#siena rosso

“He needs to look in and to have a moment of self-reflection before he’s ready to love someone else…” - Jonathan Bailey continuing to validate how Anthony had been in love before :)

I’m hopeful about s2 and I hope I can dig kanthony, but also it’s nice to acknowledge the love that Anthony had for siena as well.

“I will always protect you.”

Anthony Bridgerton & Siena Rosso FANART

I’ve seen some accounts talking about how the Siena and Anthony storyline should be continued into Season 2. While this is completely valid, as is any opinion for that matter, I think there are flaws in their argument which need to be addressed.

1) Firstly, they argue if the show is to be successful beyond Season 1, it shouldn’t stick to the source material, which I agree with to some extent on certain areas, but not on major plot points or entire books. But within the post where they make this point, I have seen people also admit to having not read the books. So how can you say you don’t want something, if you have no idea what it is??

2) The most popular hypothetical plot I have seen, is that the story will centre around Anthony regaining Siena’s trust. This is not only ignoring the ignoring the fundamental issues with their relationship, but strips Siena of any of the blame for the sour way their story line ended. In the final episode, we saw Anthony try and incorporate her into his life and she rejects him.

3) Siena was a great addition to the story. She added a darker tone, which showed the less glamorous side of the upper classes, and the way they interact with those who are socially, below them. This should definitely continue into Season 2, but I think they should explore a different aspect of class in Britain.

4) Speaking of class, I believe that thinking Anthony and Siena’s marriage would be successful, is to announce to the world that you are ignorant to the way class is culturally imbedded in people in the UK, to this day. Class isn’t just about wealth, its about culture and world view. To use myself as an example, economically, my family is middle class, which is purely down to the wealth my parent’s themselves have accumulated in their respective careers. But, my entire extended family on both sides, is working class and has a very similar attitude towards life as Siena (including the sleeping with rich men). Admittedly, this has led to an identity crisis on my part, but it doesn’t change the argument I’m trying to make. You can’t give a person money and expect them to fit into a new world and a new culture. And I get that Bridgerton is far from historically accurate, but this is something that even Julia Quin gets right.

5) I’ve also seen some things against Violet and the way she speaks about Siena although she has never met her. This I have to agree with somewhat as that scene in the study did make me uncomfortable, but it disregards the fact that she does have a point. Whoever marries Anthony, whether that be Siena or not, would become Viscountess Bridgerton. During the series, we saw the power Violet holds over society, in fact how much power all the Bridgerton’s have. Despite being lower in rank than many featured in the series, they still seem to be able to direct public opinion very easily. Actually, there’s a great quote in the book, “she’ll marry a duke… or a Bridgerton,” which I think demonstrates my point very well. While Siena may have loved Anthony, could she have loved Viscount Bridgerton??

Okay I’m done

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I’ve been thinking about this and it’s been making me sad, so I’m writing it down to get it off my chest.

Violet:She’s conflicted because she knows Anthony does love Siena and that’s all she wanted for her children. But, she worries love won’t be enough. She knows her son better than anyone and can see he’s distracted and that the inevitable fighting is wearing him down. Just because he loves her doesn’t mean he’s happy.

Benedict:He saw what their fighting did to Anthony when she was only his mistress. He has had mistresses himself, and struggles to understand how a relationship founded on loneliness and financial gain can become a healthy marriage.

Colin:Is desperately trying to be happy for his brother. But when he meets Kate, it becomes so much harder to not wish his brother was still single.

Daphne:Put’s on a brave face in public, but is decidedly cold to Siena in private. Siena doesn’t help the situation. They are the complete opposite of each other, and Daphne can’t help but wonder why Anthony would want to marry her, former mistress or not.

Eloise:Their marriage only puts her off marriage more than she already was.

Francesca:Tries to be welcoming, but struggles with the rest of her family. Similarly to Daphne, they are just too different.

Gregory:Can sense the change in Anthony. Loves Kate when he does meet her, and has similar thoughts to Colin.

Hyacinth:Anthony is the only father she has ever known, so she always expects that his wife would be more maternal around her than another older sister. Siena is abrasive and quick to anger, which is only heightened by her dislike of Anthony’s family. The first time she makes Hyacinth cry is only weeks after the wedding. Anthony and Siena had been fighting all morning, and it had spilled into the drawing room, where Hyacinth was stealing biscuits as usual. When Siena made a particularly rude remark towards Anthony, she was quick to step up and defend her brother. Siena then turned on her and Anthony couldn’t stop the words which left her mouth. They actually didn’t stop until Hyacinth had left the room in tears.

Anthony:He quickly realises that as romantic as falling in love with your mistress is, trying to continue that relationship while married, is something different altogether. He agrees with Benedict. It was a mistake to think a relationship founded on loneliness and economic gain could morph into a healthy and fulfilling marriage. He doesn’t want children with Siena, especially after the incident with Hyacinth. 

Siena:She comes to understand that the financial stability of being married to a Viscount, is nothing compared to actually being a Viscountess. Marriage doesn’t sit well with her. She knows Anthony needs an heir, but doesn’t want to be a mother. She can’t stand to see him with his family because it makes her jealous, as she had always been alone. She likes the dancing and the pretty dresses, but she doesn’t like the social season. This society wasn’t built for people like her, with her perspective on life, and she can sense it. It makes her miserable, which only leads to more fighting with Anthony.

Kate:Anthony still meets Kate, and without him trying to marry Edwina, they are much quicker to like each other. They still argue, but there is no menace behind the words. During the Bridgerton musicale, Kate hides in the hallway and later the study, as she realises she can’t keep her eyes off Anthony and that her heart races when he looks at her. She hides under his desk as Siena and Anthony enter, trying to hide their argument from the crowd gathered in the ballroom. Anthony and Kate still kiss that day. They still flirt during Pall Mall, and he still comforts her during the storm. But at the end of the season, Kate returns to Somerset, but leaves her heart with Anthony in Aubrey Hall.

Actually, this hasn’t helped. It’s just made me sadder.

The best part of Bridgerton, is the working/lower middle class character’s constant confusion over what exactly rich people deem a ‘problem.’

Anthony is the first born son, unmarried and doesn’t have children. It is obvious from their early interactions, that Siena is well aware of the duty he feels he has to his family and that they will always come first, no matter how much she voices her opposition.

Furthermore, Siena is far from stupid. She doesn’t fight her place in society and knows what she can expect from her future, and yet for some reason, she is shocked when he says he has to prioritise his family.

Surely she knew at some point, he would start looking for a wife and have children, and that there was a good chance he would break off their relationship, because his loyalty should lie with his wife.

I think that’s why I struggled with her character. Not because she was a bad person, but because she got so angry when he did the inevitable.