been airlifted to the hospital, and he doesn't know if he's fine, and also nobody in their life. Correct, it is just like that, like stretched, yes, the whole thing, and so nobody knows. None of their he so Travis doesn't really have any family or like close friends, so nobody in his life knows. And Jacob's family is um very homophobic and like religious, and so they don't know, none of his friends know, but like all of Jacob's stuff is in Travis's hotel room, they were like together the night before, and so it's this like extended thing of like I mean, yeah, I imagine unfortunately, this is probably a really common experience for some queer people, especially like I think about like the AIDS epidemic and stuff where you can't be by your partner's bedside, and he has to think like, is it worth outing him to his family if if this is the last chance I get to see him, or like oh my gosh, you know? So it's very angsty. Um, again, like I think people aren't perfect. I think you might actually like this, but I think some people don't like characters who aren't perfect, and I think you have to be going into this understanding the reasons why someone might not want to be out to their family, yeah, and that it is a complicated thing to navigate and they might not always behave perfectly to the person who is willing to be out, and like that's doesn't mean they don't deserve to be loved. And so yeah, it was really good. It's not too long. That is very long game-esque, it's very long game vibe. So I think if you like the long game um and you like like established relationship, but you also get flashbacks, so like how they first met um and like high angst. I really liked it. Let's see. I have it on hold already, and let's see how much longer I have to wait. Six weeks. I'll let you know. Circle back. It was kind of circle back. Um, so yeah, thank you to the person. Someone on TikTok recommended that to me when I said I liked angst, so they were right. It is very angsty, but I loved it. So all right, we'll see if it's too angsty for me. Yeah, that's what I was wondering, but let me know. I'll let you know. Alright, you guys will see you next time for something. Bye.

unknown 56:05

Bye.