How Violet Bridgerton became the best character of the fourth season Mother of eight children, devoted to her late husband, the housewife has decided to offer a very special tea
Violet Bridgerton, in the famous Netflix series inspired by the saga of novels set in the Regency Era by Julia Quinn, has gradually become the standout character in her large and diverse family. Mother of eight children and widowed early, in the first season - as in the subsequent ones - her goal is to marry off her children to the best possible suitors, never neglecting love. The character, played by Ruth Gemmell, believes in something many parents would never even consider in marriage negotiations. After all, marriages were and still are contracts to be arranged, as modern works like Materialists remind us.
Violet Bridgerton and the importance of true love
For Violet, love has always been as important as income and social status. How the latter will be handled, however, remains to be seen in Part Two of the fourth season of Bridgerton, where the second-born Benedict (Luke Thompson) finds himself falling in love with a maid (Yerin Han). This difference in perspective stems from her personal history: devoted to her late husband Edmund, their relationship lives on in constant memories of tenderness and passion. A life shared in the name of true love, the fairy-tale kind they were fortunate to find, which produced eight children, each a testament to their connection and devotion. This made many question Violet’s position when, in the first season, she struggled to talk about sex with Daphne.
Modesty and sexual taboos in the Regency Era
A modesty that is quite predictable, considering the era in which Bridgerton is set. Even today, some people feel embarrassed talking about sex with their children or fail to understand the importance of sexual and emotional education. It is therefore understandable that for Violet, this topic was taboo, even if she had happily practiced it multiple times with her husband Edmund. As the seasons progressed and a new romantic interest appeared for the character, things did not completely change, but they took a different turn that could help both the Bridgerton children and their mother. In fact, in the first part of the fourth season, Violet has to explain to Francesca, the young character played by Hannah Dodd and newly married to John Stirling (Victor Alli) in the series, what sexual pleasure is, even if she cannot fully succeed. She tries, given the unsuccessful results with Daphne and hoping to be more helpful to the other daughter.
Violet Bridgerton’s awakened desires
After all, even the Bridgerton mother’s desires have been awakened. Her closeness to the fortunate Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) will stir long-dormant sighs in Violet. From initial hesitation to curiosity, leading to doubt and ultimately the realization that there is nothing wrong with letting herself go. Especially when the object of her interest is such a gentleman, willing to give Violet all the time she needs to feel comfortable, enjoying even just her company. This companionship eventually becomes a tea, one of the most exciting moments of the fourth season, aside from the main storyline of Benedict and Sophie.
The secret tea and the exploration of sensuality
By letting go of some of her scruples, the character decides to embrace the desire that has reignited and which she wants to explore. Credit goes to another maid in the series, Mrs. Wilson of the trusted Bridgerton household, who reminds her that “everyone has tea.” A special tea requiring an empty house so Violet and her guest can enjoy as much privacy as possible. A bold step for the character, confronting not only the other but herself, a woman advanced in age whose body is a vault of all she has experienced. Different from that of the young suitors, yet beautiful precisely because it is real and vibrant, with a scene in which she stands completely naked in front of the mirror. A frontal nude that the actress also presents to the viewers, an exaltation of the female body that is pleasurable and self-pleasing, making it even more radiant.
Tea time: sensuality and empowerment
Thus, for Violet Bridgerton, it’s finally tea time. Or rather: “I’m the tea you are having,” she says to Marcus as he enters the room prepared by Mrs. Wilson. In a mint green corset, clumsy yet irresistible, she is ready to indulge in a pastime she hadn’t enjoyed for a while and that also ignited the internet. “No wonder they had 8 kids,” someone writes on social media, highlighting Violet’s beauty and sensuality, with Ruth Gemmell admitting she was nervous for the scene but grateful to have people around who understood her limits, turning her nervousness into fun. A sexual rediscovery, but also a rediscovery of self-pleasure, making Violet Bridgerton the standout character of the fourth season, even as we await Part Two on Netflix from February 26.
