Who acts this way?

Bothered by Bridgerton

Sometimes, I read romance novels, or watch shows based on romance novels. At times, I simply enjoy them. Every once in a while, though, I hit jarring moments where suspension of belief becomes difficult. Today, I’m going to focus on one I hit while watching Bridgerton on Netflix; a moment where I stopped, blinked, and said to myself: “I don’t know any men who act like that.”

Daphne and Simon in the Bridgerton show by Netflix, declaring they have no real interest in one another. Fair use without permission.

The issue is the logic behind the “clever” ploy that kicks everything off: Daphne and Simon, professing a lack of interest in one another, decide to pretend to date each other in order to accomplish their mutual goals. This is supposed to accomplish two things:

1. It will help Daphne attract suitors, which is something she’s struggled with.
2. It will stop matrons from throwing their eligible daughters at Simon, who doesn’t want to marry at all and is an exceptionally eligible bachelor.

This plan succeeds on the face of it: Daphne gets more attention from other eligible men, and Simon experiences some relief. The plan only goes “awry” in the expected romance genre way: Both of them fall in deeply love with each other. However, the plan is a bad one, and its success strained my suspension of disbelief.

The social context of Bridgerton