u/Fickle_Baker1393

One of the most frustrating things about watching Eloise being so aimless every season is that she has all these great ambitions about wanting to "change the world" and yet the writers are not giving her any chance to do that or to at least show us what she means by that?

How will Eloise change the world in the context of the universe?

My thing is, what she wants to achieve seems so monumental that having it done within her own season isn't going to be enough.

There's already a lot going on in Philoise's story and so to add an entire arc of Eloise "changing the world" as she keeps saying she wants to do every season just seems a bit too "ambitious" of a tall order.

It needs to be told over several seasons not isolated to her own season. There needs to be a foundation to her eventual end goal and purpose in life the same way Benedict found his passions through art since S1 or Penelope finding her passion in writing as Lady Whistledown and eventually as an author.

We were first introduced to Eloise as someone who was eager to learn more and desired to have a university education and equal rights/opportunities for all as well as female empowerment so that's where my head immediately goes to but they've abandoned that after S2.

Do the writers even know what Eloise wants? Do they know what her passion is?

Unless the writers are just spitballing every time they give Eloise this line and really do not intend to give her an arc where she's actively striving for something great then what is the point of this rhetoric?

This is partly why I'm so frustrated with the material they've been giving her because they've written her out to be this character you want to root for and want her to achieve everything she sets her mind to but they are not moving her along.

To shove these great ambitions in her season is just poor writing imo because fundamentally, this is a ROMANCE show, not Downton Abbey where we could actually have a whole season of just Eloise "changing the world" and reshaping society.

So again, I ask, how exactly are they going to have Eloise "change the world"? What does that even look like in a show like Bridgerton?

Is it education? Is it career based? Is it political activism? Is it social reform? Is it business related? What is it?

Or are they simply going to have Eloise just come to the realization that she doesn't want to change the world anymore? ​​​

I want Eloise to achieve everything she sets her heart to.

I want her to find love but I also want her to find a purpose in life. I'm TEAM ELOISE all the way. I just want a clear direction and guidance to where her story is going in this specific avenue.

I would love Drake Rodger as Jake Connelly to show up in future seasons of Off Campus to set up the Briar U series. I know many people have expectations for Jake to be the most gorgeous person on the show so I hope Drake Rodger meets those expectations because he does to me.

I discovered him on Landman but apparently he also starred in Motorheads with Stephen which is perfect for the rivalry lol.

Credit to the CREATOR for this brilliant take: @ thefeminine.glow on IG.

I couldn't have said this better myself. This has always been my issue with this ship and those advocating for Eloise to end up with Theo because they don't see the real picture.

And no it has less to do with their different classes in society (although that plays a big part) but it's due to their different life experiences and their outlook on life.

Eloise is a PRIVILEGED white woman of society. There's no way to beat around the bush. She just is.

She will never know the struggle and pain of living as a working class member of society, she will never know what it's like to work hard so you can survive, she will never know what it's like t​o spend her life answering to authority because they are in charge of her livelihood.

She has grown up with servants, staff, chaperones, nursemaids, cooks, governesses etc tending to her and ​​given virtually everything she ever wants and desires on a silver platter and as much as she probably protests she's not given much freedom in society (which is true) , she would be given even less freedom as a working class citizen because that's essentially what she will be.

And Theo... I've always seen the arguments that for them to work they can just say Theo is the secret long lost illegitimate son of a nobleman (reheating Sophie's nachos) and suddenly inherited wealth OR he inherited a title from a distant relative and is now part of the ton (Mondriches).

But there's a flaw in this because... Theo despises the ton.

The entirety of S2 he spent criticizing the ton, the members of the ton, titled or untitled wealthy, elite noblemans and the entire establishment (of which Eloises family is apart of) and the royal institution and is anti-monarchy and wants to the institution to end and become a republic to ensure fairer and a more equal society for all.

He clearly wants no part of that side of the world so why and how would suddenly acquiring wealth whether by virtue of his

His criticisms of the ton are completely valid though but Eloise is part of the ton and her family are part of the ton.

And her family would never approve and the ton would shun them forever (we saw the effects this would've had on Benophies story when Benedict was faced with having to give up his family for his love for Sophie and even that was different because Sophie would be marrying up not marrying down and she was raised by her father even though she's illegitimate and they had to corroborate a story in front of the queen for her to be accepted in the ton so she wasn't even accepted in the ton as a maid or illegitimate daughter, it was based on a lie).

Eloise would have to give up her who family to be with someone of the working class.

Eloise shouldn't have to give up her family for any man. She shouldn't have to give up her life of comfort for anyone either. She loves her family and her comfortable lifestyle.

Eloise has neve once said that she hates her comfortable life. She has complained about society yes, but she wants to change and ELEVATE the world, not regress and work in a lower class.

And like I said even if Theo acquired wealth and became part of the ton, he would hate it because it goes against his morals and values and we saw that when he criticized Eloise when they ended things. He would constantly judge her if they were together.

He wouldn't get along with her family nor will her family either since he'd criticize the way they live.

This was a good video.

I understand the appeal of Theo especially in the "Poor Boy x Rich Girl" trope. I get it. I see the vision but the way they've established the characters on the show it just won't work. If this was Downton Abbey I could totally see this ship working.

