I always find it exciting to find little references to bridge in fictional universes – although sometimes I have to wonder about the lack thereof, too. There are a few fictional universes where I’m of the firm opinion that a game or two of bridge would have fit in perfectly fine. Here are a few fictional universes and stories, and how they could have benefited from the inclusion of bridge.
Batman
Other than the fact that there are already several card-themed characters in the DC Universe (including the Joker and Gambit), I’m surprised that bridge isn’t more part of the storyline. We know that Bruce Wayne is a rich eccentric millionaire with a vast fortune – and his parties seem like they would make the perfect setting for high-stakes rubber bridge tournaments.
Star Trek
When they aren’t travelling at warp speeds, I’d assume there’s a lot of idle time on the Enterprise – and I’d also assume that someone on the ship has a deck of cards. Any thoughts on what the Captain’s game might have looked like as opposed to that of Spock?
Harry Potter and the Bridge Game
To be fair, the Harry Potter universe does make several mentions of self-shuffling decks and a wizard’s card game called Exploding Snap, but where’s the potential for bridge? I see room for a lot of enchanted bridge gadgets here, including something called a Kicking Table and an appropriate enchantment that would make the cards yell at cheaters before ejecting them from their seats.
Interview with a Vampire
Interview with a Vampire is a must-read for any fan of historical fiction looking back at the French Quarter – or obviously, vampires. With a huge amount of time to kill due to their physical state, I’d also think that vampires would have taken to bridge at least eventually after trying every single card game in existence in the meantime.
American Gods
There are plenty of nods towards card tricks, luck and coin tricks throughout Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, but I would have liked to seen a bridge reference thrown in for good measure – and I can tell you exactly where, too. Right where CzernobogXXX takes on Shadow Moon, I would have liked to see him mumble, “Let’s play bridge.”
Lord of the Rings
Almost any of the scenes mentioned in Lord of the Rings looks like it could be a great setting for a game of bridge: Orcs, I imagine, would take the part of the particularly aggressive player (and might, occasionally, attack), while dwarves would have been backed by years worth of wisdom – and probably made the preferential partner between the two.
Also, it’s the only other scenario I can imagine right now where the line, “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” would be appropriate.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
If there’s an academy for Duel Monsters, then it stands to reason that there must – somewhere – be an academy for bridge in the same universe. Maybe a new form of the game might have even developed within this fictional universe where cards appear holographically and players alternatively get to yell, “I summon you, Ace of Spades!”
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes and Watson both seem like they would have been natural bridge players, and I’m surprised that it wasn’t included more in the original universe. It seems there’s more than enough appropriate fan-fiction written afterwards if you dig, though, including this gem from the 70s entitled Sherlock Holmes, Bridge Detective Returns. (Available on Amazon.)
Stephen King’s IT
It might have something to do with the fact that the remade second instalment of IT is currently showing as I write this, but I somehow have always thought that bridge would have fit well in Stephen King’s IT. While there is a worthy mention of Bicycle Cards between characters Mike and Bill, they never play bridge.