What Makes The Sex Scenes In Bridgerton So Erotic?

We can all agree that Bridgerton on Netflix is a great television series. 82 million households watched it in its first month making it Netflix’s most-watched television series so far.

We can also agree that the steamy sex scenes are one of its biggest appeals. The sexual rendezvous between the characters and particularly those between The Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton hook you from the get-go and get you invested all the way through.

But what makes them so captivating? I pondered about it and challenged myself to make a sense of it.

Here are my findings.

They are written from a female perspective

The books the television series is based on is written by a woman from a female perspective. Julia Quinn the author of the books even shared this in a YouTube interview.

Many sex scenes in many films and television shows are written by men and from the male perspective. Because audiences rarely get to experience portrayals of sex from a female angle, the sex scenes in Bridgerton offer a refreshing and pleasant erotic experience. And that’s one reason they come out as so steamy.

They are very realistic and relatable

The sex scenes between Simon and Daphne come out as very realistic.

They don’t eventuate as a farfetched unreachable fantasy but are very true to life. They are also easy to grasp and most people can relate with at least an element of these sexual encounters.

Viewers can relate to the feeling of desiring someone sexually, burning for them, fantasizing about them and the fulfilment they get from having their sexual desires met.

Others can also relate to Daphne’s naivety on sex-related matters because most of us start from a place of innocence and misinformation before our personal experiences make us wiser.

The wild and frequent sex the couple engage in as newlyweds is also very relatable to many real-life couples as they tend to have a lot of it during the initial stages of their relationship.

The conflicts and fighting surrounding sex that Simon and Daphne have is also very realistic and relatable. It is set in situations that also happen in real life and many viewers can see themselves in the characters.

They concentrate on female sexual satisfaction

Throughout the series, the sex scenes focus on Simon pleasing Daphne. When he asks her whether she touches herself and explains to her how she should do it, he is aiming at her pleasure.

On their wedding night, he proceeds to seductively strip for her as she watches. He then parades his naked body after telling her “ I want to show you more,” before approaching her and finally making love to her.

Because we are used to seeing steamy scenes that concentrate on male pleasure on film on television, Bridgerton offers a fresh perspective making the sex scenes come out as more erotic.

They sexualise men

The series puts male bodies on the display in a sexual manner more than it puts female bodies.

We have seen the Duke of Hastings bare chest, thighs, back and ass while we have only seen minimal scenes of Daphne’s bare skin throughout the first season.

Visually, most film and television series concentrate on female sexuality and the female body. In Bridgerton, it is male bodies that are put on display. This offers a twist, makes viewers appreciate the beauty and sexuality of male bodies more and makes the sex scenes more erotic.

They are forbidden

There are many ‘forbidden’ sexual acts in the entire series: A proper woman touching herself sexually, a man having sex with another man, a man kissing a woman before he has married her…

The fact that many of the sexual acts in the series are forbidden in its Regency-era setting adds to the excitement. Forbidden fruits taste the sweetest, don’t they?

In such a conservative society, when Simon and Daphne as newlyweds have sex in the office, in the library, out in the fields and out in the rain, it comes out as wild and more exciting because we as the audience know they are going out of the confines of what is acceptable in their ‘proper society.

When they also kiss in the garden before they had gotten engaged, when they engaged in sex talk or almost hold hands when watching a painting, it creates a strong zest for viewers because we are aware that they are breaking some rule or stepping out of the norm. And that is exciting to watch.

Makeup sex

There is that charged thrill in makeup sex. It is stirring and exciting.

A lot of the sex that Simon and Daphne have is makeup sex. Their first sex as a married couple was actually makeup sex. After a rough initial meeting and weeks and weeks of fighting, they end that built-up tension by having sex.

The entire series builds up this tension between two people who are attracted to each other but cannot be together for several reasons ego being one of them. The tension grows and grows throughout the plot where every time they seem to make some progress towards their relationship, an event occurs that drags them back.

The tension builds when they get married out of circumstance in an unexciting and sub-par wedding ceremony leaving the viewer to wonder what will happen next to their relationship. On their wedding night after anticipating that Simon and Daphne would finally give their bodies what they have been desiring for so long, the tension reaches its peak when Simon books two rooms at the inn instead of one.