One of the very few silver linings to the season swap as a Philoise fan is Philoise's potential involvement in Hyacinth's love story in Season 7.

[BTW, I'm not spoiling anything because this Is a book subreddit and the flair states that it's both a BOOK AND SHOW DISCUSSION]

It's In His Kiss is in my top 3 favorite Bridgerton books and I always thought Gareth's backstory mirrored Phillip's life and they had a similar trajectory and similar trauma.

• They're both second sons.
• They both have a father who is quite abusive to them. In Phillip's case, the abuse was physical and in Gareth's case the abuse was more psychological and emotional. ​
• They both have an older brother named George who died who they looked up to a lot and were incredibly close to.
• Their father constantly compares them to their older brother and how they wish they were more like them and that gives them feeling of inadequacy.
• They both went to Cambridge and they loved studying.
• They both married the most opinionated, feisty, sassy Bridgerton sisters.
• They became heirs to the estate after their brothers died.
• They both have a story that involved illegitimacy. Phillip is raising the biological children of brother George that he legally claimed as his own children and Gareth is technically the illegitimate son of his father and is actually the biological son of his legal father's brother Edward. Gareth is basically what Oliver and Amanda are to Phillip.

They have so much in common and I think Phillip would be a great mentor and friend to Gareth, supporting him whenever he needs advice especially when dealing with his father. There's great potential there if the show so wishes to actually bring back Philoise for Hyacinth's season.

They've already established a bond with Eloise and Hyacinth, so why not go further and establish an older brother/younger brother bond with Phillip and Gareth?

Also Hyacinth needs some support from her family for her season since I don't see a world where they'll wanna bring back older couples and the family keeps getting smaller and smaller the more it gets bigger and bigger (ironically).

Fingers crossed.

P. S. I used Matthew Broome as Guy Thawrte from The Buccaneers as a Face Cast for Gareth because he is not yet cast. I repeat. GARETH IS NOT YET CAST. We are still waiting for who the show will cast as Gareth.

But my own personal fancast is Shem Hamilton.

Breaking my silence...

I really think the pinnacle storyline for Francesca and John was really unnecessary and ate away crucial build up for their story than add to it.

They dedicated two or three episodes to this storyline and I don't understand why because this was the season where John was supposed to die like... Do they know he has 30 minutes?

If John wasn't supposed to die this season, I would've been okay with it (not that it was any good in the first place but it would've been more tolerable if they were doing it to add to the story since he won't be dying until S5) but since John was meant to die in Episode 6, the pinnacle storyline just felt like a complete waste of crucial time that should've been given to building John and Frans relationship/bond on screen more AND showing us more of Francesca, John and Michaela's friendship as a trio (and also showing us more of Michaela falling in love with Francesca and maybe even her underling feelings as a lesbian) .

The pinnacle storyline also undercut John and Francesca's connection because we don't have the luxury of being able to see what their marriage was like in the first year of marriage while in Scotland. All of that happened off screen so we never got to see their life as newlyweds and what they're dynamic was like.

In my humble opinion, I do firmly believe Francesca is a comphet lesbian who doesn't even realize she's a comphet lesbian yet so I understand why they'd probably included this storyline to show that she isn't attracted to men but that shouldn't take away her REAL romantic love for John and I think the pinnacle storyline took a lot of what should be showing the deep love she has for John by turning it into this comedic and awkward situation between them.

I wish they focused more on John's desire to have a family without making it seem like he's a bad lover to his wife who isn't able to make her finish like...That truly felt like an unnecessary slap to John.

The pinnacle storyline did not need to have a 2 episode storyline at all. It could've been a 10 minute side plot and that's it. The screentime it got could've been utilized to bringing Michaela back earlier in Part 1 and we get to see her bond with John even more and we see her and Francesca as friends.

They were not friends for long on the show during and after John's death. ​

And the pinnacle storyline could've been replaced with more emphasis on Francescas infertility and inability to conceive a child and John's love for children and desire to have them. The show only showed this for brief moments but the pinnacle storyline overpowered this storyline.

This storyline in my opinion made John and Francescas relationship a punchline rather than Francesca's first love story that she lost.

I don't know if this is a popular opinion or not and I'm sure some will disagree but that's my opinion I guess.

Wishing our favorite free spirited artsy boy a happy father's day!

Happy Father's Day to all 💕💕💕

And a special father's day to all the Bridgerton dads!

Like I did for Mother's Day, I included all the fathers who have Bridgerton children in the family (whether by name or only by blood)!

Here's how many children they have in the books.

• Simon Basset - 5 kids
• Anthony Bridgerton - 4 kids
• Benedict Bridgerton - 4 kids
• Colin Bridgerton - 4 kids
• Phillip Crane - 5 kids (2 legally adopted children)

P. S This is an aesthetic moodboard of the characters and not a reflection of the actual cast. Images used are NOT AI generated and are real photos with some. Mood Boards are meant to convey a similar vibe to characters you are basing them on.

Jess Brownell mentioned that Benedict and Sophie will be important in Eloise's story and that we will see more of Sophie's friendship with Eloise in S5 and S6 which I'm excited about as a big Elophie fan.

