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King George on the other hand is portrayed as nothing but a burden
When servants try to apprise Queen Charlotte of his circumstances, she cuts them off and asks if he is dead
when they confirm he is not, she sends them away
When servants try to apprise Queen Charlotte of his circumstances, she cuts them off and asks if he is dead
when they confirm he is not, she sends them away
She only pays him any attention during moments of lucidity that ultimately end with him becoming extremely distressed
It is implied that they once loved each other deeply (IRL they had 15 children) but that disability has destroyed Charlotte's happiness
In the final episode, the narrator (Julie Andrews) describes being married to him as an indignity
So we have the complete dehumanization of someone experiencing dementia
and
The use of severe abuse of a disabled child as a convenient plot device
and
The use of severe abuse of a disabled child as a convenient plot device
The second disability is no longer convenient to the plot Simon's disability all but disappears
and it is presented as one-upping his abusive father
and it is presented as one-upping his abusive father
It is interesting that they shoehorned the King George subplot in at all. He appears in only two scenes
He exists in the show only to make a point about how even true love can result in suffering
and the only person whose suffering that matters is that of the nondisabled spouse
He exists in the show only to make a point about how even true love can result in suffering
and the only person whose suffering that matters is that of the nondisabled spouse
Leaning into King George III's ill health was a convenient way to place Queen Charlotte as a stronger character
only by conveniently ignoring the existence of the Prince Regent George IV
only by conveniently ignoring the existence of the Prince Regent George IV
this is somewhat unfortunate because George IV was just constant drama
George III actually took his health seriously and agreed to the regency in 1811
For one of the few characters in #bridgertonnetflix
based on a real person, the show does him a real disservice
For one of the few characters in #bridgertonnetflix
based on a real person, the show does him a real disservice
#bridgertonnetflix is based on a series of romance novels which have an unfortunate history of using disability as a plot device
is based on a series of romance novels which have an unfortunate history of using disability as a plot device
Disability usually falls on sexist tropes. Women are mad and should be institutionalized
While men regardless of whether they "overcome" their disabilities to the degree Simon does or not only need a woman to save them
While men regardless of whether they "overcome" their disabilities to the degree Simon does or not only need a woman to save them
Physically disabled and especially disfigured men are common tropes in historical romance
Playing on the trope of the Mad King is not an improvement or a clever twist on the problem
I wish I could expect better of season 2 of #bridgertonnetflix but I doubt it will do better, if disability is even included at all
but I doubt it will do better, if disability is even included at all