When they finally get to have the conversation that leads to the consummation of their marriage, the tension that had been building up in the previous episodes is finally resolved giving viewers some emotional and even erotic satisfaction.

When Daphne discovers that Simon had not been honest about his ability to father a child and had been pulling out during sex to avoid getting her pregnant, she gets really angry leading her to take matters into her own hands.

As the viewer, when Daphne eases into her husband’s sexual advances after her discovery and after a period of being cold and distant, you imagine that they are making up. Until it is revealed that she was conniving her way into making him come clean about the matter which also adds to the tension that was already there.

The sexual tension continues until when they have a brief steamy encounter in the stairways in their London residence. The Duke afraid of being coerced to ejaculate inside his wife’s vagina again refuses to finish what they had started building the tension even further.

When they finally resolve their issues, makeup and have sex, the Duke willingly finishes inside his wife and the tension of the whole season is resolved.

This tension building followed with the make up sex is also what adds to the tantalising nature of the sex scenes between the two characters.

It’s simply not just sex for them. Their coming together in this way is influenced by so many factors and events that contribute to getting viewers completely invested in their sex life.

They are well-acted

The sex scenes between Daphne and Simon would not be what they are were it not for the great acting on the part of the actors.

The manner in which Rege-Jean Page character utters that be burns for Daphne, makes you believe him completely. You feel it to your core.

The naivety in Daphne Bridgerton on sex is completely believable. It is brought out so well that you understand the story from her perspective.

The sex scenes also come out as seamless, beautiful, sexy and very erotic.

Attractive actors

The actors acting these sex scenes are also easy on the eye. Rege- Jean Page whose character is greatly sexualized in the show is extremely attractive with his well-built physique, handsome face and sexy body.

Phoebe Dynevor who plays Daphne Bridgerton is also gorgeous. When the two get together in the sex scenes, it brings out an erotically inviting scene for the viewer.

Practice and preparation

The great acting of the sex scenes came with a lot of practice as revealed by the actors in various interviews. They also involved an intimacy coordinator who helped choreograph the movements bringing a lot of ease to the actors.

So much so that they knew exactly what the other person was going to do in each shot turning their sex scenes into a beautiful dance.

It is this easiness and relaxation that helps translate to good chemistry between the actors and contributes to the sex scenes being so steamy.

Camera angles

The camera personnel involved in the shooting of the sex scenes managed to capture many intricate details that add to their spiciness.

The reactions and minute facial expressions of the characters as they engage in sex from arousal all the way to the climax are a major attraction.

When Simon frowns and gets this naughty look on his face as he tells Daphne about touching herself when she is alone, you feel his words.

When Simon pulls out during the various sex scenes, the camera angles manage to capture his erotic ‘struggle’ combined with his bodily reactions and facial expressions which is very sexy and titillating to watch.

They are long

Many of the sex scenes in several movies or television shows are brief. They might show a little bit of seduction, some shots of foreplay and a scene or two of the action leaving the rest to the viewer's imagination.

In Bridgerton, most of the sex scenes between Daphne and Simon are long and they take you on a journey.

They take you from the tension, through the seduction, the action all the way to the climax. This is very erotically satisfying from the perspective of the viewer.

The climax

Again, many portrayals of sex in film and television rarely show the climax.

As The Duke of Hastings' actions of withdrawing during the climax is a core factor in the storyline, his pull out game is on full display in the series.

They show you when he is about to reach his pinnacle, his reactions to it before and during this erotic experience, they show you when he pulls out, where he explodes and the reactions of his body during this and after he ejaculates. They show you where and how he cums and his very realistic reactions after he releases his endorphins. They even show you his cum face.

All this is very tantalising to watch for both male and female viewers.

Simons climax scenes have all the elements that make pornography so satisfying for those seeking sexual stimulation. They show the entire journey plus the famous “cum shots” but this time, done teasingly, desirably and with grace. And with the aim of storytelling and not just for sexual gratification.

As climaxes are rarely shown in film and television at least in this way, Bridgerton offers a risque and out of the common experience which is very satisfying for viewers.

What made the sex scenes in Bridgerton so erotic for you?