Bridgerton- Season 3, A Review

Even a wallflower can bloom.

Bridgerton Season 1 Review. Season 2 Review. Queen Charlotte Review.

The third season of Bridgerton follows the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls), seeing the pair finally get together after years of secret pining on Pen’s part. We see the pair reunited after Colin returns home from travelling the globe, having inadvertently upset Pen the last time he saw her, having boasted that he’d never court her’. Pen has since moved on and is now looking for a husband of her own, having grown sick of living under her Mother’s (Polly Walker, Line of Duty) thumb, especially now that both of her older sisters have been married off.

Colin offers to teach Pen the art of flirting to help her improve her chances, initially matching her with newest catch of the season Lord Debling (Sam Phillips). Colin however realises that his own feelings for Pen have changed, complicating things for her especially with her Lady Whistledown persona and Colin’s own feelings towards the scribe. With so much working against them can these best friends make their romance work and get their own happily ever after or will secrets stand in the way of true happiness and force Pen to choose between her writing and her true love match?

Season 3 had a slightly different set up from previous seasons because this was the first time we were diving into the love story between two already established characters rather than anyone new to the show and family dynamic overall. We’ve known both Colin and Pen since the show’s very first episode and so many fans were excited for their eventual coupling and to see this fan favourite couple finally get together. I will say that personally neither Colin or Pen have ever been my absolute favourite Bridgerton character but I will still excited for their season and to see them get their chance in the sun.

Despite being the starring couple of the season I do feel like Pen and Colin got significantly less screen time than Simon/Daphne and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey)/Kate (Simone Ashley, Sex Education) in their own respective seasons, with other characters and storylines taking up so much of the runtime away from them. On the whole their love story just felt so rushed, which is weird because it’s literally been building for years now, so on paper it should have been the perfect romance. Instead everything felt like it moved too quickly and for me it felt like Colin’s feelings changed from friendship to romance almost overnight, I wanted some more slow burn. Once the pair did then get together we focused so much on the Lady Whistledown drama that we didn’t really get any scenes of them just being a couple and growing together, which I think is a shame because like I said above this has been a romance years in the making.

For me the Featherington family were the breakout stars of the season here and I have truly come to love Portia, Phillipa (Harriet Cains) and Prudence (Bessie Carter) as the wacky and deeply flawed family that they are. The trio are absolutely brilliant together and bring so much of the show’s comedy, the ‘inserts himself where?’ scene still has been in stitches to this day, we truly love an iconic trio. I also really loved the slight softening of the three, especially towards Pen, showing so much growth from the first season where they were little more than ugly-stepsister archetypes. Instead we now see the two sisters happily married in seemingly genuine love matches and it’s just been nice to see their characters grow from background bullies to genuine comedic relief over the last three years.

Eloise (Claudia Jessie, Vanity Fair) definitely had an interesting arc this season, both in herself and with those around her and I continue to love her character and her views on the ton and society. Season two obviously ended with her discovering Lady Whistledown/Pen’s identity, putting her at odds with her former best friend and later with Colin when the romance begins to bloom. I really loved the fractured relationship between the pair, Eloise didn’t necessarily hate Pen but she couldn’t be friends with her any longer and it made for a really interesting shift in dynamic. I also enjoyed her growing friendship with Cressida (Jessica Madsen) this season as well as the attempted humanising of the former bully as we learn more about her dreary home life especially when compared to the loving Bridgertons. I hope we see Cressida again, she definitely didn’t deserve to be shipped off to Wales and there’s more to her story for sure.

Season three reintroduced us to Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd, Enola Holmes 2), having been recast and given a much bigger role than the previous two seasons, now finding her own love match in John Stirling (Victor Alli) and marrying him towards the end of the season. Now a fully fleshed out character we learn that Francesca much prefers the quiet and alone time from her multiple siblings and I really enjoyed the exploration of a quieter type of love rather than the epic love stories that have come before, even if Violet (Ruth Gemmell) does slightly disapprove. Saying that the finale did then introduce Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza) in a gender-bent change from the original novels (a choice which is certainly making noise online) and I for one am excited to see what happens next. Season three now confirmed that at least two of the Bridgerton children are among the LGBT community (yay for Benedict (Luke Thompson) as well) and I’m definitely curious to see how the show handles its gay relationships when compared to its straight ones.

