Between season 2 of Bridgerton, the Anna Delvey movie, and the fact that Grey’s Anatomy just won’t die (not that it isn’t trying; phew, this season is bad), it makes sense that Shonda would land this cover. Apparently, per the press release, “Show Woman of the Year” is an annual thing. It’s clunky, though. Frankly, Shonda is likely the overall Showrunner of the Year, full stop. And I love that she’s standing tall and powerful here, but with a real sense of joy, too — you look at her and think, ‘This woman is still tickled that she gets to do this job.” The outfit is perfect on her, and by the way, she also looks super in a glittery 11 Honoré dress in the piece itself.
In the interview, Shonda of course has to address everyone freaking out about Regé-Jean Page leaving Bridgerton. She claims to be surprised that people didn’t understand how romance works, or something? Which is a LITTLE disingenuous because the first season of Bridgerton fleshed out characters in that universe with storylines that did not exist in the first book (all eight are almost myopically focused on whichever sibling’s lovelife), so it’s not unreasonable to think the subsequent seasons might remain broader and do the same with its now-familiar leads. Shonda is also right that it would be weird to pay Regé-Jean a ton of money to stand in the background and occasionally smolder, especially when he could be moving on to other opportunities, but to hear her say that about him and not Phoebe Dynevor, who is staying, makes it ring hollow as an argument. Shonda doesn’t seem to give much voice to the middle-ground option — have him on for a reduced episode count and make them the B or C plot, even just for a little while before phasing them out altogether — and ergo I think much the excuses and of what’s left unspoken HAS to be that nobody wants to admit regret over agreeing to a contract that didn’t lock in any of those possibilities. I find it difficult to believe none of them anticipated the world falling in love with Regé-Jean; it’s why they cast him in a romance and wrote him a pantload of sex scenes. They just maybe didn’t think they wouldn’t be able to get him back by offering him a raise, and/or didn’t think ahead at all.
Anyway, that wasn’t even really the stuff that caught my eye. This did:
Netflix’s new deal with Shondaland, announced in July, has even expanded the relationship to include movies, gaming and virtual reality content. Rhimes has no solid plans for the digital projects yet, but she’s very interested in those worlds, and wanted to make sure “that space was carved out.”
Well. I love my VR headset, and the idea of Shonda Rhimes making Shondaland VR games is DELICIOUS to me. Give us your Bridgerton, your Grey’s, your hot firepeople! Or whatever the future versions of them will be! I am HERE for an immersive Shonda Rhimes experience.
