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Hey, Netflix Book Club!
Welcome to a very special episode of But have you read the book?
Today, we're taking questions from fans digging into Kate and Anthony.
We're even going to give you
a sneak peek at a fan favorite book scene.
A wet white shirt moment. I'm here for it.
Alright, Netflix Book Club. Are you ready?
I am.
Joining me today is Julia Quinn, the author of the Bridgerton book series,
who is here to talk about her
best-selling books and what we can expect in season two.
So to begin, can we please raise a glass to you, Julia?
Eight Bridgerton novels and your second season on Netflix.
Congratulations!
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
I was actually sitting at Starbucks when I got “The Call,”
from Shondaland that they were interested in adapting the Bridgertons.
My agent called and said I just had the most interesting phone call.
He said, have you heard of Shonda Rhimes? And I said,
Yes.
And he said,
Well, her people just called to ask if the rights to the Bridgerton series
are available and are you interested in talking to them about adapting it?
At which point I said,
I cannot believe you even felt you had to call me to verify that.
Yes, call them back right now. Right now, please, please, please.
But yes, it was in a Starbucks.
Was this something you had ever dreamed of?
Did you ever imagine your books being turned into a series?
-No. -No?
Because, you know, Hollywood doesn't generally turn to romance novels
for source material
and I don't think it's a surprise
that it was Shondaland that saw the opportunity there
because they are just so creative and so ground-breaking.
We have a question from a fan we should see what people have to say.
Hi, Julia, I'm Jessen, and I had a question about
if seeing your work adapted on film influenced the way that you write now?
Oh, that's a great question. Has it?
That's a really good question.
Not really. One thing about me is that I'm not a very visual writer,
so maybe that's one of the reasons
why it was easy to see my book adapted because, you know, I see everything.
I'm like, “Oh wow!” That's amazing.
And it doesn't contradict anything I'd already imagined.
Overall, no I wouldn't say it's changed it too much.
This season is based on The Viscount Who Loved Me,
which, as I'm sure you know, is a fan favorite.
So what should book fans expect in season two of Bridgerton?
-Oh, book fans are going to love it. -Yes.
I don't even know where to start.
As we know, The Viscount Who Loved Me is Anthony's story.
Season one was based on the Duke and I, Daphne’s story.
We've moved on to a new set of leads.
This is the season the Viscount intends to find a wife.
You honestly just did that?
In the book, Edwina and Kate, their last name is Sheffield.
They come from England and you know, they're both having their season,
but Kate is really focused on Edwina’s success.
So for the show, as part of this movement to make the Bridgerton world
more diverse, more inclusive, they've changed the Sheffields.
Now they're the Sharmas
and they actually have traveled to London from Bombay.
Which I love.
I absolutely love it so much.
Why do you love it?
I love the idea of as many people as possible being able to see themselves
in the story and the fact that everyone deserves a happy ending.
And it makes such perfect sense because historically
there was a lot of movement between India and England at that time.
It's like just sort of dropped in there, here and there, where you see
nicknames that they call each other and how they drink their tea.
And just all these little things that make the world that much
-richer. -Richer.
Helped to bring that nuance to life.
Exactly.
When they announced Simone as the lead,
I was lurking on Twitter and I was looking at the reactions,
and there were so many women of Indian descent or South Asian descent
who I mean, their tweets were practically crying.
They were saying I never thought I'd see somebody
like me in the pretty fancy dress.
You know? And representation really matters.
These two wonderful women are not only playing sisters
with a tight bond, but they're caught in a bit of a love triangle
with Anthony Bridgerton, who is the hero of this romance.
So we have another question from the Bridgerton hive,
and this one is from Jessica.
-Let's take a look. -Okay.
Hey, Julia, I'm Jessica.
And I was wondering what is the most important thing for fans
to know about Anthony as a character before watching season two?
I love that fans got to know him already in season one.
He was a bit of an idiot, you know?
I mean, you loved him, but you know, he was just making
these high-handed decisions for his sister.
