I spent 30 min writing a review only to accidentally delete it :’)

So here’s my condensed, tldr version;

The show (barely) handled the rape scene in a more logical manner, though the book and the show still lacked consequences.

The story was too endearing and well written to have such a terrible theme at the core of the conflict. Remove the rape scene, and leave the argument solely about the lie/children debate, and it could have been a great romance. Still would have been shitty of the duke, but they could have had some actual discussions and resolutions about that instead of addressing absolutely nothing. But instead, their love (and the story in general) is tainted by a single scene that is never truly addressed or resolved. Its an unhealthy message to send.

PS—let’s also hold the same energy for other portrayals of sexual violence (GOT, Outlander, Altered Carbon, 13RW, etc). Idk about you, but I’m a bit sick of how it’s constantly used as a plot point, and/or depicted in a way that re-traumatizes real life victims.