Within aristocratic families the transition from one titleholder to the next could be messy and complicated, or simple and accompanied by symbolic gestures. One such gesture is the Dowager moving out of the main estate residence into a dower house, thus making way for the wife of the new titleholder to step up into her role within the household. Moving into a dower house allowed a Dowager to retain her position in society whilst also symbolising the passing from one generation to the next and the transition of power within the household. Season 5 offers an ideal opportunity for Bridgerton to bring this tradition into the core of its storytelling through Violet moving out of Bridgerton House into a dower house. Not only would this adhere to historical convention, it would also provide the production the opportunity to solve a growing narrative issue with the absence of Anthony and Kate.
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A dower house is a residence separate to the main estate properties that was occupied by the Dowager. The residence allowed the Dowager to maintain her own household whilst not impinging on the wife of the new title holder. The timing of a Dowager's move would depend on the status of the new heir, if he was unmarried at the time of inheritance she may remain at the main family home until he married, however, if the heir was married then she would move soon after he inherited. The move to the dower house was symbolic of the transition within the family, and an outward acknowledgement that the Dowager no longer was the authority within the main household.
Within the world of Bridgerton it was right that Violet initially remained in the main homes of Aubrey Hall and Bridgerton House as Anthony was young and unmarried when he inherited. Now that Anthony has married, and has started his own family with Kate, Violet should have moved into a dower house, however, at the end of season 4 this still had not happened.
By not moving Violet into a dower house, the show has failed to visually represent the transition from Violet to Kate being the Viscountess. By rights this should have happened in season 3, with the final episode being the ideal moment, however, the show has continued on as if Anthony never married, with Violet continuing to be the Viscountess. For a show that normally utilises visual storytelling well this was a missed opportunity to establish that the production recognises Kate as the Viscountess, a Bridgerton, and as belonging in Bridgerton House. Violet moving out of Bridgerton House would also signal a healing in the relationship between Violet and Anthony, that Violet no longer needs to hover over him, and that she trusts and respects who he is now as well as his choice of Kate as a wife, and that she respects Kate as the Viscountess.
Keeping Violet at the centre of Bridgerton House the show has created a blurring of the lines for viewers between the Viscountess (Kate) and the Dowager Viscountess (Violet), but also signalled a disrespect or contempt for the character of Kate. Moving Violet into a dower house in season 5 would allow the production to complete a transitional arc for Violet, signal clearly that Bridgerton House is Kate and Anthony's, even if they are not present in all episodes, and show Kate the same respect they have shown other characters who have married.
Further, by introducing a dower house for Violet, rather than keeping her at Bridgerton House, the production could resolve some of the awkwardness of having much of the Bridgerton storylines taking place in Bridgerton House but Kate and Anthony not being present, an issue that was glaringly obvious in season 4. In addition the closure of Halton House, and being unable to have scenes in the iconic entry hall of Bridgerton House, season 5 presents the opportune time for Violet to finally move into a dower house allowing Kate to be the Viscountess in practice not just name. Bridgerton House is no longer Violet's home, it is the home where Kate and Anthony will be growing their family, and it is time that the Bridgerton production recognised this.