And so the women in the world are like, “Can you leave her alone?”
-But you still loved him! -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So it really sets him up to be the hero
that you just can't wait to get taken down a peg.
And it happens.
Are the young ladies of London, truly
so easily won by a pleasing smile and absolutely nothing more?
So you find my smile, pleasing?
I find your opinion of yourself entirely too high.
Your character is as deficient as your horsemanship.
I shall bid you goodnight.
You see, this person is just struggling under the weight
of this familial responsibility, which actually answers the question,
which is what do I want people to know about him?
He is somebody who has been thrust into a position of responsibility.
-That's right. -Before he was ready for it.
Right. Similarly,
like where you were watching him shepherd over his sister and her own,
you know, moment at court and courtship and all of this, you had to take
a step back and say, you know, he's doing the best
he can with what he has and how he knows how to handle it.
You know, and this is a very different time than it is today.
And that's why I think readers love him and why viewers love him,
because they see that his intentions are just so pure and true.
That's right.
The show tends to expand the world
and the roles of some of these characters through the power of television.
Does anything happen in the love triangle between
Anthony, Kate, and Edwina that's going to surprise us?
There is a bit of a love triangle in the book.
I think the show expands that a little bit
and amps up the tension there a little bit.
You know, show Edwina is actually a little
more interested in Anthony than book Edwina was.
We have a lot more questions
from fans absolutely itching to know more about season two.
Let's answer some more of their questions, shall we?
Hi, Julia, my name is Melissa, and my question is,
in the books both Anthony and Kate deal with a lot of trauma,
and overcoming that trauma makes them come closer together.
Why was that so important for you to show in the books?
And did you have any say in how that's portrayed in the show?
So I'm very hands off on the show.
I am of the opinion that the folks at Shondaland
know an awful lot about making television, and I do not.
And they're really smart.
I think after we saw season one, we can all agree
that was a really good decision.
In terms of overcoming their past trauma,
I think that working through it can make you stronger.
I think the stronger, more whole you are, the easier it is for you to open up
to love with someone else.
Also, some of the trauma they go through in
the book is not necessarily in the show or it's been changed a little bit,
and I don't want to give anything away.
Fair enough.
Hi, Julia, I'm Lacey.
I'm a big fan of the Bridgerton books
and now the Bridgerton show.
What scene from The Viscount Who Loved Me
are you most excited to see on screen?
That's an easy question.
The Pall Mall scene, it's just so much fun.
But there's also another scene which I think is going to be really exciting,
and that involves somebody ending up in a lake.
Okay, speaking of the lake scene, I love that you brought that up
because we actually gave fans a sneak peek of that scene.
So let's take a watch.
It is most refreshing in the water.
These days, it's hard to find even a moment of peace.
Oh, is he going to try to court Kate?
Oh my goodness, I love that Anthony is going to get jealous
because Kate has a suitor.
She wasn't really being courted in the book at all.
Oh, Anthony, getting jealous?
Oh, Anthony is not happy about him!
Anthony's long looks.
I love this glance.
It's the smolder, as they say.
I see you are smiling, Didi.
See the amusements London has to offer?
I love their dynamic.
That knot will never hold.
It is perfectly adequate.
Then I must question your nautical skills, Dorset.
Excuse me!
Of course, Anthony needs to show off in front of Kate.
Oh, look! Newton!
Miss Sharma.
Lord Bridgerton.
The eye contact!
Chef’s kiss! Amazing.
He's feeling something right now.
Hand holding!
Oh my gosh!
Oh!
Both of them went in! Oh my gosh.
It’s the hand holding
Ha!
Ohhh!
Poor Newton!
Flashbacks of Pride and Prejudice right now.
Oh, is he having a Mr. Darcy scene
where he comes out of the lake?
Yes, he is!
A wet white shirt moment?
I'm here for it.
Oh, Edwina.
Come now! It is not proper to stare.
Kate, take your own advice.
