On her honeymoon, Daphne discovers just how uninformed she is about the physical aspects of the marital bed. Colin comes to a decision about Marina.
In 2019, the television industry aired 532 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Netflix's Bridgerton.
"Swish" was written by Sarah Dollard and directed by Julie Anne Robinson
Trust should absolutely exist in any relationship. Daphne believes that she and Simon are closer than they have ever been after getting married. She has had to make sacrifices. However, an entirely new world has now opened up to her. She feels a sense of duty. She has to make a good impression because people are counting on her to protect their livelihoods as the lady of the house. She has those responsibilities now. And yet, she is still in the dark about so much of Simon's upbringing. She just now learns that he was raised with an absent father after his mother died during childbirth. They both wanted children. It was a struggle for them. Daphne senses that it has passed down to Simon as well. In reality, he has just been deceitful. He has essentially preyed on her naivety about the intimacies of sex. He has shown her so much. And yes, it has been exciting and pleasurable for her. They flourish together. They are acting as a couple should on their honeymoon. It's short-lived though. First, it's because of the financial entanglements and problems of the land and those who live on it. And then, it's because Daphne learns the truth. Simon is choosing not to have children. That's information that he neglected to tell her. He made her believe that she had to embrace this reality when her dreams were denied to her. He wants to proclaim that their love can overcome any problem. They were on the same wavelength at one point. They could get back to that eventually after Daphne notes just how wonderful she would be as an aunt to the numerous children her siblings are destined to have. She was settling for that fate while throwing herself into the responsibilities of being a duchess. She knows when she makes a mistake. She tries to atone for that and make things better. She wants the people under her care to know that she is listening and genuinely wants to do right by them. And yet, she has to rely on the staff in order to learn how a child is actually conceived. Lady Bridgerton never gave her that talk. Daphne went into marriage completely in the dark. She didn't know what to expect. As such, she was at Simon's mercy. Whatever he wanted to tell her would become the definition of how intimacy works within a marriage. It's not long before she catches on. She notices that he always pulls out before finishing during sex. She sees how that is a priority for him. He is reaching for a piece of cloth to catch it instead of being in the moment with her. That means his desire to not have children is stronger than his love for her. He can't deny that fact. She can confront him about it. And yet, that only creates an isolating environment. One where Daphne feels distant from her husband while hurting and betraying his trust as well. She is trapped now. That's how anxious she feels. Her life is full of dread once more because Simon has once again failed to communicate his true intentions. He is taking advantage of her. She does the same in order to confirm her suspicion. That can't be completely justified and makes the viewer's understanding of the purpose questionable in the end. Their kindness and charming natures can't deny that reality either. The same applies to Marina's choice of trying to elope with Colin in Scotland. Lady Featherington has made that seem like the only choice. It is the only potential she has of being respected in society while bringing honor to the family who has taken her in. She has to make this decision before their lives are plagued with scandal. That is still the eventual outcome. It's devastating not just for the people involved in private too. It happens in public through Lady Whistledown's column. It may be a mystery how she learned of this secret. That could produce new clues for Eloise in her investigation. But it may also be a priority for her to offer her support to Penelope. Her friend wanted to protect Colin. He didn't deserve this deceit and heartbreak. The two families don't genuinely get along. This action would force them together no matter what. It's a callous way in order to rise above one's rank in society. A person simply manipulates the facts to their advantage. Lady Whistledown is remarkable because she prints the names of the people who make all of these actions. The consequences become clear right away. It can limit the worlds of these characters as well. So much of the Featherington family drama has been consumed by Marina's pregnancy and rush to the alter. That has now been exposed. Colin is devastated. The Bridgerton family could essentially be seen as naive and unprepared for the world. They hold great responsibilities and are all too frequently ignorant of the consequences of their actions. And yet, the personal drama still remains rich and complicated. That may not be the life that any of them deserve. Anthony certainly believes he has tried his best to protect his siblings. And yet, both Daphne and Colin realize that they have fallen in love with people who are more than willing to deceive them for their own ulterior motives. Forgiving those transgressions is certainly possible. The people can still grow. But the betrayal dominates the story as well as the idea that everyone is hurting each other in order to avoid dwelling on one particular action too much.