We finally saw Lady Whistledown unmasked this season after Pen is forced to step forward and reveal herself, finally spilling the secret to the ton and Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) herself. Season three really upped the pressure for Pen as Lady Whistledown with Eloise knowing her secret and threatening to tell Colin at every moment, really forcing her to choose between her new love and her old passions. We also see Cressida attempting to take up the mantle in order to escape a fate worse than death (Wales) and it was fun to see the feuding between the pair. I did like how Pen was finally able to step forward and speak for herself, claiming the Whistledown title and being proud of it. We also see Queen Charlotte accept Pen for who she is, recognising that gossip makes life in the ton more interesting showing that her quest for Lady Whistledown was for the chase and not necessarily the capture. I am curious to see what happens next because I do know in the books the Lady Whistledown storyline does stop after Pen’s story but I hope the show continues for the narration style if nothing else.

Overall I enjoyed this third season of Bridgerton and loved returning to the Ton again, its seriously been too long since we last got the gossip from Lady Whistledown. Colin and Pen’s romance has been so long in the making and it was so satisfying to finally see them get together despite the numerous obstacles along the way. I will say that season three had a lot of moving parts meaning that certain storylines and/or characters felt sidelined (namely the couple of the season) but on the whole we got so much drama here and I just loved seeing everybody again, two years between each season is seriously too long to wait. Going forward I’m definitely excited for season four (we got hints that we’d be focussing on Benedict but nothing concrete yet), the show left a lot of storylines open to explore and I’m especially interested to see where Francesca and John’s romance goes, I just hope we don’t have to wait too long to get it.

Queen Charlotte, A Review

A Bridgerton Story.

Bridgerton Season 1 Review. Season 2 Review.

Queen Charlotte follows the titular character (India Amarteifio/Golda Rosheuvel) as we explore the early days of her reign, her marriage to King George (Corey Mylchreest/James Fleet) and the many struggles she faced as England’s first multi-raced Monarch. Arriving in England in 1761 after her Brother Adolphus (Tunji Kasim, Nancy Drew) signed her over to the crown, Charlotte initially attempts to escape the marriage (quite literally) but soon finds a spark with her husband to be after the pair meet mere minutes before the ceremony. After this however George becomes cold and distant and Charlotte is left to ponder her very strange new life in the palace with her only company being secretary Brimsley (Sam Clemmett/Hugh Sachs).

Flashing forward to 1817 we then see the current day Charlotte desperate for her many children to produce a royal heir after the tragic passing of her daughter-in-law. Both timelines then explore Charlotte’s life as Queen and the problems she faced, dealing with George’s own faltering health issues, a persistent Mother-in-law (Michelle Fairely) and a whole lot of new responsibilities. We know from Bridgeton that the Queen is a force to be reckoned with but how exactly did she come to be? What choices and decisions shaped Charlotte into the Royal powerhouse we see before us?

Queen Charlotte has always been a fan favourite character in the Bridgerton series and I think this combined with the fact she’s one of the only real life historical figures meant she was perfect for her own character-centric spinoff. I really enjoyed following her younger years as she married George and became Queen, showcasing the many struggles that came with the titular crown. We only really see small aspects of Charlotte and George’s married life in the Bridgerton years but even then it’s clear that George’s mental health takes a strain of them both and it was interesting to see the origins of this and how the pair stuck together throughout countless obstacles. Charlotte faced so many issues as both Queen and George’s wife and her story is definitely one riddled with tragedy, shifting tones slight from the usually upbeat and heavily romantic Bridgeton. This spinoff made for a great insight into the Queen’s life and I really enjoyed every minute, it’s definitely going to make viewers see Charlotte differently in the main series.