Their friendship in her book was a highlight of mine.

However, knowing Jess, her version of importance is different because if she says certain characters are "important" to someone's story, they usually only have one scene and nothing more than that.

But I'll indulge her for a bit. I think Benedict and Sophie make a lot of sense being involved in Philoise's season IF they're going to adapt their scenes from the book. I think it would be hard to avoid including them in her story because they were quite literally a large part of Eloise's book. ​​

Many things happened at My Cottage. It was the 2nd location in their book outside of Romney Hall so I think we should expect to see them a lot.

​

For those who've seen and/or read Little Women, I don't know if you've noticed it but the Bridgerton sisters and the March sisters are very similar just in different font.

Especially if you compare the 2019 Little Women to Bridgerton TV Show.

How they are similar:

1. Daphne Bridgerton/Meg March

• Eldest daughter/sister
• Traditionalist
• Responsible
• Mature
• Family Oriented
• Nurturing
• Desires to marry for love
• Desires to have children
• Believes in the institution of marrying and society
• First to get married and have children
• Homemaker
• Romantic
• Pragmatic
• Poised and graceful
• Empathetic
• Feminine
• Prefers domestic life
• Younger sisters are often compared to them
• An example for their sisters
• Perfect representation of what a society women of the times should be
• Married their first loves
• Go through marital hardships and hurdles

2. Eloise Bridgerton/Jo March

• Second Daughter/Sister
• Independent
• Outspoken
• Opinionated
• Witty
• Bold
• Dry humor
• Rebellious
• Intelligent
• Intellectual
• Individualistic
• Idealist
• Inquisitive
• Investigative
• Practical
• Ambitious
• Goal oriented
• Stubborn
• Radical
• Political
• Complex
• Non-conformist
• Untraditional
• Anti-Patriachy
• Deeply misunderstood characters
• Uses humor and sharp commentary to navigate and critique society
• Doesn't get along with her sisters because they desire a life she doesn't agree with
• Devoted to the family
• People love to call them selfish and self-centered because they don't agree with the system/establishment but they are deeply loyal to their family and selfless when they want to be and make sacrifices for their family even if the family don't show their appreciation for those sacrifices
• Always compared to their older sister
• Hot tempered and sharp and biting with their words
• Vulnerable and sensitive behind the tough, brash exterior
• Lonely
• Quietly desires love but doesn't agree with the way society pushes women to only dream of marriage and children
• Academics
• Eager to learn more about the world
• Avid readers
• Writers
• Desire to attend university and value education
• Believe that women are more than mothers and wives
• Both ended up marrying academics who challenge them intellectually

3. Francesca Bridgerton/Beth March

• Middle daughter/sister
• Introverted
• Shy
• Reserved
• Observant
• Private
• Gentle soul
• Pragmatic
• Artsy
• Creative
• OCD
• Prioritizes peace, quiet and solitude
• Passionate about music and are gifted pianists
• Find solace in music and retreat to practice and compose rather than socialize
• Anti-Social
• Austic coded
• Natural peacemaker
• Prefers the comfort of their home
• Non-Confrontational
• Incredibly close to all of their sisters
• Struggle to express and articulate their emotions due to their shyness
• Bring harmony to the family but often overlooked by big personalities of their siblings
• Both go through personal and heartbreaking hardships

4. Hyacinth Bridgerton/Amy March

• Youngest daughter/sister
• Ambitious
• Idealist turned Realist
• Sharp witted
• Stubborn
• Bubbly
• Boisterous
• Loud
• Friendly
• Flirtatious
• Fun-loving
• Fearless
• Intelligent
• Charming
• Impatient
• Eager
• Mischievous
• Naive
• Passionate
• Energetic
• Outspoken
• Opinionated
• Curious
• Romantic
• Whimsical
• Practical
• Driven by society and beauty
• Complex
• Desires to get married one day and find a handsome, wealthy husband
• Starts out immature and blinded by vanity and childishness but has immense growth in maturity
• Has a massive character growth as they get older

I think these comparisons are definitely noteworthy.

For those who've seen and/or read Little Women, I don't know if you've noticed it but the Bridgerton sisters and the March sisters are very similar just in different font.

Especially if you compare the 2019 Little Women to Bridgerton TV Show.

How they are similar:

1. Daphne Bridgerton/Meg March

• Eldest daughter/sister
• Traditionalist
• Responsible
• Mature
• Family Oriented
• Nurturing
• Desires to marry for love
• Desires to have children
• Believes in the institution of marrying and society
• First to get married and have children
• Homemaker
• Romantic
• Pragmatic
• Poised and graceful
• Empathetic
• Feminine
• Prefers domestic life
• Younger sisters are often compared to them
• An example for their sisters
• Perfect representation of what a society women of the times should be
• Married their first loves
• Go through marital hardships and hurdles

