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  • A Flop and a Featherington: Colin’s Cringe Carriage Confession and Other Reasons Bridgerton Season 3 Didn’t Hit

    A Flop and a Featherington: Colin’s Cringe Carriage Confession and Other Reasons Bridgerton Season 3 Didn’t Hit

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    Against all odds, I went into Bridgerton Season 3 with an open mind. Perhaps it was Shondaland’s masterclass in marketing: a teasing trailer, sumptuous snippets, and the reveal of their always-miraculous Bridgerton leading man glow-ups.

    Nicola Coughlan probably also had something to do with it — who doesn’t love that tiny Irish woman? After playing “the wee Lesbian” in Derry Girls, she’s the People’s Princess. Nod to mention Bridgerton’s breakout underdog. For her, I’d endure a lot. Even a friends-to-lovers plotline. In theory.

    But not the season we got, it left much to be desired. Yes, we got an soaring strings rendition of a Pitbull song and a few golden Kanthony scenes. But the main couple’s storyline was underdeveloped and underwhelming. Let’s get into it.

    What Is Bridgerton Season 3 About?

    BridgertonNetflix

    It’s no secret that Bridgerton is for the girls. And it’s not just because of the Empire waist dresses and soundtrack of pop songs (including a LOT of Taylor Swift) reworked by string quartets. The Bridgerton series, which started as a beloved collection of books, gives fresh life to all those familiar romance tropes.

    The first season was Fake-Dating, the second season was Enemies-to-Lovers, Queen Charlotte was Arranged-Marriage, and season three was Friends-to-Lovers. With these familiar tropes come familiar roadblocks, zany plot lines, and the comfort that we already know how the story will end: with our protagonists in love. The fun is in how they get there.

    The Shondaland series became a pandemic hit in a prescient move that predicted everyone’s renewed love for cheesy romance. Even now, BookTok is overrun with a reinvigorated hunger for romance novels — from spicy fairy novels to quick-witted contemporary literature. And when it comes to TV adaptations of books, Bridgerton is top tier.

    But this season I knew I’d have my doubts.

    After the masterpiece of emotional storytelling that was Queen Charlotte — not to mention one of the most chemistry-filled press tours I’ve seen in years — and the beloved couple that was Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley as the iconic Kanthony, Season 3 had soooo much to live up to.

    It had some advantages. We knew the characters, we knew the actors, and we’d already primed to be invested by the previous two stories. But their romantic storyline started on a bumpy road. So for me — a devout follower of the gospel of that Rihanna video where she says, “I’m not looking for a man, let’s start there” — the success of this season depends on how believable their reconciliation is, and how powerful both their growth arcs are.

    The arcs in question? Not powerful enough.

    Season 2 concluded with Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) pulling a close to unforgivable move: slandering his so-called friend Penelope to his friends. Tragic for Penelope (Coughlan), she overhears her crush of many years calling her undesirable … then loses her best friend just moments later. Coming into Season 3, all she has is her secret identity as Lady Whistledown, the most popular gossip writer in London’s high society.

    Friends-to-Lovers — Except With The Worst Friend You Can Imagine

    @jesaep omg colin #bridgerton #colinbridgerton #penelopefeatherington #bridgertonseason3 ♬ sonido original – jen

    Season 3’s premise is troubling enough. I personally would never forgive someone who treated me like Colin: ignored me for years. almost married my cousin, then told his friends he would never date me. But the harder they fall, the greater the potential comeback.

    There were some foundational flaws in their purported friendship, true. While Pen has always harbored feelings for Colin, he wasn’t just oblivious — but rather took her for granted. He disregarded her opinion on his doomed attempt to the altar, he used her as a sounding board for his big dreams to find a purpose but underestimated her potential to find her own, and, of course, neglected to defend her against the mockery of his friends.

    Yet, Polin stans were holding out hope for a romantic reconciliation. Instead, we got a makeover scene, a Cyrano plot, and a rushed declaration after only one episode of Colin pining for Pen. The real friends-to-lovers seem like Eloise and Cressida — who have way more simmering chemistry than Polin.

    In contrast to the leading couple, Creasida and Eloise have mutual respect for each other and treat each other as equals, calling each other out, and making each other better humans. Meanwhile, everybody has noted how Colin treats Penelope like a sister at best and a pet or pet-project at worst. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

    It’s Not Even About Him. It’s About Her … Or It Should Be

    Yes, the show is called Bridgerton, but Colin is the most boring one. With limited development to back up his character, his transformation falls flat. All of a sudden, every character is insisting how sensitive and thoughtful Colin is. Violet Bridgerton gives a heartfelt monologue about his character, which is the most we’ve ever heard of it. It’s a classic case of “show, don’t tell.” But Bridgerton hasn’t shown us anything about Colin but his desire to travel, his lack of business savvy, and his ignorance about Pen.