I really loved Arsema Thomas as the younger Lady Danbury and her character was just as iconic here as she was in the main show. Her and Charlotte were initially only brought together because of the colours of their skin but through this a genuine friendship was built and I really like how the two would come to confide in each other. Agatha became an almost trailblazer for the ton’s minority members and it’s obviously through her influence that Bridgeton is like it is today. I also really loved the romance between Agatha and Lord Ledger (Kier Charles) and how she was able to discover herself sexually through said encounters. Like Charlotte herself Lady Danbury has always been a pretty iconic characters and I loved seeing her own backstory here and everything she faced to become the powerful woman we know in the future.

I really liked how we got the present day scenes intertwined with Charlotte’s past, checking in with her in the Bridgerton timeline so to speak but also focussing on the other adult characters and how their own pasts had effected the present. It was nice to get a little bit more focus on Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) and Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell/Connie Jenkins-Greig), two characters who have always been great in the main series but never had their own solo storylines until now. Bridgerton has always focussed on the lives and romances of the children but it was nice to check in with the adults as well and I really love the continued friendship between Agatha and Violet. Agatha’s own past with Violet’s Father also came back to the surface and I’m actually interested to see where this goes in season three because we did leave things on a somewhat ambiguous note.

The pairing of Brimsley and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis) was a brilliant addition to the spinoff and again it really makes you look at present day Brimsley a lot differently. I think the question on everybody’s minds at the minute is ‘what happened to Reynolds?’ and I do hope we get some form of answer soon, whether it be in season three or otherwise. Despite Bridgerton’s more laid back attitudes to sexuality in the period era, Brimsley and Reynolds are the show’s first LGBTQ couple and I really liked how they were handled. The pair were very aware that their relationship was illegal but aside from this they were treated like a normal couple and I really loved their scenes together and the chemistry between them. I would have liked to see more from them, especially how they first met, but the bits we got were completely heart wrenching and just as great as any other Bridgerton romance.

Bridgerton has always been a very diverse kind of show, representing characters from several different races, cultures and nationalities even in the 19th century setting and even if the show has never prioritised historical accuracy is does at least still acknowledge some sort of racial awareness within the world it inhabits. In Queen Charlotte we get to see how this all began and how Charlotte herself became a figurehead for racial equality within the ton. Whilst I’ve always loved Bridgerton’s very casual approach to minority characters in the period setting I do like how we got to see these issues explored here, showcasing how things once were and how Charlotte changed things for the current day characters so to speak. Through Charlotte herself and the younger Lady Danbury, we get to see society changing and becoming more accepting of its non-white members and how Charlotte really opened the door for a whole group of people. Like I said Bridgerton does focus more on fun and romance rather than any serious historical matters but I did like the exploration here because it shows that there is still some connection to the real world and a lot of the very real issues people face.

Overall I really enjoyed watching Queen Charlotte and loved the focus on the titular character here who has always been a fan favourite in the main show. It was interesting to see the beginning of Charlotte’s reign as well as her relationship with George and them many issues the couple had to face. Unlike the rest of the Bridgerton cast, Charlotte and George are based on real life people so I think this spinoff had a slightly more serious tone which I did enjoy. It was also great seeing a younger Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgeton (as well as their present day scenes) and it felt really nice to focus on the side characters for once. With season three of Bridgeton also due for release any time now I’m interested to see how the universe continues to expand and what happens next for all of our characters.

Bridgerton- Season 2, A Review

Love never plays by the rules.

Bridgerton Season 1 Review.

The second season of Bridgerton follows eldest sibling Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he decides to finally settle down and find himself a wife. The news of Anthony’s search attracts many female suitors however he finds fault with all of them, looking for the perfect woman. Arriving in town after a lengthy stay in India, Mary Sharma (Shelley Conn) and her two daughters Kate (Simone Ashley, Sex Education) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran) are welcomed by Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), who hopes to find them both matches for the season. Kate however is only focussed on Edwina’s happiness, secretly aware that her estranged Grandparents have only promised a dowry if Edwina marries someome noble.

Meeting at a ball, Edwina is instantly smitten with Anthony, who also finds her to be an acceptable match. Kate however disaproves of Anthony instantly, hearing tales of his ‘rakish behaviour’. She begins steering Edwina towards other suitors, repeatadly clashing with Anthony in the process. As Edwina and Anthony’s courtship continues, Kate begins struggling with her own feelings, not being able to deny the chemistry between herself and Lord Bridgerton. In the art of love and war nothing ever plays by the rules but can Kate withold her own feelings in fear of losing Edwina’s dowry or will fate have an entirely different plan in mind for her?