2. Eloise Bridgerton/Jo March

• Second Daughter/Sister
• Independent
• Outspoken
• Opinionated
• Witty
• Bold
• Dry humor
• Rebellious
• Intelligent
• Intellectual
• Individualistic
• Idealist
• Inquisitive
• Investigative
• Practical
• Ambitious
• Goal oriented
• Stubborn
• Radical
• Political
• Complex
• Non-conformist
• Untraditional
• Anti-Patriachy
• Deeply misunderstood characters
• Uses humor and sharp commentary to navigate and critique society
• Doesn't get along with her sisters because they desire a life she doesn't agree with
• Devoted to the family
• People love to call them selfish and self-centered because they don't agree with the system/establishment but they are deeply loyal to their family and selfless when they want to be and make sacrifices for their family even if the family don't show their appreciation for those sacrifices
• Always compared to their older sister
• Hot tempered and sharp and biting with their words
• Vulnerable and sensitive behind the tough, brash exterior
• Lonely
• Quietly desires love but doesn't agree with the way society pushes women to only dream of marriage and children
• Academics
• Eager to learn more about the world
• Avid readers
• Writers
• Desire to attend university and value education
• Believe that women are more than mothers and wives
• Both ended up marrying academics who challenge them intellectually

3. Francesca Bridgerton/Beth March

• Middle daughter/sister
• Introverted
• Shy
• Reserved
• Observant
• Private
• Gentle soul
• Pragmatic
• Artsy
• Creative
• OCD
• Prioritizes peace, quiet and solitude
• Passionate about music and are gifted pianists
• Find solace in music and retreat to practice and compose rather than socialize
• Anti-Social
• Austic coded
• Natural peacemaker
• Prefers the comfort of their home
• Non-Confrontational
• Incredibly close to all of their sisters
• Struggle to express and articulate their emotions due to their shyness
• Bring harmony to the family but often overlooked by big personalities of their siblings
• Both go through personal and heartbreaking hardships

4. Hyacinth Bridgerton/Amy March

• Youngest daughter/sister
• Ambitious
• Idealist turned Realist
• Sharp witted
• Stubborn
• Bubbly
• Boisterous
• Loud
• Friendly
• Flirtatious
• Fun-loving
• Fearless
• Intelligent
• Charming
• Impatient
• Eager
• Mischievous
• Naive
• Passionate
• Energetic
• Outspoken
• Opinionated
• Curious
• Romantic
• Whimsical
• Practical
• Driven by society and beauty
• Complex
• Desires to get married one day and find a handsome, wealthy husband
• Starts out immature and blinded by vanity and childishness but has immense growth in maturity
• Has a massive character growth as they get older

I think these comparisons are definitely noteworthy.

If S5 takes place in 1819-1820 if rumors are to believed (and the costume designers kinda confirmed this months ago) then canonically Sophie would be either pregnant with Baby Number 2 OR recently just gave birth to Baby Number 2.

I hope they do either of the two. I d​​on't want a storyline of them finding out they're pregnant with their first baby or trying for their first baby.

It's a two year time jump. They definitely had to have had a baby within that time jump (especially with way they be f*cking nonstop in multiple positions).

They better not pull a Kanthony on us and have Sophie be pregnant for 4 years and we don't get to see her baby until Eloise's season. ​​​

I better see Violet as their firstborn toddler and Sophie either with a BIG pregnant belly OR she finds out she's pregnant with Baby #2.

I have thought about when the show might start to set up Philoise's season and I haven't been very confident we'd get any significant set up for them in S5 that we expect and I think I know the excuse they can use for why we won't get much of a Philoise subplot next season.

They're probably going to save the bulk of the letter writing for Episode 1 of S6.

I think S5 will just end with the first letter being exchanged between Phillip and Eloise.

Eloise will write a letter to Phillip after Marina's passing and Phillip will receive it and write back and that's the end of their subplot and they'll pick up a year after that in S6 at the start of the NEXT social season and will be filling out the blanks from there with a writing montage.

Bridgerton LOVES to always start a season in a new social season year so I don't think Eloise's season will be any different (even though it makes the most sense for her to have a story that takes place in a different time of year because she's unconventional but I digress).

Jess said Eloise and Phillip marry "early on" in their story but she probably just meant that they marry like a week or two after they meet not literally early on in their season.

I think the writers want to capitalize on the epistolary romance aspect to market Philoise's season so they'll do this by not putting the letter writing in S5 as a subplot or storyline in itself but rather cram it into the first episode of S6 and Eloise will only run away to Phillip at the end of 6x01 or beginning of 6x02.

That's why I firmly believe Eloise's subplot for her season will only begin in Episode 8 of S5 ala Benedict in S3. She will only write the first letter to Phillip at the end of next season to signify she is the next lead.

So essentially we'll just be getting crumbs.

Which could mean one of two things... They have something else for Eloise to do in S5 for the other episodes or she will be doing nothing all season long like previous seasons. ​

Just love this video of Claudia Jessie responding to a question of what if a man asked Eloise to be his mistress and how she would react.

"Get into the sea!" "He'd be lucky to leave there with his testicles" 😂.

So on brand for Eloise.

Eloise must have been so gagged that Phillip essentially asked her to marry him without meeting her yet.

How do you think Eloise would react to that question being asked? How would you react to that question being asked?

The black cat and golden retriever dynamic is a popular relationship framework describing a pairing of opposites or personalities in couples. One partner is independent, emotionally contained and selectively affectionate (the black cat) while the other is openly warm, energetic and outwardly expressive (the golden retriever).