    Meanwhile, Pen is Lady Whistledown — she has the attention of the whole Ton! With Colin’s failings revealed to her at the end of Season 2, I was hoping Penelope would pull Colin off the pedestal and rediscover her own worth. Instead, she mopes around at the sight of him and forgives him too easy. Even when she’s angry, she fashions her makeover after his transformation. Stand up, Penelope, please!

    You Shouldn’t Have To Beg to Be Loved

    Season Two was a masterpiece because Kate and Anthony compliment each other so well. Despite their own reluctance, it was clear to everyone paying attention that they’re well suited. But where is that compatibility with Colin and Penelope? Everyone notes their differences — even Colin.

    That’s why, when they finally kiss, it’s out of pity. Penelope, afraid she’ll never be loved, begs Colin to kiss her. Instead of reassuring her and pointing out her inherent worth, Colin makes light of her request before finally giving in. It’s only now — after she’s changed her outward appearance and is desirable to others, that he opens himself up to the idea of her.

    But I can’t romanticize this. One of the most empowered women on the show (despite her lack of confidence in courting), Pen shouldn’t have to beg to be noticed — to be loved. Her other suitor, Lord Debling, sought her out in public and was genuinely interested in her. Conversely, Colin took years to notice her and when he finally did, almost didn’t pursue her until she was about to receive another proposal.

    Pen deserves better. And everyone who’s rooting for Polin deserved a juicier storyline than the one they got.

    When Is Bridgerton Season Three: Part Two Coming Out?

    Bridgerton Season 3 still has time to redeem itself. Part Two is coming to Netflix in June. It promises to explore Pen and Colin’s post-engagement — perhaps they’ll have even the barest flicker of chemistry? — a hunt for Lady Whistedown, and Eloise confronting Pen about her secret.

    Will Part Two redeem this season? We can only hope.

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    LKC

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  • What’s Wrong With King George in Queen Charlotte? His Illness Lines Up With History

    What’s Wrong With King George in Queen Charlotte? His Illness Lines Up With History

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    If you’re following Bridgerton‘s spin-off series, you might be wondering: What’s wrong with King George in Queen Charlotte and how accurate was it historically? Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story follows the rise of Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) among British regency and her marriage to George III (Corey Mylchreest).

    The series offers an insight with some historical accuracy and King George’s illness lines up with what history has reported. Lady Whistledown did warn us that this was not a history lesson but loosely based upon fact.

    Mylchreest and Amarteifio discussed with Rotten Tomatoes the importance of diversity and representation on screen when they were filming the series. “The reason why Bridgerton is so beautiful is because we explore all these topics,” Amarteifio said. “It’s great to have social commentary on topics that are that are prevalent right now.” Mylchreest added that “as an actor, it’s amazing to be a part of something that is going to create a world in which there’s logical, grounded, natural, realistic reasons for the casting and that, outside of the world of the show, creates such positive representation.”

    One of the first signs we see of George’s illness is when Brimsley notices something is wrong with him when he goes down to the palace kitchen and sees him being inspected by someone other than the palace’s official physician. In the series, we see more of George’s illness unfurl. So what’s wrong with King George in Queen Charlotte? Read on to find out.

    What’s wrong with King George in Queen Charlotte?

    Queen Charlotte
    Image: Netflix

    What’s wrong with King George in Queen Charlotte? The show doesn’t outrightly say what disease he had and the writers of the show deliberately don’t name his condition. It is well assured that King George did have a mental illness but the classification of what it exactly was has been debated by historians for centuries.

    Buckingham Palace actually acknowledges his bouts of madness. They wrote, “After serious bouts of illness in 1788-89 and again in 1801, George became permanently deranged in 1810. He was mentally unfit to rule in the last decade of his reign; his eldest son – the later George IV – acted as Prince Regent from 1811. Some medical historians have said that George III’s mental instability was caused by a hereditary physical disorder called porphyria.”

    What is porphyria?

    Queen Charlotte
    Image: Netflix

    According to Mayo Clinic, porphyria “refers to a group of rare disorders that result from a buildup of natural chemicals called porphyrins in the body. Porphyrins are needed to make heme, a part of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells. It carries oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues.”

