Well, as a generation we’ve been thrown into the Bridgerton hyper fixation too many times. Think about themed parties and Pinterest mood boards and those regency era covers of pop songs. So, here’s bringing a bit of the Bridgerton niche to The Bubble. Prepare yourself dear reader, for the (in)conclusive take on Durham colleges as Bridgerton characters (Hill College Edition).
St. Mary’s as Violet AND Benedict Bridgerton
As a Mare I seriously don’t want to offend anyone at Mary’s, so let me preface this by saying that Violet Bridgerton isn’t the obvious choice. Here’s the thing: Violet Bridgerton raised a house of creatives and do I need to say anything else? Mary’s is a handful sometimes, with its mix of thespians, dancers, musicians, artists, and writers (basically the humanities department). And the fact that everyone somehow knows everyone beyond college (networking works overtime for this lot) is something else. Then, there is Benedict Bridgerton. He is the almost middle child with an ongoing mid-life crisis, who refuses to use that one braincell (seriously, Ben, what was that confession man?). He’s unhinged chaos with an art obsession; basically a standard Mare. At the end of the day, you are one or the other and I will die on that hill.
Collingwood as Kate Sharma
Collingwood has the most competitive streak and it shows. You guys are fierce, driven by this want to prove yourself in sports . You have to fight to prove your constant energy and to make waves all the while living up to you name. And the flair you bring to everything ultimately screams Kate Sharma. Think about it for a second, you have the overachieving older sibling energy, and sometimes that shell can crack under pressure to show your true colours. Collingwood is more than sports teams and I think Kate sums up everything you guys stand for in the long run.
John Snow as Gregory Bridgerton
To be fair, you guys have it kind of hard; the location, the distance and the rest of it. And there’s a lot of colleges up there, and you guys can get lost in it all. If I am being honest, John Snow tries it’s best to stand out, with one of my favourite theatre companies around (still in love with that Little Women production). I guess you guys try to forge your own path with your sports and theatre scene and that can sometimes get lost or forgotten like Gregory; but hey everyone has a soft spot for the youngest Bridgerton brother.
Josephine Butler as Colin Bridgerton
This one is all about the nuances. Butler has this happy go lucky vibe that’s Colin’s entire personality, but this love of drama that he gets in that Season 3 update. And with that you have someone who has this funky Icarus complex. At the end of the day, Colin is someone who is kind, loyal with a knack for big adventures. You guys are driven, and well known. The average person from Butler has this place within the Durham bubble that holds power and intrigue. You have the hill, but you guys also have connections, you know everyone and somehow you keep that going. It has to be Colin.
Ustinov as Lady Danbury
Lady Danbury is the woman with all the connections, and Ustinov is a web. You guys are also old, but that also comes with this wisdom and level of social navigation that most of us can’t wrap our heads around. Sure, you guys don’t come up in conversations, but you guys always lurk in the background (looking at you Nevilles Cross). No notes, just awestruck by how you hold your own.
St. Aidan’s as Francesca Bridgerton
Francesca is a fan favourite who keeps her distance from everyone with her residence in Scotland in between season three and four. That sounds about right for St. Aidan’s (those steps give Edinburgh flashbacks). Like Francesca, you guys keep to yourself; but there is warmth and like some sort of fellowship amongst everyone there (it’s almost as if some daily trauma unites everyone?). Francesca isn’t the obvious Bridgerton sibling, but she is the perfect pairing.
Hild Bede as Simon Bassett
You guys have moved around a bit and made the grand Season One appearance before almost disappearing (in terms of location). That matches you up with Simon Bassett, almost perfectly. But like Simon, you make your mark with the seasonal lore drop as Spoons or football matches. You guys have quite a social life and your football team is something else. Hey, no pressure. Your new accommodation is interesting and the history of the old one gives you something to be mysterious about. Not too sure if you guys are too mysterious though.
Van Mildert as Lord Debling
The other suitor to Penelope in Season 3, Lord Debling gets a bit of a harsh treatment for being a perfectly decent guy. I mean we don’t get a lot of information, but we know that he has a things for birds, wildlife and nature. This aligns with Mildert, which has its own bird watching society (I think). It also doesn’t help that you guys have claimed the duck and the lake as a personality trait (a mood to be honest). Debling in my honest opinion is a pretty ideal pairing. But he can also be dull sometimes.
South as Hyacinth Bridgerton
You guys have the youngest child energy, not in like this awful way. Hyacinth is a free sprit who marches to the beat of her own drum and in a family of eight kids, she is also an unlikely rebel. You don’t really care for aesthetics and your college has an overall clean and pristine look (not exactly Hyacinth coded,she wouldn’t be a fan) But you guys also have St. Oswald’s Theatre Company, which is one of the most recognizable theatre companies of any hill college. You’ve taken that and made it your own and while we are yet to see Hyacinth, I think you guys have already claimed her as your own.
Stephenson as Will Mondrich
Will Mondrich definitely captures the general vibe at Stevo. He is someone who has a big part to play in Season 1 and we get to see so much from his character. He’s already in love and married and things slowly change for him. But that doesn’t necessarily change him as a person. He’s a great guy and overall quite the personality to have around, like everyone at Stevo. Also, shout out to one of the best bars (it’s not the same as Will’s but it’s just as iconic).
Trevelyan as Anthony Bridgerton
Okay, a lot of people think of Anthony as some self – righteous eldest son. People choose to forget the absolute chaos gremlin he is (LILACS and having literal beef with a dog?). He’s determined, practical and hard working but he can also challenge you to a duel like it’s a regular Tueseday thing. That Anthony best represents Trevs and the life you guys have; a 50/50 of calm and chaos. You guys still have the eldest sibling energy (pre character development sideburn Anthony who still has to find his footing).
Grey College as Prudence AND Philippa Featherington
These two cause lowkey you guys are just really hard to describe as a vibe. Now, Prudence and Philippa are romantics and realists but they are a pair of sisters with somewhat of a competitive streak. They aren’t the sporty ones but they are also out and about in society, with their husbands (forget Anthony, Finch is the absolute legend). They are social butterflies who aren’t afraid to make a statement. And you can’t really separate these two; so you guys end up with two sides of the same coin.
Image Credit : https://www.flickr.com/photos/195218773@N05/52011382062/movie bureau via flickr