1. Saphne (Simon and Daphne)

• Simon (Black Cat) - he's emotionally guarded, incredibly reserved and mysterious but his personality shines the most when he's with Daphne who brings him out of his shell and over time he allows himself to be vulnerable with her. He's not as social and chooses to be alone but he's very talkative when he's with Daphne and always has a smile on his face when he's with her.
• Daphne (Golden Retriever) - She's very warm towards people, very family oriented, leads with her emotions and her heart, very affectionate, desires to find love and marry for love and is incredibly caring and nurturing and naturally maternal. She's the type who would organize the dates for her and Simon and be the romantic type who dreams her perfect date, perfect wedding, perfect wedding dress, perfect life.

2. Kanthony (Kate and Anthony)

• Anthony (Black Cat) - Anthony is very guarded with his emotions and super rigid and structured due to his responsibilities as a Viscount and intiitally doesn't allow himself to feel any emotions or love because of the trauma of losing his father and how that affected his mother and his siblings and himself as he was forced to grow up and become a psuedo father to his brothers and sisters. He is headstrong, independent, fiercely loyal to his family and Bridgerton family name and selective over who he trusts with his emotions. But a side of him is awakened when he meets Kate and we see glimpses of ​​his sweet, romantic side with her. He and Kate understand each other because they are so similar.
• Kate (Black Cat) - Kate is an avoidant when it comes to accepting romance for herself as she's fiercely protective and loyal to her sister and wants her sister to achieve the happiness that she doesn't believe she deserves for herself. She is strong, independent, opinionated and goal oriented. She hides her true emotions because she puts the needs of her family ahead of her own and that's what she and Anthony bond over and that kind of selflessness is what draws them to each other. She's a romantic at heart though and she fully allows her true self to show when she marries Anthony. ​She's also incredibly loyal to her family like Anthony is to his and was parentified like he was so they were forced to adult quicker.

3. Benophie (Benedict and Sophie)

• Benedict (Golden Retriever) - Benedict is the epitome of a golden retriever boyfriend/husband. He is the silly, goofy, carefree, artistic, fun loving brother and boyfriend energy. He is pure good vibes and wants to make everyone comfortable and doesn't take things TOO seriously but the caveat is that he doesn't always take things seriously and that can be a problem in relationships. He had commitment issues prior to meeting Sophie but it only took one specific type of person to make him lock in and take things seriously. When he's committed to you, he throws all of his devotion into you. He is the type of husband who would constantly shower his wife with gifts and physical affection and words of affirmation. He would also be an incredibly fun dad. He becomes a silly little kid whenever he's with Sophie but he also becomes an upstanding protective man whenever it involves her as he doesn't play about her.
• Sophie (Black Cat) - Sophie has golden retriever traits like Benedict. She's very warm, bubbly, quirky and affectionate and romantic but she's also very pragmatic and has a realist outlook on life that she often doesn't allow herself to fantasize about romance and love. She yearns for words of affirmation, that's her love language and she gives acts of service to show her love. Her upbringing forced her to be more of a black cat. She's more guarded because she's protecting herself from any potential hurt but her golden retriever traits shine through after her marriage to Benedict when she's allowed to be her full authentic self and when she experiences the love of being part of a large, loving family like the Bridgertons.

4. Franjohn (Francesca and John)

• Francesca (Black Cat) - Francesca is a black cat because she is incredibly introverted, reserved, quiet and emotionally guarded and sensitive. She needs her personal space and selective about people she let's close to her a lot like Anthony in that way. She and John are very similar in this regard as they both had a quiet companionship with one another as they mirrored each other and understood each other's need for peace and quiet on a cellur level. They are not clingy. They both value their independence and alone time and they can spend hours in pure silence with one another and it would never be uncomfortable. They have a deep connection with one another.
• John (Black Cat) - John and Francesca are incredibly similar and that's why their relationship works well because they do not need more from each other than they can give. They know they are the types who value their privacy and space and peace. They are not the types who open up very well and in John's case he isn't very good with his words and struggles to express himself fully but Francesca understands him. He's very reserved, thoughtful, quiet, and intellectual.

5. Polin (Colin and Penelope)

• Colin (Golden Retriever) - Colin is another obvious golden retriever who's sweet, sensitive and thoughtful and always happy go lucky. He's super social and expressive of his emotions. He sees the good in others and always wants to highlight the best qualities of those around him. He is a hype man and that's why he can be Penelope's hype man as well. The epitome of malewife. He's codependent and always desires a companionship with someone. He's outgoing, adventurous and eager to please. He does the chasing in the relationship.
• Penelope (Black Cat) - Penelope is the opposite of Colin in that she's a wallflower who is incredibly observant and would prefer to be the observer in the crowd than be the attention BUT she's also very much the romantic and desires companionship and having someone she can rely on who will root for her and hold her up and believe in her. She is independent and self sufficient. She provides calm and practicality in her MArriage and relationships.