Going into season 2 I was pretty nervous about an Anthony centered storyline because I really wasn’t a fan of him the first time around. From Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor, Younger) viewpoint he was massively overprotective and cynical, putting practicality ahead of love at almost every turn. This season however we got to see exactly why Anthony is the way he is, allowing for some massive character development. After the death of his Father, Anthony was forced to become the man of the house and shit himself off as a result. With Kate however he is able to find his light again and become such a more likeable character, it was very sweet to see.

Kate was such a fantastic co-lead this season and Simone Ashley did an amazing job at portraying her. I still haven’t read the Bridgerton book series myself but I know a lot of the book fans were really excited for this character and I can definitely see why. Kate’s verbal sparring with Anthony paired with her genuine love for her sister and own insecurities make her a very well rounded character. Looking out for Edwina’s own future Kate must put her own wants behind her in order to do what she thonks is right, resulting in quite a lonely existance. With Anthony she is able to open up more and I just loved the chemistry between them. Kate was sinply brilliant and her story was emotional, funny and so romantic all at the same time. I love her.

The romance between Anthony and Kate this season was completely incredible and the pair’s chemistry just came alive in every single shared scene. People have complained due to the lack of sex scenes this season but for me the build up and enemies to lovers romance was just as enjoyable and even more moving to watch. Kate and Anthony’s constant bickering and lingering feelings for one another was brilliantly done and even when courting Edwina, Anthony only ever had eyes for Kate. The couple had some of tge best onscreen chemistry I’ve ever sen and I’m excited to see married life for the new couple in future seasons, it’s sure to be steamy to say the least.

Knowing Lady Whistledown’s identity definitely put an interesting spin on the season, allowing us to see a lot more of how Penelope (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls) operates and how she gathers her information. Being in on the secret also meant we got to see how far Eloise (Claidia Jessie, Vanity Fair) was getting in her own investigation and how Penelope would purposely point her away every time she got too close, which happened a lot in season 2. I think the show was able to do a lot more with Whistledown this season, no longer having to hide her identity and therefore showing a lot more from Penelope’s POV, it made for an interesting perspective.

As well as Anthony and Kate the rest of the Bridgerton siblings and other characters continue to be brilliant and I love each character’s story and how it adds to the overall narrative. Eloise and Benedict (Luke Thompson) remain my favourite siblings and I’m excited for their eventual seasons (although I will admit I’d love to see some LGBT love interests in their futures?). The Featherington family are also entertaining as ever and I think that Prudence (Bessie Carter) really came into her own this season, she’s actually very funny. Bridgerton has such a wide range of interesting characters and whilst the family themselves will always be the main focus I’m excited to see what also happens with the side characters as well.

Overall I really enjoyed this second season of Bridgerton and think I even prefer it to season one. I will admit I was anxious about seeing Anthony in a leading light but his seaaon got to massively explore his charactrr, allowing for some great development. Kate was a fantastic love interest and new addition to the series and the chemistry between the pair was just as good as Daphne and The Duke in season one (if not stronger). Bridgerton continues to be an electric show of chemistry, romance and storytelling and I can’t wait to see which sibling’s quest for love we tackle next.

Bridgerton, A Review

Tea will be spilt.

Netflix’s Bridgerton follows the Bridgerton and Featherington families as their elder children are presented at court for the first time, battling it out for a good husband and suitable match. Eldest Bridgerton daughter Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor, Younger) is excited for the social season and is branded by Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) as the season’s incomparable, whereas second oldest Bridgerton daughter Eloise (Claudia Jessie, Vanity Fair) wants nothing to do with marriage and would rather focus on her own future. The Featheringtons however have less luck, with Baroness Portia Featherington (Polly Walker) pushing her three daughters- Penelope (Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls), Prudence (Bessie Carter) and Philippa (Harriet Cains) onto any man she can. Already struggling, the Featherington’s coming out is then made even harder by the arrival of Marina Thompson (Ruby Barker), a distant cousin who massively outshines the three sisters.

