It’s so pretty. Lord and Lady Bridgerton eventually have four children: Edmund, Miles, Charlotte, and Mary. That is awful. IDK, I feel about this show as I feel about this book series in general: meh. If you've written a review for a romance that you think might interest the community or you'd like to rant and/or squee about a book, and you haven't published it elsewhere, please email Sarah. Her assembly of married women was so much more interesting than any and every scene at the men’s club of boring wood paneling, and she should be given more on every level. I loved Lady Danbury (how about that jaunty red hat she was wearing at one point? Some parts really worked. I have read the series a couple of times and the first book (The Duke & I), was always my least favorite. (My memory of book plots is so weak that I had to google who he ACTUALLY ends up with). In the book, it is suggested her actions were a spur of a moment decision. Mostly that I hate what they’ve done with a lot of the characters. "Romancing Mister Bridgerton" by Julia Quinn is about a young lady who lives in London in the early 1800s. There is one really good quote of hers that I loved: “When I was a girl, some centuries ago, I was afraid even of my own reflection. I’m glad to see this review. I love Simon, hope Daphne grovels, and am firmly Team Eloise and Penelope. Also it helps that Ruby Parker (Marina) and Polly Walker (Mrs. Featherington) had excellent on screen chemistry and worked so well together. Her Dragons on the Sex Planet with Shani and Bridget from Romance at a Glance, 449. It was bright and airy and everybody looked pretty and it was a romance. Shana: I totally agree with Lara that Siena and Anthony were interesting to watch, and believable enough that I ALSO googled to see if I’d forgotten him marrying a singer. I actually find it interesting how adaptation changes the story while still including the elements of the story. I also found the characterisation completely inconsistent. I was always uncomfortable with THAT scene but am surprised no one mentioned how the show changed it. I presume the implication is that White folks had a few decades to flip out, decide class matters more than anything else, and they’ve gotten over it now and moved into a mode of quietly pretending race doesn’t exist. By posting a comment, you consent to have your personally identifiable information collected and used in accordance with our privacy policy. Bridgerton is a Netflix period drama created and executive produced by Chris Van Dusen and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Podcast 451, Your Transcript Has Arrived! Benedict Had No Social Life. Simon takes advantage of that information to be able to have sex with Daphne while still keeping his vow, but there’s information asymmetry going on, and it’s in his favor. It is Will and his wife Alice who picks him up and nurture him when he gets drunk. Anyway, after a few days of thinking about the show, I think in addition to the production just being gorgeous, what I most enjoyed was the multigenerational storytelling. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams… For a show marketed to romance fans, most of the characters seem pretty fucking miserable. I’m generally sick of “I can never LOVE cause my bad daddy hurt my feelings” storylines and also I assume this will eventually become a “babies fix all problems” thing which…nope. I have so much to say about the conversation between Lady Danbury and Simon where they sorta kinda but also don’t talk about race. Yay, I’ve been hoping for this review! This show was specifically developed to target me as an audience who is familiar with the world, with romance conventions, with period drama, and eager to see a new take on all of it. I liked it. Here are a few of my favorite links: Tressie McMillan Cottom, “The Black Ton: From Bridgerton to Love & Hip-Hop”, Carla de Guzman, author of Sweet on You, reviews Bridgerton in The Philippine Star, Ineye Komonibo and Kathleen Newman-Bremang at Refinery 29. I’ve been thinking that if we get more seasons (which I figure we will, since it’s being talked about so much and it’s Shonda), the book plots/romances will probably be condensed, since it’s the rare show that goes on for eight seasons nowadays. And, not just because I was a guest, I’m an avid fan of What Would Danbury Do?, a podcast hosted by Rudi Bremer, Kate Cuthbert, and Adele Walsh. I watched it all Christmas Day), because there was a lesson I wanted her to learn that I think she didn’t, but I don’t remember what it was. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. @WS—I thought Penelope was very real and complex in a way that is perhaps not typical for a romance. Romance novel adaptations need to avoid adding on the angst like with Virgin River’s millstone pregnant ex plot; people want to feel good watching these shows just like they do reading the books. I think that on a micro level, sort of zoomed-way-in, scene by scene, episode by episode, there were moments I loved and parts that charmed the heck out of me. I think I read one of the books in this series some years ago, but I have zero memory of it, so I went into watching the show on its own merits, rather than having the books to compare it to, and ended up staying up most of the night to watch it from beginning to end. If you think X, why do you think that? No case is too cold! But I felt like the show just didn’t know what to do with it – like Sarah says, you have that bit of narration suggesting that Daphne had done the wrong thing, but that’s really all you get. Because let’s face it, in those times, her brothers would be fine. It would have landed with a thud because the tone, imo just wasn’t there. Catherine: Agreed, it is absolutely GORGEOUS to look at, undeniably (and have we adequately addressed how ridiculously hot Regé-Jean Page is as the Duke? Sarah: I agree it’s a fragile basis for character motivation. I love the ending of the Duke and I. I’ve reread the ending multiple times. The unlikable characters who barely resembled the books? Bridgerton is an American streaming television period drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes. Benedict's Fling With Orgies And The Arts. I haven’t tried to reread it, and I’m sure I’d have a very different reaction to it today. Beyond just Daphne/Simon, there’s a lot of great dialogue in the book that isn’t used. Also, changing the dialogue meant that the story became far less witty and far more angsty. Daphne was a bit problematic because she was boring. diverse casting! But there is only so long one in a position such as ours can hide. Since finishing it, I have been pondering how to discuss Bridgerton. She is willing to make the sacrifice to marry Nigel when her sisters’ futures are threatened. The first season of the show is all set to focus on the first book in Quinn's series, The Duke And I. And finally I am glad the show didn’t go too deeply into racial politics. First, of all in the book, I do think it is pretty clear that Simon is hiding his true purpose (not having kids because of his father) by taking advantage of Daphne’s ignorance regarding sex. And… That Scene was deeply distressing, particularly when contrasted with how careful Simon was with Daphne’s consent in their other scenes together. For me, the show worked best when I pretended it had nothing to do with the book. The issues are too weighty for the material. I give the Bridgerton family a C. I give the Featheringtons a B because they were rather good at being awful human beings. Strong Food Opinions and Sandwich Debates With Amanda and Sarah, Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell, After the Gold by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton. The illusion relies on their whiteness to make them automatically alluring to viewers, and it was noticeable when they were placed against working class or wealthy POC characters who are actually interesting. I’ve also just reread the first four books. What did you think of Bridgerton season one? Watching something specifically created to appeal to you and then examining it critically is work and in fact is hard work. I saw her as really wanting this boy who had such a messed up childhood to find happiness and win. Ever since I saw Adjoa Andoh on an episode of Silent Witness I was 100% here for her in this role. Maybe it will be better. In fact if people knew Simon intended not carrying of the line of the Duke they would be appalled. Not sure if my html fu is strong, but I’m going to drop a link to another review/article that I found interesting. But still, awfully pretty. Sarah: That has been STUCK in my head, Kiki. I really needed to see a grovel or at least an apology from Daphne as to her treatment of Simon in episode 6. It turned a misunderstanding into an echo of Carolyn Bryant/Emmett Till. Belle was better, even if it imagined a more luxurious life for the heroine than the real historical figure she was based on. Sarah: What did you dislike about her? The Black characters know they are Black (and discuss it) but no one else does…so they’re all pretending not to notice race? Then again, the next available brother is Benedict and I’m not sure I trust the production to do get the racial dynamics of a Cinderella story right if they can’t even manage to interrogate them properly here. Frankly, I think that if Simon had not shown up at Vauxhall, Daphne would have gone back inside, accepted the Prince, and lived a content life with oodles of children. I agree with so many of your comments re: the sort-of colourblind casting. Jane Austen wrote about ‘natural daughters’ and no one thought Lydia and Wickham were running away to play in a whist tournament. The actress is quite pretty and probably would have been a ‘diamond of the first water’ in Ye Olde Regency Times, but the actress lacked screen charisma. RACE; As a POC, I would rather it was purely color blind. Marina being with Philip frees up Eloise to become half of an f/f Regency power couple with Pen. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Or they literally don’t notice? I am so delighted to see an actual romance on screen done by people who understand the genre. I’m not saying Daphne did not make any mistakes. As Quinn explains on her website, each Bridgerton novel focuses on the love life of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. While Marina already had a lot going on this season, I can’t understand why they erased her mental illness instead of taking the opportunity to show a woman living with depression. Oh, and I loved Penelope in the books and so far she’s very unsympathetic here. Example: the first time I saw a ballroom scene with so many different people in it, I was beyond delighted. Though to an extent everyone in Daphne’s narrative who isn’t Daphne is kind of secondary. Should I even bother? With the show, I find myself in a similar position. You put words to something I hadn’t quite figured out yet which is, everyone seems so grimdark miserable. If you’d like to receive updates in your inbox, visit our subscribe page and sign up for the content you crave! It will be interesting to see if they actually continue down the path that Marina had in the books where she is an off screen character. So what happened to Francesca?? Daphne did annoy me in some of her subsequent scenes (with Marina, maybe? I am looking forward to the next season though, as Anthony’s book is my favourite. I stayed far away, knowing this was to be a modern adaption. Sarah: It takes a lot of awareness and difficult questioning to think about why you like something or why something is working. I googled for spoilers and once I realized that they’d changed That Scene but didn’t exactly fix it, I posted a PSA / warning for my fellow survivors that it’s not all fluffy escapism and that Simon and Daphne’s dark moment is pretty freaking dark, with a link with spoilers. That does bother me that he’s not honest with her. My biggest issue with the adaptation is with Daphne– not primarily that her hair color is wrong, which it is– but that Daphne needs to exude warmth and charisma. I’m not super invested in the central romance because Daphne is kind of terrible. We should offer one final warning that you'll be waltzing into spoiler territory here, with regard to. In romances the main character is usually the heroine rather than the hero, so I have high hopes and expectations that next season focuses on a WOC. Really hard. Some thoughts on “that” scene. Penelope also needs to be very likable, and I’m not sure the Marina storyline makes her seem that way? Some parts really did not. Julie Pottinger (born Julie Cotler in 1970), better known by her pen name Julia Quinn, is a best-selling American historical romance author. He’s got the power in the relationship in a way Daphne doesn’t, and he uses it to withhold information from Daphne. I think Danbury was criminally underutilized, but she was also very fun to watch. The Duke and I is not my favorite Bridgerton, and I felt like the show kept the problematic bits problematic without exploring them, and then added more problematic bits? And we could still have kept Lady Danbury. I’m not disappointed because I figured they’d mess around with the characters & the plot & surprise! I think that’s one plot line they could have messed with for the better. Allows another exploration of how screwed women were with choices in the era, and could be another interesting plot foil, depending on how they handle it. It’s complex and there’s a LOT to talk about. I like the fleshed out character backstories. I needed her to grovel, honestly. Lara: If I’m too late to this party, totally understand! I am willing to see what they do to redeem him in a future season, but it’s going to take some doing. I think the show grabs attention in ways that would make it difficult to look away. At this point, I rather hope the show just cuts its losses with Marina. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/shondalands-regency-bridgerton/. Shana: No, the actresses is fabulous, I just found the character so self loathing, petulant, and desperately sad when placed against Marina. Picture this, you’re young, have very little power and agency beyond what your husband grants you. Lara: So my 2 cents… I finished the series a few days ago now and I’m still sitting with some queasy feelings. Sarah: I’ve been thinking a lot about the way I’m reacting to the show, too, Lara. He has enough age and experience that he should have known to stay away from Daphne in the garden. You had a narrow escape, Prince Friederich. Oh, yes. Penelope has loved Colin since she was 16. Once again, not excusing Daphne’s actions. I’m enjoying watching it for the costumes and ridiculous plots. These were then temporarily dashed when Benedict ran back into the arms of a woman, but as the series has shown it isn’t shy about making some big changes, I can still hope for a queer romance for at least one Bridgerton (and possibly for Eloise too?). I would give an A- to an abbreviated version where Simon and Lady Danbury just hang out in pretty ballrooms. Like the narration and the framing of the show calls her actions “wretched,” but so so subtly. I’m saying hers are understandable, just as Simon’s are. This is a portion of our conversation, talking about the wonderful and woeful parts. Well, maybe it’s because she’s just supposed to serve as the hot love interest of Anthony and not much else? Then explain that and translate it for someone else? Her best life, probably not… but Daphne, as a woman of her time, would have been content. Also: the way the show has addressed and not addressed racial identity is making me chase my tail. I’ve not thought about the reviewing/analysing process in those terms before, and it explains why sometimes I watch my little cursor flicker on the screen for ages before the words will come. I don’t like