I discovered my love for period dramas back when “Bridgerton” came out in 2020. I watched the whole season in one day from my laptop in bed, all while curled up in a pile of blankets and crocheting. When I ran out of episodes, I scoured the internet for recommendations on what to watch, read, and listen to in order to satisfy my newfound obsession. I wanted to crawl back in time, effortlessly slipping into worlds filled with beautiful gowns and breathtaking first dances. 

“I wanted to crawl back in time, effortlessly slipping into worlds filled with beautiful gowns and breathtaking first dances.”

With the recent release of “Bridgerton” season three, I’ve been thinking about what it is that makes us love period dramas. (And I will warn you now that there are some season three spoilers below!)

Is it the allure of the beautiful gowns and ballrooms, or the excitement of the romance and scandalous drama? Or maybe it’s the abundance of attractive people (literally, how are they all so hot?). Or maybe even a fascination with history or literature; so many period dramas are based on books, after all.

Aesthetically, “Bridgerton” is famous for blending the history of early-1800s Regency Era England with modern-day fashion and music. Turn on an episode and you’ll hear a strings rendition of a Pitbull song, or any number of contemporary pop songs rendered on the cello, as the backdrop to various balls and romantic soliloquies. And as the seasons of Bridgerton progress, the fashion becomes less and less accurate and closer to artistic interpretation inspired by the Regency Era.

“Is it the allure of the beautiful gowns and ballrooms, or the excitement of the romance and scandalous drama?”

“The fact that there is virtually nothing historically accurate about these costumes actually makes me enjoy season three of ‘Bridgerton’ more than seasons one and two,” said Summer Anne Lee, a fashion historian who teaches at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Wagner College, in a video on Instagram reels. “These are essentially 2020s fashion looks with contemporary necklines, sleeves, fabrics, hairstyles, makeup.” 

I certainly love the historical elements of period dramas, and on some level, I do think this is what gets us to watch, but is that really what keeps us coming back for more?

Period dramas awe and entertain, but they are also a mirror reflecting our own cultural values back at us. They are about the past, but they are also about the present, and I think that’s why they resonate with us so deeply.

“Period dramas awe and entertain, but they are also a mirror reflecting our own cultural values back at us.”

All period dramas reflect something about the moment in which they’re made — but, “Bridgerton” really brings that to the surface. In fact, it goes a step further. When the show depicts a history that’s diverse and progressive, it makes us feel like our present and our future can be that way too. As viewers who value diversity and inclusion, seeing that in the upper-class society of Regency England gives us a feeling of possibility.

Regency Era England’s upper class was largely, if entirely, white, and anyone who wasn’t able-bodied, heterosexual, and adhering to the patriarchal structure certainly wasn’t allowed to participate as an equal in high society. “Bridgerton” disrupts this, and instead shows a world where anyone can and should be a part of it. It abandons historical accuracy to instead show an artistic interpretation of history where neurodivergent, disability, LGBTQ, and feminist narratives are all included.

🚨 Spoilers ahead! 🚨

In season three, we see the push and pull of romance and financial security for women. Colin essentially demands that Penelope doesn’t write anymore. This feels very of the time, as he feels entitled to dictating his future wife’s pursuits. But the show delivers a different ending, a feminist one, where Penelope gets the writing career, financial security of her own, power essentially equal to that of the queen, and the man — and not just the jealous, immature patriarch who stopped her from writing, but one who shows self-reflection and growth, and learns from the experience. 

It feels great to see Penelope choose her writing, security, and power over a man, because she was choosing herself first. It was just a bonus that Colin redeemed himself. And, if she could do it in a much more oppressive era, couldn’t we also?

🚨 Spoilers complete! 🚨

“Bridgerton” is not the only period drama as of late that disrupts the history it represents — even though I’d argue they are doing the most in terms of representation and progressive narratives in a historical context. “The Great,” for instance, paints Catherine the Great as a feminist icon, a woman of the people who cares about both her subjects and her own sexual pleasure. “My Lady Jane” is a new period drama-cum-fantasy show in which the main character saves herself, no man necessary. And in the 2019 “Little Women” film, while less cheeky about its reference to the contemporary moment, shows Jo obsessively writing her book on the floor, evoking a similar spark of excitement for today’s audience around a woman choosing herself. It is this show of resistance to the established oppressive norms, more than the period the story is set in, that keeps modern viewers interested.

“It is this show of resistance to the established oppressive norms, more than the period the story is set in, that keeps modern viewers interested.”

Of course, there’s still a long way to go with representation in all of these shows — the main characters remain largely white and cisgender — but shows like “Bridgerton” and its sister program “Queen Charlotte” are moving the needle forward.

The conversation around Francesca Bridgerton’s depiction in the latest season demonstrates how viewers themselves are forced to contend with their more conservative viewpoints as a result of the show. In season three, there’s a hint that Francesca Bridgerton may be neurodivergent and queer. Many “Bridgerton” novel purists found it controversial that her future love interest is a woman instead of a man, as in the plot of the novel. I, for one, was thrilled that we might get an entire season dedicated to a queer love story. Why are people so upset with Francesca possibly being queer? Is it really about staying true to the “Bridgerton” novels, or is it saying something deeper about lingering biases in our cultural subconscious?

“Is it really about staying true to the novels, or is it saying something deeper about lingering biases in our cultural subconscious?”

While I love that period dramas are entertaining, beautiful, and full of scandalous drama — I also love that they make me think. When I sit down to watch, I escape to the fantasy world where protagonists overcome struggles, where things work out for good. And if we can imagine this happening in the past — a time that was realistically not great for most people — then why can’t it happen now, or in the near future?

So, it may be true that period dramas romanticize the past but they also allow us to imagine new possibilities from inside of that history. I think that’s why we love them.

Brianna Schubert is a writer and editor living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she’s not writing about books, lifestyle, and culture, you can find her cooking up a new recipe, reading and recommending books, or finding hidden gems at vintage and thrift stores. Say hi on Instagram!