6. Philoise (Phillip and Eloise)

• Eloise (Black Cat on the show vs. Golden Retriever in the book) - Eloise is different on the show than she is in the books and this changes whether she's a black cat or golden retriever. In the books she is very much a golden retriever in the relationship with Phillip. She's very outgoing, expressive, family oriented romantic, loving, headstrong, bubbly, warm, opinionated, talkative and very loud and excitable. On the show, she is very much an amalgamation of both but she leans more as a black cat. She has all the qualities of a golden retriever but the twist of being very black cat coded in her demeanor and her beliefs. She has difficulty letting people into her life to see her vulnerability. She wears a tough exterior and doesn't lead her life by the whimsical emotions but practicality and pragmatism. She isn't swept away by romance and wants to be an independent woman. She prefers deep conversations and intellectual bonds over frivolous superficial relationships. She has a strong personality but that also influences her relationships as she has a small group of people who she truly gets along with and her circle isn't big. We are still waiting to see how she will act in romantic relationship with Phillip. On the show she's a black cat, but in the books she's a golden retriever.
• Phillip (Golden Retriever on the show vs. Black Cat in the books) - Like Eloise, Phillip is different on the show as he is in the books. The book is inspired by the Grumpy vs. Sunshine trope where Phillip is the grumpy one and the obvious black cat who isn't up front with his emotions, finds it difficult to express himself, is avoidant and is very reserved and quiet and prefers solitude to conversing with people but from the little we've seen of Phillip on the show we can tell he's someone who yearns for human companionship and to speak to someone of his interests and bond over intellectual pursuits. On the show he's a lot sweeter and amiable and willing to speak with people even though he's still shy. I think the show will switch the Grumpy vs. Sunshine trope with Eloise and Phillip whereby Eloise will be the reluctant one and Phillip with be the romantic.

7. Franchaela (Francesca and Michaela)

• Francesca (Black Cat) - we're back with Francesca as the black cat but in this relationship dynamic we see a shift in Francesca as she is influenced by Michaela who is the complete opposite to who she is. Michaela brings her out of her shell instead of allowing her to be in the box she prefers to be in. Michaela breaks Francesca out of her comfort zone and pushes Francesca to be more outgoing and adventurous and spontaneous in life. They balance each other out.
• Michaela (Golden Retriever) - Michaela is the antithesis of a black cat. She is the life of the party and always the one to bring the energy into people's lives. She spices things up in everyone's life. She is the type to bring John out of his comfort zone and allows us to see a different side of him and the same can be said with Francesca. She is fun, outgoing, outspoken, flirtatious, charming and spontaneous. She leads with feeling instead of logic.

8. Hyareth (Hyacinth and Gareth)

• Hyacinth (Golden Retriever) - Hyacinth is the ultimate golden retriever girlfriend. She is bubbly, carefree, friendly, outgoing, hyper, enchanting, charming and has an infectious spirit. She's eager to be the best she can be and I think that will be so interesting when we get to her season. She's also got a strong personality and always wants to be the center of attention. We still don't know how she'll be in a romantic relationship but if she's anything like her book, she'll be incredibly picky and will suffer no fools and will love a challenge.
• Gareth (Black Cat) - Hyacinth's endgame love interest hasn't been cast yet but if we go by the books, he'll be very much a black cat in that he is the kind of person who prefers to solve his own problems on his own without the help of anyone. He doesn't like to go through life being handed to or given the things he needs or wants, he wants to earn it. He's very self sufficient, very headstrong, and independent. He's also very charming almost as charming as Michaela. Cannot wait to see him.

8. Grucy (Gregory and Lucy)

• Gregory (Golden Retriever) - Gregory is one of three Bridgerton brothers who are golden retrievers. He is very similar to Colin in that he wears his heart on his sleeve and a lot like Daphne who believes in love. He's the ultimate romantic hero. He is kind, bubbly, outgoing, hilarious. He's the jokester and prankster of the family, always eager to make people laugh. He is also very codependent and craves companionship and partnership. He yearns for love. He can be blinded by infatuation that he mistakens for love which is a plot in his book but once he meets his love Lucy, he is all in and obsessed with her. He wants a love like Kate and Anthony and his parents and his siblings.
• ​Lucy (Golden Retriever) - The first relationship where both characters are golden retrievers as they are both quite similar in that they both yearn for love and companionship but it's difficult for Lucy because of her upbringing (no spoilers here). But they are both lover boys and girls. She's bubbly albeit is shy. She is quirky too. She and Gregory have a cute puppy love relationship.

What do you think?

The black cat and golden retriever dynamic is a popular relationship framework describing a pairing of opposites or personalities in couples. One partner is independent, emotionally contained and selectively affectionate (the black cat) while the other is openly warm, energetic and outwardly expressive (the golden retriever).

1. Saphne (Simon and Daphne)

• Simon (Black Cat) - he's emotionally guarded, incredibly reserved and mysterious but his personality shines the most when he's with Daphne who brings him out of his shell and over time he allows himself to be vulnerable with her. He's not as social and chooses to be alone but he's very talkative when he's with Daphne and always has a smile on his face when he's with her.
• Daphne (Golden Retriever) - She's very warm towards people, very family oriented, leads with her emotions and her heart, very affectionate, desires to find love and marry for love and is incredibly caring and nurturing and naturally maternal. She's the type who would organize the dates for her and Simon and be the romantic type who dreams her perfect date, perfect wedding, perfect wedding dress, perfect life.

