[PREVIEW] 'Bridgerton' And The Joy Of Sex

When “Bridgerton” season 2 dropped a week and a half ago, we couldn’t wait a single day to share our first reaction to the season: where is all the sex? We’re too impatient for a 7 episodes of sexual build-up, and we’re too impatient for a week of reflection before demanding that the creators of this Netflix live-action romance novel give us more horny content. If you missed our quick chat about it, you can find it here. (Also, Claire contributed some thoughts to a fun New York Post article on why some fans wanted more sex, giving her the opportunity to sound completely unhinged. “It should be hornier because I would enjoy that” sounded like a normal thing to say at the time.)But after a week of reflection, we DO have more thoughts about why we care so passionately about sex scenes – as well as thoughts about how much emotional connection we get to see between our lovers, the season’s many changes from the Julia Quinn novel, whether Anthony is made into too much of a dick and whether Kate’s grief journey is shortchanged, how Edwina is done dirty, how Eloise is done even more dirty, the joy of seeing an Indian heroine taking center stage, the pitfalls of the show’s efforts to build a diverse world out of source material (Quinn’s series) that is unremittingly white and uninterested in questioning the aristocracy or British empire, and the path forward for Penelope after the Lady Whistledown debacle. And despite all the nits we pick, we also tried to extol the parts we loved about this season, which is just as candy-hued and frothy and compellingly acted as season 1.In this episode, we reference some comments made by the people behind the show about the sex quotient this season, as well as this fantastic article about the history of Indian women in British high society – and how the Sharma ladies in “Bridgerton” both reflect it and cast it in a far rosier hue than reality. Not referenced in this episode, but a fascinating and relevant read: Are the corsets on “Bridgerton” needlessly tight and painful? Now please bring on season 3: we’re yearning for more Kate and Anthony (happy and domesticated), more Edwina (getting the heart-pounding romance she deserves), a continuation of Eloise’s thoroughly modern dalliance with radical printer Theo (maybe some kissing??), and for the scales to finally fall from Colin’s eyes so he can finally ravish Penelope. ShareWe’ve been reading…“Foreverland” by Heather Havrilesky, in anticipation of our upcoming chat with her. I’ve been a fan of her writing since discovering Ask Polly on the Awl almost a decade ago, and though she’s taken a bit of a beating for the book’s bluntly funny description of marriage to her husband, I have not been at all surprised or put off by what I’ve found in the book. It’s viciously hilarious, unsparing of herself, her husband, her family, the suburbs, and the concepts of parenthood and marriage themselves. It’s also forgiving and accepting. She embraces the romantic stories she tells about herself and her life, but she also rips them open and turns them inside out to see what the romance is hiding. As someone who is in the marriage trenches (parenting a toddler who is constantly sick while both working full-time), I needed this book. -ClaireIn a Bridgerton haze, I started reading “Romancing Mister Bridgerton,” Julia Quinn’s novel about Penelope and Colin. The romance! The sexiness! Swoon! -EmmaWe’ve been watching…“Moana.” The toddler is, in point of fact, home sick as I write this, and has been home sick for four days. (I calculated the other day, and he was out sick or due to a Covid exposure for almost 50 percent of March. February’s rate of absences — 25 percent — looks positively aspirational.) After two years of trying to minimize his screen time, we have become desperate enough to try to actively teach him to watch Disney movies. He doesn’t want to. He wants to run around the apartment, pulling all my books off the shelves and hurling wooden blocks across the room. When the atmosphere in “Moana” turns a bit spooky, he bursts into tears. But, with well-deployed snuggles and additional narration, we’ve convinced him to watch up to 30 minutes at a time. Such a fun movie! Can’t wait to find out what happens once they reach Te Fiti, maybe when he turns three. -ClaireFor the first time ever (somehow!!!), I have been watching “Temptation Island.” And oh my goodness. I have QUESTIONS. Mostly… why the fuck would anyone put their relationship through this? Is this show simply a torture device for people who already distrust each other? Why is Hania my new mortal enemy? -EmmaWe’ve been listening to…“What Happened to Sandy Beal,” a podcast reported and hosted by our brilliant ex-colleague Melissa Jeltsen. She reports, with tremendous compassion and insight, on violence against women, and in this podcast, she looks into the cold case of a teenage girl who was found dead of a gunshot wound in 1977. The incident was quickly ruled a suicide by the local police, despite suspicious circumstances — including her recent, troubled romance with a married policeman a decade older. Melissa lets us get to know Sandy deeply, through interviews with her family and glimpses into her diaries, and also turns her lens on the power and relative impunity enjoyed by the cops. -ClaireA big freaking +1 to Claire’s rec of “What Happened to Sandy Beal.” Proud to know Melissa, and the podcast is absolutely gripping. I also really loved the latest episode of Virginia Sole-Smith’s “Burnt Toast,” about the myth of visible abs, and how that false north star can not only enforce chasing the thin ideal, but also create a lot of alienation around practical core work. -EmmaWe’ve been buying…Ughhhh Madewell sweats. Truly back on my bullshit. I feel immense guilt whenever I succumb to the urge to buy overpriced Madewell loungewear (though I snagged this floral sweatshirt and shorts in a site-wide sale, at least). But if I’m honest with myself: the sweats get more wear than anything else in my closet. So I might as well feel good in them, right? During the 50 percent of the month that we’re stuck inside trying to work and parent simultaneously, getting dressed is a mountain I don’t bother climbing. Having some decent sweats already on (from sleeping in them, obv) is what works for me. -ClaireI too succumbed to the call of Madewell and the continuous false hope I will find the perfect jeans!! I bought and ended up loving their Superwide-Leg Jeans in Blaisdell Wash, which come in Petite, Regular and Tall and Plus sizes. They feel somewhat trendy without making me feel like I’m dressing like a teenager. (An excellent sweet spot!) I’ve also been trying to pare down on things I currently have — so I’ve been going through my clothing and putting some good stuff I just no longer wear on Poshmark. -EmmaShare Rich Text