The arranged marriage, and in some cases, the marriage of convenience trope, are two of the more challenging things to get right on TV. It’s also one that doesn’t always work in romance novels, but when it hits—nothing hits harder. Prime Video’s My Lady Jane gets much right with its hilariously charming adaptation, and the arranged marriage trope is at the top of the list.
In some cases, especially in historical pieces, couples are forced to consummate the marriage to add legitimacy, which sometimes (read, most of the time) robs the woman of her agency. But My Lady Jane works because Guildford never forces that (they fake it initially), and the two start their relationship as equals. This decision allows them to get to know one another through a working partnership, which then adds to the bickering and banter with the type of problem that makes their eventual collision more earned.
In the beginning, Guildford and Jane’s animosity fuels the chemistry between Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel so exquisitely that it adds an intricate thread to the marriage in its early stages. They don’t like each other, but at the same time, the agreement they have allows them to build trust in a more organic form. He knows she wants a divorce. She knows he wants to break the curse. Their mutual accord puts them on the same trajectory, fusing them together in a way that’s tethered to an end goal. Equals, once again.
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Another weighty factor of the arranged marriage trope is the forced proximity characters find themselves in. My Lady Jane works this trope in with its fantasy narrative as it gives Jane insight into Guildford’s secret early on, thus contributing to the trust and relationship building they find themselves trekking toward.
Finally, what matters significantly is the eventual choice both characters make to stay together, and in My Lady Jane, it happens beautifully in Season 1, Episode 5, “I’m Gonna Change the World.” There, Jane is the one to open up first about her feelings, voicing that what if she doesn’t want a divorce, allowing Guildford to still back out in case if he does. He questions her, too, by eventually kissing her, and they then consummate their marriage in their own time frame based on their choices. This decision that the writers make ensures that Guildford and Jane are the ones choosing each other, and it keeps their heated chemistry sizzling still as they explore new avenues in their relationship.
Once more, with feeling, the series’ pacing is one of its most excellent qualities, and it contributes to the trope by giving viewers ample time in the moments that matter. It carves out the proper time to develop the marriage, even when the characters are separated because it builds on the longing and determination to protect each other. By the time we get to Season 1, Episode 7, “Another Girl, Another Planet,” we have a clear understanding of why he’d go back for her and why she’d forgive him right away. Every separation leads to an engrossing reunion that shows viewers it’s them against the world, and every quiet confession they make cements the detail that the circumstances working against them made them stronger.
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Additionally, stories that use the arranged marriage trope often drag the animosity toward levels where there’s no coming back from. They push the characters to places for shock value instead of advancing their arcs, making the eventual choice between them somewhat marred. But My Lady Jane does the opposite: it makes every beat with Jane and Guildford count by carefully revealing to the audience how the invisible string tying them together is gilded with trust and deep admiration.
My Lady Jane Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Prime Video