If there’s one thing that most people know about the Netflix hit Bridgerton, without actually having watched most (or any) of the show, it’s probably that the incredibly popular period romance was filled with unexpected sexytimes. Nearly everyone caught wind, for example, of how the show turned a beloved Taylor Swift song into a Regency-appropriate soundtrack for the Duke / Daphne bang-a-thon seen around the world. But, with the appreciation for Bridgerton’s hot-n-heavy scenes came nearly an equal amount of scorn, and now star Jonathan Bailey is addressing those “Bonkerton” criticisms.
What Does Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey Think Of Criticism Over The Show’s Steamy Sex Scenes?
Jonathan Bailey plays the eldest Bridgerton sibling (and ostensible head of the family), Anthony, who spent much of Season 1 just trying to make sure his younger sister Daphne married well (and often doing a ham-fisted job of it). But, viewers know that good ol’ Anthony did get his horizontal on quite frequently, along with his very first appearance in the series being bare-assed as he…enjoyed a lady’s pleasures, up against a tree.
In a chat with Entertainment Weekly about Bridgerton’s now quickly approaching second season, Bailey spoke about the negativity that the drama saw over the sex scenes, saying:
There's so many people who will go, 'Oh yeah, Bonkerton.' But the female gaze is so important because there are many ways people communicate by sex, and what sex means, and what your body means to someone else. It's important that there's an inversion of sexuality and how people are exploited in the storytelling of sex.
Bailey seems to be saying that one of the reasons he thinks that Bridgerton got so much flak is because it’s a show geared towards women that focuses on women’s feelings around sex and relationships. And, as someone who reads romance novels like the one this show is based on and knows how much continued hate they get, Bailey’s opinion seems like a pretty good bet.
Obviously, the first season focused on Daphne and the Duke of Hastings getting together, which led to a lot of the sexiest scenes being devoted to the young woman, and how she came to understand a new part of herself through sex, which Daphne’s portrayer said she felt was “important” for the series to explore on screen. The same will likely be true as Season 2 devotes much of its time to Anthony, and him being drawn to sisters Kate and Edwina Sharma, as he attempts to fulfill his duty to marry and produce an heir.
We’ll see Anthony continue to try and choose between his “head” and his “heart,” with Edwina technically checking the boxes for what was seen as an appropriate wife, while Kate is the one who truly stokes his fire and some complicated pants feelings.
Luckily, it sounds like Bridgerton will continue to explore sex, sexuality, and what those things mean inside and out of relationships, and how those ideas impact everyone on the show. If that means that Jonathan Bailey and his co-stars will have to continue to contend with the series being known as “Bonkerton” in some circles, so be it.
Bridgerton Season 2 hits Netflix on March 25, but if you need more to watch right now, you can check out the other upcoming romantic TV shows, see what else is on the 2022 Netflix TV schedule, and look into all of the 2022 TV premiere dates!