    Signs and symptoms of porphyria include severe pain in the belly, chest, legs or back, digestive problems, such as constipation, nausea and vomiting, and mental changes, such as anxiety, hallucinations or mental confusion.”

    Today talked with Martin Warren, a professor of Biochemistry at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, who has long studied George’s mental illness. He confirmed that there was a treatment for King George. “We could certainly detect a reasonable amount of arsenic that was clearly embedded within the hair. In other words, the king had digested arsenic,” he explained. “That was likely from the medication that he was provided.” He continued, “In essence, by looking at all that information, we saw that there’s evidence to suggest that some of the symptoms and the diagnosis suggest that there was that (George II) could have suffered with porphyria.”

    His behavior in the show

    Corey Mylchreest as Young King George
    Corey Mylchreest as Young King George. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023

    In the show, George suffers from incoherent babbling and hallucinations at random points. He’s also spotted by Charlotte to be writing on the walls and professing his love to Venus the Goddess of love while he’s naked. “That’s when it starts to give rise to apparent bouts of madness where people sort of move away from a level of reality,” Warren explained. “And that can give rise to things like sleeplessness People can start to talk, become incoherent, can start babbling.”

    According to a report from the BBC, George furiously wrote during his spells. “A sentence containing 400 words and eight verbs was not unusual. George III, when ill, often repeated himself, and at the same time, his vocabulary became much more complex, creative and colorful. These are features that can be seen today in the writing and speech of patients experiencing the manic phase of psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder.”

    During his later years, Parliament granted his son George VI as Prince Regent since the elder George’s illness was deemed debilitating. George died in 1820 after succumbing to the illness. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Mylchreest and Amarteifio talked about the legacy of King George and his portrayal of him. “It’s such a topical conversation,” Amarteifo said. “Men with mental health issues is a real important thing that we, as a society, need to tackle and we need to talk about.”

    The legacy of King George III

    Corey Mylchreest as Young King George
    Corey Mylchreest as Young King George. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023Corey Mylchreest as Young King George. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2023

    Mylchreest chimed in, adding that he read The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III, and George’s journals in preparation for the role. The actor said that he learned that “this guy was really intelligent, really cared about people [and] had his heart in the right place [and was] incredibly devoted to his wife.”

    “George — although he’s got all these demons and problems that get explored in greater depth as the series goes on — is someone that’s had his whole life to get incredibly developed at putting up not necessarily a front, but he’s had to be charming,” Mylchreest said. “He is surrounded by people that are constantly in awe of him or constantly requiring him to do this thing. We forget that being king is a job, and he’s had to be good at that job.”

    Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is now available to stream on Netflix.

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    Lea Veloso

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  • ‘Bridgerton’ Spinoff ‘Queen Charlotte’ Gets First Teaser

    ‘Bridgerton’ Spinoff ‘Queen Charlotte’ Gets First Teaser

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    A Bridgerton spinoff by the name of Queen Charlotte is due for release through Netflix on May 4. The series is a prequel, and it’ll tell the story of Queen Charlotte’s rise to power. This directly leads in to the events chronicled on the main Bridgerton series.

    The series’ official synopsis reads as follows:

    Centered on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.

    The teaser was released at a fan event, along with some new photos from the set of the show. Previously, after Season 2 of Bridgerton, Adjoa Andoh who portrays Lady Agatha Danbury spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about how she thinks Charlotte would have gotten on during her younger days.

    They’ve known each other a long time, these women, and I think when Lady Danbury would have been at court before, with 17-year old Charlotte who was schlepped over from Europe to marry into this family she didn’t know from a hole in the ground, I think I think Lady Danbury would have been that person. A bit like when you start school and you don’t know where your locker is or where the bathroom is, I think she’d been the person that went, ‘Okay, come with me. Avoid him. He’s a nightmare. He’s quite mean, there’s the bathroom. Never have lunch at that time. It’s awful.’

    It seems like we’ll finally get to see that dynamic play out in this prequel series.

    Shonda Rhimes also talked during the live panel discussion about why exactly it was so important to her that this story be explored.

    “We’re meeting them at their young starting points,” she explained. The show is also going to jump into the present Bridgerton timeline, to depict “how the stories from the past reflect or educate you on the stories from the future. For all of the characters, you get to see the growth and who they’ve become when juxtaposed against the young versions of themselves.”

    You can watch the Queen Charlotte teaser below:

    The Most Watched Netflix Shows Ever

    According to the streaming service, these are the most popular series — based on their total view hours per title in their first 28 days of release on Netflix

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    Cody Mcintosh

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