2. Kanthony (Kate and Anthony)

• Anthony (Black Cat) - Anthony is very guarded with his emotions and super rigid and structured due to his responsibilities as a Viscount and intiitally doesn't allow himself to feel any emotions or love because of the trauma of losing his father and how that affected his mother and his siblings and himself as he was forced to grow up and become a psuedo father to his brothers and sisters. He is headstrong, independent, fiercely loyal to his family and Bridgerton family name and selective over who he trusts with his emotions. But a side of him is awakened when he meets Kate and we see glimpses of ​​his sweet, romantic side with her. He and Kate understand each other because they are so similar.
• Kate (Black Cat) - Kate is an avoidant when it comes to accepting romance for herself as she's fiercely protective and loyal to her sister and wants her sister to achieve the happiness that she doesn't believe she deserves for herself. She is strong, independent, opinionated and goal oriented. She hides her true emotions because she puts the needs of her family ahead of her own and that's what she and Anthony bond over and that kind of selflessness is what draws them to each other. She's a romantic at heart though and she fully allows her true self to show when she marries Anthony. ​She's also incredibly loyal to her family like Anthony is to his and was parentified like he was so they were forced to adult quicker.

3. Benophie (Benedict and Sophie)

• Benedict (Golden Retriever) - Benedict is the epitome of a golden retriever boyfriend/husband. He is the silly, goofy, carefree, artistic, fun loving brother and boyfriend energy. He is pure good vibes and wants to make everyone comfortable and doesn't take things TOO seriously but the caveat is that he doesn't always take things seriously and that can be a problem in relationships. He had commitment issues prior to meeting Sophie but it only took one specific type of person to make him lock in and take things seriously. When he's committed to you, he throws all of his devotion into you. He is the type of husband who would constantly shower his wife with gifts and physical affection and words of affirmation. He would also be an incredibly fun dad. He becomes a silly little kid whenever he's with Sophie but he also becomes an upstanding protective man whenever it involves her as he doesn't play about her.
• Sophie (Black Cat) - Sophie has golden retriever traits like Benedict. She's very warm, bubbly, quirky and affectionate and romantic but she's also very pragmatic and has a realist outlook on life that she often doesn't allow herself to fantasize about romance and love. She yearns for words of affirmation, that's her love language and she gives acts of service to show her love. Her upbringing forced her to be more of a black cat. She's more guarded because she's protecting herself from any potential hurt but her golden retriever traits shine through after her marriage to Benedict when she's allowed to be her full authentic self and when she experiences the love of being part of a large, loving family like the Bridgertons.

4. Franjohn (Francesca and John)

• Francesca (Black Cat) - Francesca is a black cat because she is incredibly introverted, reserved, quiet and emotionally guarded and sensitive. She needs her personal space and selective about people she let's close to her a lot like Anthony in that way. She and John are very similar in this regard as they both had a quiet companionship with one another as they mirrored each other and understood each other's need for peace and quiet on a cellur level. They are not clingy. They both value their independence and alone time and they can spend hours in pure silence with one another and it would never be uncomfortable. They have a deep connection with one another.
• John (Black Cat) - John and Francesca are incredibly similar and that's why their relationship works well because they do not need more from each other than they can give. They know they are the types who value their privacy and space and peace. They are not the types who open up very well and in John's case he isn't very good with his words and struggles to express himself fully but Francesca understands him. He's very reserved, thoughtful, quiet, and intellectual.

5. Polin (Colin and Penelope)

• Colin (Golden Retriever) - Colin is another obvious golden retriever who's sweet, sensitive and thoughtful and always happy go lucky. He's super social and expressive of his emotions. He sees the good in others and always wants to highlight the best qualities of those around him. He is a hype man and that's why he can be Penelope's hype man as well. The epitome of malewife. He's codependent and always desires a companionship with someone. He's outgoing, adventurous and eager to please. He does the chasing in the relationship.
• Penelope (Black Cat) - Penelope is the opposite of Colin in that she's a wallflower who is incredibly observant and would prefer to be the observer in the crowd than be the attention BUT she's also very much the romantic and desires companionship and having someone she can rely on who will root for her and hold her up and believe in her. She is independent and self sufficient. She provides calm and practicality in her MArriage and relationships.

