For Millennials. By Millennials.
Bridgerton fever is everywhere. The fans cannot have enough of the Bridgerton family after a month since its release. You are missing out big time if you have not watched it yet. The series is based on Julia Quinn’s books.
There are 8 books in total, each focusing on each Bridgerton sibling. For those who have read the books, the TV show came out pretty different than the original book. But it still kept all the important aspects of the novel alive. How different was Bridgerton season 1 from the first novel in The Duke and I series? Let’s find out the changes from the first and all the books!
Bridgerton Season 1 | Daphne and Simon, Netflix show Vs. Julia Quinn’s Books
Season 1 of the Bridgerton series revolves around the “before and after marriage drama” surrounding Daphne Bridgerton (played by Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page). Produced by Shonda Rhimes and created by Chris Van Dusen, Netflix’s Bridgerton series presents a historical romance like never seen before. The creators included all the modern-era elements in the series while keeping the story as historical as possible.
The Duke and I, book 1 of the series, was published in 2000. After 20 years, we finally have a TV adaptation of the best-selling book series by Julia Quinn. She served as a consultant for the Netflix show. Julia Quinn also confirmed that she respected the changes made by Chris Van Dusen to her original book. And as it turns out, the viewers loved these changes. Bridgerton Season 1 sets a foundation for the upcoming seasons of the show.
And yes, there will be more than 2 seasons for Bridgerton. There must be since the Bridgerton family has 8 siblings. Fans would want nothing else than to see each of their loved books come to life on Netflix.
Original Daphne wasn’t what the show presented.
In Bridgerton season 1, Daphne was termed the “diamond of the first water” by Lady Whistledown. On the contrary, she was not the diamond of the season in the novel, The Duke and I. Daphne Bridgerton was in her 3rd season, with her family desperate to get her married. The men of the town took her as a friend instead of a potential bride. The novel’s Daphne knows she is not the prettiest of them all.
No racial representation
The original novels by Julia Quinn do not address different races. Whereas; we see an amazing blend of races in Netflix’s Bridgerton. Show creators assigned major positions of the Regency to black people, including the Queen and Simon Basset, the show’s male protagonists. Re-imagining the series in such a way has touched many hearts.
No Boxing for Simon Basset in Bridgerton Novel
While Simon Basset was a pretty good boxer in season 1 of Bridgerton, the same cannot be said about Simon of the novel. He was not into boxing, and he did not have any friends as a boxer as well. That was a character added by the show creators that added a dangerous yet entertaining sport in the tv show.
Simon’s parents were friends.
Simon Basset’s parents were not in a friendly relationship, as per Bridgerton’s TV show. However, Quinn’s version shows a different story. At the same time, his parents were not exactly in love with each other. They formed a friendship over the years of their marriage. Simon was conceived after 15 years of their marriage. Hence, proves why Basset’s parents wanted an heir.
Anthony Bridgerton was “in” on their plan.
Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton shared their “courting” plan with Anthony in the novel by Julia Quinn. On contrary, Anthony of the TV show had no idea why Simon was “taking an interest” in Daphne. In the novel, Anthony realizes it is not a bad plan when he finds his house filled with suitors.
Hyacinth proposed Simon Basset
Surprisingly, the youngest Bridgerton, Hyacinth, proposed to Simon Basset. She asked him to wait for her to reach the age of marriage in case Daphne did not get married to him. Considering the scandal that could have been created, we can guess why show creators skipped this novel aspect.
Where is Felicity Featherington (in the show) & Lord Featherington (in Julia Quinn’s books)?
The Featheringtons had a different introduction to Julia Quinn’s books. The trio of sisters is there. However, another sister, Felicity, is the youngest of them all. She is a close friend of Hyacinth Bridgerton. And also happens to be the prettiest of the sisters.
When it comes to Lord Featherington, who already passed away in book 1 of Bridgerton’s novel series, on contrary, Lord Featherington of the TV show was in a mess that led to his death.
Someone else saw Daphne and Simon disappear into the gardens
It was not Cressida Cowper who saw Daphne kissing Simon. Instead, one of Colin’s friends saw them disappear into the gardens. In the TV show, Cressida Cowper used this incident to blackmail Daphne.
Cressida Cowper makes a late appearance in Julia Quinn’s books. However, she is missing in The Duke and I.
New characters in the Bridgerton show
Many new characters throughout the show do not appear in Julia Quinn’s book 1. The King, Queen, and Queen’s nephew Prince Friederich got interested in Daphne. The town’s beloved dressmaker, who became the love interest of Benedict Bridgerton, is also missing in the books.
Anthony’s on-and-off friend-with-benefits, Siena Russo, is also missing in the book series. The only love-making scenes were between Daphne and Simon only. There were no such scenes that involved Anthony or Benedict in action.
Lady Danbury was not such a huge character in Book 1 of Bridgerton
The Duke and I, book 1 of the series, briefly introduces Lady Danbury. However, the tv show puts her as one of the major characters in Simon Basset’s life. In the book, Nurse Hopkins helped him as a child when his father ignored him.
The stutter
Though Simon Basset managed to get over his stutter, he still had some speaking issues in the book. At times when he was nervous or overwhelmed, his stutter would reappear. However, in the tv show, Simon Basset was a confident man who gave no signs of stuttering.
Major Spoiler: Marina Thompson’s character development
In Bridgerton season 1, Marina Thompson was presented as a cousin of the Featheringtons. We all know how her arc developed in the Netflix show. However, she is a no-show until Book 5 of the series. If you do not want to spoil your upcoming Bridgerton seasons, stay away from spoilers regarding Marina’s story in Bridgerton books.
What we can mention here without spoiling much is that she gets married to the younger brother of her lover, George. However, since she is not present in book 1. Therefore, there is no relationship between her and Cole Bridgerton. She is also a distant cousin of Bridgertons instead of Featheringtons.
Lady Whistledown was a secret in 3 books.
Lady Whistledown’s real identity was revealed in the 4th book of Bridgerton’s novel series. However, we get to see her true identity at the end of season 1. Penelope Hetherington was also not a close friend of Eloise Bridgerton. The show creators changed Felicity-Hyacinth’s friendship with Penelope-Eloise.
Daphne and Simon’s first son in Bridgerton
In the series, Daphne and Simon have their firstborn, a son. On contrary, Daphne Bridgerton gives birth to three daughters before siring a son in the books.
Other interesting changes from Julia Quinn’s books
Violet Bridgerton did not want Daphne to mingle with Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings. Colin Bridgerton returned from his travels in book 1, whereas; he talked about his coming travel plans in the tv show. Anthony Bridgerton, of the tv show, is a huge pain-in-the-a**.
And since we fell in love with Eloise Bridgerton in season 1, we do not get to read anything about her in book 1.
While Julia Quinn’s books carry their own charm, the tv show is more diverse. We recommend reading all the books and praying that every single one of them gets to score a season in the Bridgerton series.