Violet because it’s inexcusable to let your daughter go into a marriage with that level of ignorance. “I thought I could rely on you… To believe in me,” The Serpent good guy Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle) complains during a, Netflix’s stylish, time-twisty true crime drama The Serpent tells the story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who murdered at least a dozen Western b, Spoilers are ahead. Ack, I have been dying for this review! Because I rarely fall for actors on shows, but WOW, I could not look away from him). Have you seen our Books on Sale collection? From the glittering ballrooms of Mayfair to the aristocratic … And I want more Eloise and Penelope. This Julia Quinn novel is my favorite of her books and introduces Viscountess Violet Bridgerton and her eight children. The show was beautiful but flawed. So I just skipped straight to the last couple of episodes to see how they handled the ending. I don’t like Siena because as a woman of her time, she should have known what she was getting into with Anthony. that’s like a whole plotline in the show – the girls don’t know how babies are made and even with Violet’s fertility, she’s squeamish about talking about it. And I found all the comments about Siena in this post interesting because I found her a little boring and I don’t know why. Then bring in a leading lady of color who can get a genuine happy ending! Sarah: Yes. Two, the casting didn’t take into account the effect of sprinkling POC, mostly Black people, into couples without thinking about how those pairing would be racialized to viewers and while also missing an opportunity to say something thoughtful and new in the AU they halfheartedly created. When I started the show, my first reaction was jaw dropping awe: “Ooooooh, so this is what it’s like when budget, time, incredible on-camera and behind-the-scenes talent, and a firehose of opulence are aimed at a romance fiction plot. Grey’s Anatomy was surprisingly forthcoming ahead of Thursday night’s new episode, “Breathe.” Last week the ABC drama confirmed, No season of any Real Housewives show is complete without a real life scandal to compete with its on-air drama, and the new Salt Lake City installment is n, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick’s on-and-off relationship has been a staple plot over the course of the past 19 seasons of Keeping Up with the K. You Have 8 New Netflix Treats To Binge This Weekend — Here’s What... Making Sense Of Bravo Star Jen Shah’s Very Messy Fraud Alle... How To Support Your Favorite Potters From. I would watch an entire show of Lady Danbury’s gatherings of married ladies. In some ways, Quinn’s popular Bridgerton series—a nine-book interlocking saga focusing on the love lives of various members of the Bridgerton clan—is an ideal choice in the age of franchising. I really don’t like Anthony/Siena — their relationship is so intense that I’m not sure how I’m going to get behind his story with Kate if they do address that. Shana: Clearly shooting for the “female gaze” means lots of butts. Why can I only tell A and B apart by the sideburns? I kept watching how he checked his dad’s pocketwatch, as if tracking the amount of time he has left. Loved Lady Danbury. I made it through two full episodes then half-watched the rest. Daphne and Colin seem very miscast to me. It’s like the show didn’t want to avoid the topic, but also didn’t want to engage with it. Marina’s ok, but other than being in trouble doesn’t have a lot of personality. A thousand times yes. I would have done the first three books in the first season (12 episodes), the middle three, then the last two with the extended epilogues to round it out. So along with the absence of any real story for Danbury, Marina, and Charlotte, we’re constantly forced back to the most uninteresting pairing I’ve watched in years. Not sure where to start? You have to really, really like Daphne. I think the show would have been worse had they not made that attempt, and I was happy to see it. I’m impressed that everyone stuck with it through all the episodes. I liked their banter. New to SBTB? (And clearly his story would be next, given that they made such a point of the bee.). be cast as black although not sure if Anthony is such a prize. What to know about the Bridgerton book series and its author, Julia Quinn. What would you be willing to do? He's discovered for match-fixing and … Lara: In a single phrase: the queasy feeling it left me with due to the myriad reasons outlined above. I think that’s just par for the course with adaptions (Game of Thrones, Outlander, etc.). So, the discussion on the casting. I didn’t feel like Simon had done anything wrong except assume a basic understanding of sexual reproduction by his wife. Catherine:I also re-read / skimmed the book before watching Bridgerton, which might have been a mistake. It is extremely beautiful to watch, there is some fantastic acting, and there were parts of it that I loved, especially in the earlier episodes when Daphne and Simon were pretending to court. Daphne doesn’t actually know where babies come from. P.S. So in that sense it was a nice way to end a fraught year. That made it that much more uncomfortable. I don’t like Anthony because he’s a douche. Shana: They do something similar with sexism. I