6. Philoise (Phillip and Eloise)

• Eloise (Black Cat on the show vs. Golden Retriever in the book) - Eloise is different on the show than she is in the books and this changes whether she's a black cat or golden retriever. In the books she is very much a golden retriever in the relationship with Phillip. She's very outgoing, expressive, family oriented romantic, loving, headstrong, bubbly, warm, opinionated, talkative and very loud and excitable. On the show, she is very much an amalgamation of both but she leans more as a black cat. She has all the qualities of a golden retriever but the twist of being very black cat coded in her demeanor and her beliefs. She has difficulty letting people into her life to see her vulnerability. She wears a tough exterior and doesn't lead her life by the whimsical emotions but practicality and pragmatism. She isn't swept away by romance and wants to be an independent woman. She prefers deep conversations and intellectual bonds over frivolous superficial relationships. She has a strong personality but that also influences her relationships as she has a small group of people who she truly gets along with and her circle isn't big. We are still waiting to see how she will act in romantic relationship with Phillip. On the show she's a black cat, but in the books she's a golden retriever.
• Phillip (Golden Retriever on the show vs. Black Cat in the books) - Like Eloise, Phillip is different on the show as he is in the books. The book is inspired by the Grumpy vs. Sunshine trope where Phillip is the grumpy one and the obvious black cat who isn't up front with his emotions, finds it difficult to express himself, is avoidant and is very reserved and quiet and prefers solitude to conversing with people but from the little we've seen of Phillip on the show we can tell he's someone who yearns for human companionship and to speak to someone of his interests and bond over intellectual pursuits. On the show he's a lot sweeter and amiable and willing to speak with people even though he's still shy. I think the show will switch the Grumpy vs. Sunshine trope with Eloise and Phillip whereby Eloise will be the reluctant one and Phillip with be the romantic.

7. Franchaela (Francesca and Michaela)

• Francesca (Black Cat) - we're back with Francesca as the black cat but in this relationship dynamic we see a shift in Francesca as she is influenced by Michaela who is the complete opposite to who she is. Michaela brings her out of her shell instead of allowing her to be in the box she prefers to be in. Michaela breaks Francesca out of her comfort zone and pushes Francesca to be more outgoing and adventurous and spontaneous in life. They balance each other out.
• Michaela (Golden Retriever) - Michaela is the antithesis of a black cat. She is the life of the party and always the one to bring the energy into people's lives. She spices things up in everyone's life. She is the type to bring John out of his comfort zone and allows us to see a different side of him and the same can be said with Francesca. She is fun, outgoing, outspoken, flirtatious, charming and spontaneous. She leads with feeling instead of logic.

8. Hyareth (Hyacinth and Gareth)

• Hyacinth (Golden Retriever) - Hyacinth is the ultimate golden retriever girlfriend. She is bubbly, carefree, friendly, outgoing, hyper, enchanting, charming and has an infectious spirit. She's eager to be the best she can be and I think that will be so interesting when we get to her season. She's also got a strong personality and always wants to be the center of attention. We still don't know how she'll be in a romantic relationship but if she's anything like her book, she'll be incredibly picky and will suffer no fools and will love a challenge.
• Gareth (Black Cat) - Hyacinth's endgame love interest hasn't been cast yet but if we go by the books, he'll be very much a black cat in that he is the kind of person who prefers to solve his own problems on his own without the help of anyone. He doesn't like to go through life being handed to or given the things he needs or wants, he wants to earn it. He's very self sufficient, very headstrong, and independent. He's also very charming almost as charming as Michaela. Cannot wait to see him.

8. Grucy (Gregory and Lucy)

• Gregory (Golden Retriever) - Gregory is one of three Bridgerton brothers who are golden retrievers. He is very similar to Colin in that he wears his heart on his sleeve and a lot like Daphne who believes in love. He's the ultimate romantic hero. He is kind, bubbly, outgoing, hilarious. He's the jokester and prankster of the family, always eager to make people laugh. He is also very codependent and craves companionship and partnership. He yearns for love. He can be blinded by infatuation that he mistakens for love which is a plot in his book but once he meets his love Lucy, he is all in and obsessed with her. He wants a love like Kate and Anthony and his parents and his siblings.
• ​Lucy (Golden Retriever) - The first relationship where both characters are golden retrievers as they are both quite similar in that they both yearn for love and companionship but it's difficult for Lucy because of her upbringing (no spoilers here). But they are both lover boys and girls. She's bubbly albeit is shy. She is quirky too. She and Gregory have a cute puppy love relationship.

What do you think?

I've been so dissatisfied with Eloise's storyline and plots in the past 2 (maybe 3) seasons. It just feels like it's been a humiliation ritual for her every season with everyone in her life telling her she is stupid and annoying for not believing in the marriage mart, telling her she's selfish every time, ignoring her boundaries and opinions.

Eloise is not a perfect character by any means but there's gotta be more to do with her character than constantly shitting on her every season and forcing her to apologize to people. ​​

So I'm giving the show ONE more chance to give Eloise an interesting storyline besides just sitting around and doing nothing but scowl and fight with her sisters and mother about the marriage mart or being only used for comedic relief when she doesn't seem interested in talking to the gentleman of the ton like WE GET IT.

And please NO MORE WHISTLEDOWN SUBPLOTS! WE ARE TIRED.

Like I love that she wants to be a spinster but at least do something fun with that storyline.

Give her something to do. Give her a good character development. We ended S4 on a positive note on Eloise's Character, they gotta expand on that and don't fall back to the same old tired tropes they've been setting her up in for 3 seasons.

Bring back FUN ELOISE again! Bring back Political Eloise who is always up for an adventure! Give Eloise new friends!! Let her go to university or plan to go to university! Give her an ambition! Set up her season well! Give her a purpose! Give her a goal! Give her a storyline that actually is worthy for her character.

Please @ Shondaland! You get one more chance. Don't blow it. Use Eloise for something!

If they fumble her storyline in S5, I'm done with the show...

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