‘Tis the season for swooning. Regency-set romance drama Bridgerton is currently heating up Netflix. The mega-hit series dropped its eight-episode fourth season, in which Benedict, the family’s free-spirited second son, finds love with Sophie Baek (now Bridgerton). Season 4 is a dazzling, candy-colored affair, brimming with electrifying chemistry between Sophie and Benedict. Audiences also get to see the main couples from Seasons 2 and 3 reveling in marital bliss. This includes Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton, also known as Anthony and Kate, and Colin and Penelope Bridgerton.
As for the first season’s couple – the one that started it all – viewers reunited with Daphne Basset, Duchess of Hastings, in Season 2. She hasn’t been seen since, although Phoebe Dynevor has expressed interest in reprising her role. However, Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, played by Regé-Jean Page, only appeared in Season 1. Here’s where Simon and Daphne are during Bridgerton Season 4, and why Regé-Jean Page won’t return.
The Duke and Duchess of Hastings’ Presence in ‘Bridgerton’ After Season 1, Explained
Bridgerton Season 1, particularly Daphne and Simon, set the stage for the succeeding couples in the ton. Following the resolution of their conflict, the Duke and Duchess primarily spend their time at Clyvedon Castle, their country estate. At the end of Season 1, Daphne gives birth to their first child, August (love the nod to Violet and Edmund’s alphabetical naming convention with the Bridgerton kids).
In Season 2, Daphne appears in five of eight episodes sans Simon. She advises Anthony regarding his impending nuptials with Edwina Sharma while falling head over heels for Kate. Daphne is also there for Eloise’s societal debut, claiming she “left” her husband and child at home for the occasion. Daphne spends time at the Bridgerton country estate, Aubrey Hall, with the family … again, without Simon. She attends Anthony and Edwina’s wedding. She even discusses her marriage with Violet.
However, we don’t see Daphne at Colin and Penelope’s wedding ceremony in Season 3, nor is she present for Benedict and Sophie’s nuptials at My Cottage at the end of Season 4. It’s also quite bewildering that Daphne wouldn’t attend the funeral of Francesca’s late husband, Lord John Stirling, which occurred in Season 4.
We can only assume Simon and Daphne are too busy raising their family at Clyvedon. In Julia Quinn’s titular book series, the Duke and Duchess of Hastings eventually have five children together. And, of course, each new season should have less focus on the previous couples. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to see something of Daphne and Simon.
Regé-Jean Page’s Reason for Not Returning to ‘Bridgerton’
The truth is that Page signed a contract for only one season. A short-term commitment was appealing to the actor, as he told Variety:
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year. [I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”
However, there’s another potential (and completely understandable) reason for Page not reprising his role. When he was cast as Simon, racist campaign #NotMyDuke began circulating on social media. Page also received backlash for leaving the series. While the actor hasn’t addressed his experience regarding racism, he showed support in an Instagram story for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast when their cast members of color were on the receiving end of racist vitriol. “I can’t believe we went through an entire era where production were happy to stand by, tell us it was our own problem and refuse to stand up to racist abuse because it was coming from ‘fans’. Wild,” he said.
As mentioned above, Dynevor would like to return to Bridgerton. Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell refuses to recast the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, and she hopes they’ll make an appearance down the line. She told Variety:
“We are not interested in recasting the characters. I think it would feel like a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in Season 1, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters. We would love to potentially have them back at some point, but I think, logistically, we want to make sure we bring them back when we have something really meaty for them. And to have them come back to say a line at a funeral and just prove that they were there, it wouldn’t feel right for many reasons. So I think in my mind, the camera doesn’t capture everything. They’re hypothetically there; it’s television. But we would love to find a time to bring everyone back at some point in the future.”
Whether the pair eventually returns remains to be seen. Regardless, Simon and Daphne are sorely missed by the ton.
- Release Date
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December 22, 2020
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Tom Verica, Tricia Brock, Alex Pillai, Alrick Riley, Bille Woodruff, Cheryl Dunye, Sheree Folkson, Julie Anne Robinson
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Luke Thompson
Lady Violet Bridgerton
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Ruth Gemmell
Benedict Bridgerton
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