think this comes from completely ignoring Quinn’s dialogue and perhaps trying to create more drama? One, the bland Bridgerton boys and other interchangeable white love interests were a problem. They are set between 1813 and 1825. Simon knows this because he has a (very funny) scene where he has to obliquely explain masturbation to her. I’ve read a bunch already, but none by people I thought got the genre. First because the character really acted as written in the books and second, the character as written on screen worked as a tireless advocate for Simon more than anything else. Shana: We thought the colorblind casting was a good idea, and occasionally enjoyable, but poorly executed. Simon wearing those boots and those billowing white shirts stalking through the halls…whew! View all 60 comments. Catherine: I think a C minus. On one hand, Bridgerton was almost perfectly calibrated to appeal to me, from a nostalgia perspective, and from a “I hardly watch television because I don’t trust people to write a happy ending or an ending at all” perspective. I also want Anthony to realise the error of his ways and attempt to woo Siena. THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE DAPHNE’S ACTIONS! It’s… pretty. I think she does show up in the last episode. I could not look away and I’m not proud of that. Sarah: I want for the next season for Lady Danbury to have Her Own Whole Side Plot that isn’t dispensing wisdom or arranging social connections. Lara: I give set and costumes an A. Amazing.). I really thought she was going to get a happy ending (so much so that I wasn’t even worrying about her, because it was so clear that her boy was going to come back from the war and she would be vindicated and live happily ever after), and I was stunned that she did not. And I was left feeling very invested in the continuing adventures of Eloise and Marina in season two. But I wish they had a fight with these type of arguments. Bridgerton's bleakest plot line sees the Featherington patriarch bet away his family's fortune on boxing matches. This conversation is after most of us have watched all eight episodes, so we discuss plot points, characters, and other moments in detail. Shana: I’m definitely curious about how people are responding depending on their previous relationship to the book(s). Daphne’s post-sex meltdown is just…not a good look. I’m not going to watch the show. I liked Violet as well. But on the other hand. Whistledown is much more cutting in the show than in the book and I think the show suffers for it. New! I don’t think you get to have it both ways and they tried to. I loved the acting, costumes etc, but the story and Daphne fell flat for me. The thing I liked the least was the constant involvement of the Queen, which made her seem petty for caring about who Daphne marries, and not the running of a kingdom. To quote Kate, one of the hosts of What Would Danbury Do?, a podcast examining the Bridgerton world, the marketing for the Netflix Bridgerton show has been very subtle. Watching the show had not improved my opinion. And yep. Did they mention where she was and I missed it? Haven’t read the books or seen the show, but this interview with Lizzy Talbot, the show’s intimacy coordinator (aka sex scene choreographer, itself a fairly new but necessary industry job) is illuminating: https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/bridgerton-sex-scenes-how-they-were-filmed.html. The Duke is … a beautiful accessory. Will and Alice are two Black characters with a loving family and a strong relationship, something you don’t always see. That’s the precise feeling I have the more I think about it. I also liked it, for the same reasons @TinaNoir mentioned. I cannot for the life of me figure out if I actually want to watch this show. BOOKS I WOULD I LIKE TO SEE FILMED IN A SERIES: The Walsh Family by Kate Canterbary. And speaking of Anthony, I hate what they’ve done with his character. NOT MOVING. We were watching? Your Guide to the Bridgerton Books by Julia Quinn | Book Riot Siena is well-rounded and just so damn interesting to watch. But he was so used to running away that he used the Prince’s interest as a way out. There has been much thoughtful, interesting writing about this show. So glad to finally get the Bitchery take on this! It Will who he turns to in distress. It’s definitely beautiful to look at. Daphne does some appalling things, and, if you don’t have that base of likability to work with, it’s hard to even come close to forgiving her for that. I have lots more thoughts but can’t wait to see what the Bitchery thinks! I watched the last two episodes with my Mom, and she adored Eloise and Lady Danbury, and agreed with Sarah that the Bridgerton boys are forgettable and interchangeable. As someone who has raised daughters, I think Eloise can only be the rebel because Daphne is the dutiful daughter, much like Anthony and Benedict. But! The sex scenes between her and Anthony were so hot I was sure that they were destined to be together. But parts of the whole don’t quite fit together. The settings were beautiful, the music fun, the actors talented…what more could I have asked for (and gotten)? Sigh. PB & Mayo Sandwiches (and Girl Scout Cookies) With Amanda and Sarah, 448.
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