Not too long ago, “Bridgerton” was held in the highest esteem in the meeting place between TV fantasy and drab reality. Cafes hosted themed teas. String quartets strummed their way through classical covers of pop hits. Party promoters pitched balls inviting club regulars to trade their short skirts for shoe-grazing gowns.
And today? Barely a week after the Regency-style drama’s fourth season resumed, you’re much more likely to stumble into a “Heated Rivalry” night at your local drinking hole than any recreations of the ‘ton’s gracious luxury. Three months after the hockey romance premiered on HBO Max, the world remains obsessed with Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, as well as the actors who play them, Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams. More accurately, as Storrie joked in his recent “Saturday Night Live” monologue, it’s women doing the pining.
