Bridgerton fans were left outraged when it emerged that Regé-Jean Pagewould not appear in the Netflix show’s next season – but John Oliver insists the actor’s upcoming absence makes sense.
The Last Week Tonight host brought up the news on Sunday as part of a segment on the national debt.
When it comes to the national debt, as well as Page’s exit from the show, “the truth is much more complex” than appears, Oliver said.
“His character arc is mostly wrapped up,” he added of Page, “and the duke doesn’t appear in the rest of the novels [on which the series is based on]. It’s really a generational story of a whole family.”
Oliver then quipped: “Also, you can absolutely lose the duke! It’s actually perfectly in his character to start something he doesn’t finish.”
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Page’s portrayal of Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings made him a breakout star of Bridgerton after the show made its debut on Netflix in December 2020.
The news that he wouldn’t be part of the cast for season two prompted some viewers to say they might not bother watching the series’ future instalments.
Page echoed Oliver’s analysis in a conversation with Variety, telling the publication that he and producers had always viewed his participation as a “one-season arc” with “a beginning, middle, end”.
“[I thought] ‘That’s interesting,’ because then it felt like a limited series,” Page said. “I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on.”