Making the social season all the more complicated is Lady Whistledown (Voiced by Julie Andrews), the author of a scandalous society newsletter who names her subjects personally, outing some very personal gossip. Whistledown in particular focuses on Daphne and new arrival Simon the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page), who is seen as one of London’s most eligible bachelors and wanted by all. Because of Whistledown’s constant attention as well as her oldest brother Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) deeming all suitors unsuitable for her, Daphne and Simon cook up a ruse where the two will fake a relationship so that Simon will seem unavailable and Daphne desirable. The ruse works, pleasing Daphne’s mother Violet (Ruth Gemmell) and Simon’s mentor Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) massively. But with so much scandal afoot and love in the air, relationships are truly all over the place. With Whistledown also inteferring will anybody truly get their own happily ever after? One thing’s for sure, no social season will ever be the same again.

Bridgerton really was a sort of historically based Gossip Girl and I just loved watching. I’m always a fan of a historical drama and I just loved how scandalous this one was. There was so much drama going on and the Lady Whistledown factor meant that everything was laid out in the open for all of the characters to see. The historical elements also added that extra touch and I loved the many relationships throughout. Everything was just so messy and chaotic, it made for a brilliantly entertaining watch.

Bridgerton really was like a fanfiction writer’s dream come true. Filled with common tropes such as enemies to lovers, fake relationships, unrequited love and yearning, Bridgeton was just a joy to watch. Often when I’n watching a TV series or film I have to turn to fanfiction to get the more wacky side of the fandom, but Bridgerton really has everything you could possibly want. With so many different kinds of relationships, scandals and friendships, Bridgerton was like one giant, messy fanfiction come to life. I loved it.

There were so many complex and interesting relationships throughout Bridgerton, both platonic and romantic. All of the characters seem to really mesh together well and I really enjoyed every single pairing that the show threw at us. From the lead pairing of Daphne and Simon to the more unrequited bond between Penelope and Colin (Luke Newton), the romantic relationships in this show were cute and endearing. On the flip side the platonic bonds such as those between Eloise and Benedict (Luke Thompson) or Simon and Will (Martins Imhangbe), Bridgerton has also reinforced the power of friendship. Every single relationship in the show has been great to watch and I really appreciated how well the cast seemed to fot together, there was a lot of good chemistry.

I really liked how Bridgerton emphasises the importance of talk and gossip. I think in any time era, but particularly this one, a person’s reputation can make or break them, which is why Lady Whistledown is so effective. Her scandal sheets have the potential to ruin anybody’s family name and hopes for a good marriage but at the same time everybody becomes completely enamoured by them. Talk and gossip are both double edged swords, we can’t get enough of them, yet at the same time they can be completely dangerous in the wrong hands.

I liked how Bridgerton reinforced the importance of friendship in marriage and how ‘a young lady should simply marry the man who is her closest friend’. Attraction is all well and good but it’s the closer bond you need for a relationship to work and it was nice to see this here, especially in a period show. In these historic times, women were often paired off with strangers (seen attempted throughout), so it was nice to see Daphne being able to bond with someone on a platonic and romantic level.

I really liked how Bridgerton portrayed its female characters as strong and powerful, yet still women of their time period. Being set in 1813, there were many societal rules that prevented women from living independant lives and I’m glad that Bridgerton stuck to this here. I have watched historical dramas in the past where, in an attempt to make their female leads more powerful, the writers have just completely ignored history. It’s all well and good having a strong, independant woman but not if her actions just completely ignore historical accuracy. In Bridgerton, the women are held back by society much to their frustration, and it is this outrage that makes their characters all the more likeable and interesting to watch.

Overall, Bridgerton was a highly entertaining watch. The combining of the historical timeline and the scandal filled gossip sheets made for the perfect combination of drama, mess and so much shipping. The many relationships on the show, be it romantic, platonic or even familial, showcased a great cast and a lot of great chemistry. Bridgerton was just so fun to watch, I loved how scandalous and outrageous everything was.