We’re all here for it.
It was delicious.
My world is complete.
The fans are excited.
Yeah, that was definitely a nod to Pride and Prejudice there, and I love it.
Of course. I mean, you can see how enthusiastic and how excited they all are,
you know, like having gotten to see that sneak peek like, just totally moved
their wafting themselves, they're drying their brows.
What is the fandom of Bridgerton like?
The fandom of Bridgerton is the nicest fandom in the world.
I mean, romance readers in general are just so lovely.
They care about the authors.
Oh yeah!
Without readers, I don't get to be a writer.
I mean, that's how it works.
They make my life possible.
A lot of the changes between book and screen
contribute to the expanding world of Bridgerton.
Last season, Lady Whistledown was revealed.
Yes.
Much earlier than she is in the books.
How does Penelope's role play out differently
now that the audience knows her secret?
Well, I think it creates a much
different dynamic because now we're in on the secret.
It enables us to look at her with a different eye.
To look at how she gets this information.
For all the people
who went and rewatched the show, once they saw that she was Lady
Whistledown, suddenly, oh my gosh, look, yes, there she is, watching everything.
Now we can see it play out in real time.
We get to see how she makes the sausage.
How does she make this happen?
And so I think that's really fun, and I think it's nice
to have this slightly different dramatic point of view.
How did you feel about her being revealed at the end of season one?
Well, I think it had to happen
because in truth, anybody could have just googled it.
It's not a secret in the book world anymore.
So I think that the production team just decided it wasn't worth trying
to keep it a secret for a further season because the audience would know anyway.
But what's really funny is that it was originally not written that way.
And when I read the last episode,
they planted a red herring that it was going to be someone else.
So I'm watching episode eight
like everyone else, well a little before everyone else but still
and they get to that scene, and I had no idea.
It was so funny.
I mean, you wouldn't think I could be shocked
having written the book, but I was shocked. It was like-
Thats not how it goes!
What! They're revealing it right now?
It was actually really funny. So I got to have that same moment of,
-“Oh my gosh!” As the readers. -Yes, yes, yes.
That's cool.
It was actually it was really cool.
And what about the other Bridgertons?
Is there anything that we can expect from them going forth in this season?
You know, they're just growing up.
Eloise is making her debut.
And I think anybody who has met Eloise in season one
will know she's not crazy about that idea.
We've got Colin, who left for Greece at the end of season one.
He's now back and we're just seeing them grow up a little
and try to find their place in the world.
Last question.
So seeing your book series adapted for screen,
what has been your favorite addition that they've made to the show?
That one is so easy. It is the Queen.
I may be American, but I now want a Queen and
I want that Queen to be Golda Rosheuvel
and I want her to be my Queen forever.
She is so-
Everything!
She's everything, she's everything.
I could watch her face for hours when she's reading the Whistledowns.
I don't know what it is she's doing with her mouth,
but it is just spectacular.
And I go back and forth between wishing I'd written the Queen in the books
and being so glad I didn't, because there's no way
I could have written her as well as they did on the show.
She is just magnificent.
She says so much with so little all the time.
She's getting her own show!
I know!
And how do you feel about that?
Are you excited to see that story come to life? To see her backstory?
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited and Shonda is writing it herself.
Wow.
I know.
That’s great.
We said it in the beginning, but could you ever have imagined this?
No.
I dream big, but I didn't dream that big.
I mean, I wouldn’t have known to dream that big.
It's incredible.
You have done magic on the page, and it's been incredible
to watch that magic come from the page to the screen.
Friends, if you want to go even deeper behind the scenes of Bridgerton,
you can check out the official Bridgerton podcast.
See, the world just keeps expanding.
I know!
And of course, season two of Bridgerton
streams on Netflix, March 25th.
Thank you.
Thank you for sitting and chatting.
Thank you, this was so much fun.
So much fun.
Thank you for bringing us into your world.
One last cheers for fun.
We got it!
To the lake!