Trust should absolutely exist in any relationship. Daphne believes that she and Simon are closer than they have ever been after getting married. She has had to make sacrifices. However, an entirely new world has now opened up to her. She feels a sense of duty. She has to make a good impression because people are counting on her to protect their livelihoods as the lady of the house. She has those responsibilities now. And yet, she is still in the dark about so much of Simon's upbringing. She just now learns that he was raised with an absent father after his mother died during childbirth. They both wanted children. It was a struggle for them. Daphne senses that it has passed down to Simon as well. In reality, he has just been deceitful. He has essentially preyed on her naivety about the intimacies of sex. He has shown her so much. And yes, it has been exciting and pleasurable for her. They flourish together. They are acting as a couple should on their honeymoon. It's short-lived though. First, it's because of the financial entanglements and problems of the land and those who live on it. And then, it's because Daphne learns the truth. Simon is choosing not to have children. That's information that he neglected to tell her. He made her believe that she had to embrace this reality when her dreams were denied to her. He wants to proclaim that their love can overcome any problem. They were on the same wavelength at one point. They could get back to that eventually after Daphne notes just how wonderful she would be as an aunt to the numerous children her siblings are destined to have. She was settling for that fate while throwing herself into the responsibilities of being a duchess. She knows when she makes a mistake. She tries to atone for that and make things better. She wants the people under her care to know that she is listening and genuinely wants to do right by them. And yet, she has to rely on the staff in order to learn how a child is actually conceived. Lady Bridgerton never gave her that talk. Daphne went into marriage completely in the dark. She didn't know what to expect. As such, she was at Simon's mercy. Whatever he wanted to tell her would become the definition of how intimacy works within a marriage. It's not long before she catches on. She notices that he always pulls out before finishing during sex. She sees how that is a priority for him. He is reaching for a piece of cloth to catch it instead of being in the moment with her. That means his desire to not have children is stronger than his love for her. He can't deny that fact. She can confront him about it. And yet, that only creates an isolating environment. One where Daphne feels distant from her husband while hurting and betraying his trust as well. She is trapped now. That's how anxious she feels. Her life is full of dread once more because Simon has once again failed to communicate his true intentions. He is taking advantage of her. She does the same in order to confirm her suspicion. That can't be completely justified and makes the viewer's understanding of the purpose questionable in the end. Their kindness and charming natures can't deny that reality either. The same applies to Marina's choice of trying to elope with Colin in Scotland. Lady Featherington has made that seem like the only choice. It is the only potential she has of being respected in society while bringing honor to the family who has taken her in. She has to make this decision before their lives are plagued with scandal. That is still the eventual outcome. It's devastating not just for the people involved in private too. It happens in public through Lady Whistledown's column. It may be a mystery how she learned of this secret. That could produce new clues for Eloise in her investigation. But it may also be a priority for her to offer her support to Penelope. Her friend wanted to protect Colin. He didn't deserve this deceit and heartbreak. The two families don't genuinely get along. This action would force them together no matter what. It's a callous way in order to rise above one's rank in society. A person simply manipulates the facts to their advantage. Lady Whistledown is remarkable because she prints the names of the people who make all of these actions. The consequences become clear right away. It can limit the worlds of these characters as well. So much of the Featherington family drama has been consumed by Marina's pregnancy and rush to the alter. That has now been exposed. Colin is devastated. The Bridgerton family could essentially be seen as naive and unprepared for the world. They hold great responsibilities and are all too frequently ignorant of the consequences of their actions. And yet, the personal drama still remains rich and complicated. That may not be the life that any of them deserve. Anthony certainly believes he has tried his best to protect his siblings. And yet, both Daphne and Colin realize that they have fallen in love with people who are more than willing to deceive them for their own ulterior motives. Forgiving those transgressions is certainly possible. The people can still grow. But the betrayal dominates the story as well as the idea that everyone is hurting each other in order to avoid dwelling on one particular action too much.
